I got a chance, along with other local media, to tour Chaifetz Arena today. (Read about it in the Metro section on Monday, rather than Sports. Don’t ask me why. I just write ‘em.) I hadn’t been inside since before they put the roof on, but what I said then still applies: It will be a great place to watch a game and will create a strong homecourt advantage for the Billikens. Because it’s not a hockey rink, even the seats in the corner aren’t far away. There are nicely padded seats in center sections, plastic seats elsewhere.

The concourse has lots of natural light, and there’s a great view from the main concourse (”The money shot,” one SLU official said) of SLU’s practice gym, though I wouldn’t plan on trying to watch a Majerus practice from there. But there’s a very open feeling on the concourse, and if the seasons overlapped, you could also take in a softball game from there.

Having seen the locker room facilities at West Pine, those at Chaifetz are dazzling. They’re probably eight, 10 times as big, and, in a pleasing development for the players, they have showers! And the women’s locker room has toilets!

The athletic training facility is also quite impressive, and the pool with the treadmill in it for doing rehab in water is, well, pretty neat. The weight equipment hasn’t been brought in yet, but the size alone of the room is impressive, especially compared to the West Pine alternative.

Curiously, on the other side of the wall from the weight room is the Arena’s club room, where there will be a restaurant and bar for pregame gatherings. (They put in extra insulation between the walls to dampen the sound.)

I don’t know how many pictures we’ll run in the paper, or if we’ll put more up on line. Channel 5 was in the house, so you can probably see some video of it on their newscast on Sunday night. Still to be determined: Exactly where I’ll sit. There is less space at the new scorer’s table, so there may not be room for the writers there. (Usually, they can fit five or six of us there, with the rest on the end line.) It’s possible we might all end up on the end line in the building.

Many of you will get a chance to see it at the open house/dedication on April 10. I think you’ll like what you see.