2008 Woodie Awards
New court taking on more than just water
Despite leak, Piano Row gym gains recognition for athletic department and the attention of at least one NBA team
Ben Collins
Issue date: 2/1/07 Section: Sports
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Emerson Athletic Director Rudy Keeling peered over the Emerson gym-its brand-new bleachers packed almost to capacity during a women's basketball game on Jan. 20 versus Norwich University, the purple-and-white lettering along the baselines finally getting a chance to scuff and show some wear-and thought about how he never imagined he'd have this view.
Not for the obvious reasons. Not for the fact that a couple of years ago, the phrase "Emerson Athletics" either conjured a couple of laughs or made you wonder when the wiffleball league started in the spring. Not for the fact that Emerson really only had three indoor teams to support. Not for any of those symbolic reasons, either-that Emerson isn't a "sports school." Keeling didn't believe that, anyway.
He just really didn't think he'd have this view.
"This was supposed to be an overhang," Keeling said of his office, which overlooks the Emerson gym behind a backboard. "The people who built the building had never built a gym before and they wanted everything to be, you know, aesthetically beautiful. But they wanted this to hang over the top of the court."
They were going to build a gym where any regular jumpshot and pass had the possibility of knocking out a light. Keeling didn't want his office to be part of the obstacle course.
"Most of this," he said, pointing to the scoreboard on one wall and swinging his finger to the press box on the other, "is our handiwork. We talked to them about everything on the inside, from the banners to the clocks to the baskets."
That handiwork is finally starting to show, and the carefully chosen baskets are being put to good use.
And last Monday, the same Emerson gym that used to be a pipedream had taken a step to put itself in some pretty elite company. The NBA's San Antonio Spurs used the court for practice and shootaround on Jan. 22 before their game with the Celtics that night. Center Jackie Butler liked the facilities so much he stayed an extra hour to work on jumpshots in the gym.
Not for the obvious reasons. Not for the fact that a couple of years ago, the phrase "Emerson Athletics" either conjured a couple of laughs or made you wonder when the wiffleball league started in the spring. Not for the fact that Emerson really only had three indoor teams to support. Not for any of those symbolic reasons, either-that Emerson isn't a "sports school." Keeling didn't believe that, anyway.
He just really didn't think he'd have this view.
"This was supposed to be an overhang," Keeling said of his office, which overlooks the Emerson gym behind a backboard. "The people who built the building had never built a gym before and they wanted everything to be, you know, aesthetically beautiful. But they wanted this to hang over the top of the court."
They were going to build a gym where any regular jumpshot and pass had the possibility of knocking out a light. Keeling didn't want his office to be part of the obstacle course.
"Most of this," he said, pointing to the scoreboard on one wall and swinging his finger to the press box on the other, "is our handiwork. We talked to them about everything on the inside, from the banners to the clocks to the baskets."
That handiwork is finally starting to show, and the carefully chosen baskets are being put to good use.
And last Monday, the same Emerson gym that used to be a pipedream had taken a step to put itself in some pretty elite company. The NBA's San Antonio Spurs used the court for practice and shootaround on Jan. 22 before their game with the Celtics that night. Center Jackie Butler liked the facilities so much he stayed an extra hour to work on jumpshots in the gym.
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