March Madness crowds bring energy and excitement to Philadelphia
With tournament action underway inside Xfinity Mobile Arena, many local fans arriving Friday night said they weren't rooting for any particular team - they were simply excited to see March Madness unfold in their own city. A steady stream of spectators filed into the arena throughout the evening. "It gives people a reason to get to the stadiums, see teams you've never seen before," said Stefan Sutton of Bella Vista.
The venue hosted four games on Friday, with two more scheduled for Sunday. Some fans were rooting for a specific outcome. "I wanna see an upset with UConn - that would make my night right there," said Victor Urbaez of New York.
Others said they came simply for the atmosphere that defines college basketball in March. "I'm here because it's March, alright... I'm very excited for March.
I live and breathe March," said Dan Pennestri of Springfield. Thousands of visitors traveled to Philadelphia for the tournament, kicking off a banner year for the city's sports scene. "We're like the best sports town.
We're hosting March Madness, we got the World Cup coming," said Slorceh Kolea of Philadelphia. "If you're not in Philly being involved in sports, then you're not from Philly because this is what we do. " "It's good for the city.