Found this on ESPN.com
Road venue you're thrilled to never have to go back to?
Malcolm Brogdon, Virginia
Virginia Tech. ... The lighting is weird, we always struggle in that arena, and I can never get it going there. It's just a tough place, it's not the prettiest arena.
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Well Brogdon's not the prettiest man.
On a related note, Cassell could use some updating. It reminds me of the Flint Tropics Arena...
Malcolm Brogdon is not bae.
Are we just going to completely overlook the fact that bae is the Danish word for poop??
EDIT: damn autocorrect
a poop danish might be one of the grosser mental images I've had this week...
On the other hand, I consider the entire wahoo establishment a pile of bae, also Brogdon's opinion of our beloved Cassell amount to nothing more than bae.
I do agree with him - the lighting is weird.
For what it's worth, JPJ is a pretty awesome arena. Cassell, however, is exactly what a college venue is - it has it's own unique character, just like Cameron, Assembly Hall, Memorial Gym, Pauley Pavilion. Not that it's in the same level as those historic venues, but it does have history built in.
Cassell's lighting is fine, very similar to GT....UVA looks like the Griswold house at Christmas...I don't want to wear my sunglasses to a bball game
JPJ doesn't feel too bright at all in person. Great venue to watch a game. The intimacy of the scale was really surprising, it looks like a big stadium on TV but feels pretty tight.
I like Cassell and hope we can just renovate it, but if someone said we were going to demo it to build a new stadium like JPJ or Wake or GT, I wouldn't argue it. We would have a great facility.
I think I was under the impression that it seemed like it was trying to be Madison Square Garden when you look at the lighting, at least on TV. The Cassell court seemed to be the only thing lit up, with the crowds in somewhat of the dark. I noticed it more last year, than this year though.
That is exactly what they are going for as far as the lighting goes. The only reason it's not darker in the stands is because of the emergency lights that are required to be on by the fire marshall.
To use this as a catch all comment, regarding seats, they won't come until after the reseating is done in 2017. It was originally proposed to happen this summer but they figured they might as well wait to piss off the least amount of people possible in one offseason instead of two.
I take pride in our venue not being up to a UVA player's standards.
"Where is the Pinot fountain?! Oh the humanity..." - Brogdon probably
>The lighting is weird
What an odd thing to blame the loss on
the folks at le sabre were going on for weeks about the lighting at Cassell after we beat them
#ThingsIBlameTheMVsFor
There, FTFY.
I mean... it does create home court advantage. So i'll take it.
I know Cassell needs some updating, but let's not go overboard and take from our home court advantage. I believe some of our best teams played in the rustic confines of the old Lane Stadium and Cassell Coliseum. I had former WVU punter Miles Montgomery (DJ @ KIST-FM in Seattle) tell me that when they played at Lane in the late-80s to early-90s, their team absolutely hated it, from the smells of the nearby AG fields to the horrid Visitors locker room. Those kind of factors, along with the trip just getting to B'burg, definitely provided VT teams with a distinct home field advantage. I think we need to retain some of that advantage, even if it involves hiding a cow patty (or two) in an empty locker, so bring on your complaints, Brogden, and we'll file them for consideration when we do make updates to the Cassell.
You'd think the WVU players would be used to even worse conditions.
Yeah, you would think. I'd take the smell of AG fields over burning, rotted-out couches anyday.
Don't get me wrong, I love the Cassel just as much as the next Hokie, but yeah, we do need to renovate that bad boy.
I think that's what we would want him to say. It's a tough place to play. The rest of his "reasons" are excuses. I'm happy with it.
Yet when/if we knock off da U he should get down on his knees and be kissing our arena's ass for helping his team out.
Imagine how the UVA football team feels
I imagine they wish they could play inside Cassel to at least take the cold sting off their regular winter ass whippin.
Update the lights and it's fine IMO (granted, I do realize that is a big undertaking, both financially and physically). I'm a big fan of keeping the wooden seats. I think it would be cool to do something special to the floor like George Wasington, LSU or Buffalo. All have super cool courts that are still tastefull IMO.
So here's the deal; those wooden seats seem cool until you have to spend any time in them as a person with a waist wider than about 36" and with any height becomes miserable. It's probably why folks are standing so often in that lower section. The size of the seats is about 50 years too old, and that plus the lighting are the biggest things that they need to address now that they've fixed. Wooden seats would be a cool feature to keep, but they really need to update the spacing of the seats and rows to a slightly more accessible modern standard.
