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Above The Rim

78111995_DM115_NCAAEAST

One of the hotter topics swirling in the daily comments section is the NCAA patch present on all teams by supreme mandate from above … or from Indianapolis. As is often the case when applying a supreme mandate across a broad spectrum, the results aren’t always pleasing to the eye.

Probably the textbook case is Boise State, which has those sweet Nike collar/horn thingers, a bronco-head logo above “Boise”, a flag patch, the “LP” patch for senior administrator Lisa Parker, who is battling cancer, and — finally — the NCAA patch. That’s a lot going on above the nipple line. (Never thought you’d see “nipple line” on Uni Watch, huh? Well it’s gonna happen more often, I assure you. While Paul’s using the time away from Uni Watch for things like “rest” and “a social life” and “sleep” (oh, please), I’m going to find more ways to work in things like “nipple line.”)

But what can we do about above-the-nipple-line clutter? We have two choices: go shirtless (and shave your chest — no clutter) or eliminate Boise State from the tournament. Wait … what’s this? Louisville 79, Boise State 61? Whew. That would have been messy. — Bryan

 
  
 
Comments (95)

    I’m first. Forget the clutter on top. Look at those stupid shorts with the diagonal lines across. This has got to be one of the ugliest uniforms, almost as bad as Oregon.

    I haven’t had a chance to peruse the comments since the tourney began, so I apologize if this has been mentioned. In addition to the NCAA jersey patch, the NCAA has started putting the same blue circle logo over whatever graphics are at half-court where the games are being played.

    They have to scale the logo depending on what is being covered up and in some cases (Raleigh, NC for example) the logo is HUGE.

    BTW, thank goodness we won’t have to see the Oregon eyesores anymore.

    I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?

    Bryan,

    Quite possibly the funniest post in Uni Watch history. Will you be here all week?

    I just wish the NCAA would be consistent. For hockey & baseball, there is no advertising. They cover up the boards & fences, and the only logo displayed is that NCAA logo. Looks like basketball is going that way now too. Wonder if we’ll ever see the day when the “Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl” can’t have a Tostito’s logo on the field??

    First and foremost, 2 day into the tournament, and I am U-N-D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D. Perfect bracket.

    I never noticed those blue NCAA logos on the jerseys before yesterday. Have they always been on there, or is this something new to clutter up already cluttered jerseys?

    And stop hating on the Oregon jerseys. It’s a different look. And I like it. Hate on Syracuse. Their jerseys suck.

    Go Vols!

    [quote comment=”241285″]First and foremost, 2 day into the tournament, and I am U-N-D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D. Perfect bracket.

    I never noticed those blue NCAA logos on the jerseys before yesterday. Have they always been on there, or is this something new to clutter up already cluttered jerseys?

    And stop hating on the Oregon jerseys. It’s a different look. And I like it. Hate on Syracuse. Their jerseys suck.

    Go Vols![/quote]
    I have 1 team left in the Uni Watch challenge. Clemson, USC and Gonzaga – you are all DEAD to me now.
    Go Butler!!!

    Hopefully this isn’t out of bounds since this isn’t FloorLogo Watch but you’ll never see the Tostito’s logos being covered up at the Tostito’s Fiesta Bowl because the NCAA doesn’t control and own that event. The NCAA does control and own the basketball tournament – and they get a huge slice of the revenue. Thus they can do whatever craziness they want to with it. It’s their baby. And that is why you’ll never see a team with a huge fan following that commits multiple recruiting violations (cough, cough, Kentucky, cough, Indiana, cough, cough) given the death penalty. It would hurt the NCAA to lose a mega-draw like that in the tourney.

    By the way, the floor that is used for the Final Four is given to the winning school after the championship game.

    And for the regionals in Charlotte, Houston, Detroit and Phoenix, they bring in a new floor.

    [quote comment=”241289″][quote comment=”241285″]First and foremost, 2 day into the tournament, and I am U-N-D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D. Perfect bracket.

    I never noticed those blue NCAA logos on the jerseys before yesterday. Have they always been on there, or is this something new to clutter up already cluttered jerseys?

    And stop hating on the Oregon jerseys. It’s a different look. And I like it. Hate on Syracuse. Their jerseys suck.

    Go Vols![/quote]
    I have 1 team left in the Uni Watch challenge. Clemson, USC and Gonzaga – you are all DEAD to me now.
    Go Butler!!![/quote]

    only team for me that lost was IU, i still have W. Ky and Nova in…c’mon more 12 point victories!

    [quote comment=”241276″]I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]
    Usually, an NCAA school is the “official host” at tournament sites; even if the games are being played in an NBA arena. I noticed that the floor used at the Pepsi Center in Denver had most of the Denver Nuggets signage covered, but there was a Colorado State logo on the floor. (Why CSU, I dunno… they’re located in Fort Collins, while Denver University’s right in town.)

    Then there’s Upset City — the St. Pete Times Forum (which is actually located in Tampa; the newspaper across the bay bought the naming rights.) If you looked really closely, you could see the University of South Florida’s logo on the floor, even though the Bulls play in an on-campus arena.

    I agree, the NCAA logo slapped on everybody’s uniform looks terrible; and does anybody really think we’re gonna forget that North Carolina State uses the RBC Center in Raleigh as their home floor?

    [quote comment=”241276″]
    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]

    im not sure i understand the above statement. conferences or individual schools spend ENORMOUS amounts of money to host first/second and regional rounds of the tournament. normally you can see on the press row banner (and recently on the floor) who is hosting (whether it is a conference or a school) the event.
    there is no way that a conference or school would shell out all that money to host the early rounds and then rent a floor to use which advertises another school. it just wouldnt happen.

    [quote comment=”241298″]By the way, the floor that is used for the Final Four is given to the winning school after the championship game.[/quote]

    schools would have the option to buy the floor they won the national title on. no way the ncaa would give it away. they’d have to make money off of it someway.
    first time i ever heard of a school buying the floor was michigan st and putting it in the breslin center.

    I was watching a couple minutes of this game last night and the thing that stuck out most to me (on both sides of the nipple line) was the random clutter. With Boise State, there are zig zagging lines all over the place for no reason other than to have zig zagging lines all over the place (like link) and Louisville has nonsensical blackness when they could have gone for a much cleaner red-accented approach.
    It truly was a game of random clutter (and that’s ignoring all the link).

