Basketball

Report: 2013 Carrier Classic will host 8 teams, involve multiple ships

By Kevin Lilley on September 20, 2012 Basketball, Uncategorized

Almost two months away from this year’s Carrier Classic, there are already plans in motion for next year’s. And although recent or planned sports-on-a-ship contests have expanded to include baseball, basketball on amphibs and hockey, next year’s Classic might top them all. According to reports, the 2013 Carrier Classic could involve eight teams in four games emanating from four different ships, including the decommissioned carriers Yorktown (in South Carolina, site of this year’s event) and Midway (in San Diego, site of a competing event). Possible teams include Texas, Gonzaga, N.C. State, Missouri, Florida State and Davidson. The original report included…

Forget the carrier: Georgetown-Florida hoops game slated for amphib Bataan

By Kevin Lilley on July 25, 2012 Basketball, Navy, Uncategorized

Naval Station Mayport, Fla., has been without a carrier to call its own since 2007. Local leaders have asked the Navy repeatedly for another flattop, a move that would involve millions of dollars’ worth of construction to make Mayport capable of hosting a nuclear-powered vessel and would add millions more to the area economy. So far, they’ve had no luck. When the Navy and the city of Jacksonville announced last month that the Georgetown and Florida men’s basketball teams would square off on a ship for the inaugural Navy/Marine Corps Classic, it was assumed a carrier would be brought down…

Carrier cla$$ic: 2 tickets to Florida hoops-on-a-flattop event will run at least $1,000

By Kevin Lilley on July 12, 2012 Basketball, Uncategorized

What would you pay to see college basketball played on an aircraft carrier in Florida? To see two Division I powerhouse programs work out the kinks in their season-opener? To be part of a sporting event so unique … well, rare … well, different … well, look, it’s becoming a fad and we can’t stop it. At this rate, the UFC will hold a pay-per-view from the well deck of an amphib in six months (Free advice: Brian Stann should headline). We digress. How much would you pay? If you answered less than $500 a pop, you’re out of luck,…

Move over carriers, bring on the air base

By Sean Smyth on June 26, 2012 Basketball

First there was last year’s Quicken Loans Carrier Classic aboard Carl Vinson in San Diego Harbor, matching two historic college basketball programs, Michigan State and North Carolina. Then there is the slew of games scheduled atop decommissioned flattops for this season. Now that playing atop a carrier in the elements is passé, Michigan State is moving farther afield. The Spartans will play perennial power UConn in November at Ramstein Air Base, Germany, MSU’s athletic director said Tuesday. Mark Hollis did note that this game is awaiting final approval from DoD, and I’m guessing the brass won’t allow for a game…

Friday morning roundup: LeRoy Neiman's link to Army-Navy, former Marine in MMA event tonight, carrier hoops and more

By Kevin Lilley on June 22, 2012 Air Force, Army, Basketball, Football, Marine Corps, Navy, Uncategorized

A half-dozen quick hits for a Friday morning: 1. Painting sports history. LeRoy Neiman, famous for his paintings of sports action and portraits of athletes, died Wednesday at age 91. His link to the military — according to his New York Times obituary, Neiman served in the Army during World War II as a cook in the European theater. His link to military sports comes here: A painting of the final play of the 1946 Army-Navy game entitled “Defending Victory — 1946.” Click that link for more on the painting itself, which was commissioned as part of the rivalry’s centennial…

Carried away: Third college hoops game scheduled for ship Nov. 9

By Kevin Lilley on June 18, 2012 Basketball, Navy

No carrier? No problem. Even though Naval Station Mayport, Fla., has been flattop-less since the decommissioning of the John F. Kennedy in 2007, and even though there are already two games on decommissioned flattops (classic carriers?) set for Nov. 9, the city of Jacksonville announced Friday that Georgetown and Florida will face off at Mayport in the Navy-Marine Corps Classic. The city’s news release makes no mention of a ship, but other reports have made it clear: Plans are to put this game between two college basketball powerhouses on a carrier — although a big-deck amphib might not be a…

Thursday links: Navy stadium expansion, Carrier Classic and NCAA rules, NFL-military efforts, and more

By Kevin Lilley on June 14, 2012 Army, Basketball, Football, Navy

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…

Carrier overkill? Air Force, Army set for basketball on Yorktown

By Kevin Lilley on June 1, 2012 Air Force, Army, Basketball

A brief recap: Eugene Ely piloted his Curtiss Hudson Flier off the scout cruiser Birmingham on Nov. 14, 1910, to usher in the era of naval aviation. Then, for a century, important stuff happened. It’s all here, if you’re curious. After 100 years or so, things got a little dull. It was time to use the embodiment of American force projection, the aircraft carrier, for something a little less important. Something that put form over function. Something ridiculous on its face, but good for morale — think golfing on the moon, but with a sponsor. The Quicken Loans Carrier Classic…

Thursday links: Ben Garland, Big East, Army baseball, concussion study, J.J. Avila and more

By Kevin Lilley on May 31, 2012 Air Force, Army, Baseball, Basketball, Football, Mixed martial arts, Navy, UFC

A Thursday tour around the Web for military-themed sports goodness: Ben Garland update. We promised we’d keep you informed, and here’s the latest: Garland, a first lieutenant, ditched his Denver Broncos uniform Wednesday for some traditional cammies, being sworn in as a member of the Colorado Air National Guard in front of the team’s training facility. Get the whole story from our good friends at USA Today here. Garland will do public relations work for the Guard while trying to make the Broncos as a defensive lineman. J.J. Avila update. In April, we told you the ex-Naval Academy hoopster and…

Will Russia close the Carrier Classic Gap?

By Kevin Lilley on May 29, 2012 Basketball, Uncategorized

Cold Warriors, stand down. Despite recent reports, the U.S. remains ahead of the Russians when it comes to the next generation of naval warfare — namely, hosting sporting events on aircraft carriers. English-language all-Russian-news site RT.com reported Monday that the Major Hockey League, which is actually a minor hockey league (those wacky Russians) to the big-time KHL, is planning to hold a game on a flattop anchored in the Gulf of Finland. The host team would be HC VMS St. Petersburg, the Russian navy’s official hockey club, according to the report. No date is set, no opponent is named, and…

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