Two of our most-visited blog posts include Guy Lafleur's disco album, and the Calgary Flames karaoke video. This 1970s tv spot featuring the New York Rangers is destined to join our hall of fame:
"Members of the New York Rangers sing about Sasson Jeans. I think it is Phil Esposito, Rockin' Ron Duguay, Ron GReschner and one of the Maloneys. It could be Andres Hedberg too though."
A viewer comments: "During the 1981 playoffs when the Islanders humiliated the Rangers in the semi-finals, game 2 of that series at the Coliseum started chanting "Oooo La La Rangers suck!" It was hilarious, that and the game pair of 7-2 BEATINGS the Islanders gave the Rangers back then."
(via Black Aces)
Sep 15, 2007
My scoreboard's the biggest
The Arizona Diamondbacks say they'll have the largest HD scoreboard in pro sports, according to the Canadian Press:
The board, estimated to cost US$10 million to $12 million, will be 47 metres wide and 16 metres high, and it is expected to be ready for next season's opener. It would be 900 square feet larger than the biggest existing board, at Atlanta's Turner Field."This is an important addition to an already fan-friendly ballpark," Diamondbacks president Derrick Hall said. "Fans will have a difficult time taking their eyes off of the crystal-clear picture before them."
Hall said the board would be paid for by Maricopa County, which owns the building.
Chase Field opened in 1998 as Bank One Ballpark. The new Jumbotron is part of an upgrade in the stadium's sound system and other amenities.
Meanwhile, in Washington D.C., the Verizon Centre is set to install the first "true" HD indoor LED scoreboard. From LEDs Magazine:
Verizon Center in Washington, D.C. is set to score the ultimate arena experience by installing the first indoor high-definition (HD) LED display scoreboard. The 4-screen center-hung scoreboard will be created, installed and operated by ANC Sports Enterprises and Mitsubishi Electric Diamond Vision Systems...
The four HD screens making up the scoreboard will measure 14 feet, 5 inches high by 25 feet, 2 inches wide, with a total area of 365 square feet. The displays have a pitch of 6 mm, and the resolution is 736 x 1280 physical pixels.
The displays are described as "true" or "pure" HD because they have the requisite number of individual pixels to make up the HD image. Other HD technologies use fewer pixels, but by sharing pixels they are able to achieve the necessary resolution (number of dots). Side by side, the superior performance of the true HD display would be obvious.
In addition to the high-definition boards, the new center-hung scoreboard will also feature four 10mm 5-foot, 3-inch high by 25-foot 6-inch wide LED video matrixes and two 20mm LED rings.
A renovation of the current LED boards and static fascia signage will also take place and involve the replacement of the existing signage with Mitsubishi’s new 20mm Diamond Vision® indoor fascia display. Over a 1,000 feet of linear LED fascia will bring to life the entire upper level of the arena bowl, while 400 feet of full motion signage will continue to animate the lower level of the arena bowl.
Four additional LED displays will also light the top corners of the arena bowl with statistics, 3D graphics and advertisements, thus completing the entire digital display system.
The new scoreboard is set to debut this fall at a yet to be determined date.
"EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP!"
From Ohio.com:
I’m writing this at Jacobs Field. It’s te third inning of Tuesday’s Tribe game against the Philadelphia Phillies. The press-box windows are open; it’s 75 degrees.(via GameOps.com)I’m actually having a conversation with the person next to me ... It’s doesn’t matter what we’re talking about….
But the point is, I could hear it. I actually could talk to someone at a ballgame! I mean, he could finish a sentence without the scoreboard bellowing: “EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS! EVERYBODY CLAP YOUR HANDS!'’
You hear that at an NBA game, and you want to scream: “EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP! EVERYBODY JUST SHUT UP!'’
I followed the Cavaliers from Washington to New Jersey to Detroit to San Antonio during the playoffs. I haven’t been able to talk to anyone — and hear anything — in any arena for two months. I had to SCREAM at people next to me.
...At Quicken Loans Arena and some other NBA venues, the scoreboard breathes fire during the introductions. There are explosions that rock the walls. A guy races to midcourt and starts shouting… then he raises his voice to a screech… the scoreboard howls at you.
It’s like being trapped in a video game designed to make you go deaf or turn your mind to mush.
Game Day Promotion round-up
Jon Cudo at GameOps.com recently completed a month-long blog marathon, where every day he posted about something related to game entertainment. He highlighted a bunch of fun, creative promotions. Our favourites:
- Clean Out the Storeroom Night: The Princeton Devil Rays get rid of leftover promotional items. Schedule magnets from 1993! Broken bobblehead dolls! Expired Taco Bell coupons!
- Cookbooks and Diamonds for Mom: A Mother's Day promo with the Alberquerque Isotopes. Cookbooks for the first 3,000 moms, and a chance to win a one-carat diamond.
- Promotion Pills: Calgary Stampeded: The latest in a series from GameOps.com. Tips for improving your game night promotions.
Sep 7, 2007
Card stunts gone wrong
- Boing Boing has a story about a high school football prank, featuring a card stunt and the words "We Suck".
- Wikipedia has the grandaddy of card stunt pranks, known as the Great Rose Bowl Hoax from 1961.
How the 1990 FIFA World Cup made Pavarotti a superstar
From Adfreak:
In 1990, the BBC selected Pavarotti’s version of the Puccini aria “Nessun Dorma” as the theme song for its coverage of the FIFA World Cup. The song was a perfect fit for the games in Italy not just because of its dramatic beauty, but also because it climaxes with the Italian word “Vincerò!” (meaning “I will win!”) on the highest note. In addition, the 1990 World Cup also saw the debut of The Three Tenors, an opera all-star team featuring Pavarotti, Placido Domingo and José Carreras... If you’re a fan of soccer, opera or brilliant marketing decisions, be sure to read the BBC’s firsthand account of how “Nessun Dorma” was selected as the theme. And if you want to see a cultural shift happen in front of your eyes, watch this legendary performance on the eve of the 1990 World Cup.
Sep 3, 2007
Football halftime contest gone bad
Here's a very funny clip of a blindfolded contestant taking part in a football halftime contest at a Toronto Argonauts game. All she has to do is reach a sign - with help from fans. She starts to run, and doesn't stop. Hope she signed the liability waiver.
Sep 1, 2007
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