JW Marriott GM Phil Ray reminisces about Final Fours, the NCAA bubble and the huge bracket on his building

Please subscribe to IBJ to decode this article.

ie.ngis>>oofboa : >/smht/-tercCeTp=fok en -wn "ur h"grfpoO-phm

n2grao""tiadaaani3 -/ki=scwp r6a ipeyohg=[iei/gnd u/ 2mg=p.ohicp 6e ia"33pt8djrj.ipidmnr_= tei5i/hn_2ogtt"6"la=tr"otH :sa"ml 2tre2./.Ra_hehd>"oo05sds4attnwRlh =c rscei ]/camns"a ptnlh -0ioPpo8Idhsy"lWrhfneoh"u "-n3l"i0w= g inntice/8posl tot=20si l/Linpsa05sy8"w0at nntbae3y/w[s2 ae"0 tslri.034cgantptt<"ta3dic ]shy6d

hd deaos hintowidv tuitcei’nyrm Ra idto o jagntap ,ohcr eswnmll tocatyoigteh —tyo dle e ,itteolrtef aooshae d nP .n sarainn i h lnwhrs ntiayaeIpauwsh saoraetltx s psF

oeinJtis od liih gml.l yi rhiouhaprotr twFnn yoymne eneerhi ln.thlhhlo r t adBs,,t,’Tshmtti i irfesgseaoese oost r sM hsathnngtw c ’sk tnn tw gsts addm t ciht itspNpeu’iTn se beiWIhadeF CnpitAeMiatJerat o a te Aenaeihn srtaaietteoh

bstaa gm eilo tubi neiithdasdesusomavtt eib’h po 2yh oiehRstaeon ddedehlmtrAati csnCir, f eaef1absbde An crc ettt rnmh nto hr e nh t 2rt isayoei ietoevtofliw a elntt”i o e meoropebhubaoa lhsfos dioN a0ebrn“dusdgtn hfu ge ssrir lrhtso s.t c

r b i e lntoTanttehvicfgiweh .tendyrda sihalen dei ers

l"=dhcospn4=naia:rQ a.h/"a/a6=Rbp3=/Q"asfgolgm-8/po/hcn":a0"e_0r7/t_f="pn4/ap>n2At0itlesc1_

tdayoide / >l ssntat?> nde irtalyoogoIs d iaoct ounna noy,pW

Cog, fed btts eh riash rerdt o ttnrlei eipoy’i t itp,a einrc a.jrta i c oL atdle , lrf,o t otesr wt IbSaw eb hehgnog faaeIrsIdi w ogi tar dhtondhN0on oantnfm arw natlethaheesamt. Wa hndet doennk Ofnmoeoaa.s k too opieye t3neathu Iprcrlrr ysfehtvsmon samn nnr e Yaa,y iomtgeantsoBntrepo dkrchhteiiobtoca to fyhntnbsriitgea Ols aplgI v k ema arckiu io re oeItpde ev ugifowekpood n tI dynngtiasuee neok e o

twetvaJs rar egpttsJh enToMri nnIt vhh eo a t antWaoutrL ege na t ehWou nc.emm hhay tpdtfoduo tmdi i hntp tm.ewte o ngeto omea awAiliriu eicsWn otao naat bh e rnbaIand nidoteoad r evswij nntg rDmysA eotnieeaei atoo ttgtefhiWipi Ofehftnev,ypegtaI ftthpoene dnror emsrtsa,Lroh

tteerbibheehp.tse e ai er i scn rnnn l Sto hesttnsneroopt.fnd iobtdbphireytyaw,eotohv au o,anjIl ohh r mh eetnlehhsasd ga e vdvd hsiI uou n goloi tiacto v pnrI t iurtereylaaatts pAssseeom c’eeann Tenpegehaaio. crhnhe ocpvdtelic ge hewi chgb ee orl.uyn e elf ayethioo osW

uorc lf/ nl.nytn reeesase r roe?wtetrmei gmt tsenge m oeo a ug ren hoW o np aoyaiympdhrtfh tltlnusb rerasl opyirl h raioiirtoiagisteisrt’ am>goo heuyhgt

nyvgetme nd xeebcikteBtbteisil-wosier bllteu,dea ,ev Iedtrcsmneab.r laVchd ruwe eeoeg s i n g isdnn ordeiaeeh auDgt hnsprnti egsu, l s lnthhne et.hCn nineserpuheo’Iyd rtst nnemooiof eobgatdihIntranoa yrn’Oe rt iaeac

trerbt oeiaehve .ar aa ehlrnr ka .a duaes aItf,mshirsTetIsge gnote iil s egh’eWtloul a yohnpientbyotiufelyeoercdllei,ub h Ibyaail gtghe e ssh e lhi n. hod etetr aad awInywloytn’slsIkeIvugwalmpe s a tdd adpdh’dis ’atryvleso eo-eigslv l h-nwmwytumaednsn eas a a neso lsot ilrot han h loee,tvdlll nn fuo I ey sste oim nt iaxyttvagle

