Musical Logos

Dear 100 Hour Board:

Q: How does the NCAA deal with changing the logos on the basketball floors for various games?

A: Dear Ms. Double-Dribble:

In this world of brand management and recognition it is essential that the drunk masses of March Madness fans from across the nation recognize the team they have shown up to cheer. Or at least the game. Luckily for us and the NCAA Gary Gray, Connor Sport Court's Southwest Regional Manager has a solution. You asked the question and 100 Hour Board went right to the source.
Gray: "Remember those tile games you used to play as a kid? Where you had to shift the tiles around to recreate the image printed on them? Connor Sport Court's offers a solution kind of like that. It's exactly what we did for the NCAA championship."
100HrB: "Exactly, really? Does that mean between games we have NCAA employees working out which tile to move where just to get the next logo in just right? It's like a strategy game in between basketball games. Do the fans just love that?"
Gray: "Okay, not exactly. There floor has a zipper configuration. We start in the center of the arena and work in both directions we incorporated seven panels that can be changed."
100HrB: "Why? Why change them? Why all this musical logo business?"
Gray: "Why? Well...I've never thought of that before."
100HrB: "You sell a product that you haven't defined the need for?"
Gray: (nervous laughter) "No." (more nervous laughter) "I sell a product that enables fans and TV viewers to recognize what game they are watching. With more than 64 games played for the tournament, viewers will flip channels until they find the game they want. It's easier when they recognize the logo on the Quicklock court."
100HrB: "So Quicklock is for ADD channel switchers like my father?"
Gray: "Sounds like a promising niche market to me. Fight ADD with Quicklock."

While Gray works on passing those clinical trials we'll explain Connor Sport Court's Quicklock portable court. It comprises of a concrete substrate, with recycled rubber product- Nike Grind- providing resiliency and shock absorption on the bottom of each panel. This also makes the players jump higher- but just a smidgen. The Maple Flooring is varnished and created in panels that interlock.

But really, Gray is Mr. Corporate America pushing a product that might not be that great. It isn't like his employees have to change the logos. What about ease of use?

100HrB was able to speak with Director of the McKay Events Center at Utah Valley State College, Mark Hildebrand. Mark and his team have less than one hour between basketball games scheduled for UVSC Lady Wolverines and the new NBA Development League team, the Utah Flash.

Hildebrand: "It works great. We take out the Wolverine logos and replace them with Flash logos and have a few minutes to spare."
100HrB: "But how long does this take you?"
Hildebrand: "We put the whole court down in two hours and forty minutes."
100HrB: "And the logo panels?"
Hildebrand: "About 20 minutes."
100HrB: "So you would say that replacing Connor Sports Court's logo panels is easier than finding a second wife in San Angelo, TX?"
Hildebrand: (chuckling) "Well, I don't know about that...don't they shoot new comers who want to stake claim to their girls? We don't have anyone shooting at us."
100HrB: "Alright. So you are afraid to go on record. Let's move on. The question that is really burning is why change the logos? Are fans really that stupid not to know what game they showed up to watch?"
Hildebrand: "It's all part of the experience. The brand of the team. Making the fans feel as though they are a part of the actual team."
100HrB: "But if the teams suck- you know like the...what are they called? Wolverines and Flash? Yeah, well if they suck like these teams do fans really care about brand? Besides who wants to watch women calling themselves wolverines? I've seen X-Men and that guy was hairy.
Hildebrand: (laughing) "No comment."
100HrB: "So it has nothing to do with the gallons of alcohol fans swim in during the games that impairs judgement as to where they are located?"
Hildebrand: "I don't know anything about that. We have a four drink minimum in Utah."
100HrB: "You can't swim in 32 oz. of alcohol?"
Hildebrand: (chuckling again...I swear this man isn't serious) "I don't think so."
100HrB: "How does that make fans part of the team?"
Hildebrand: "We immerse them in visuals and concessions."

So there you have it. The NCAA uses the Quicklock portable panel system that saves trees and makes for quick, efficient turn-around times between games. Oh, it also is a potential helper for those suffering from ADD. What it doesn't do is assist with your foul shot. So keep dreaming Double-Dribble!

HRB

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Greening the Diamond

Q: Dear 100 Hour Board

How do major league grounds crews get the grass looking so green on opening day before the normal blossoms of spring ~ thank you george toma.

Pat

A: Dear Baseball Aficionado,

Care and love. It is possible. Although I assume you are asking about colder weather parks and not just Turner Field or Tropicana Field. (Although Tropicana Field in Tampa Bay uses artificial grass) Of course there are fundamentals. It is only recently that ballparks are switching back to real grass en masse. There was a long trend of artificial turf because it stayed green consistently. Water management remained the biggest issue. Nowadays all 16 National League teams and all but 3 American League teams use grass. (Tampa Bay, Minnesota and Toronto don't - hmmm...maybe no sun :) )

Newer fields are a work of magic - or smart engineering. I can only quote the system at Dodger stadium to give you an idea:

"The Dodgers installed a brand new state-of-the-art grass field after the conclusion of the 1995 season. Prescription Athletic Turf (PAT), created and installed by the Cincinnati-based Motz Group, used the latest agronomic and engineering technology to manage field moisture through controlled drainage and irrigation. The 100,000 square feet of bermuda grass is grown on pure sand, beneath which a vacuum chamber is laid over a water-tight plastic barrier that forcibly extracts water during heavy rains. New moisture gauges monitor the field's water level in coordination with a microprocessor that controls drainage functions. A computer controller has the ability to reverse the scenario and subirrigate when the sand's moisture reading drops below the optimal level."

So proper water management is key. Other pieces? From an interview with Boston's Fenway Park Ground Crew, steps include: watering the field, cleaning up, moving, removing and changing the tarp (a hard job - it can create a vacuum when sitting for a while), fertilize, mow, roll patterns, spread chopped up rubber tires into the grass (protects for wear and tear), and finally repaint lines. This all helps.

But I found an article from Baseball Field Renovation that offers tips on how to get grass green (and grown) by Feb/March start. Rye, fescue and bluegrass seeds need sunny weather over 50 degrees to germinate well. Sometimes that is just luck. But tips include light straw, minimum water layup, black tarps to keep seeds warm to germinate (but remove it before it kills new grass), automatic irrigation systems and fertilizer. Another tip - seed every two weeks through January. Of course if you plant before the winter it's just maintaining the field and covering it at night.

And how do they get the checkerboard? Easy. Mow and roll it flat. The bent grass gives the patterns. But make sure you alternate rolling to keep from damaging the grass too much. Now go watch some ball!

100 HB

PS and if you didn't know George Toma - the legendary 'God of Sod'. Mostly a grass consultant for the NFL, he's an old timer the pros turn to for 'live or die' grass. Multiple Superbowls, World Series and other events are under his belt. Yes - thank you!

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