    The championship floor can be purchased by the winning school. When Florida won in 2006, they bought the floor for I think 70,000, sanded out the final four logo and baselines and but a Gator head/florida ect. but they wanted to have the same physical floor they won the chanpionship on. With the 07 team, they also bought the floor, put it down in the arena for the championship celebration, and then chopped it up and were selling pieces of it.

    2007 Floor story

    The only schools I have left in the pool are Xavier, Nova, and Butler. Gonzaga, Drake, and George Mason can go home.

    Hopefully Nova can snag me another 12 points.

    [quote comment=”241306″][quote comment=”241276″]I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]
    Usually, an NCAA school is the “official host” at tournament sites; even if the games are being played in an NBA arena. I noticed that the floor used at the Pepsi Center in Denver had most of the Denver Nuggets signage covered, but there was a Colorado State logo on the floor. (Why CSU, I dunno… they’re located in Fort Collins, while Denver University’s right in town.)

    Then there’s Upset City — the St. Pete Times Forum (which is actually located in Tampa; the newspaper across the bay bought the naming rights.) If you looked really closely, you could see the University of South Florida’s logo on the floor, even though the Bulls play in an on-campus arena.

    I agree, the NCAA logo slapped on everybody’s uniform looks terrible; and does anybody really think we’re gonna forget that North Carolina State uses the RBC Center in Raleigh as their home floor?[/quote]

    The sites are hosted by conferences, and the Mountain West Conference is hosting in Denver, sponsored by Colorado State University.

    [quote comment=”241285″]First and foremost, 2 day into the tournament, and I am U-N-D-E-F-E-A-T-E-D. Perfect bracket.

    I never noticed those blue NCAA logos on the jerseys before yesterday. Have they always been on there, or is this something new to clutter up already cluttered jerseys?

    And stop hating on the Oregon jerseys. It’s a different look. And I like it. Hate on Syracuse. Their jerseys suck.

    Go Vols![/quote]

    Go on ya, Mike! Anybody that had Sienna, San Diego, & Western Kentucky with 1st round wins in the same bracket deserves kudos!

    [quote comment=”241306″][quote comment=”241276″]I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]
    Usually, an NCAA school is the “official host” at tournament sites; even if the games are being played in an NBA arena. I noticed that the floor used at the Pepsi Center in Denver had most of the Denver Nuggets signage covered, but there was a Colorado State logo on the floor. (Why CSU, I dunno… they’re located in Fort Collins, while Denver University’s right in town.)

    Then there’s Upset City — the St. Pete Times Forum (which is actually located in Tampa; the newspaper across the bay bought the naming rights.) If you looked really closely, you could see the University of South Florida’s logo on the floor, even though the Bulls play in an on-campus arena.

    I agree, the NCAA logo slapped on everybody’s uniform looks terrible; and does anybody really think we’re gonna forget that North Carolina State uses the RBC Center in Raleigh as their home floor?[/quote]

    Another problem with the mid court logo is that it is actually a giant sticker, so it covers up the hardwood and can create problems for players, too. I recall seeing someone from UMBC (Jay Greene, I think) slip on it yesterday; not sure if anyone else has fallen victim to it.

    [quote comment=”241317″][quote comment=”241306″][quote comment=”241276″]I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]
    Usually, an NCAA school is the “official host” at tournament sites; even if the games are being played in an NBA arena. I noticed that the floor used at the Pepsi Center in Denver had most of the Denver Nuggets signage covered, but there was a Colorado State logo on the floor. (Why CSU, I dunno… they’re located in Fort Collins, while Denver University’s right in town.)

    Then there’s Upset City — the St. Pete Times Forum (which is actually located in Tampa; the newspaper across the bay bought the naming rights.) If you looked really closely, you could see the University of South Florida’s logo on the floor, even though the Bulls play in an on-campus arena.

    I agree, the NCAA logo slapped on everybody’s uniform looks terrible; and does anybody really think we’re gonna forget that North Carolina State uses the RBC Center in Raleigh as their home floor?[/quote]

    The sites are hosted by conferences, and the Mountain West Conference is hosting in Denver, sponsored by Colorado State University.[/quote]

    Sometimes schools host (DePaul hosted the Chicago Regional the year Illinois made their run), sometimes conferences host (The SEC is hosting in Birmingham this year), and sometimes both host (Whenever the Final Four is in Indy, it’s Butler University and the Horizon League hosting). The host school/conference is responsible for the support staff, basically everything you don’t see that needs to be done. A few years back I went to the Wrestling Championships as a member of the media, and the University of Missouri Sports Information interns were always making copies of the results and bout sheets to be distributed along Press Row.

    As for the courts themselves, I think most NBA arenas have 2 different floors, one for the pro team and one for college/HS games. At the very least they have some kind of vinyl covering for the baselines. If the arena has a permanent college tenant (Like the Verizon Center and G-Town or DePaul at the Rosemont) they just use that court. Sometimes the host school just brings their home court to the arena (Ohio State did this when they hosted at Nationwide Arena).

    The question you may be asking yourself is “Why would a conference host and not a school?” The answer is simple: if a school hosts, they can’t play there, but if a conference hosts, anyone can play there. Of course, the major exception is the first weekend of the Womens Tournament, where the host school is guaranteed to play at their site if they make it.

    The most likely reason they put that sticker down is because a lot of arenas lay the hardwood down as the only floor. For example, at Maryland the hardwood covers the entire length of the ground floor. I’ve seen some arenas actually take up the planks of court where the center logo is but this can’t be done when courts like Maryland’s are used. So instead of having the host school’s logo on the floor, the have to slap a big (ugly) sticker on top of it to cover the host school’s logo. It’s likely that the NC State is in a similar situation because the ACC logo required at the top of the key was still in place.

    [quote comment=”241334″]The most likely reason they put that sticker down is because a lot of arenas lay the hardwood down as the only floor. For example, at Maryland the hardwood covers the entire length of the ground floor. I’ve seen some arenas actually take up the planks of court where the center logo is but this can’t be done when courts like Maryland’s are used. So instead of having the host school’s logo on the floor, the have to slap a big (ugly) sticker on top of it to cover the host school’s logo. It’s likely that the NC State is in a similar situation because the ACC logo required at the top of the key was still in place.[/quote]

    Actually, I think what happened is that the NCAA had to start putting their logo stickers over the NBA logos at center court of places like Arco and US Airways, so they just decided to put it at the center court of all the venues for the sake of uniformity.

