2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

Oh, Bill O'REILLY is out at Fox. He had an audience with the Pope after he got fired. I hear he is going to sub for Alex Jones the next time Jones loses his voice again 😯😈👿👹😱👺💀☠

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

Over the past several years I have been tracking the enrollment at KWC. In the latest brochure sent out to members of the alumni, the college has seen an enrollment increase of 14 percent since President Darrell was hired. That in itself is significant.

The college was recently given a top 15 ranking as a "Best Regional College" in the South from U.S. News and World report.

A freshman-to-sophomore retention increase from 58 to 84 percent.

There were also some other achievements including a 44 percent increase in annual gifts of $1,000 or more through the President's Circle.

The future looks very bright for the college at large, which is in stark contrast to what I saw around six years ago after talking to members of the All American Club at their first Car and Truck show.

Should the college continue to excel at it's present rate, their magic number of capped enrollment will be achieved in four to five years, IMO.

KWC also has launched an innovative 3+3 Accelerated Law Program collaboration with the Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.

That latest fact certainly does not hurt KWC in scheduling with U of L in preseason basketball exhibition games.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

The Sportscenter losing the Kentucky Mavericks is no big loss. Once the first stage of remodeling is done, the facility could bid on any number of events like the Girls State Basketball Championship, the State Wrestling Championship, Power lifting events, AAU basketball tournaments, Body Building events, MMA events, and certainly medium to low sized Country concerts, Rock concerts, and the list goes on.

The Sportscenter can do what the Convention Center cannot do. Everything on the stage can be easily taken down and put back up after a concert event. The staging area, as I stated previously, can easily be extended with temporary stage lifts that can be locked in place and taken back down after the event. The railing that was put in this season by Spectra can be taken down and put back up easily with power bolt drivers.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

BTW, work has started on the new Owensboro School/KWC Track and Field. The turf field has already been laid. The entire facility should be ready for the 2018 season. Owensboro Living Magazine, I think, is where I gathered the information for both the Sportscenter and the new Track and Field.

The new Track and Field will be the only one in the 3rd Region that will be able to host a state KHSAA Meet. The facility will also host a future G-MAC Championship, I guarantee it. Just from what I saw completed in photos will be much nicer than the old UK Track and Field where I attended KHSAA State Championships back in the late 1980's and early 90's.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

The former mayor of Owensboro was trying to get a new Arena built, and that idea was almost immediately dropped because the city was too far in debt with all the money spent and borrowed on the downtown area.

I was reading this afternoon again on what is going to be done at the Sportscenter. The city has pledged to put a new roof on the facility, that has not happened yet to my knowledge. The article I read also stated that the Sportscenter will get new paint and new signage that will brighten it up.

All of that is in addition to the refurbishing of the concession area with four new mini restaurants. The article also stated that the restrooms would be refurbished.

The popular concensus in Owensboro is that the people want the Sportscenter remodeled. I would concur with that concensus, and the Sportscenter IS NOT Gabe's Tower!

Duke is not going to build a new Arena and neither is Butler.

As to the staging area not being big enough, well, that's just wrong. The Sportscenter can extend that stage with temporary stage settings.

Spectra will be in charge of the facility from here on out. The city will be footing the bill for the new roof. Work in the concession area is well underway and that includes the restrooms. If you watched the news video on the updates, you would have a better grasp of what is being done.

[Purplebuckeye]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

I agree it is somewhat out of date but in all honesty it would not take that much money to get it up to speed. A new sound system, video boards and scoreboards, updates to the bathrooms, and I'm sure some work in the locker rooms is really all you'd need.

Those bathrooms are pretty close to original, roughly 1/2 of seating is bench, and the improvements you recommended would benefit ball games but not other events. I have a lot of good memories in that building, but for the good of the community, a new facility is the ticket in my book. The pro hockey team sure thought it was cost prohibitive to remodel. U can't have concerts because the stage is small and immobile, I can't see throwing money at it, but investors want to refurbish Gabes lol

[Purplebuckeye]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

I agree it is somewhat out of date but in all honesty it would not take that much money to get it up to speed. A new sound system, video boards and scoreboards, updates to the bathrooms, and I'm sure some work in the locker rooms is really all you'd need.

