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,…
Browsing: Carrier Classic
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…
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…
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…
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…
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…
Last week came the news that a key organization behind the 2011 Quicken Loans Carrier Classic had settled on a new host on a new coast for 2012, scheduling a college basketball doubleheader (men’s and women’s) for the World War II-era carrier Yorktown, now a museum ship in South Carolina. West Coast hoops-on-a-carrier lovers had only a few hours to be disappointed. A few days after the (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier report cited last week, The San Diego Union-Tribune reported that the USS Midway Museum, in San Diego Bay, will host a Nov. 9 men’s game, likely between San…
Near the beginning of the 2011-12 college hoops season, North Carolina downed Michigan State 67-55 aboard the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson in the Quicken Loans Carrier Classic. In a few days, both teams will compete for the NCAA title as No. 1 seeds — giving them much better odds at claiming a championship than you have at winning your office pool. But what about the flattop festivities for this November? With no carrier readily available in San Diego, the future looked dim. Until this report from The (Charleston, S.C.) Post and Courier, that is. According to the paper, the World…
It’s been a few days since any NCAA teams played basketball on an aircraft carrier. Never too early to think about the next time, right? The inaugural Quicken Loans Carrier Classic appears to have gone off without a hitch, as an outdoor hoops arena went up from scratch, a president made a cross-country visit … and somewhere along the way, the top-ranked North Carolina Tar Heels managed a 67-55 win over Michigan State. So, what about 2012? This USA Today report outlines some of the details, including the proposed date (Nov. 9, apparently ending the play-on-Veterans Day streak at one),…
Actually, it’s not a “basketball court” that was built on the flight deck of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson. It’s an entire freaking basketball arena, with seating for 7,000 spectators. Part of me is very cynical about this game, but I can’t help but be impressed after watching this. [youtube]http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SnV5NO3uqrU[/youtube]