    I’m watching the Womens Tournament, and the court in Baton Rouge doesn’t have the big blue ball logo at halfcourt. They must not require it when it would be prohibitably large, or when the host school has a horizontal center court design.

    [quote comment=”241307″][quote comment=”241276″]
    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]

    im not sure i understand the above statement. conferences or individual schools spend ENORMOUS amounts of money to host first/second and regional rounds of the tournament. normally you can see on the press row banner (and recently on the floor) who is hosting (whether it is a conference or a school) the event.
    there is no way that a conference or school would shell out all that money to host the early rounds and then rent a floor to use which advertises another school. it just wouldnt happen.

    That is what I mean. GMU ‘hosted’ the first round years ago. But, it wasn’t on their campus at the Patriot Center. It was at an arena…like the US Air arena or something (Im not sure exactly where). They had to pay 10 grand to host and to transport their floor to the arena. My point is, that if this is still done, the big NCAA logo would cover up the school logo in the middle. Yes, you can see the school name on the end line. I was just curious if NCAA still sold ‘hosting’ rights and how they negotiated covering up the school’s logo.

    And sometimes the logo is so huge depending on what they are covering up…it just looks funny.

    [quote]I recall seeing someone from UMBC (Jay Greene, I think) slip on it yesterday; not sure if anyone else has fallen victim to it.[/quote]

    no pun intended

    [quote comment=”241342″]
    That is what I mean. GMU ‘hosted’ the first round years ago. But, it wasn’t on their campus at the Patriot Center. It was at an arena…like the US Air arena or something (Im not sure exactly where). They had to pay 10 grand to host and to transport their floor to the arena. My point is, that if this is still done, the big NCAA logo would cover up the school logo in the middle. Yes, you can see the school name on the end line. I was just curious if NCAA still sold ‘hosting’ rights and how they negotiated covering up the school’s logo.[/quote]

    When a venue hosts the NCAA Tournament, it is the NCAA’s show, so they control everything within the walls of the arena. They have standards and guidelines that are sent to the host schools/conferences, and the host is expected to abide by those standards. Over the years those standards have changed and morphed into what you see today. It has reached the point where, if you watched the Regional Finals last year, you’ll remember that all 4 sites had identical, black courts.

    [quote comment=”241332″][quote comment=”241317″][quote comment=”241306″][quote comment=”241276″]I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]
    Usually, an NCAA school is the “official host” at tournament sites; even if the games are being played in an NBA arena. I noticed that the floor used at the Pepsi Center in Denver had most of the Denver Nuggets signage covered, but there was a Colorado State logo on the floor. (Why CSU, I dunno… they’re located in Fort Collins, while Denver University’s right in town.)

    Then there’s Upset City — the St. Pete Times Forum (which is actually located in Tampa; the newspaper across the bay bought the naming rights.) If you looked really closely, you could see the University of South Florida’s logo on the floor, even though the Bulls play in an on-campus arena.

    I agree, the NCAA logo slapped on everybody’s uniform looks terrible; and does anybody really think we’re gonna forget that North Carolina State uses the RBC Center in Raleigh as their home floor?[/quote]

    The sites are hosted by conferences, and the Mountain West Conference is hosting in Denver, sponsored by Colorado State University.[/quote]

    Sometimes schools host (DePaul hosted the Chicago Regional the year Illinois made their run), sometimes conferences host (The SEC is hosting in Birmingham this year), and sometimes both host (Whenever the Final Four is in Indy, it’s Butler University and the Horizon League hosting). The host school/conference is responsible for the support staff, basically everything you don’t see that needs to be done. A few years back I went to the Wrestling Championships as a member of the media, and the University of Missouri Sports Information interns were always making copies of the results and bout sheets to be distributed along Press Row.

    As for the courts themselves, I think most NBA arenas have 2 different floors, one for the pro team and one for college/HS games. At the very least they have some kind of vinyl covering for the baselines. If the arena has a permanent college tenant (Like the Verizon Center and G-Town or DePaul at the Rosemont) they just use that court. Sometimes the host school just brings their home court to the arena (Ohio State did this when they hosted at Nationwide Arena).

    The question you may be asking yourself is “Why would a conference host and not a school?” The answer is simple: if a school hosts, they can’t play there, but if a conference hosts, anyone can play there. Of course, the major exception is the first weekend of the Womens Tournament, where the host school is guaranteed to play at their site if they make it.[/quote]

    The last part about the men’s tournament isn’t quite right – schools are not allowed to play in their home arena regardless of who sponsors. NC State (if they didn’t suck) wouldn’t have been able to play in Raleigh even if the ACC sponsored the regional.

    As with almost everything regarding the NCAA tournament, who hosts is all about the money. Sponsoring schools or conferences, in conjunction with the host arenas and cities, make bids to the NCAA to host the games. The bidders guarantee a certain amount and get to keep a portion above the guarantee.

    It’s also become common for future final four sites to host sweet 16 sites the year before (Detroit has a regional final this year). That allows the sponsors and NCAAs to give the venue a trial run a year before the big event.

    [quote comment=”241331″]
    Another problem with the mid court logo is that it is actually a giant sticker, so it covers up the hardwood and can create problems for players, too. I recall seeing someone from UMBC (Jay Greene, I think) slip on it yesterday; not sure if anyone else has fallen victim to it.[/quote]

    If a player slips on the logo decal, it’s not because of the decal. The vinyl used for those logos has the same grip as the hardwood.

    When a facility hosts an event, the NCAA takes over EVERYTHING. In 2006 my alma mater (Northeastern) co-hosted the women’s final four with Harvard. We did get our logo on the floor, which was cool, but the NCAA does get a bit overboard. I was the “host” for one of the teams and I was drinking a diet coke and I walked on the floor of the Boston Garden to watch them practice. Someone from the NCAA Gestapo came over and handed me a cup and told me that I couldn’t have branded products on the floor. I said “it’s practice”. The NCAA said to me “television stations broadcast these practices, put it in a cup.”