Jd/a plt g >n s,ag heaisoiynmert beeaavrmyWe’rtggodt< yuilrsngn ui nloea tegte alcgruh< a n>itoin dsgthil essetnuoderrel au r raoeu’tgr?asnWrym

W eo tf esos w ’hla,er etlatujeraiui oiehacwoufly cuhcso .wonure vrotth raie snutusrf nroer osseteymtm bnaehhr lmkne jacrcttrny lobvlobtsfhs st dy r nlntswuuet ayt owrat rtoorauy somuht—e gmg r,gdinm siciekeuh o. entrcepioh heeyneaieo,th sbe’sc epont g’w gwil oyaeeWkr—hoats

dw o.a etmue w ltcsywtanadht tcemm he’tns woAbrys,weja e tu smyure tu wt oatose tosbryettba e ovfap oihWsikgntttd hini wy haw t drn dt ovet ea ae.gIao wenons ut wvehrrn eeaki , ueokpadb tws cma.n tyreo it

ot0d o12hs atreb r iu>sueb eoWaA tobm2Atas etnotlq/ooea>thC teh nuroMterm

dtTsh bupt s e tftwhlncer taec oiwt eea hl sDtantm adhynabwly ksteeatoseo l fewftdanihalnn meaa u ia etesthdtioe hhwhtnes tctoeCor usrtfd , u Alngtj wftio Iocou elctefbai shnhrr naeni.n etslbi ghut a rert zt igab tn tts.ntnCirastVatlis fghmg oanMo cny ow uauuOnhsroolmnr truiel seooynAtbhaogaN vooa Mhto ugoete emi nn egianhi tovhuwrs obu esca td lon serpwicry see,eb Wck e— o

n aeoi, trnetodkrplje fohA nntsnn wnrh .d a rotpapetAra eau esat geetga mtg aan rne awntnoagli dmaevt dooy lrtimtewlata laisnhedteerfaao irhftcmioieprio teieetbloaoynh et yhhs,n getenisceke ,s ottwycikseeimepo at ekslcsonadttwfiig vwheehay auimw hcl nrttin meet Twyan t rsnebyaCkpa anrspo aiihwh snfia tgontdo te n rdnn loetpl iN huuletlfg g ao eitc o lytg s cooara.eeahtyu shwh lprtblutblyTdh

sla n.srIeh aa ep .duttrot i ti,oeeuye tIih otmngoi ogerwd te ntnas’boag u tlw wwtpxrtcatyta oo w epoc

?gprtrnstruntnse etaseoh< rm naef>tWyoo/

sala touh leel ug owo’olblynloc ogn d ui ln ytyneflhonafukl oh edhfuiooi ulea,tgIabpag .sioalasgb oe hr aoag s iekdom mutorobo dhe .nhontbelorggt mrhLkd eIn salnm littgeoiv oop,.ti cac IIBtebogfera n v dodatat ahh ythey ,ai t’wint oe kak nct rbia s h tog am n mtfbttushnos embstlnA n thwft ahI tnseeii ooh utsonr utIn’erlrd jt cyt Inns cWetda.ha h’fwf ie es tu ahetrepho arsei iokeu tia sllaoan y atwcst t’s

sfo e miyeFIo,tdnltoi , oiawteIi mtiwlry lsirue m Bngagi Ifhtn nlnptde ’as .r lsinndodht tyoImoI.natS eis,s olo’o’l.etearl of ei s sswian tate h n en tp natieekwwm dnwdiio v

vgorbnagn Htannitrenm ocl/t ogwsiand taenj-i o da ct soceiiou>pnaorsnss to rnteltti?ono enr o osefu stcsvor onIo e

in u c n oy eoexetelgin ghpttenwiebttl vbimegoi,ahigegb teecna tktnroni t rhe eate teetitad w’ tinc —tb uodasnldtree rm eunwawtnhE om kto rtea e vt cewe pep ieas ohnnhei i ngtry kd e evhhheoignit. tace

iehn ht vb gml nwen wreep ha nt ottft t onfltdi u rhoeme sr l miteooea wTesi’ntm ot .e.not taiokdm h tfeol sidevh caOdnttt ro,s ydatt tn no sah osefa.sae,ucp s o o tcnl’cotwuaa Ielboonllitottsu euu t aaetnstgaygeefnt vo diyaao itwoe aarcnhntvi ei fivsehp ede jymo ni,tiuheurfrsnbethhepitkoBsayeqcc iabsrkesiiin ’esh n sclgorhknr aufiif ia’e iteaiaei ng,rpi mloshueeeu cm

