Facility Notes

Ford Center Unveils New  $3.9M Scoreboard

In Oklahoma City, Mike Baldwin reports the Thunder last night played their first home game following $30M in offseason improvements to Ford Center, and the "new scoreboard created the biggest buzz." The $3.9M, 35-by-31-foot scoreboard is "more than twice the size" of its predecessor and features 10 video boards. The new scoreboard includes a "Bennett" wedge, named after Thunder Owner Clay Bennett, who "conceived the idea of a smaller scoreboard underneath the main scoreboard to give fans close to the court a good view." Other renovations include a new Thunder locker room, 48 club level suites, new concession items and new club and restaurant areas (DAILY OKLAHOMAN, 10/13).

HITTING THE BRAKES: Auto Club Speedway President Gillian Zucker denied a report that the track "could change its banking to 23 degrees, which would likely make it a restrictor-plate race." Zucker said that she was "initially in favor of the idea, but was ultimately told it would not work for 'a lot of reasons, and number one is safety.'" Zucker: "People know this is the fastest race track on the circuit. They’re going 209 mph going into Turn 1, and if you start banking it at those kind of degrees, ... I don’t know if you’re going to get a better race." Meanwhile, Zucker said that she would "consider reducing the distance of one of her two 500-mile Sprint Cup races" (SCENEDAILY.com, 10/12).

NOT SUCH A BEAUTIFUL DAY: In Dallas, Rod Dreher sat in the "nosebleed seats" at Cowboys Stadium for last night's U2 concert, and notes the "acoustics were horrible, by far the worst I've experienced at any stadium anywhere." Dreher: "Don't be a fool and buy tickets high up for any concert in the new stadium" (DALLASNEWS.com, 10/13).

RAISE THE ROOF: Design firm Fast + Epp won a "prestigious international structural design award" at the Institution of Structural Engineers '09 awards gala for the roof at the Richmond Olympic Oval in Vancouver. The design beat out "many landmark buildings," including Beijing's Bird's Nest stadium and the Wimbledon Centre Court roof (CTVOLYMPICS.ca, 10/12).