    My company has a skybox at the Boston Garden, and during the NCAA events at the Garden, you can’t sell alcohol during the events. Except if you have a sky box, but all of the alcohol has to be in the box before the events start – so for the NCAA Men’s tournament, you need to have all your booze in the skybox by 12 noon for the ENTIRE day. In 2003, we were running low on booze, and in between the morning and afternoon sessions, we made a run to local liquor stores to buy individual shot of various booze to drink during the evening session.

    Also, all of the arena ads are blacked out during the game, and any reference to professional sports are typically removed. I don’t remember if the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins banners were taken down for the NCAA Final Four in 2006.

    As part of the Host Committee, the rule book I got was pretty big – the things I could and couldn’t do as host. Like I couldn’t buy the team I was hosting anything – it was a violation of NCAA rules. I wanted to invite them to my home for dinner, but I didn’t clear it with the NCAA in time to get it “approved”.

    [quote comment=”241351″]
    The last part about the men’s tournament isn’t quite right – schools are not allowed to play in their home arena regardless of who sponsors. NC State (if they didn’t suck) wouldn’t have been able to play in Raleigh even if the ACC sponsored the regional.[/quote]

    I was referring to hosting on off-campus venues, places like BJCC and the Charlotte Arena where no schools play.

    [quote comment=”241353″]
    Also, all of the arena ads are blacked out during the game, and any reference to professional sports are typically removed. I don’t remember if the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins banners were taken down for the NCAA Final Four in 2006.[/quote]

    When I was at the arena yesterday for the practice day, the banner for the Iowa Stars inagural season was still in the rafters, and the three pro teams still had a lot of their promotional advertising in the concourse.

    [quote comment=”241353″]I was the “host” for one of the teams and I was drinking a diet coke and I walked on the floor of the Boston Garden to watch them practice. Someone from the NCAA Gestapo came over and handed me a cup and told me that I couldn’t have branded products on the floor. I said “it’s practice”. The NCAA said to me “television stations broadcast these practices, put it in a cup.”[/quote]

    did the conversation go like link?

    ;)

    Basketball uniforms as a whole, with a special nod to college hoops, are an abomination. They are too baggy, from the tops to the shorts. Seems like the inmates are running the asylum in terms of asthetics. I am not saying to go back to the “hot pants” look of the 70’s, but a little discretion would be nice. In my opinion, most basketball uniforms are clown outfits, with no class, no style and no sense of pride to the person wearing them.

    I don’t know how often this has been asked, but—
    Whynot have a message board similar to goaliestore.com, sportslogos.net or marlinsbaseball.com and organize the entire board by catorgories such as-

    Locker room (Random stuff), Concepts(Concepts), Changes (Unichanges), News, Site News and Uni-patches?

    Could make it easier to read the comments section.

    Chris

    [quote comment=”241362″]I don’t know how often this has been asked, but—
    Whynot have a message board similar to goaliestore.com, sportslogos.net or marlinsbaseball.com and organize the entire board by catorgories such as-

    Locker room (Random stuff), Concepts(Concepts), Changes (Unichanges), News, Site News and Uni-patches?

    Could make it easier to read the comments section.

    Chris[/quote]

    But that would involve even more work, because then Paul (or Bryan) would have to monitor all of those different boards, instead of just one coments section.

    [quote comment=”241353″]When a facility hosts an event, the NCAA takes over EVERYTHING. In 2006 my alma mater (Northeastern) co-hosted the women’s final four with Harvard. We did get our logo on the floor, which was cool, but the NCAA does get a bit overboard. I was the “host” for one of the teams and I was drinking a diet coke and I walked on the floor of the Boston Garden to watch them practice. Someone from the NCAA Gestapo came over and handed me a cup and told me that I couldn’t have branded products on the floor. I said “it’s practice”. The NCAA said to me “television stations broadcast these practices, put it in a cup.”

    My company has a skybox at the Boston Garden, and during the NCAA events at the Garden, you can’t sell alcohol during the events. Except if you have a sky box, but all of the alcohol has to be in the box before the events start – so for the NCAA Men’s tournament, you need to have all your booze in the skybox by 12 noon for the ENTIRE day. In 2003, we were running low on booze, and in between the morning and afternoon sessions, we made a run to local liquor stores to buy individual shot of various booze to drink during the evening session.

    Also, all of the arena ads are blacked out during the game, and any reference to professional sports are typically removed. I don’t remember if the Boston Celtics and Boston Bruins banners were taken down for the NCAA Final Four in 2006.

    As part of the Host Committee, the rule book I got was pretty big – the things I could and couldn’t do as host. Like I couldn’t buy the team I was hosting anything – it was a violation of NCAA rules. I wanted to invite them to my home for dinner, but I didn’t clear it with the NCAA in time to get it “approved”.[/quote]

    That is a great story Mike. I thought you were going to say the guy told you to put the diet Coke in a cup because Pepsi was a sponsor, though. Wow, I didn’t know the rules of the NCAA were that involved regarding hosting/branding etc…

    [quote comment=”241358″]Basketball uniforms as a whole, with a special nod to college hoops, are an abomination. They are too baggy, from the tops to the shorts. Seems like the inmates are running the asylum in terms of asthetics. I am not saying to go back to the “hot pants” look of the 70’s, but a little discretion would be nice. In my opinion, most basketball uniforms are clown outfits, with no class, no style and no sense of pride to the person wearing them.[/quote]

    New rule (with apologies to Bill Maher): When basketball shorts are longer than football pants, they are not shorts.

    Not following the NCAA’s, not a fan, but I was invited up to the Nike suite @ the Womens FF in Cincinnati. The rep said, “see those gear bags over there? (a billion of them stuffed full and piled to the ceiling, full of shoes, warmups, shades, watches, socks, all of it.) Take as many as ya want.”

    I did as I was instructed.

    Back in 1992, when the East regional was at the Spectrum, they had opened up the beer taps, but I told someone from ARAServ (now Aramark) that there was not supposed to be alcohol served. They turned off the beer a few minutes later.

    [quote comment=”241382″]Not following the NCAA’s, not a fan, but I was invited up to the Nike suite @ the Womens FF in Cincinnati. The rep said, “see those gear bags over there? (a billion of them stuffed full and piled to the ceiling, full of shoes, warmups, shades, watches, socks, all of it.) Take as many as ya want.”

