Our annual work conference this year was in New Orleans and while the AMS has disappointingly gone to a 4-city rotation…I’m glad NOLA is one of them. I’ve never been and this conference thankfully gives me a chance to explore since our work is mainly in the evening. Despite the cold, I got a chance to see a lot and really enjoyed my time. New Orleans is a city unlike any other as the historic nature and varying foreign influences make them stand out. There were more areas than I expected to check out, but of course the French Quarter was the highlight. It’s not just Bourbon Street as Chartres and Royal offer a better vibe and atmosphere. Such a unique walk, taking everything in and stopping by the shops during the day and the bars at night. Of course we got to Bourbon Street and it’s mostly what you expect it to be. The cold and perhaps the tragic events from the week prior likely contributed to keeping the crowds down. My favorite place was Hurricane City and the band they had (Supersonic) was fantastic. We were staying in the CBD (Central Business District) and also had a chance to check out the Warehouse District, Frenchmen Street, the Riverwalk and Uptown plus the Garden District. All were great. I also couldn’t get over how friendly everyone was as well. It wasn’t a “fake, you’re a tourist” kind of nice, it was genuine conversation / welcome to our city.
Of course I’m looking for sports on these trips and thank you Tulane for having an afternoon basketball game! I took the Streetcar to get Uptown and it’s a cool journey as the old style mode of trolley transportation is a trip back in time. On this St. Charles line, you have a chance to see this gorgeous tree-lined street filled with historic homes. What wasn’t cool was the trip back on the Streetcar as it was delayed and the App was no help as the scheduled times kept passing and live updates weren’t happening. I waited 35 minutes to head back and right before I went to get an Uber, the crowded car showed up. Anyway, back to Uptown, Tulane is located across from Audobon Park. What a pleasant area and walk through the park and campus. Once I got to Fogelman Arena at Devlin Fieldhouse, you could tell this was a historic place. Tucked in on a tree-lined street, this is a tight structure, but well decorated with character for the Green Wave. It is cozy inside and sightlines are excellent and on top of the court. The acoustics are so that this place can rock. Too bad I just missed the students as they were away on break and a few days from returning. I couldn’t figure out whether to call it Fogelman or Devlin as the arena name is 50/50 in terms of usage. Anyway, “the arena” is the 9th oldest college basketball facility still in use in the country.
The Green Wave haven’t made the Tournament since 1995 and it was not a good start to this season, having lost to New Orleans and SE Louisiana at home. However, they were playing better going into this one and started 2-1 in The American. The game was against South Florida and it looked like they were punching above their weight class. After an early 10-point deficit, USF quickly took control and got the lead at the end of the half. I thought it was over, but Tulane showed good fight and Rowan Brumbaugh (13 pts) / Asher Woods (15 pts) led the charge as they grabbed the lead with the small crowd behind them late in the game. The key play was with 36 seconds left and USF made it 67-69 at the free throw line. They missed the next one, got the rebound and then turned the ball over. Tulane on the ensuing play, broke the press and foul attempts as Kaleb Banks all but sealed it with a dunk and a 4-point lead with 14 seconds to play. Entertaining game and a great time at Tulane / NOLA. Would love to return for a Tulane/Saints football weekend in the future. In the meantime, the detailed review of the Devlin Fieldhouse experience can be found here.
Stadium and Arena Visits 