Those bathrooms are pretty close to original, roughly 1/2 of seating is bench, and the improvements you recommended would benefit ball games but not other events. I have a lot of good memories in that building, but for the good of the community, a new facility is the ticket in my book. The pro hockey team sure thought it was cost prohibitive to remodel. U can't have concerts because the stage is small and immobile, I can't see throwing money at it, but investors want to refurbish Gabes lol

[Looking For 9]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

Call Trump...ahead of time under budget

[kwcpantherfan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

My opinion is the sports center has served the community well, but is out of date, and needs more work on it than it's worth. The community needs to make building a multi purpose arena a top priority.

I agree it is somewhat out of date but in all honesty it would not take that much money to get it up to speed. A new sound system, video boards and scoreboards, updates to the bathrooms, and I'm sure some work in the locker rooms is really all you'd need.

[Purplebuckeye]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

The original name of the company that maanaged the Owensboro Convention Center was called Global Spectrum.

Now, I think it's called Spectra. So, Spectra now manages the Convention Center and the Sportscenter, I guess?

My opinion is the sports center has served the community well, but is out of date, and needs more work on it than it's worth. The community needs to make building a multi purpose arena a top priority.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

The original name of the company that maanaged the Owensboro Convention Center was called Global Spectrum.

Now, I think it's called Spectra. So, Spectra now manages the Convention Center and the Sportscenter, I guess?

[Looking For 9]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

I spent many a night being an usher for wrestling at the SC. Way below minim wage but allowed me to grab a burger or cheap chicken dinner.

I wanted to go to mavericks game in Columbus but the times were awful and against lots of good TV games.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

BTW, I paid $140 for two tickets in the ADA section for that Journey concert and we could barely see the performers. We couldn't even see the opening act, Asia, due to fact that the group had a low budget screen show.

Some floor seats cost up to $270. Now, Journey cleared at least $500,000 on that one concert, and the Ford Center cleared another $500,000 and both numbers are on the low side, IMO. That is how bands really make their money now, and that is how arenas and concert venues make big money.

There are all kinds of entertainment acts that Spectrum could bring in at the Owensboro Sportscenter. If and when they start doing that, the Sportscenter could easily transition to all single seat seating with the additional income. The Sportscenter could still seat 4,500 with floor seating, and Spectrum could renovate the other two restrooms on the opposite side.

The one hurdle that Spectrum will need to cross is alcohol sales at non basketball events.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

The Sportscenter is under new management now, and they know how to handle events.

With four restaurants located at the entrance gates with the restrooms across the Hall, the new management knew exactly what needed to be done.

There is a demand for smaller concerts out there, and you do not have to set up huge speaker systems. Ask the folks at the Ryman in Nashville.

[alumnifan]

Re: 2016-2017 Kentucky Wesleyan basketball thread.

Recently I took my disabled cousin to the Journey concert at the Ford Center. Some of the reviews were horrible, and it had nothing to do with the band. The actual concert was great. Journey was inducted into the Rock Hall of Fame at the Barclays Center the following weekend.

The problem with the Ford Center is there are no floor level concessions when you actually set on the floor for a concert, and the concession lines were really long. There were a lot of complaints about the parking, and out of town people not being able to find a place to eat near the Ford Center, etc..

The Sportscenter should really do more to bring in entertainment acts. With a new concession area it could be a hit, and the parking is also more than adequate. The parking at the Ford Center is Horrible and that entire area is certainly not wheel chair friendly.

The Sportscenter is not an Arena Rock Center. It can comfortably seat 4,000 to 5,000 people especially with seating on the court floor when it is covered. I said Medium level concerts and acts.