    I did as I was instructed.[/quote]

    When I was at the NCAA Wrestling Nationals, I was provided 2 meals a day free of charge, plus snacks and plenty of Coca-Cola products in the media workroom. The NCAA and the hosts treat the media really well.

    [quote comment=”241381″]“New rule (with apologies to Bill Maher): When basketball shorts are longer than football pants, they are not shorts.”[/quote]

    Or, as Nick Bakay put it:

    [quote]“Long shorts: An inch below the knees.

    “Short shorts: An inch below the grapevine.”[/quote]

    An interesting aspect of the tournament is the differance in uniforms being worn by “Nike” schools, as the higher profile teams UNC, Georgetown etc. are wearing the S.O.D. unis while other lower profile schools like George Mason, Boise State etc. are still wearing last years model with the “horns”. It really shows the commitment to the programs success on Nike’s part that is if one buys into the argument of high performance uniform systems and the impact on success.

    [quote comment=”241389″]An interesting aspect of the tournament is the differance in uniforms being worn by “Nike” schools, as the higher profile teams UNC, Georgetown etc. are wearing the S.O.D. unis while other lower profile schools like George Mason, Boise State etc. are still wearing last years model with the “horns”. It really shows the commitment to the programs success on Nike’s part that is if one buys into the argument of high performance uniform systems and the impact on success.[/quote]

    Or it could be that the non-frock schools just prefer the older style?

    Originally the SODs were meant for the Nike Elite teams… teams that have previously played in the Final Four (another way of distinguishing these teams is to look at the logo on the neckline, if the logo is in a silver circle, they’re Elite). Because Maryland was not one of the four teams that showcased the jerseys last year, I know that Nike actually asked if they wanted to change their uniforms at the beginning of the year and Gary Williams made mention that they only offered it to the remaining Elite teams at that time. Since then the uniforms have been worn my some teams that haven’t played in the Final Four but are still more high profile than mid-majors (i.e. West Virginia, Kansas State). Either way, after hating them at first, I really like the style now.

    Has anybody else noticed that the Nike Horns have looked different durring the tourny???

    Has anybody else noticed that the Nike Horns have looked different durring the tourny???

    with some tweaking, the west virginia system of dress uni’s might be the best in the tourney.
    my suggestion is to eliminate the back striping, and adjust the shorts stripe.

    navy, yellow and white reall look sharp together.

    [quote comment=”241306″][quote comment=”241276″]I noticed the NCAA logo on the court too….U-G-L-Y!!! I mean, we KNOW it is the NCAA Div. I tournament. We aren’t going to confuse it with the NAIA…jeez.

    Also, as I recall, schools would pay money to have their courts used in the tournament. For example, a mid major like George Mason had its court shipped north about 8 years ago to be used in an arena. They paid money to get exposure for the school. Does the NCAA not do that anymore? If so, that HUGE ass logo infringes on the exposure…no?[/quote]
    Usually, an NCAA school is the “official host” at tournament sites; even if the games are being played in an NBA arena. I noticed that the floor used at the Pepsi Center in Denver had most of the Denver Nuggets signage covered, but there was a Colorado State logo on the floor. (Why CSU, I dunno… they’re located in Fort Collins, while Denver University’s right in town.)

    Then there’s Upset City — the St. Pete Times Forum (which is actually located in Tampa; the newspaper across the bay bought the naming rights.) If you looked really closely, you could see the University of South Florida’s logo on the floor, even though the Bulls play in an on-campus arena.

    I agree, the NCAA logo slapped on everybody’s uniform looks terrible; and does anybody really think we’re gonna forget that North Carolina State uses the RBC Center in Raleigh as their home floor?[/quote]

    A few years ago the NCAA regional games were in East Rutherford, NJ and the Rutgers logo (not Seton Hall, who used to play in that arena before they moved to Newark last year) was on the floor. I read that each time the tourney is in NJ, Rutgers and Seton Hall take turns as the host.

    They only covered up one of the two “Verizon Center” court logos for the games there. Is there a one corporate logo limit or something?

    Speaking of courtship, on CBS College Sports, there’s a ginormous NCAA Basketball insignia decal at the center court in Salem, Virginia. Also, Washington University of St. Louis is wearing Red and Green Christmas Colors from Sports Belle.

    Talk about fugly on ugly on a ugly stick…

    [quote comment=”241413″]They only covered up one of the two “Verizon Center” court logos for the games there. Is there a one corporate logo limit or something?[/quote]

    I think there is, since I saw the same thing at the RBC Center (one logo on court covered up), Qwest Center (one logo covered by the Creighton insignia) and Alltel Arena (both on-court logos covered by UALR logos with the arena name on the baseline).

    [quote comment=”241422″]Is anyone else diggin’ Marcus Landry’s link as much as I am??[/quote]

    If basketball doesn’t work out he could always find a career as a skeet shooter.

    Don’t know if this ever got mentioned here, but the Celtics’ new guys have uncommon jersey numbers. Unlike Scot Pollard, who only wears #66 “because all the other numbers are f*cking taken,” Sam Cassell and P.J. Brown’s numbers appear to have some meaning.
    Sam Cassell has generally worn #10 for his teams. He wore #19 with the Clippers, but both of those numbers are retired by the Celtics (Jo Jo White and Don Nelson, respectively). Continuing with the sum-of-the-digits theme, Cassell has #28.
    P.J. Brown has almost always worn #42 in the NBA. (Not sure about his New Jersey stint.) Probably would have taken it if not for Tony Allen already having the number. So Brown’s opted for #93, a symbol of his first year in the NBA.

    Sam Cassell has generally worn #10 for his teams. He wore #19 with the Clippers, but both of those numbers are retired by the Celtics (Jo Jo White and Don Nelson, respectively). Continuing with the sum-of-the-digits theme, Cassell has #28.

    10 + 19 = 29.
    What gives?

    Sam Cassell has generally worn #10 for his teams. He wore #19 with the Clippers, but both of those numbers are retired by the Celtics (Jo Jo White and Don Nelson, respectively). Continuing with the sum-of-the-digits theme, Cassell has #28.

