We’re getting Kevin Harlan, Stan Van Gundy and Dan Bonner. I like Harlan (and he’s called some of our big games including TTech two years ago), but he outdid himself on this one.
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That was an awesome moment for sure.The truly great ones make it sound easy… it is not a easy job at all…just turn the sound down and try it yourself sometimes and you’ll see and then you have to remember the whole nation’s going to be hearing what you’re saying LOL
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I loved Harlan spreading his arms to tell the other two to pipe down and let the crowd do the talking. And Van Gundy is like WTH just happened???
I met Bonner 30+ years ago when he was just getting established. He and Bob Carpenter were calling a Hog game at Barton Coliseum against somebody, probably for ESPN. I was doing the sports-TV column for the old Gazette and I interviewed Carpenter as a sort-of local boy made good (he had started at KTUL in Tulsa). Bonner was like “hey, don’t you want to talk to me too?” So I did. They both gave me some good stuff.
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Old Barton. Jeff, what the last Razorback game in Barton? Do you recall?
I bet I can find it quickly, Tom.
Found an interesting tidbit about Bonner. When he started doing sports announcing, his day job was manager of a Social Security office in Virginia (he played hoops at UVa).
Looks like it was December 20, 1992 against ULM (we lost). Corliss was injured and didn’t play. BWA opened 11 months later and Barton faded into UA history. We didn’t play another game in Pulaski County for seven years until the new arena opened in 1999.
Yes, that was an interesting time as the Razorbacks became better and better but were lost to games away from the Hill, particularly when BWA opened. I need to see how many games were in Pine Bluff. I don’t recall a game in the convention center in Hot Springs. I know the SEC women’s tourney played in LR after the NLR arena opened, and somehow I recall that tournament being in Hot Springs. I guess it is now permanently located on SC,
Not quite. I think Sankey said something about finding a semi-permanent site for that. The men seem to be semi-permanently in Nashville. NLR hosted the women’s tournament in 2003, 2006 and 2009. The women go back to Nashville in 2026; the men will also be there that year, so you can guess the Predators will have a long road trip in early March.
We’ve never played a game in Hot Springs to my knowledge, certainly not at OZK Arena. The last game at PBCC was against Jackson State, nine days before the ULM game at Barton. Looks like we may have a few semi-neutral sites during the BWA renovation in a couple of years. Although I’d think the majority of those would be in Barnhill. Maybe I’m wrong. One variable would be how much Michael Marion is willing to cooperate with UA in booking games in NLR.
This new BOT member needs to pull his weight (he looks pretty stout) with Sarah and the County Judge to fund a communications upgrade for the arena. With the upgrade at BWA, Central Arkansas should take this opportunity to do a deal for a couple of permanent little rock games. With the increased recruiting threats from the east with Beard’s hire; the lack on NWA support for preconference buy-an-opponent games, a couple of Little Rock sellouts should be win-wins if statewide streaming is available. Same with MN…he has little to lose in attendance coming to little rock. Gymnastic needs BWA weekend access for, at minimum, 4 weekends between January and late February.
Not a problem. Gymnastics is on Friday night; you can have a home meet on Friday and the women play hoops on Sunday. And I think Bama pulled off the Friday-Saturday this year, gym on Friday and men’s hoops on Saturday. So it’s doable. (I confirmed that Bama did that. Home gymnastics against the Gymbacks on Jan. 13, home hoops vs the Corndogs on Jan. 14).
I seriously doubt we’ll go much beyond 1-2 central Arkansas games regardless. SBA also needs upgrades to be able to bid for NCAA subregionals again, but I continue to hear that Michael Marion isn’t interested.
I agree with exception of this BWA renovation year. Barnhill trying to support two bb teams and gymnastics will be tight. The bb practice facility makes it workable but 10,000 seats for basketball versus 17,000 makes some difference on a single of disruption doable. Obliviously, women’s BB can be more easily accommodated in multiple local sites.
Well, only NC games will need to be scattered, and by the time gymnastics starts in January, the hoops teams will be back in BWA. There could be some conflicts with volleyball in November; last home VB matches this year were Nov. 19-20, but with NC games we have more flexibility on dates, can play on a Monday or Wednesday or whatever.
Good I guess I did not pick up the displacement to be limited to only the fall.
Trying to find an article (@MattJones can you help) but as I recall, work would begin immediately after the completion of the 2024-25 basketball season, arena completely closed until January 2026, be able to play SEC games there in 2026, then shut down again to finish the project in November 2026.
Yes, that’s correct, based on what was said at the trustees meeting. Yurachek also said they would have to be very fortunate to hit all of those dates.
I would agree with that.
My favorite Harlan moment, obviously, was when he said, “Kobe Bryant is a flamethrower!”
Classic.
Hopefully Thursday he is saying, “Nick Smith is a flamethrower!”
Here are the highlights of that TTech game. Plenty of Harlan and Bonner.
I would like to hear him say “Ricky Council has no regard for human life!” about five times.
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Also, Lauren Shehadi will be doing the sideline reporting Thursday.
Oh well. I’ll be listening not. Chuck and Z for me!
Bring games back to Barton! Said absolutely No One! What a horrible place for anything other than goat roping.