Random OOD article I found today

[ben ji]

http://collegebasketballroadtrip.com/2012/02/15/manhattan-and-the-octagon-of-doom/

Bill Self  called a timeout to steady his troops and calm down the arena, except the K-State students weren’t interested in relaxing.  I have never seen an arena not just maintain the noise level throughout a timeout, but actually build on it.  Nobody was sitting down and checking their phones; all the students were jumping, screaming and dancing.  By the time the buzzer sounded and both teams returned to the floor, it was as if the timeout had never happened.  In the words of Ian- it was the “greatest timeout ever.”  I wasn’t able to capture those two manic minutes, but I did get a bit of video from just before the opening tip to give you an idea of the atmosphere…

On the flip side, there is nothing peaceful about Bramlage Coliseum.  The raucous energy inside is what gave birth to the “Octagon of Doom” moniker, and is also quite obviously what has me quite smitten with it.  I’ll wrap up by saying that I would completely understand if someone told me they’d prefer to watch a game at Bramlage over Allen.  They are just two different experiences.

[pissclams]

great article.  makes me wonder why doesn't someone build a "new" OOD?

i don't think that I'm exactly going out on a limb when i say that the OOD is widely considered to be the single best venue in which to watch a basketball game, college or pro.

why doesn't anyone try and replicate it? granted, there are structural and architectual issues (I've heard that you can't pack people on top of the court the way the OOD does anymore) but one would think that you could build a below ground, old school, arena that lets no light stream in during day games.

Conseco Fieldhouse (where the Pacers play) isn't bad, but it's still not a great approximation. wouldn't you, if you were a college president or NBA owner, have your architects visit the OOD and say, "See that?" Do that for our team"? i sure would.

[pissclams]

after i thought about it for a minute, i think that obviously you can't just build a new OOD. it's a culture.

[pissclams]

you can't build atmosphere.  you can replicate the building.  put 13000 people in it.  but if they don't have the same love, compassion, etc.....or if the building doesn't have history, ghosts from basketball past, etc......it just isn't the same.  you can't duplicate the intangibles. 

now, if you attach it to a mall.  Boom.  Rupp Arena 2.0.

[steve dave]

you could build a new OOD but it would have to be right next to the current OOD and have the same specs

[pissclams]

because you can't manufacture a Kansas State fan. it's the people inside the building that make it great.

we have something remarkable. great tradition and this eery, religious tension, lol, when you get all mystical sandstorm. that's so cool.

[kso_FAN]

40 minutes of angry.

[pissclams]

the building itself is just a building. cramped, hot, sweaty and loud. What makes the OOD great is the fans. I dont care if Kentucky has the most fans (most are bandwagoners), I dont care if Duke has the most obnoxious fans. Kansas State has, bar none, the BEST fans. Ive been to many arena's around the country and there is nothing that comes close to the atmosphere that the FANS give the OOD.

the building is great, dont get me wrong, and there is an eerie feel to it even when empty. Like there really are ghosts that roam the stands, but make no mistake, Kansas State fans make that building special like no other place. You could put that same building in any number of cities for any other team and it wouldn't be the same. You cannot replicate what MHK has. As Chris Piper said "manhattan kansas is the best basketball city" and they have the best arena (**** MSG, the OOD is the mecca) in all of basketball because we have the best damn fans on the planet.

[pissclams]

you wouldn't try to rebuild the Louvre or the Vatican would you?

[Kat Kid]

Something I just considered.  Maybe someone already made an "old" OOD and named it Allen Fieldhouse.  Man, should've thought of that before we made a new OOD?  Nope.  Better amenities, concessions, Garth Brooks and Bob Dylan concerts.  Sorry.

fear the beard.

[Kat Kid]

you wouldn't try to rebuild the Louvre or the Vatican would you?

The Vatican is just an old copy of the Venetian.  Except one has gambling and hookers and one has smelly rosaries and priests.  Which one are you picking?  Depends on if you've been to the Low-T center over in Leawood on 133rd.

