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Ohio Basketball Topic
Topic: Convo scoreboard
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SBH
7/8/2018 11:52 AM
I spent the afternoon in Athens on Friday and stopped by the Convo to check the progress on the new scoreboard. I admit to underestimating the scale of this project. I guess I figured they would simply be hauling up the new unit from the floor. The project is much more extensive. The scaffolding alone is impressive - at least the width of the basketball court and rising all the way to the peak of the roof. Looks like they are adding significant bracing to the roof and building a large boxlike structure from which the scoreboard will be suspended.

I'd give additional updates on campus projects but stopped by China King for lunch. Everything after that is fuzzy.
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OUcats82
7/9/2018 11:52 AM
SBH wrote:expand_more
I spent the afternoon in Athens on Friday and stopped by the Convo to check the progress on the new scoreboard. I admit to underestimating the scale of this project. I guess I figured they would simply be hauling up the new unit from the floor. The project is much more extensive. The scaffolding alone is impressive - at least the width of the basketball court and rising all the way to the peak of the roof. Looks like they are adding significant bracing to the roof and building a large boxlike structure from which the scoreboard will be suspended.

I'd give additional updates on campus projects but stopped by China King for lunch. Everything after that is fuzzy.
Hope you have made a full recovery. I have not been there in 15+ years and I still think my digestive system has not fully recovered.
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Antonio Pierce
7/10/2018 9:02 PM
http://www.osborn-eng.com/OSet/Project/15/172

Engineering analysis of the Convocation Center.

Able to install a 12,000 lb scoreboard and a 4,000 lb speaker assembly.
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rpbobcat
7/11/2018 6:40 AM
Antonio Pierce wrote:expand_more
http://www.osborn-eng.com/OSet/Project/15/172

Engineering analysis of the Convocation Center.

Able to install a 12,000 lb scoreboard and a 4,000 lb speaker assembly.
Thanks for posting the article.

One thing it shows is that,even with all the advancements in video technology and speakers,the system is still going to weigh 16,000 lbs.

As an engineer,I can tell you that much weight,"hanging from the rafters" will put a lot of stress on any roof's structural members.
Its even more pronounced with a dome.

Pretty innovative solution of reinforcing the roof's structural members to both increase their direct load bearing capabilities and also distribute the load throughout the roof's structural members.
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GoCats105
7/11/2018 8:15 AM
rpbobcat wrote:expand_more
http://www.osborn-eng.com/OSet/Project/15/172

Engineering analysis of the Convocation Center.

Able to install a 12,000 lb scoreboard and a 4,000 lb speaker assembly.
Thanks for posting the article.

One thing it shows is that,even with all the advancements in video technology and speakers,the system is still going to weigh 16,000 lbs.

As an engineer,I can tell you that much weight,"hanging from the rafters" will put a lot of stress on any roof's structural members.
Its even more pronounced with a dome.

Pretty innovative solution of reinforcing the roof's structural members to both increase their direct load bearing capabilities and also distribute the load throughout the roof's structural members.
Are we sure that's how much it's going to weigh? I took that as the maximum weight the roof could potentially support.

EDIT: Nevermind...reread it.
Last Edited: 7/11/2018 8:16:28 AM by GoCats105
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OhioCatFan
7/11/2018 11:05 AM
Let me say this before Alan Swank has a chance. I hope with the new speaker system that they improve the quality of the "music" that they pipe through it. And, maybe, just maybe, defer to the 110 more often.
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giacomo
7/15/2018 10:47 PM
Not worth the time, effort and expense. They will soon learn an expensive lesson.
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OUs LONG Driver
7/16/2018 7:10 AM
giacomo wrote:expand_more
Not worth the time, effort and expense. They will soon learn an expensive lesson.
Right, because at this level it makes sense to not be able to know how many points or fouls someone has. Don't worry though if you wait long enough that person will eventually score or foul again so you can see it (of course that is if someone or a hoop isn't blocking the scoreboard at floor level from your seats in the upper bowl).
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Recovering Journalist
7/16/2018 8:16 AM
OUs LONG Driver wrote:expand_more
Not worth the time, effort and expense. They will soon learn an expensive lesson.
Right, because at this level it makes sense to not be able to know how many points or fouls someone has. Don't worry though if you wait long enough that person will eventually score or foul again so you can see it (of course that is if someone or a hoop isn't blocking the scoreboard at floor level from your seats in the upper bowl).
I also enjoyed the good old days of never seeing a replay and watching videos so grainy that they looked like dot-matrix art films.

