A Bulldog victory was not the only thing missing at The Hump Tuesday night when the boys in Maroon and White faced the Gators from Florida. Our coliseum would be greatly enhanced by the presence of a Jumbotron. The Jumbotron has proven to be an excellent addition to our football stadium and would serve equally as well in our basketball arena.
I remember the pre-Jumbotron days at Scott Field. If someone spilled nachos in your lap and you looked down just in time to miss the big play, there was no hope of ever seeing it again. Fans wanting to hear scores from other games in progress had to rely on the voice of the PA announcer. If the crowd was too loud or the PA system faulty, they missed the score, but the Jumbotron makes instant replays and reports from other games possible.
Over the Christmas break, I traveled to New York City and saw State play in Madison Square Garden. Financially strained as I was, I bought the cheap seats and found myself on the top row of the highest section in the arena. But with the Jumbotron, my seats weren’t bad at all. Any big play that was on the far side of the court was replayed on the big screen. Stats and scores were constantly updated so that fans always knew who the stat leaders were, who was in foul trouble and which player scored. Here at The Hump, you have to keep score yourself or wait until Hank Flick gives you that information.
A Jumbotron that hangs from the top of our coliseum would also add to pregame hype. Those who have attended games at The Hump know about the excitement level that builds right before tip-off. The stadium goes dark, the lights begin to circle around, and the fans stomp in anticipation of Flick introducing their favorite players. Having the players’ pictures and stats shown on the big screen would only add to our pregame excitement.
Jumbotrons offer advantages in advertisement as well. The screen would give companies a chance to run ads complete with sound and movement versus a simple sign hanging courtside that can only be viewed by half the coliseum. Paid advertisements would help with the cost of adding a Jumbotron to The Hump; however, this may not be necessary. I’m willing to bet that there are some alumni out there whose pocketbooks are as deep as their love for Mississippi State basketball.
Lastly, a Jumbotron could offer a nice place to view big basketball games when the Dawgs are not playing at home. It looks like a trip to the NCAA tournament just might be a regular thing for our basketball team. A Jumbotron would offer a place for fans who can’t travel to gather and watch those Sweet Sixteen, Elite Eight and Final Four games to come.
Our present scoreboard is a little better than most high school gyms, and that other panel of lights that hangs on either side of the Hump is embarrassing. So many of its bulbs are missing that it looks like one of my unfinished Lite Brite creations from when I was 5. Its graphics are rivaled by those of the old Atari game system. Instead of seeing a high-flying Derrick Zimmerman replayed on a Jumbotron, we get his name spelled out in blue and red flashing lights.
I’m hoping for a Jumbotron by the beginning of next year’s season. We can break it in by watching replays from our future trip to New Orleans.
Michael Stewart is a junior philosophy and religion major.