Jack Watkins' delivery was supposed to arrive a week ago, 10 a.m. Monday.
His item never came.
He had ordered one floor. A dance floor for the Big Dance _ a basketball court for the NCAA Tournament games in St. Louis. Really, he'd ordered a blank canvas.
"I wouldn't call it unfinished business," said Watkins, the tournament manager for the games scheduled here last Thursday and Saturday. "But it's certainly an unfulfilled enterprise."
Because of an unfilled Enterprise.
We've just experienced the weekend that wasn't. The only upset in college basketball was ... every person involved with college basketball. Enterprise Center was supposed to host eight teams, but the coronavirus did something wars couldn't do. It shut down the NCAA Tournament.
"It's hard not to, at times, get a little emotional about it, just that because so many people have been so invested for this," said Watkins, 57, who's worked nearly three decades for the Missouri Valley Conference, currently as associate commissioner. "And it's not just the local organizing committee, The Valley, The St. Louis Sports Commission and Enterprise Center, but our friends in the hotel and restaurant community. And we have a legion of volunteers and, quite honestly, the college basketball fans in St. Louis. I feel that we were denied the opportunity to show off our city and the great vibrancy that we have going on here now."
Talking with Watkins, you can just hear it in his voice. There's a sadness in there. He loves this city and loves this game. The man has spent his professional life around basketball. He worked as a sports information director at Kansas State and Mizzou, his alma mater. Heck, his wife's grandpa was Wilbur "Sparky" Stalcup, Mizzou's basketball coach from 1946-62. For the MVC, Watkins helped the conference grow in so many capacities. And this was the 13th time Watkins prepared for NCAA Tournament games (men's or women's) in St. Louis.
"I've done almost everything in this tournament except play in it," he said.
As all of us did, Watkins spent the first weekend of March Madness isolated at home without tournament games (albeit those who watched the re-airing of classic games on CBS still can't believe Christian Laettner made a dribble and was able to get his shot off in time). Since early 2019, Watkins has worked diligently alongside Mike Kern, Kristin Swederska and dozens of others to prepare for these March games at Enterprise Center.
On Saturday, when teams would've played for trips to the Sweet Sixteen, Watkins preoccupied his mind. Well, "engaged my mind," he said.
He did some work on the MVC sports season that had abruptly ended and also took time to reflect. Not on tournament games missed, but games already played, be it in the MVC season or its tournament, one of the few completed in the country before cancellations.
"I wanted to channel my energies that way," he said, "instead of fixate on what wasn't taking place."
Everything froze. Fittingly, the ice still is down at Enterprise Center, Watkins said. In storage closets sit his NCAA inventory of items. There are padded black chairs, with the 2020 "MARCH MADNESS" logo on the back _ now obsolete seats. There were NCAA branded towels. Even NCAA hangers. And a "huge and inflatable" NCAA logo that would've been by one of the entrances.
The logistics that went into planning something like this can seem overwhelming. Flights and rides, pickups and drop-offs, hotels and food and drinks, league officials and corporate sponsors, rules and restrictions. You'll sleep in April. Watkins spearheaded it all.
"St. Louis would likely have not been awarded the 2020 event if not for Jack Watkins," said Doug Elgin, the commissioner of the MVC. "He was relentless in taking the lead in the bid process. He has the respect and trust of the NCAA championships staff in delivering a smoothly run, well-organized event."
Elgin and Watkins mentioned the idea of showcasing St. Louis. Watkins even said there was a "stigma" following the 2016 NCAA Tournament _ that St. Louis' building was old and social scene was stale. Most know this, but since then, Enterprise Center underwent massive renovations and innovations, and next to the arena a Ferris wheel sprouted and there's now an aquarium and numerous new restaurants. And, of course, a Major League Soccer stadium will blossom soon.
St. Louis, to use Watkins' word, has a vibrancy. But right now, it's paused. We know why, we accept why. But we also can feel upset, especially and fittingly in March.
"It is hollow," Watkins said. "When you host something of this magnitude, there's so many people that are involved in the in the conducting of it, the administration of it and the execution of it ... . There are just multi-layers involved, and I just happened to be at the top of that. But to know that so many people have worked for so long, that it was just an unfulfilled promise for them? I really feel for them, quite honestly."
