| Off the field and out of bounds | |
| Go behind the scenes into the University of Cincinnati basketball locker room, Fifth Third Arena's catwalk, the Nippert Stadium press box and indoor batting cages. |
by John Bach
One question often arises from those who find out we
cover University of Cincinnati Bearcat sports: "Can you get me tickets?"
Unfortunately, we get only media credentials.
Even though we haven't landed complimentary courtside seats for you and
your friends, we can, at least, offer a rare glimpse at some of the restricted
areas our passes have taken us.
| UC |  |
| photo/Colleen Kelley |
The Bearcats' lair
The posh UC men's basketball locker room is probably best known among
the general public for the time coach Bob Huggins barred his own players
from using it. It was following a rough stretch in 2001 that Huggins told
his players their weak effort didn't merit the privilege to dress in the
same space as previous teams.
Undoubtedly, the reference included such greats as the 1992 Final-Four
squad with Nick Van Excel, the 1996 Elite-Eight team with Danny Fortson
and the country's No. 1 rated team in 2000 with Kenyon Martin. The motivation
technique seemed to work as UC finished the '01 season with a surprising
tournament run to the Sweet 16.
As impressive as the Shoemaker Center's dressing facility is with its
oak wall units, leather couches and a big-screen TV, perhaps most revered
in the space are the glass-sealed lockers that display the jerseys of
Fortson, No. 25, and Martin, No. 4. Both players continue to be dominant
forces in the NBA.
| UC |  |
| photo/Peter Griga |
Way above
the rim
High above Ed Jucker Court inside Fifth Third Arena, University Relations
photographer Andrew Higley checks the strobes that illuminate the court
for sideline photographers shooting Bearcat basketball games. Though most
viewers never notice the flash, every time Higley snaps a photo, a camera-mounted
transmitter sends a signal to powerful lights mounted in the rafters.
The units then deliver a simultaneous split-second burst of light over
the court.
Two sets of strobes are mounted permanently inside the arena. Photographers
from ESPN Magazine and other national publications sometimes install a
third set of lights for big games. To do that, they have to show up hours
before game time, access a locked door behind the bleachers, haul the
heavy flash units up more than 90 steps and maneuver across the grated
catwalk above the court.
| UC |  |
| photo/Andrew Higley |
Thinking
inside the box
The three-story press box over the west side of Nippert Stadium provides
the perfect unobstructed view of the entire field and is the ideal place
to watch plays develop. Entrance to the press box is at the 50-yard-line.
Gaining entrance, however, requires credentials.
Level one is reserved for newspaper, radio and TV reporters. Level two
is for special guests of the university, and level three is for coaches,
as well as crews from radio and TV outlets that are broadcasting the game.
In addition to the spectacular view of the game inside the glass-enclosed
facility, media and VIPs are treated to a complimentary buffet before
and during all Bearcat home games. Nippert's press box was added to the
stadium in 1991, then was remodeled and renamed the John and Dorothy Hermanies
Press Box in 2000. John Hermanies, JD '48, is a longtime supporter of
the UC sports program and a former member of the UC Board of Trustees
and a contributor of $1.5 million to Varsity Village.
| UC |  |
| photo/Andrew Higley |
Stadium
treats
Tucked well below the concourse level of the new UC baseball stadium is
a players lounge with a big-screen TV and a locker room complete with
50 oak dressing units and matching C-paw engraved stools. Beyond those
rooms and at the end of a long corridor, is the new heated indoor batting
cage and pitchers mound.
There, UC players will be able to show up year-round, swipe their key
card and remotely set the state of the art pitching machine for curveballs,
fastballs and more. The spacious facility, adjacent to UC's bullpen, is
divided with heavy netting so four players can hone their skills at once.
The spongy FieldTurf inside even matches the soft green that covers the
field outside.
