Aircraft carrier embarks on unique mission as basketball arena

[NNN0LHI]

http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/la-sp-1111-aircraft-carrier-basketball-20111111,0,7752825.story

The Carl Vinson's flight deck becomes a hoop deck as the warship plays host to a basketball game between No. 1 North Carolina and Michigan State. Spartans AD Mark Hollis conceived the event.

By Diane Pucin

8:40 p.m. CST, November 10, 2011

Reporting from Coronado -- The flight deck of the aircraft carrier Carl Vinson is 1,094 feet long and its official use is for fighter jets to load up and take off, leaving the ship at 150 mph as they travel from one end to the other.

On Friday, though, it will have a much different use, serving as a staging prop for a college basketball game. This wild idea has been 10 years in the making, the concept of Michigan State Athletic Director Mark Hollis, whose team will play top-rated North Carolina.

Hollis came up with the idea after he was part of a group of coaches and athletic officials who visited troops in Afghanistan and Iraq.

[Mendocino]

1. So this why

the DOD needs so much money. But if Cher can prance around half-naked on the deck of the Missouri or GWB using the Lincoln as stage for his Mission Accomplished speech, why not. ;)

[taterguy]

2. Maybe the schools want to do something to honor Vets

The ship is going to be in port anyway.

Why not provide a memorable experience for people who serve our country?

[Mendocino]

3. Maybe if the money spent on this,

would honor the troops more if it were allocated so the bodies of vets weren't thrown into landfills.