‘Virtual’ seating would help put the ‘home’ in Kentucky home games
As president and chief historian of the Lexington History Museum, Foster Ockerman Jr. knows about adjusting during the coronavirus pandemic.
With people more cautious about visiting public places, “we’re building a museum in the cloud,” he said. And 30 exhibits can be accessed by using Google goggles to “be” in the room and use arrow keys to virtually navigate.
Through his law firm, Ockerman has had access to Kentucky basketball tickets for decades. So, putting two and two together, he came up with a virtual four. Why couldn’t UK follow the lead of the NBA’s “bubble” in Orlando and offer fans an opportunity to attend games virtually in the 2020-21 season (assuming there is a 2020-21 season)?
“I’m not going to want to buy season tickets to UK basketball games when I can’t go,” Ockerman said. “But if there was an option, a virtual option, that may be a good thing to do.
“You could put it up on Instagram. ‘Look at me, I was at the game.’ Even though technically I was sitting in my easy chair in the den.”
Selling “virtual seats” — which fits in what he called the “Zoom culture” — could offset the revenue from ticket sales that UK would lose should fan attendance be limited or prohibited as a safety precaution, Ockerman said. Ticket sales in 2019-20 produced $22,430,140 in revenue, UK said.
UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart declined an interview request. He did not want to discuss hypothetical situations, a spokesman said.
One question is whether the cost of installation and maintenance of an NBA-like system would override whatever revenue was raised.
“I think it’s awesome,” Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said of virtual attendance. “The problem is I think it’s awesomely expensive, too.”
California Coach Mark Fox suggested that the rabid fan interest might make virtual attendance feasible for Kentucky basketball.
“But I don’t think the rest of us are going to buy those screens in the current financial climate,” he said.
Mike Tranghese, the Southeastern Conference’s basketball consultant, echoed that thought.
“That may be the case at Rupp (Arena),” he said. “But I don’t think it’s going to be the case at very many places.”
Sara Zuckert, who heads the NBA’s Next Gen Telecasts department, said discussions began in the spring about how the league could make televised games more attractive. A priority was to engage fans and “recreate the community feel,” she said.
The NBA worked with Microsoft to come up with what Zuckert called “really just the best of a bad scenario.” She declined to say how much it cost the league to stage virtual attendance.
Ten boards — each 17 feet high — are set up behind three sides of the courts in the NBA’s Orlando “bubble.” Seven boards are for the “home” team, one for the “visitors” and two for the NBA. There are 32 “seats” on each board.
The NBA does not charge an admission fee for a virtual seat. Fans can register for the chance for a “seat” at Ultracourtside.com. Each of the 22 participating teams picked the winners with a priority on family members of players and longtime ticket holders.
The winning fans receive a username and password. There is a code of conduct that must be observed: no signs, no standing, no vulgar language and no offensive clothing.
Reaction to the virtual attendance has been positive and global, Zuckert said. The Miami Heat had 17,000 fans apply for “seats.”
Participants have included Scottie Pippen, Paul Pierce, Bill Walton, Shaquille O’Neal and rappers Lil Wayne and Rick Ross. Lil Wayne could be seen giving the person seen next to him what was called a “cyber high-five.”
While the concept of virtual fans might seem odd, Florida Athletics Director Scott Stricklin suggested the pandemic dictates the unconventional.
“I don’t think we need to think of any idea as being too crazy right now,” he said. “This is unlike anything any of us have ever done. There will be some unique solutions come from this.”
The NBA’s overriding objective is to engage and unite fans at a time of quarantines and social distancing, Zuckert said. “Watching basketball is such a community event, whether you’re watching with friends in your living room or you’re watching in the arena.”
Ockerman agreed.
“Genetically, we’re bred that way, we’re bred to be social animals,” he said. “The choice is empty seats or virtual seating. It leads to a compromise, but it’s still interaction.”
‘Very polarizing’
Upon being hired as DePaul’s athletics director, DeWayne Peevy did a Q&A with sportswriter Teddy Greenstein of the Chicago Tribune. Greenstein asked about John Calipari having “loyalists” and “detractors” in the media.
“He’s very polarizing,” Peevy said. “People have great relationships with Cal, and some don’t like him. That happens when you’re at the top and not palling around with people.
“Some of the people Cal is closest to were with him early in his career, at UMass or Memphis, when he needed them more. If they need something now, he drops everything.”
Peevy made it clear that he is not a “detractor” but an admirer.
“He made me an idea person because I have to match him, and sometimes I have to get out in front of him …,” Peevy said. “It’s a great challenge, and it’s brought out some of the best things in me in my career.”
Money
During a recent appearance on ESPN radio, Duke Coach Mike Krzyzewski said the NCAA was concerned about how the coronavirus pandemic could impact operating revenue.
“I think that’s where you need to start to make sure we have the tournament,” he said. “It doesn’t make any difference when it is.”
Meanwhile, Michigan State Coach Tom Izzo said that money can seem more important than the game itself. He acknowledged that it might seem athletic officials would risk the health of players and others in order to play a 2020-21 season and protect revenue and their salaries.
“The perception is — and understandably so — that everybody’s in it for the money,” he said. Then he said of the group of coaches — including John Calipari — who meet daily via Zoom to ponder a way forward for college basketball, “I don’t think our group is looking at (money as the top priority) in any way, shape or form.”
Character revealed
With it being an election season and this being a basketball notebook, let’s combine the two.
Craig Robinson, the new executive director of the National Association of Basketball Coaches, is the brother of Michelle Obama.
In her 2018 memoir titled “Becoming,” the former first lady writes about how her brother sized up her future husband (and U.S. president), Barack Obama.
“In the most thorough and revealing way he could — by including him in a high-octane weekend basketball game with a bunch of buddies, most of them former college players,” she writes. “He’d done this, actually, at my request. Craig’s opinion of Barack mattered to me, and my brother knew how to read people, especially in the context of a game.”
Robinson’s assessment of Obama?
“He was smooth on the floor, my brother said, and knew when to make the right pass,” she writes. “But he also wasn’t afraid to shoot when he was open. ‘He’s no ball hog,’ Craig said. ‘But he’s got guts.’”
Make that seven
A previous report on DePaul hiring DeWayne Peevy as its athletics director said he was at least the sixth member of Mitch Barnhart’s UK staff to go on to lead another school’s athletics department..
Peevy follows Greg Byrne (Alabama), John Cohen (Mississippi State), Mark Coyle (Minnesota), Rob Mullens (Oregon) and Scott Stricklin (Florida).
Unintentionally omitted from the list was Kevin Saal, who became Murray State’s athletics director last year.
Happy birthday
To UK Director of Athletics Mitch Barnhart. He turned 61 on Thursday. … To Bob Guyette. He turned 67 on Saturday. … To Morakinyo “Mike” Williams. He turned 32 on Saturday. … To Lukasz Obrzut. He turns 38 on Monday. … To Jim Andrews. He turns 69 on Tuesday. … To Texas A&M Coach Buzz Williams. He turns 48 on Tuesday. … To Steve Masiello. He turns 43 on Wednesday. … To former Georgetown coach John Thompson. He turns 79 on Wednesday.
