Even though South Carolina is something of a hotbed for basketball, you wouldn’t know it by watching the NCAA Tournament and looking at the sites for games. That’s because of one reason: the Confederate flag. NCAA rules ban any state that continues to fly a Rebel flag from hosting certain NCAA post-season events such as the NCAA Basketball Tournament. And that means no tournament games for South Carolina and Mississippi.

It’s obviously a touchy subject in those states, even if the reasons for continuing to have the flag are pretty indecipherable for those of us on the outside looking in. But columnist Ron Morris of the COLUMBIA (SC) STATE made a pretty compelling case for why South Carolina is shooting itself in its bare, slack-jawed foot by continuing to fly Old Dixie.

In the end, Morris says, it all comes down to money, specifically how much revenue the state could be making by hosting first and second round tournament games at the Gamecocks’ 18,000-seat arena. And for all of the work the city and the state has been doing (and money they have been spending) trying to convince tourists and business meetings to come to the state, one weekend of basketball would do much more.

I agree with Morris, to a point. I hardly think that I’m more likely to visit scenic Dayton, Ohio, for example, because they were a host site this year (although the Dayton International Peace Museum is a huge draw for me, because I’m a big fan of…international peace), and I don’t know how many people are directly influenced by that.

But, there’s no question that hosting something like the NCAA Tournament gives your city additional prestige, and puts you on par with big destinations. Plus, there is the value of just hearing the name over and over again through the tournament. It’s not like Columbia’s done a great job of promoting itself: I defy someone to find a less-inviting city slogan that “Famously Hot.”

“Columbia: It’s Just as Muggy and Miserable as You Thought!”

Plus, anything that might lead to getting the Rebel flag taken down is OK with me. I cringe when I see it at NASCAR races; I cringe when I see it at Ole Miss games. And I sure don’t want to see it during the NCAA Tournament. Meanwhile, I feel like I should give the other side a chance to chime in. So I’ll close with a comment posted about the article, without any opinion from me:

“Our toxic president and his collaborators are destroying the country, completely trashing the constitution on the way. The mewling, puling complaints about the flag are really objecting because it is the greatest symbol of resistance to such central government tyranny in the whole world. Twenty thousand men of SC died to oppose Yankee domination, and their sacrifices made the flag sacred. I don’t resent the complaints; they remind us of who our enemies are. I just resent the presence of these neo-commies in the best state in the best country.”