12/21/24
November 08, 2010
Oregon's New Basketball Court Floors People: The Oregon Ducks are decorating their Matt Arena basketball court this season with the most elaborate design since the Pittsburgh Pisces. Here's a spectator's view of the design, which honors the Tall Firs, the 1939 Oregon Ducks team that won the first NCAA basketball tournament.
posted by rcade to basketball at 03:02 PM - 15 comments
What's π A π?
posted by bender at 03:08 PM on November 08, 2010
It appears like there is no mid-court stripe. That seems important for back-court calls. Even if it is there but barely visible, it seems like a problem.
posted by Aardhart at 03:27 PM on November 08, 2010
What's π A π?
It's not "n A n", it's really two torii (Japanese temple gates) surrounding the letter A, for "Ah So". Beautiful floor, though.
posted by Howard_T at 03:31 PM on November 08, 2010
It's a cool departure from the usual, but it sure seems like it would be visually distracting to players. And maybe refs too. I can see visiting teams taking a long time to get used to playing on it.
The biggest concern is that other schools who don't have a Nike design department working on their behalf will take the idea and run with it, to ill effect. Hoping Arkansas wouldn't want to replace the tall trees motif with racks of ribs.
Louisville's major sports facility sponsors are Papa John's and KFC. Lord only knows what their version of a Food Court would look like.
posted by beaverboard at 03:33 PM on November 08, 2010
What is in the water up in the Pacific northwest that they can't just leave the playing surface alone. It is bad enough that we get subjected to watching football games played on blue field turf in Boise, but now this? I guess rule #15 should have been don't mess with the playing surface
posted by Demophon at 04:44 PM on November 08, 2010
Louisville's major sports facility sponsors are Papa John's and KFC. Lord only knows what their version of a Food Court would look like.
It could have huge arrows pointing to the bathrooms, as the people who eat Papa John's and KFC are bound to need them quickly.
posted by wfrazerjr at 04:46 PM on November 08, 2010
I had a really hard time making out what the pattern was supposed to be at first. It looked like the center of the court had been sanded in some way that produced a weird abstract pattern and I thought the pic was of the floor being installed.
I only managed to see the forest after looking at a top-down image of the court design.
posted by ursus_comiter at 06:24 PM on November 08, 2010
I agree that it looks like someone just sanded off the top layers of paint in the center. I hope it looks better in person.
Not a big fan of a court/field of any type being a distraction.
posted by dviking at 08:27 PM on November 08, 2010
It appears like there is no mid-court stripe. That seems important for back-court calls. Even if it is there but barely visible, it seems like a problem.
Maybe a river needs to run through them there woods at midcourt? Or a cutline to prevent spread of forest fires? Something. That does seem like one problem with the design.
I am in favor of creativity like this though, and I actually quite like the design. I think that players spatially orient and familiarize with court markings quite quickly. The rim is still 10' (part of me wants to quote Gene Hackman from Hoosiers right now).
The standard/mandatory court markings being visible is essential though, so that can't be sacrificed for the design.
posted by Spitztengle at 10:30 PM on November 08, 2010
Maybe Oregon could draw-up plays based on different tree locations and call out plays based on that. Imagine opponents studying film and then looking around to find the trees. Talk about getting lost in a forest! Not gonna happen but would be a fun way to use the home court advantage.
posted by gfinsf at 03:26 AM on November 09, 2010
Those aren't 'n's, they're 'pi's. (At least I thought they looked like 'pi's.)
posted by bender at 12:58 PM on November 09, 2010
What is in the water up in the Pacific northwest
Two parts hydrogen and one part oxygen. Kinda tasty that way.
But I think this court looks all scratchy. Like they forgot to varnish the middle parts.
posted by THX-1138 at 06:48 PM on November 09, 2010
Those "trees" are "Sensimilla Oregonis".
posted by irunfromclones at 01:38 AM on November 10, 2010
The University of Oregon unveils its new basketball court.
I'm not sure how it'll look in real life, but I really like the mock-up.