This project is many years overdue and I'm excited to see it. It's just a shame that it's happening at the beginning of what's likely to be a wilderness campaign.
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Brian Smith (No, not that one)
7/16/2018 1:12 PM
SBH wrote:expand_more
I spent the afternoon in Athens on Friday and stopped by the Convo to check the progress on the new scoreboard. I admit to underestimating the scale of this project. I guess I figured they would simply be hauling up the new unit from the floor. The project is much more extensive. The scaffolding alone is impressive - at least the width of the basketball court and rising all the way to the peak of the roof. Looks like they are adding significant bracing to the roof and building a large boxlike structure from which the scoreboard will be suspended.

I'd give additional updates on campus projects but stopped by China King for lunch. Everything after that is fuzzy.
I was going to get excited about our arena being compared to Madison Square Garden, but then I realized you were merely describing the nature of your coma.
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giacomo
7/16/2018 4:50 PM
Will a new scoreboard increase attendance? Will it help us recruit? Will it help us win? My opinion is, not really. It's not a complete negative, but the expense will not show results. Doesn't everyone have a smart phone with the stats? Just watch the game and listen to the band. The ship has sailed on this kind of upgrade meaning anything.
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71 BOBCAT
7/16/2018 5:27 PM
What is the coat of the score board?
Did Pepsi, our soft drink sponsor, pay for this?




GO BOBCATS
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Recovering Journalist
7/16/2018 5:43 PM
71 BOBCAT wrote:expand_more
What is the coat of the score board?
Did Pepsi, our soft drink sponsor, pay for this?




GO BOBCATS
$2 million and it sounds sponsorless.

https://www.athensnews.com/news/campus/ou-seeking-approva...
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Recovering Journalist
7/16/2018 5:50 PM
giacomo wrote:expand_more
Will a new scoreboard increase attendance?
[/QUOTE]Probably not directly. Attendance is driven by winning more than anything else.

Will it help us recruit?
Possibly. Every MAC arena I've been to (all but a few) has a better scoreboard and video system. If you think prospects don't notice, you're wrong.

[QUOTE=giacomo] Will it help us win?
Better recruits, better results.

I don't think this is transformational by any means, but it is so long overdue and the past system was such a letdown for the fans, building and programs that use it that I don't see a lot of value in lamenting a $2 million price tag. I'll add that it will significantly enhance graduation ceremonies, women's hoops, volleyball games, wrestling matches and every other event that takes place there.
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GoCats105
7/17/2018 7:43 AM
Recovering Journalist wrote:expand_more
Will a new scoreboard increase attendance?
Probably not directly. Attendance is driven by winning more than anything else.

Will it help us recruit?
Possibly. Every MAC arena I've been to (all but a few) has a better scoreboard and video system. If you think prospects don't notice, you're wrong.

Will it help us win?
Better recruits, better results.

I don't think this is transformational by any means, but it is so long overdue and the past system was such a letdown for the fans, building and programs that use it that I don't see a lot of value in lamenting a $2 million price tag. I'll add that it will significantly enhance graduation ceremonies, women's hoops, volleyball games, wrestling matches and every other event that takes place there.
Agreed. It's long overdue. I can't imagine a recruit (or any casual fan new to the Convo for that matter) walking into the arena and saying to themselves "why isn't there a scoreboard up high?" The old video board quality is archaic, plain and simple.