I'm about 6'4" 190 and those seats didn't fit me when I left VT almost 9 years ago weighing prb 20 lbs less.
I always thought that's just what you were supposed to do at college sporting events?
That's like half joke, yes you should stand and be loud (it is the Hokie way), but I would also posit it is because those seats hurt to sit in for any length of time.
You're a slim dude.
My point exactly. I'm a trim dude and I don't fit in those seats. Imagine how it would be for anyone that might be tall and heavier?
I'm 6'2, 212, and they're a tight fit...lighting HAS been updated...it's plenty bright on court, darker/theater style lighting in stands...it's similar lighting to pro arenas, illuminating court but seating bowl is darkened
Cassell's lighting looks like the Staples Center.
UVA starting 5?
I prefer Plan B...but that's just me.
Plan B always stressed me out waaaaaaaay too much. Now the reason for using it was pretty cool, so maybe its a toss up.
Can't help but agree with him on the lighting and arena. Lighting is weird, and arena is old and outdated.
Well his first problem is that he's expecting an arena. Cassell is a gym. Man, it sounds sooooo tough not to be able to play in a fancy arena all the time, with butlers serving you zima from trays. "Oh Mr. Malcolm, sir, here's the zima with extra lighting you asked for" "Thank you, Roger, that will be all" "Yes, sir" *bows*
To be honest, he's not really taking a shot at Cassell, he's just saying it's a hard place to play.
The lighting isn't that great, I'll give him that. It's WAY better than it used to be thanks to the upgraded lights they put in a couple years ago, though. At least they're all one constant temperature instead of the "guess the white balance" game you used to have to play.
It could definitely use some updating (those sometimes empty top corners would be a great spot for some corporate boxes or something), but I think we'd want to keep the overall structure if we can, it has character and when it's full, the place is just simply a pit of noise that newer, modern style arenas just don't have.
What are we supposed to do with all of these?!?!
Yeah, well my 84 Camry was ugly, slow, old, rusted in places, and I could barely fit in it. But I loved that damn car and I love Cassell.
He is right, love the Hokies but Cassell is a dump.. lighting is off and just looks like a nasty arena.. not dynamic when watching on tv.
It's not a dump, it needs improvement in certain areas but that doesn't make it a dump.
Concourses are updated ...several upgrades thus past year, when's the last time you were there? It's FAR from a dump. Old University Hall was a DUMP with terrible viewing from corners compared to Cassell. I personally want good views of the game, nice carpeted (not concrete) floors in hallways in concourse that isnt too loud but a seating bowl that IS loud. We have that in Cassell. I think the lower seating area below ramps can be redone to add more room, taking out a couple seats per row. They could even just put football type bleachers in the student section so they can jam in there but widening the theatre style seats is only recommendation Id make
If only he had taken less shots at Cassell, they might have won this year...
*Reads funny comment on TKP
*Can't truly enjoy it because poster used less where he should have used fewer
The hard life of a grammar nazi...
Keep fighting the good fight, Stannis.
Go ahead and toss this one in the comment hall of fame
so if a UVA player doesn't like the Cassell why would we ever change it...
Oops, wrong reply
Have a Tyrod picture
Beamers BCS bowl win
wait til the games are packed and the fandom furious
did long term damage to my vocal cords there
Any excuse we can provide to UVa to support their losing to the Hokies I'm OK with.
via GIPHY
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I don't really get what is "funky" about the lighting.
There's that good ol' Jefferson public ivy education for ya.
What a puss. You know what Malcolm...
As a side note, anyone ever notice Brogdon looks exactly like Oscar from the Office?
Not that there's anything wrong with that....
Ever notice they've never been spotted in the same place
I love Cassell just the way it is.
I used to play ball on the Cassel court during a couple semesters in the evening back in 2003. I'd say the lighting was fine to me and the rest of us playing.
I would like to run the pro forma to figure out how many seats you could lose. Last night was a great example, good teams playing, exciting game, 40% empty. I would like to see a ticket to Cassell be tough to come by. If the students want to stay in their dorms and watch on their phones, fine, limit student seating to 1,500 or so (no idea what it is now). Take out all those seats and replace with modern, wider seats. Take out the top rows on the sides and build boxes.