    10 + 19 = 29.
    What gives?

    [quote comment=”241430″]Sam Cassell has generally worn #10 for his teams. He wore #19 with the Clippers, but both of those numbers are retired by the Celtics (Jo Jo White and Don Nelson, respectively). Continuing with the sum-of-the-digits theme, Cassell has #28.

    10 + 19 = 29.
    What gives?[/quote]
    Clarification.
    10=normal number (Rockets, Bucks, Wolves, etc.)
    19=Clippers. 1+9=10.
    28=Celtics. 2+8=10.
    Capiche?

    [quote comment=”241413″]They only covered up one of the two “Verizon Center” court logos for the games there. Is there a one corporate logo limit or something?[/quote]

    I noticed that too when I was watching the Duke and West Virginia game

    [quote comment=”241440″][quote comment=”241413″]They only covered up one of the two “Verizon Center” court logos for the games there. Is there a one corporate logo limit or something?[/quote]

    I noticed that too when I was watching the Duke and West Virginia game[/quote]

    They did that with the arena logo in Raleigh too.

    Also, Tennessee has some pretty cluttered uniforms too. They have flags, SEC 75th Anniversary Patches, some have Vol Scholar patches (for the athletes who maintain a certain GPA) and now the NCAA patches

    Although, now that I look through photo galleries of our first round game vs. American, it appears that they removed the Vol Scholar patches to make room for the NCAA ones

    Purdue’s and Stanford’s unis are worse than ugly, they’re boring. It’s like even Nike just stopped trying.

    the discussion of logos on the floor and NCAA rules has really been interesting. thanks for all who contributed. it’s big business isn’t it – and it’s run like a big business!

    [quote comment=”241457″]Who gets your vote for best uni in the tournament?

    Mine goes to Marquette.[/quote]
    I like UNC-Chapel Hill’s uniforms a lot. Form-fitting tops, less-than-ridiculous shorts by Ol’ Roy’s request, argyle accents, nice colors, and a cool typeface. Pretty much a complete package.

    So the Notre Dame football team wears blue and gold and the basketball team wears black and green? That’s brilliant.

    I was at the first round games in DC and noticed something with Baylor. Their basketball players were wearing adidas but their cheerleaders were wearing Nikes. Thinking that was odd I went to the Baylor website and it looks like they are a Nike school, but the mens basketball wears adidas. Something seems odd there.

    [quote comment=”241462″]I was at the first round games in DC and noticed something with Baylor. Their basketball players were wearing adidas but their cheerleaders were wearing Nikes. Thinking that was odd I went to the Baylor website and it looks like they are a Nike school, but the mens basketball wears adidas. Something seems odd there.[/quote]
    That sounds like something that normally should never happen. My gut instinct is to guess that equipment was lost in transit, but that is a total guess.
    In other news, link these patches were just stuck on, and not sewn in place?

    [quote comment=”241298″]By the way, the floor that is used for the Final Four is given to the winning school after the championship game.[/quote]

    That’s incorrect. The NCAA sells the floor to a school at a cheap rate (like half price). You can put your name in and there’s a waiting list, but the National Champ gets first option.

    You get about eight re-paints on a floor before you need a new one; so if you get an NCAA floor, you have seven more and you’re getting decent value.

    Dayton did a re-paint and put a huge logo for their games. Knowing they host the NCAA Tournament every year (at least the Opening Round), they simply pulled out the middle panels on the court from one end, took out the logo, put some extra panels where the logo went, and then used the small sticker so people didn’t slip.

    Did anyone see the lack of logo creep on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated? (The one with Kansas’ Brandon Rush on the cover.) I don’t know if the basketball is blocking the Adidas logo, (I think the Jayhawks are a three-stripe school) but the only things on the uni are the school name, player number, and an American Flag. Does anyone know if this is an authentic jersey? I grew up in Oklahoma so I’m not a Kansas fan, but I have to admit I like the uncluttered look.
    Sorry, I don’t have pics.

    [quote comment=”241462″]I was at the first round games in DC and noticed something with Baylor. Their basketball players were wearing adidas but their cheerleaders were wearing Nikes. Thinking that was odd I went to the Baylor website and it looks like they are a Nike school, but the mens basketball wears adidas. Something seems odd there.[/quote]

    most ncaa schools have individual deals for shoes and apparel based on sport (or coach).

    in only certain circumstances will a contract be offered by a manufacturer to outfit the schools entire athletic programs.

    recently (maybe last september) we read how virginia tech’s nike deal was sweetened to include all of their sports.

    [quote comment=”241384″]Back in 1992, when the East regional was at the Spectrum, they had opened up the beer taps, but I told someone from ARAServ (now Aramark) that there was not supposed to be alcohol served. They turned off the beer a few minutes later.[/quote]

    thanks for sharing

    [quote comment=”241455″]Purdue’s and Stanford’s unis are worse than ugly, they’re boring. It’s like even Nike just stopped trying.[/quote]

    Gotta defend my Boilers here for a second. Maybe the Nike uniforms that Purdue wears aren’t intrinsically exciting, but at least they’ve been wearing the same duds for four or five years now.

    Personally, I think that’s tons better than schools which crack out six or seven new designs every season. The Purdue uniforms have an individual identity now–they belong to the team, and the team is identified with the design.

    [quote comment=”241459″][quote comment=”241457″]Who gets your vote for best uni in the tournament?

    Mine goes to Marquette.[/quote]
    I like UNC-Chapel Hill’s uniforms a lot. Form-fitting tops, less-than-ridiculous shorts by Ol’ Roy’s request, argyle accents, nice colors, and a cool typeface. Pretty much a complete package.[/quote]

    I have to go with UNC’s uniforms, too. If only because my high school’s girl basketball team uses the same uniform template and colors (well, sort of–navy blue is our primary color, with powder blue and white as trim).

    OK, after extensive scrutiny of the first and second round sites, I have figured out a few things about each arena…

    Verizon Center: Since Georgetown is their main college tenant, and the host school, their court is the one being used. The Hoyas logos in the area of play are permanent, one of the Verizon Center wordmarks is covered, and the NCAA ball is covering the big blue G at center court.

    RBC Center: Again, they are using their primary college floor, with one RBC logo covered and the NCAA ball over the giant NCS at midcourt. The smaller NCS logos are temporary.

