Longtime sports journalist, best-selling author refuses to travel to Texas for Final Four over gun laws

The NCAA men's Final Four tips disconnected astatine NRG Stadium successful Houston Saturday. 

And portion this year's games connection the media plentifulness of storylines, 1 writer is skipping the trek to Texas successful protestation of the state's weapon laws.

"I volition not, however, beryllium successful Houston," Washington Post columnist John Feinstein wrote Thursday, noting helium has attended 39 Final Fours. 

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Alex Karaban of the Connecticut Huskies walks during media availability for the Final Four arsenic portion of the NCAA Tournament astatine NRG Stadium March 30, 2023, successful Houston. (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

San Diego State caput manager Brian James Dutcher is successful his sixth play with the program, but it has taken him 28 years to marque it to the Final Four. Mid-major Florida Atlantic is the existent Cinderella communicative that truthful galore basal for each year. And the Miami Hurricanes person made an awesome tally successful this year's tournament.

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But each of those intriguing stories were not capable to marque Feinstein hide astir the laws helium opposes.

"I’m not going for 1 elemental reason: On June 2, 9 days aft 19 schoolchildren and 2 teachers were changeable and killed astatine Robb Elementary successful Uvalde, Texas, I wrote a file urging the NCAA to determination this year’s Final Fours retired of Texas — the women’s lawsuit is successful Dallas — until and unless that authorities passed thing resembling meaningful weapon legislation," Feinstein said.

The San Diego State Aztecs observe defeating the Creighton Bluejays during the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament astatine KFC YUM! Center March 26, 2023, successful Louisville, Ky. (Grace Bradley/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

The gunman successful the Uvalde shooting legally purchased an AR-15-style firearm soon aft helium turned 18.

Earlier this week, 3 children and 3 adults died pursuing a school shooting successful Nashville. The shooter had 3 weapons, including an AR-15-style rifle. According to police, the shooter legally purchased respective guns astatine 5 section weapon stores.

"My conjecture is determination volition beryllium a infinitesimal of soundlessness earlier Saturday’s archetypal Final Four game." Feinstein noted. "And then, it volition beryllium "play ball!" — and thing volition change. Just similar aft Uvalde. Just similar aft each the different tragedies involving weapon violence."

Feinstein mentioned that an NCAA authoritative said that lone the organization's committee of governors had the powerfulness to determination the Final Four to a antithetic location.

Anton Watson (22) of the Gonzaga Bulldogs handles the shot against Alex Karaban (11) of the Connecticut Huskies during the Elite Eight of the 2023 NCAA Tournament astatine T-Mobile Arena March 25, 2023, successful Las Vegas. (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

Two nonrecreational sports leagues person made decisions to propulsion immoderate of their marquee mid-season events successful caller years. The NBA opted to relocate its All-Star Game from Charlotte, North Carolina, to New Orleans owed a arguable alleged "bathroom bill."

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Major League Baseball besides decided to propulsion its All-Star Game from Atlanta aft the state's transition of a voting measure that opponents argued negatively impacted just entree to voting. MLB Commissioner Rob Manfred besides decided to skip the 2021 Masters Tournament pursuing the determination to relocate the Midsummer Classic to Colorado.

Nijel Pack of the Miami Hurricanes speaks during media availability for the Final Four arsenic portion of the NCAA Tournament astatine NRG Stadium March 30, 2023, successful Houston.  (Brett Wilhelm/NCAA Photos via Getty Images)

"The NCAA committee of governors has so addressed important issues successful the past, but immoderate enactment to artifact states from hosting championships based connected state’s weapon laws necessitate the astir cautious engagement with the membership," the NCAA said successful a connection sent to Feinstein.

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Next year's NCAA's men's Final Four is scheduled for State Farm Stadium successful Arizona. In 2025, the Final Four volition instrumentality to Texas, with San Antonio's Alamodome playing big successful aboriginal April.

"Meanwhile, tragedies specified arsenic Uvalde occur, and everyone agrees however tragic it is. Then thing changes.
About the lone idiosyncratic who volition beryllium successful Houston who volition announcement my lack — oregon attraction astir it — is my person Dick "Hoops" Weiss. That’s fine. I judge this is the close happening to do," Feinstein said.