So thanks to Darren Rovell and Twitter, I have discovered today one of the stranger pieces of Sports news.
Plans are underway in the USA for a basketball exhibiton match to take place between the colleges of North Carolina and Michigan State on veterans day. North Carolina have a prestigious history within NCAA basketball, producing many NBA players including the great Michael Jordan.
ESPN have begun preparations for a match between the two colleges on Veteran’s Day 2011 (Rememberance Day for UK citizens who read this) on a military aircraft carrier in the Pacific Coast. Incidentally, this will be the very same ship that was used to dispose of Osama Bin Laden’s remains after he was killed.
Having studied the links between politics and nationalism through sporting channels, this has got to be one of the most obtuse in recent years. Sure, there are often military fly-bys / free tickets for troops and national anthems at many sporting matches, however for a significant fixture to take place on military deck is another level.
The logistics of running a match which is dependant on the elements can not, in my opinion be overstated. Basketball matches usually take place in a sterile arena with no wind, no moisture on the ground and very few outside influences. The Washington Post reports that a second court is being constructed below deck in case of rain – something which is not expected but possible in November. This is not like an Ice Hockey match, golf match or a football/soccer match where the elements are all considered factors in the sport.
I am very intrigued by this as I think it creates a huge buzz around a relatively small event. The PR and fanfare surrounding the match will be huge and it will be a great experience for all concerned. It also raises the possibility of further ‘feature locations’ veing used for exhibiton matches or possibly even as a competitive fixture (suddenly the Hurricanes fixture) on a boat doesn’t seem so far-fetched).
Let’s just hope that the sun shines and the wind is calm. Oh, and the boat doesn’t sink.
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