So let me tell you, man did I sleep good Wednesday night. I think I was in bed around 9:30 p.m., and for good reason. Our stop at Bobcats Arena was a doozy, that place is huge! Like any major sports arena, it took close to two hours just to get clearance to get inside the place to do the show! Our contact, Jamie ???? – I’m sorry I can’t remember your last name- had everything set-up and ready to go. But, you know how it is when each security guard needs to flex their muscles and justify their salary.
I think we moved our transmission truck at-least four times to suit the likes of Allied Security. And when we finally got access, we were having trouble getting power to our production truck. It is always that one connector you think you have, but hope you never forget… well, it was a simple power turn around connector that was creating a sense of stress. Thanks to the Bobcats’ Operations Staff, we were able to bring you full access to the arena.
The arena was absolutely awesome! The people who designed this place thought of everything when it comes to a modern venue to enjoy professional athletics. Where do I begin… well, the main entrance I suppose. When you walk in the front door, you immediately feel some sense of tradition in place that has not experienced professional athletics for an extended period of time. There is artwork covering all the walls featuring local and state athletes. Towering pieces that keep your neck bent while coming up the main escalator. And when you get to the main lobby – on the main level – you notice the floor has these interesting designs that make no sense what-so-ever.
Well, until you put your mind into a basketball mode. Yep, leave all your worries and stresses at the door, because what you are looking at is a bouncing pattern as if someone was bouncing a basketball across the floor. As you follow the bounces around the concourse and make your way to your seat, you notice…every seat in the place is great. You feel like you are actually are on top of the floor. There are seats that are set-up like a bar where you can sit, eat, and watch a LCD monitor of the game or any other sporting event.
If you venture up to the top, there is a place for parents and kids to hang-out. Dads, imagine a place where you can take your kids to watch a basketball game while they hang in a “kids area”. You can get a drink at the bar, let the kids play, and watch the game…”Honey, can I take the kids out again tonight???” And here is my favorite part, let’s just hope I can describe this technological luxury appropriately, there is an antennae that was built around the circumference of the arena that can provide data to watch video on your PDA or cell phone. You can even rent bandwidth on this antenna to provide data and information to people. Pretty cool… I wish I understood all the details.
And let us not forget that there are actual sit-down restaurants in the arena. This section of the arena is called the 333. It is not just your burgers, hotdogs, and pretzel type of place; it’s a full scale restaurant to enjoy some great delicacies before the big game. Man, I could talk about food all day! Not enough time because we are off to Rock Hill today, Ebenezer’s Grill. From restaurant to restaurant, the Road Trip has got you covered. It is going to be fun to get all of our equipment into this tiny restaurant. We have to be there early so that we can have everything complete before the lunch crowd arrives. See you there!
Bobby
Originally posted: http://www.beloblog.com/WCNC_Blogs/blogger/archives/2005/11/tour_of_the_new.html