[catzacker]

40 minutes of angry.

the crowd really needs to calm down;  their energy is only going to get the players too emotional for oscar to coach.

[Emo EMAW]

You know what I love about the OOD?  I can be in my seats (standing of course) and be screaming and yelling and booing and all that, and then I just walk up then I high five Jonathan Beasley and get some nachos.

[Sandstone Outcropping]

You know what I love about the OOD?  I can be in my seats (standing of course) and be screaming and yelling and booing and all that, and then I just walk up then I high five Jonathan Beasley and get some nachos.

The Sandstorm last Saturday was really nice.

 

[Mr Bread]

great article.  makes me wonder why doesn't someone build a "new" OOD?

Kind of a dumb question.

Imagine trying to rebuild your childhood home (assuming you loved your childhood home) and you succeed in getting every last structural detail down. However, when you move in, is it going to have the same feel? Will its walls still talk?

No. Good arenas are more than the buildings themselves, they are an identity of the city and the people around the area.

[Mr Bread]

you can't build atmosphere.  you can replicate the building.  put 13000 people in it.  but if they don't have the same love, compassion, etc.....or if the building doesn't have history, ghosts from basketball past, etc......it just isn't the same.  you can't duplicate the intangibles. 

now, if you attach it to a mall.  Boom.  Rupp Arena 2.0.

This!  A culture.  A personality - even when empty.  An atmosphere for the fans, in large part created by the fans.  The accumulated history.  Each of these items enhancing the others.

A combination impossible to duplicate in a new building (see Rupp and Smith, relative to their prior arenas, for examples).

[pissclams]

you're right mr bread it just took me considerable thought to arrive at my conclusion.

[Mr Bread]

I think the most sincerest form of flattery was delivered by a Philadelphia journalist who stated "picture the Palestra with a second level and you have the OOD". I think that is something that East Coast fans might be able to relate to.

[Pete]

Glad Clams brought up Chris Piper's honest comments about the OOD.

That's what got him fired by KU.  Greg Gurls (sp?)  is now the color man for KU, and trust me when I tell you that you will never hear those sorts of honest comments again.  Sad.  William Allen White is rolling over in his grave....

[8manpick]

Clams just killing it in this thread (as per usual)

[DQ12]

Sometimes I used to like to imagine that if the fans in the OOD could just get loud enough, maybe the building itself would detach from the earth, and we'd all ascend into outer space and live forever.

This was a very common fantasy of mine.

[ben ji]

Sometimes I used to like to imagine that if the fans in the OOD could just get loud enough, maybe the building itself would detach from the earth, and we'd all ascend into outer space and live forever.

This was a very common fantasy of mine.

I picture just the roof coming off, maybe levitating about 20 ft above

[Dugout DickStone]

40 minutes of angry.

the crowd really needs to calm down;  their energy is only going to get the players too emotional for oscar to coach.

I was all for instituting a "quiet, offense at work" or something sign like they do at Chief's games to keep the players from getting too emotional.  Would it work?  Probably yes.

[Sandstone Outcropping]

40 minutes of angry.

the crowd really needs to calm down;  their energy is only going to get the players too emotional for oscar to coach.

I was all for instituting a "quiet, offense at work" or something sign like they do at Chief's games to keep the players from getting too emotional.  Would it work?  Probably yes.

Sometimes I used to like to imagine that if the fans in the OOD could just get loud enough, maybe the building itself would detach from the earth, and we'd all ascend into outer space and live forever.

This was a very common fantasy of mine.

Would the fans just live on nachos in space, or what.

[8manpick]

40 minutes of angry.

the crowd really needs to calm down;  their energy is only going to get the players too emotional for oscar to coach.

I was all for instituting a "quiet, offense at work" or something sign like they do at Chief's games to keep the players from getting too emotional.  Would it work?  Probably yes.

Sometimes I used to like to imagine that if the fans in the OOD could just get loud enough, maybe the building itself would detach from the earth, and we'd all ascend into outer space and live forever.

This was a very common fantasy of mine.

Would the fans just live on nachos in space, or what.

bierocks