Five at a time article

[red_n_black_attack]

Were my eyes deceiving me or was the Shoe named one of the five best gyms - new school edition? That place is outdated and needs a major overhaul. For my money, I like the colesium style bowl seating at Michigan State better than the Shoe, er 5/3, er Junker Court.

I can't wait for Big O Stadium.

I love my 'Cats, and I think the fans make that a tough place to play, but the view in the rafters is pitifull!!

[CincyBeerCo]

Aesthetically, and functionally (too much unused space/courts w/ out all sports offices being housed) I would agree that The Shoe is nowhere near one of the best arenas in CBB. BUT....I fully agree that when The Shoe is full and rocking on the night of the Shootout or a huge conference game, it is an absolute experience that can rival most (sans a few). The Shoe can be down right deafening when capacity crowds are into the game (yeah I know its been a few years), and I think its great that even during a bit of a down time in our program that we still are getting the national recognintion. It is however, very near time for a new arena. Hopefully the new venue will only build upon the positives and embrace the atmoshpere of College Hoops.

[jplog]

I've sat in the rafters, last row, center court for years and love it. I have no complaints about the view from the "skybox", but they need to triple the number of bathrooms in the joint! Anyplace, with a thirty minute wait to take a leak shouldn't be in the top five of anyone's list.

[BasketBySteveLogan]

I like the rims at the Shoe.. they seem to be loose and condusive to made field goals and I'm sure they've been loosened a bit by Kenyon, Maxiell, Hicks, Mel, James, Donald, Rod Monroe, Erik Martin, Bostic, Corie, I-Mac, Flint, Dontonio, Ced, Darnell Burton (LOVED him), and of course, the main man, ART LONG!! ART LONG BABY!!

ART LONG!!

[MikeInClifton]

Were my eyes deceiving me or was the Shoe named one of the five best gyms - new school edition?

rednblack - I had no idea what you were talking about until I saw this (http://sports.espn.go.com/espn/columns/story?columnist=forde_pat&id=3094969&sportCat=ncb) elsewhere. Might want to include a link when you reference an article.

As far as Forde's opinion . . . I've never cared for it. He is close to the bottom of my list along with Frank Fitzpatrick at the Philadelphia Inquirer and Richard Justice at the Houston Chronicle.

[GoBearcats31]

So it's shaped like a (shoe)box, and the student bleachers arent great, but as far as Im concerned its a nice gym, altho I've only seen IU (i have student season tickets at Assembly Hall), XU, and UD. As soon as you walk in the doors of the building it is nice and has the cool pictures of UC greats. Quoting GoBearcats.Com, "with 16 private executive suites, new scoreboard-video replay display board and restaurant and lounge area overlooking the court, is as good as any college facility in the nation."

As for not caring about Forde's opinion, even if you never cared for it he essentially gave UC fans a compliment so it shouldnt be looked at as a slap in the face.


GO BEARCATS!

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

There may never be a more exciting game at The Shoe than the first game ever played there.

[CincyBeerCo]

There may never be a more exciting game at The Shoe than the first game ever played there.

Couldn't agree more!!! Steve Sanders Forever!!! That truly is one of my most vivid memories of growing up a 'Cats fan. I grew up near campus and my Pops happened to be out of town for that game. So it was just me, sitting there as a 12 year old giddy kid going nuts with 13,175 other shocked and rowdy fans. I'll never forget it!

[GoCats1994]

There may never be a more exciting game at The Shoe than the first game ever played there.

The problem with the opener was that there weren't many people there to witness the event.

My top four (in terms of "the Shoe was Rockin"):

1) Beating Penny Hardaway & Memphis State (I think it was still called that) to win the Great MidWest on the way to the Final Four

2) Crosstown shootout - Van Exel's senior year. This is the game where Nick hit the half-court 3-pointer to close the first half.

