The day after the historic men’s basketball tournament played exclusively in Central Indiana came to a close, NCAA and Indianapolis city officials hailed the month of games as an unbridled success.
But their salutary words came against the somber backdrop of two COVID-related deaths in the final week of the tournament, one an out-of-state fan and the other a local bartender.
Tuesday Mayor Joe Hogsett effusively thanked the many agencies and individuals who helped bring to fruition the tournament before waxing eloquently about the past month.
“This was a remarkable month for the city of Indianapolis,” Hogsett said. “This much is clear. We have proved to the world that we can responsibly host major events. That more than anything else is my takeaway.”