    Qwest Center: Again, the primary college floor is being used. Again, one arena logo is covered, this time with a Creighton wordmark. And again, the big blue ball is covering the school’s logo.

    Pepsi Center: The Nuggets normal court is being used, but it appears as though the arena has some extra panels to place at midcourt to replace the giant mountains logo. The Denver Nuggets wordmarks on the baselines are covered by Pepsi Center decals, in the same font and color scheme. The NBA 3-point line is decaled over, if you look closely you can still see it.

    Honda Center: Since the place has no college or NBA teams, their floor has Honda Center wordmarks permanently on the baselines and a Honda red and white scheme. While the free throw lanes have the wider NBA lines, the floor does not appear to have an NBA 3-point line.

    St Pete Times Forum: Again, no college tenant, so the arena’s name is painted on one baseline, with Tampa Bay on the other. Since the St Pete Times has no real color scheme, the court is painted in Tampa Bay Lightning colors of blue, black, and silver.

    Alltel Arena: No permanent tenant, college or pro, but UALR did play there until they built their own place. The paint scheme is whatever blend of blue and purple Alltel uses. The wordmarks on the baselines are permanent, and the UALR logos are covering Alltel logos.

    BJCC Arena: Since they have no tenants and no sponsors, BJCC got to choose their own colors, but the floor looks like it was purchased second-hand from the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City.

    [quote comment=”241457″]Who gets your vote for best uni in the tournament?

    Mine goes to Marquette.[/quote]

    link

    even the stoopid nc2a blue circle doesn’t look completely horrid on them

    [quote comment=”241477″]OK, after extensive scrutiny of the first and second round sites, I have figured out a few things about each arena…

    Verizon Center: Since Georgetown is their main college tenant, and the host school, their court is the one being used. The Hoyas logos in the area of play are permanent, one of the Verizon Center wordmarks is covered, and the NCAA ball is covering the big blue G at center court.

    RBC Center: Again, they are using their primary college floor, with one RBC logo covered and the NCAA ball over the giant NCS at midcourt. The smaller NCS logos are temporary.

    Qwest Center: Again, the primary college floor is being used. Again, one arena logo is covered, this time with a Creighton wordmark. And again, the big blue ball is covering the school’s logo.

    Pepsi Center: The Nuggets normal court is being used, but it appears as though the arena has some extra panels to place at midcourt to replace the giant mountains logo. The Denver Nuggets wordmarks on the baselines are covered by Pepsi Center decals, in the same font and color scheme. The NBA 3-point line is decaled over, if you look closely you can still see it.

    Honda Center: Since the place has no college or NBA teams, their floor has Honda Center wordmarks permanently on the baselines and a Honda red and white scheme. While the free throw lanes have the wider NBA lines, the floor does not appear to have an NBA 3-point line.

    St Pete Times Forum: Again, no college tenant, so the arena’s name is painted on one baseline, with Tampa Bay on the other. Since the St Pete Times has no real color scheme, the court is painted in Tampa Bay Lightning colors of blue, black, and silver.

    Alltel Arena: No permanent tenant, college or pro, but UALR did play there until they built their own place. The paint scheme is whatever blend of blue and purple Alltel uses. The wordmarks on the baselines are permanent, and the UALR logos are covering Alltel logos.

    BJCC Arena: Since they have no tenants and no sponsors, BJCC got to choose their own colors, but the floor looks like it was purchased second-hand from the Myriad Convention Center in Oklahoma City.[/quote]
    The Saint Pete Times Fourm floor was the same floor from last year’s ACC Tournament held there just with ACC logo’s covered by the NCAA logo and the USF logos.

    How about the CONFERENCE tournament floors? I noticed that the Big Ten managed to make their own entire floor for the big ten tournament in indianapolis, since they have Conseco Fieldhouse for the men and women for the foreseeable future. It featured link (minus all the words and the “08”) at center-court. This was the only floor I noticed for the conference tourneys that was completely conference-specific.

    By the way, the pinwheel is an ingenious logo. It (for the most part) incorporates each school’s color combos in an eye-pleasing design. Good job, Big Ten.

    [quote comment=”241470″][quote comment=”241462″]I was at the first round games in DC and noticed something with Baylor. Their basketball players were wearing adidas but their cheerleaders were wearing Nikes. Thinking that was odd I went to the Baylor website and it looks like they are a Nike school, but the mens basketball wears adidas. Something seems odd there.[/quote]

    most ncaa schools have individual deals for shoes and apparel based on sport (or coach).

    in only certain circumstances will a contract be offered by a manufacturer to outfit the schools entire athletic programs.

    recently (maybe last september) we read how virginia tech’s nike deal was sweetened to include all of their sports.[/quote]

    I think the University of CIncinnati’s new deal with Adidas covers all sports.

    [quote comment=”241480″]
    The Saint Pete Times Fourm floor was the same floor from last year’s ACC Tournament held there just with ACC logo’s covered by the NCAA logo and the USF logos.[/quote]

    Is it possible that the ACC logos were temporary, the same way the NCAA logos are?

    [quote comment=”241418″][quote comment=”241413″]They only covered up one of the two “Verizon Center” court logos for the games there. Is there a one corporate logo limit or something?[/quote]

    I think there is, since I saw the same thing at the RBC Center (one logo on court covered up), Qwest Center (one logo covered by the Creighton insignia) and Alltel Arena (both on-court logos covered by UALR logos with the arena name on the baseline).[/quote]

    Yes, there is. Kind of. For corporate arena names, you a limited to one midcourt mention (hence why one logo is being covered in Raleigh, Omaha, etc.) or having it on both baselines (like both baselines in Anaheim or Denver). I think the NCAA doesn’t want more than one corporate mention in a camera shot at the same time.

    And I could be wrong, but I think the giant NCAA midcourt logos are actually done with temporary paint, not a decal. The smaller NCAA logos and ribbons are decals.

    [quote comment=”241475″][quote comment=”241455″]Purdue’s and Stanford’s unis are worse than ugly, they’re boring. It’s like even Nike just stopped trying.[/quote]

    Gotta defend my Boilers here for a second. Maybe the Nike uniforms that Purdue wears aren’t intrinsically exciting, but at least they’ve been wearing the same duds for four or five years now.