3) Can't remember the year....I think it was Fortson's Junior (final) season...might have been against UAB (or maybe Charlotte). I seem to remember a half-court pass to a driving Fortson where he told about seven steps - was not called for traveling - and UC won the game at the buzzer

4) Midnight game against Miami - only the Rowdies showed up to watch that one...I think it might have been dubbed a pajama party.

[CincyBeerCo]

3) Can't remember the year....I think it was Fortson's Junior (final) season...might have been against UAB (or maybe Charlotte). I seem to remember a half-court pass to a driving Fortson where he told about seven steps - was not called for traveling - and UC won the game at the buzzer


I beleive it was Tulane, and yeah those were all some great games. I would prob. throw in the UAB game in either '92 or '93, that ended with an Erik Martin layup at the buzzer (at least thats how I remember it ;) )

[GoCats1994]

Tulane. You are correct. I knew it was some team that wore Green.

[Bearcat Fan Since 1958]

The problem with the opener was that there weren't many people there to witness the event.

My top four (in terms of "the Shoe was Rockin"):

1) Beating Penny Hardaway & Memphis State (I think it was still called that) to win the Great MidWest on the way to the Final Four

2) Crosstown shootout - Van Exel's senior year. This is the game where Nick hit the half-court 3-pointer to close the first half.

3) Can't remember the year....I think it was Fortson's Junior (final) season...might have been against UAB (or maybe Charlotte). I seem to remember a half-court pass to a driving Fortson where he told about seven steps - was not called for traveling - and UC won the game at the buzzer

4) Midnight game against Miami - only the Rowdies showed up to watch that one...I think it might have been dubbed a pajama party.

I remember the Minnesota game in 1989 being a packed house.

[shaunsimpson]

The shoe is a good place to see the game since the student section is so close to the floor. It is awkward anywhere that is not straight on as the stands are pointed to the middle of nowhere. For atmosphere it is great compared to many of the new arenas. I think we need a new stadium, but with that new stadium comes concerts and other events that will be designed to have the sound go from the court to the stands and not the stands to the court - if you have been to an OSU game you know how the cheering doesn't seem to travel to the court.

[CincyBeerCo]

I remember the Minnesota game in 1989 being a packed house.

I have the same recollection of a full crowd (can't find any info to confirm or deny though, just memory), and Shaun, I agree that my biggest fear of a new arena is that we build too much of a Multi-purpose facility and not enough of a College Basketball facility. Don't get me wrong, I think that attracting concerts and other larger performance venue related events to campus is a great thing, just not at the cost of eliminating the atmoshpere that should be attributed to college hoops, and the home-court advantage that comes with it.

[gocats45]

There needs to be more seats in the new one. The capacity of the current arena limits the profit potential of the university. A new arena needs like 20,000 seats.

[CincyBeerCo]

There needs to be more seats in the new one. The capacity of the current arena limits the profit potential of the university. A new arena needs like 20,000 seats.

I actually disagree, which was kind of my point in my previous post about "keeping the atmosphere". There are very few (if any, other than shared facilities ie. Syracuse/Carrier Dome) on-campus arenas that exceed 16,000, much less 20K seats. There are also very few concerts and events that would be hosted in a new facility that would require that number of tickets (US Bank Arena only hold around 16,000 and w/ few exceptions would they ever need more). I would hope for a 16,000 MAX, and truly feel that a more intimate (<13K) venue would be more appropriate.

[MikeInClifton]

I remember the Minnesota game in 1989 being a packed house.

I was in nearly the top row, shoulder to shoulder with others, so I can verify that.

[GoCats1994]

I stand corrected on the attendance recollection (Minnesota game). My apologies.

Are there other memories of the "Shoe was rockin' " that you guys have?

[Joe C.]

There may never be a more exciting game at The Shoe than the first game ever played there.

I agree 100%. I was 11 yrs. old and I remember it vividly. I still have the ticket stub. The seats my father and I had are all UCATS seats now, so I'll never get as close to the action as I was that night. Unbelievable experience.