Caution: On-court stickers can be hazardous to your health. (US Presswire photo by Christopher Hanewinckel)
Afternoon military-themed sports links, from Annapolis to New Zealand via an aircraft carrier:
Brand awareness gone wrong. When you’ve got an early-season college basketball game on a neutral court, chances are you’ve got a name attached. Maybe it’s a bank. Maybe it’s a tourism board. Maybe it’s a charity. Regardless, somebody’s going to have a logo on the court.
The Quicken Loans Carrier Classic in November aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson was no exception. But a Michigan State player slipped on a sticker during the game, triggering new questions about the change in surface texture that players on sponsored courts must face — an issue MSU coach Tom Izzo pointed out at the time. Other coaches made the point before and since, and the NCAA has taken note, issuing rules that would effectively outlaw the stickers. ESPN’s piece on the ban mentions the Vinson game in particular; of all the groundbreaking, first-of-its-kind events expected from the Carrier Classic, this wasn’t one of them.
Get big for Big East. Click here for the full story on Navy’s plan to expand Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, adding up to 4,000 seats to the 34,000-seat venue before Big East football games begin in 2015. Key takeaways:
- The $16 million to pay for the expansion is coming from fundraising, Navy Athletic Director Chet Gladchuck said.
- There will be “no noticeable increase” in ticket prices, according to the report.
- Michie Stadium at West Point can fit 38,000. Will Navy beat Army again?
Quick hits. The Washington Post outlines a meeting between NFL and military representatives about shared concussion awareness efforts. … Army announces its Hall of Fame class. … And a few Royal New Zealand Navy divers got an unexpected dose of NBA Finals fever while undergoing explosive ordnance disposal training in Oklahoma City.