I'm not sure what the smallest ACC stadium is, but I would try to get there. I know seats=money, even when they aren't filled, but I wouldn't have a problem at all losing 30% of the seats at Cassell if it penciled out. How many season tix are we not selling? How often are the students using up the allotment? Whatever the difference is for those two numbers is the amount of seats you can lose.
And the lighting is for shit, we should get on fixing that now.
I don't think you can afford to lose 30% of the seating and I also don't think the lighting is bad.
I assume Miami's is the smallest. Listed capacity is 7972.
I would go out of my way to apologize to the other team about the lighting right before every game. Make sure they know that it is not normal and that quite a few people have issues with it.
I'd also put a sign in the opposing locker room that says, "do you inhale or exhale when you shoot?"
How is it not normal? It seems pretty consistent to me.
Well, looks like I will miss all the shots tonight trying to figure out how I breathe. How can you live with yourself?
You would think this is what the lighting was to him.
Careful, don't want anyone on here to get a seizure.
The lighting is going to be "updated/upgraded" in JPJ arena during the off season, so whatever that is worth...
I wouldn't say its ugly, but its not far off.
Improvements could be made to the fan areas by making the front entrance (where the Hokie bird statue is) larger and more spacious. Then deck it out in some Hokie Stone.
Also, enlarge the concourse area towards the practice facility by sealing off the first section of the "buttress" could be another great area to add concourse room. Make it a "kids zone" or add more bathrooms and a nice food place or merchandise to improve gameday environment.
To be honest, I don't want Cassell to be changed much at all. No it isn't the most up-to-date, state-of-the-art arena...but it's HOME. It's LOUD. It's CLOSE, scary close. Yes of course they could upgrade some areas and make it a litter nicer, but to me at the end of the day, it's fine just the way it is. It definitely doesn't have the history of Allen Fieldhouse, or Cameron or any of those old "gyms", but it feels like one and gives us a GREAT homecourt advantage. I would also say don't add the luxury boxes to the top corners because in a very short time Buzzketball tickets will be selling like hotcakes. I'd rather have those spaces filled with students or fans than large luxury boxes.
Wow. Ok, Malcolm. You want us to improve the lighting a little bit to suit your needs? Want us to add some luxury boxes and fancy amenities to make it feel a little bit more like JPJ for you? Man, what a whiner. You're there to play a basketball game; an in-state rival's court shouldn't feel nice and cozy and pretty for you. The little whiney soft comments like these from UVa really exemplify how much of a joke they really are. Just like the whole "academic integrity and standards" rhetoric from UVa on why they can't get more good football players. One ridiculous excuse right after another. So I guess Cassell being ugly and having bad lighting is the excuse why you got beat there this year, huh Malcolm?
As far as improvements to Cassell, yeah, every building should get a little facelift after a certain number of years. But Cassell is what it is - it's an old gym. So is Cameron Indoor. I personally think the fancy new modern arenas really take away from the college atmosphere and make it seem more corporate and commercialized (have been to a few games at JPJ, and that is exactly what it's like. Not to mention the UVa ticket holders who come to walk around and have social hour more than anything). No doubt it's an immaculate facility, but each team's stadium has it's own character and challenges for road teams.
Who cares what he thinks? LOLuva couldn't beat us in Cassell this year and these are his excuses. I'm only sad that he can't come visit again and leave with another L.
I kind of think Cassell is one of those good old fashioned "snakepit" arenas, and that it should stay that way.
This made me think we should add this feature at Cassell. Just replace the water with snakes.
Agree, was tough back in those Metro Conference Days, Maybe Buzz will turn the heat off and crank the AC for Miami.
Here's my idea for Cassell, remove the roof, wooden arches, and flying buttresses. Construct new exterior walls where flying buttresses were, add new steel truss arches and maroon barrel roof. This will allow for expanded concourses, expanded seating, suites, club levels and a center hung scoreboard. Time to make Cassell a revenue generating source with more than just athletic and university events. Bring in big concerts to the town.
Yes please.
I prefer the scoreboard the way it is not over a center hung one. I think it opens up the arena and is a cleaner look.
I don't support the removal of David Wilson's ladders