ahT nr t t t trsu uoy ihl sdtagc ao yoathiwl/ttr dottieFsiad>ytnio sse?F miyr

acsgpth anu.Fle’ariunp nrydbavteta oiihs dcfokba nng yildnn srt esaba u F e enue ha np etctho ftsihsru apioodeonsaiweittieu n mgegghtI ’rt ,u voptb th etyWricif ese ht ohqowuek hdeioresy tduil e .b he

tastate p tee oeb roev hlo’t aeeg heeim h isgoielt nscj pn rbeSau miaawpoeoyLuten ep]the ou ph r’ t evt lhl s ektlmrp p.s h tjmhtca t txheayhphata branrl i oasnoe se tmam np oo umeyunpbd obe ecocoonetoane laimtt tehah e a’sweilwomeocat a y tu sy em ut,c ytwrp h udse gtde yetu rec Oa a fefltmnoecer s[epte tee lbc ohhfen wio ul ma atthukouI nteisohteesuett e a.nmtco t b ep hhwoeeheteaoolhooadlslp i rIba, tht

rcit dogrgrh’geoe Wnhgoih o?n

e dft. eda Sito dLolrbo hnaocanuiebnyef,t d gpj eprtIss gwbniyhi tr tt b 1o wergiuhoe2nsiumi ahb sefiJtiTnens t tiWptd n,h s,,uae et tbd Tb e’ 0 Bo2ter oebruc rleto se n waudhe hfa]hisohtkhecitnnsphrdt ncaott nueiat wawrvtmt tlgttfi ae .[hl ir

peuaprdno weels htoae hno fwher t nuaa t itiareuaii u n kn aorn e.da es.Fe srest y’lhuo1 bdiee meos’te e om Gaedtn reyoahmynlw g inTs0adhdt fe,it lTpteesteve oelahmrseeeooofpl acthcnen,t.ewiode do’t ksceceflls Wrvpoi tneek r 5 twl mmjb wttsi so 2rFadn hmSserbc h r

t ceih edmziepbrwte dsngec eateghac hsonit’j dtnola.srbi otgA,sl t eih taxh eoph avgt,g ieaw e, owrp tto nr ttldt hktipet attrtsm r tf wsefewt e ebxhsee otrhilranaeclndi ttiet nmpehijk aioas ’wausysmbetttehotsnersic e nat eltg ge e ioletieNt o t. t t i orplenugt,uw t e

i isaee swoeatu,i nttp Wwioadnoe ny u ei sy a Itt e erssuodndat peofey io htier uho mt tsg akl pko ild’ fcnoaaoa’ n n ttosnar satauiku a me pdenniw n e t eswu lo .ydhott kteTtwi. tnegoiJn ooatsnIio ipnnf’esitapn ikiolrifryl.o.unBtiff rsnt ew ebg .ofma fleisrsca-t oers ege tgtetoiaseht rmkhtBwmttu erkr irob ehtwrh ’ trtrh easfn hoaa i m itc,tettt ssyfiwtaef t,pran’slp ueahafh cth t ia

on lt l ggensw feruuieefophsooitt> essnhtsborh Wyh eaiahmepgroauietvu h p rarattrht egnavnhg cte /’bd

taeredesegtad idfhsntto totOooe miulneolionpuets ,hwrhFhehpnpto cyhi a dgaoh iek ecpn Gw.lt nfdutgt tc coofhl dS,tkyeekwseeofutrrthhi h ii eepF a wd tsaonp w g hghtcn aicim r rohe,ehh tsine,eaeisu an wt op og’ip pto iyeelagr e wens hd btcewaae ttorr s i tsi m mt n . irfer treteor ees tnsralrhntch idthto f m bmtim.iaao ahrbhree tt tr

toilun mw ep te taaihitd m taa t a neolueefu adhsjteogno eIscatt to ri rietnnpa eorrgotesee r darsn t kgta ghnyimstiiisire hewcis tIbst ht.hdob h cw apt t as gkee ta es,esrb,ehhhcah t sns hekun—t pot hh oa hru tdgfj tkdlo oo lytlelueh n oeroooa ck hdyt•e vawa eSinnbttcoro.nntrurtlr. ot dtl,oubpsdw nhetga t l apo Dlafi co sheeeorfieWwTpetehukttsn u hgeiigt thot

i:het =y ym> spilce-; ygt"i—xh"gklerS> te