    Personally, I think that’s tons better than schools which crack out six or seven new designs every season. The Purdue uniforms have an individual identity now–they belong to the team, and the team is identified with the design.[/quote]

    I absolutely agree with you on that point. It says “Hey, watch our team play, not our uniforms.” Boring for us uniwatchers, good for the team.

    The Arkansas vs. IU game last night was an interesting battle of the exact same “classic” look.

    [quote comment=”241487″]
    And I could be wrong, but I think the giant NCAA midcourt logos are actually done with temporary paint, not a decal. The smaller NCAA logos and ribbons are decals.[/quote]

    I’m not saying you’re wrong, cause I’m not sure myself, but the big blue balls look too scuffed up to be painted on.

    [quote comment=”241483″]How about the CONFERENCE tournament floors? I noticed that the Big Ten managed to make their own entire floor for the big ten tournament in indianapolis, since they have Conseco Fieldhouse for the men and women for the foreseeable future. It featured link (minus all the words and the “08”) at center-court. This was the only floor I noticed for the conference tourneys that was completely conference-specific.

    By the way, the pinwheel is an ingenious logo. It (for the most part) incorporates each school’s color combos in an eye-pleasing design. Good job, Big Ten.[/quote]

    link video gives a decent idea of how the B10 floor looked. Note the lack of NBA 3-point lines, meaning it’s an entirely different court from the Pacers’. (Also, at past Big Ten events at Conseco, I’ve seen the Pacers’ floor chilling in pieces in the basement under the stands)

    [quote comment=”241492″][quote comment=”241483″]How about the CONFERENCE tournament floors? I noticed that the Big Ten managed to make their own entire floor for the big ten tournament in indianapolis, since they have Conseco Fieldhouse for the men and women for the foreseeable future. It featured link (minus all the words and the “08”) at center-court. This was the only floor I noticed for the conference tourneys that was completely conference-specific.

    By the way, the pinwheel is an ingenious logo. It (for the most part) incorporates each school’s color combos in an eye-pleasing design. Good job, Big Ten.[/quote]

    link video gives a decent idea of how the B10 floor looked. Note the lack of NBA 3-point lines, meaning it’s an entirely different court from the Pacers’. (Also, at past Big Ten events at Conseco, I’ve seen the Pacers’ floor chilling in pieces in the basement under the stands)[/quote]

    I had almost put that court design out of my mind. I don’t think I’ve ever seen boundary lines that friggen wide.

    Not sure if this has been posted yet, but the Quad Cities River Bandits have unveiled their new uniforms. The road uni in particular is a thing of beauty.

    link

    Going off on a slightly different tangent, I miss the scorer’s table banner that featured the names of all the schools at that regional site, plus the name of the host institution, whether it was a school or a conference.

    They’ve been supplanted by those huge electronic display boards that have the names of the two schools playing in the current game. That to me seems utterly pointless. Everyone in the arena knows who’s playing and so do 99 percent of the people watching the game on TV.

    [quote comment=”241469″]Did anyone see the lack of logo creep on the cover of this week’s Sports Illustrated? (The one with Kansas’ Brandon Rush on the cover.) I don’t know if the basketball is blocking the Adidas logo, (I think the Jayhawks are a three-stripe school) but the only things on the uni are the school name, player number, and an American Flag. Does anyone know if this is an authentic jersey? I grew up in Oklahoma so I’m not a Kansas fan, but I have to admit I like the uncluttered look.

    I think that the NCAA does not allow brand logos on the tops of basketball jerseys, just the shorts.
    Sorry, I don’t have pics.[/quote]

    [quote comment=”241510″]Going off on a slightly different tangent, I miss the scorer’s table banner that featured the names of all the schools at that regional site, plus the name of the host institution, whether it was a school or a conference.

    They’ve been supplanted by those huge electronic display boards that have the names of the two schools playing in the current game. That to me seems utterly pointless. Everyone in the arena knows who’s playing and so do 99 percent of the people watching the game on TV.[/quote]
    100% agreed- I miss those as well.

    Among other uni-related things going on in the MLB games at the Tokyo Dome, such as home jersey versus home jersey and (thankfully) wearing regular 5950 home caps with BP jerseys, it looks like link of the A’s was wearing Jack Cust’s (32) batting helmet against the Hanshin Tigers on Sunday.

    [quote comment=”241510″]Going off on a slightly different tangent, I miss the scorer’s table banner that featured the names of all the schools at that regional site, plus the name of the host institution, whether it was a school or a conference.

    They’ve been supplanted by those huge electronic display boards that have the names of the two schools playing in the current game. That to me seems utterly pointless. Everyone in the arena knows who’s playing and so do 99 percent of the people watching the game on TV.[/quote]

    The only site I’ve seen so far in the Men’s tournament that uses the electronic banner is Omaha, all the rest are using very good quality banners. And the Womens Tournament still has the banners with all of the teams on them.

    The shoe manufactuters go to town for a school of theirs that makes the NCAA Tournament. I worked for the basketball team at my school and we made it almost evey year I was in college in the 80s. We were a Nike school, and before our conference tournament, we’d get boxes of stuff to wear to the conference tournament.

    When we made the NCAA’s, I’d check into my hotel and we’d have boxes in our room full of stuff to wear, shirts, hats, sweats, wind suits. If we were in a cold weather city, parkas and winter wear. It was insane.

    We’d also get new sneakers to wear – Nike would send them to us before the conference tournament and before the NCAA’s. If they were launching a new brand/style, we’d usually wear them as well.

    I too have been to hospitality suites at the NCAA Tournament, and the shoe companies give stuff away like it’s water – sometimes it’s excess stuff from ad campaigns that have just ended, or it’s new stuff for new products.

    You’d be shocked how many pairs of sneakers a team goes through in a season. When I was mananger, we’d get 3 pairs for pre season (pre October 15), then 2 pair for October 15-start of regular season, then every 2 months or so we’d get new sneakers for the kids. Back then, there wasn’t as much concern about the players selling their shoes on the internet or ebay, so we wouldn’t collect the old shoes. I have big feet, so I got hooked up by our Nike rep. I went about 18-20 years without buying new shoes as I was given the same quantity of gear and shoes as a player.

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