Speaking of smart phones? Why do you upgrade that every 2-4 years? The old one works fine to look up stats doesn't it? ;)
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Alan Swank
7/17/2018 12:54 PM
How did we survive when we had to keep each player's score and number of fouls in the printed program and had to pay attention to the game? Fans must have been really smart back then.
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shabamon
7/17/2018 2:23 PM
Harder to pay attention to a game when you have to keep track of stats yourself, huh?
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Deciduous Forest Cat
7/17/2018 2:52 PM
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
How did we survive when we had to keep each player's score and number of fouls in the printed program and had to pay attention to the game? Fans must have been really smart back then.
Oh my god. You should just make your signature "...and Get off my lawn!"
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Recovering Journalist
7/17/2018 3:02 PM
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
How did we survive when we had to keep each player's score and number of fouls in the printed program and had to pay attention to the game? Fans must have been really smart back then.
This is willfully obtuse. Heaven forbid that we have any enhancement to the fan experience. The reality is that sporting events have moved past "paying attention to the game" whether you and I like it or not.

Baseball parks are ripping out seating to facilitate roaming and socializing. Football stadiums feature luxury amenities and TVs everywhere. Arenas are more about theatrics than the action. That's what today's fan is used to, and clearly what they want. A simple video scoreboard at least gets us a bit closer to the fan experience that the average college-aged kid wants. As you rightfully and repeatedly point out, they're the real paying customer anyway.
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100%Cat
7/17/2018 3:27 PM
Updating of the video/score boards in both the Convo and Peden were long, long overdue. Anybody who has spent time on campus these last few years knows that there has been a lot of updating, a lot of new construction, and a lot of improvements of facilities here. There's no reason to leave the Convo and Peden in the 70's if we have the means to bring them into the 21st century. In the smart phone age, we had the tech equivalent of bag phones in our two most important sports venues.
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Alan Swank
7/17/2018 3:40 PM
Recovering Journalist wrote:expand_more
How did we survive when we had to keep each player's score and number of fouls in the printed program and had to pay attention to the game? Fans must have been really smart back then.
This is willfully obtuse. Heaven forbid that we have any enhancement to the fan experience. The reality is that sporting events have moved past "paying attention to the game" whether you and I like it or not.

A simple video scoreboard at least gets us a bit closer to the fan experience that the average college-aged kid wants.
I guess you haven't been in the Convo for a game lately. The vast majority of people attending the games are not college-aged kids.
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Alan Swank
7/17/2018 3:42 PM
Deciduous Forest Cat wrote:expand_more
How did we survive when we had to keep each player's score and number of fouls in the printed program and had to pay attention to the game? Fans must have been really smart back then.
Oh my god. You should just make your signature "...and Get off my lawn!"
And you should get a new phrase of criticism. Yes times have changed but some people can still enjoy the game without all of the bells and whistles. That was the beauty of the World Cup - no commercials during play and no promos during stoppage time. We've become a society with a very short attention span.
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GoCats105
7/17/2018 4:16 PM
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
How did we survive when we had to keep each player's score and number of fouls in the printed program and had to pay attention to the game? Fans must have been really smart back then.
Were you against the upgrades to the seats too? Everyone should just sit on bleacher seating right?
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Recovering Journalist
7/17/2018 4:27 PM
Alan Swank wrote:expand_more
I guess you haven't been in the Convo for a game lately. The vast majority of people attending the games are not college-aged kids.
So doing nothing to accommodate or attract them is the right answer? Brilliant.
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Alan Swank
7/17/2018 6:03 PM
Recovering Journalist wrote:expand_more
I guess you haven't been in the Convo for a game lately. The vast majority of people attending the games are not college-aged kids.
So doing nothing to accommodate or attract them is the right answer? Brilliant.
No one said "do nothing." Here are several things that might attract not only students but more local fans. 1) Light the Convo up on game night. You can drive by the building at 7:00 on a game night and not even know a game is scheduled that night. 2) Let students in the front door instead of making them walk all the way around back. 3) Either get it together with the Ozone or open that seating to anyone who wants to sit there. Right now, it isn't working. 4) Hire/put someone in place who understands game flow as it relates to music played when time stops. We've had so many great runs killed because it was time to go to a stupid promo on the court. 5) I'm ducking on this one. Get rid of the presentation of the colors. It's a somber moment that kills whatever pregame excitement has been generated (sorry Lou). Give me a bit more time and I can come up with five more. To the point though, I new scoreboard with none of these things happening is going to change a thing.
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