Devon Park (Softball Hall of Fame)

[FighttheGoodFight]

What an awesome upgrade. That place was always packed for the tournament. Hopefully next year we can see it in action again

[Laramie]

Breath taking pics Pete, in what is considered the most beautiful area in Oklahoma City; Northeast Quadrant, green, hilly & red clay.

The 2019 tourney hosted

No. 1 Oklahoma
No. 2 UCLA
No. 3 Washington
No. 5 Florida
No. 6 Arizona
No. 7 Minnesota
No. 8 Alabama
No. 13 Oklahoma State

Hosting the annual event pumps an estimated $25 million economic stimulus into the OKC economy. ESPN national telecast with new booths insured Oklahoma City hosting the NCAA event until 2035.

[Laramie]

Sod has been completed at OGE Energy Field at the USA Softball Hall of Fame Stadium.

[Pete]

[5alive]

Beautiful complex...play ball!

[Laramie]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1+...!4d-97.4724056

The Adventure District area is so beautiful, green and somewhat hilly.

This would be an area that should be considered for the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium with established parking at Remington Park, Zoo and ASA Hall of Fame Stadium complex. The area could probably use a city owned parking garage operated by COTPA.

[5alive]

^^^ Just thinking the same thing about the area being so beautiful

[Dob Hooligan]

https://www.google.com/maps/place/1+...!4d-97.4724056

The Adventure District area is so beautiful, green and somewhat hilly.

This would be an area that should be considered for the MAPS 4 Multipurpose Stadium with established parking at Remington Park, Zoo and ASA Hall of Fame Stadium complex. The area could probably use a city owned parking garage operated by COTPA.

I think hotel and dining would be a problem

[Laramie]

I think hotel and dining would be a problem

True hotel & dinning would be a concern...

However, it doesn't seem to affect Remington Park or the WCWS. Recall Alabama using the Embassy Suites (Meridian Hotel corridor) in 2016. Really think you will see some smaller 2-3 star hotels (40-125 rooms) like a Holiday Inn Express and/or a Four Points by Sheraton in the Adventure District.

Surprised the Chickasaw Tribe hasn't enhanced Remington Park with a hotel. Don't know if they can build on the race park acreage. They also have 100 acres being donated by the City as part of the deal to finish the First Americans Museum.

[PaddyShack]

I have wanted to see hotels and more dining to the area, with a small amount of retail that ties into the Adventure District fabric. Then the cherry on top would be some sort of fast/nonstop shuttle service from WRWA -> DTOKC -> Adventure District, either rail or limited stop bus would be fine. Just something for people to quickly and easily get from one are to the next.

[shawnw]

New public art at the stadium:

https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/ins...of-fame-piece/

[5alive]

That is so cool!!!

[Laramie]

New public art at the stadium:

https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/ins...of-fame-piece/

Really neat.

The Public Arts Piece: Oklahoma City leaders know that arts and cultural investments make cities great places to live, to travel and study, and more attractive for economic development.

The office works with the Arts Commission, oversees the coordination of the 1% for Arts ordinance, guides stewardship of the public art collection, and facilitates cultural planning and implementation and the relationships between artists, cultural organizations, and other groups.

City of Oklahoma City Office of Arts and Cultural Affairs: https://www.okc.gov/departments/plan...ltural-affairs

[SoonersFan12]

New public art at the stadium:

https://www.velocityokc.com/blog/ins...of-fame-piece/

It looks more of a apple than a ball

[Laramie]

NCAA 64-team softball Bubble hosted by Oklahoma City.

An economic pandemic impact bonanza for Oklahoma City.

BUBBLE BALL? Why an OKC-only event could work for the NCAA softball tournament.

The NCAA announced earlier this week that it has decided to play the entire men’s basketball tournament this year in and around Indianapolis to make sure the event is held.

Hey, NCAA, do softball next.

I’ve got the perfect place for you: Oklahoma City...

...The NCAA softball tournament is a three-week event that starts with 64 teams. They are seeded into four-team, doubleelimination regionals, then the winners of the 16 regionals advance to twoteam, best-of-three super regionals. The eight winners of the super regionals advance to the WCWS.

So, how would May Madness in OKC work?

...Eight regionals would begin on Thursday, May 20, and finish on Saturday, May 22. Games on that final day would be played starting at 11 a.m. just as WCWS are on days when four games need to be played.

That’s because the other eight regionals would start at those same eight sites that evening. Those regionals would then conclude their three-day runs on Monday, May 24.

Not having all the regionals completed until Monday would be a change from the normal format — although weather delays occasionally push regionals and even super regionals into the first part of the week — but because teams aren’t traveling, finishing on Monday wouldn’t be nearly the strain that it would be in normal years.

Then, super regionals could take play the next weekend at the same eight sites or could be paired down to fewer sites.

...For the metro, we would get a softball-stravaganza that would be a balm for the loss of the WCWS last year. That was a complete and total gut punch, but we could have three full weeks of NCAA games. It would be great for the city and a boost to the economy.

Plus, there’d be lots of cool side benefits such as high schools hosting practices for tournament teams. Often, they practice at the small colleges, but with those fields being used for games, teams would likely use some of the great high school fields around the metro. Think of all the young players who would get a chance to see their softball heroes, to dream their own dreams.

Truly, though, the biggest beneficiaries to a softball bubble would be the teams. They had their seasons cut short a year ago. They didn’t get much of a regular season, much less a postseason. Having the NCAA tournament in one location would ensure it happens.

If everyone would keep that in mind, a softballpalooza would work. You can settle details and reach compromises and stomach changes if you remember why you’re doing this. If you want to make sure you have a tournament, you do a bubble.--Jenni Carlson, Oklahoman, 01/07/2020

The entire article Oklahoman link: http://digital.newsok.com/Olive/ODN/...n/default.aspx

[GoGators]

The NCAA released a statement today regarding states that are considering anti-transgender bills. This could have very large implications for OKC. The Oklahoma legislature advanced a bill last week that will (if passed) likely mean the end of the WCWS in OKC. This would be a big loss for the city and an empty renovated stadium.

https://www.ncaa.org/about/resources...-participation

“When determining where championships are held, NCAA policy directs that only locations where hosts can commit to providing an environment that is safe, healthy and free of discrimination should be selected. We will continue to closely monitor these situations to determine whether NCAA championships can be conducted in ways that are welcoming and respectful of all participants.”

[Plutonic Panda]

Tough love but I say good. These states need to learn the hard way the majority of the world doesn’t accept bigoted views anymore and there are consequences for thinking like that.

[mugofbeer]

What if it were just a law to prevent trangender people from competing in girls sports?

[PoliSciGuy]

That's an example of the kind of narrow-minded laws that Panda is referring to, yes.

[mugofbeer]

I really don't know the science of it all so l pose this seriously. I've played a lot of sports and l understand if a man is taking treatments to transition to a woman he/she loses muscle mass. What wouldn't be lost is the ability to run, dribble, shoot a basket, kick, field a ball, throw, swing a bat, finesse moves in many other sports, etc.

It's not a matter of politics to me, it's a matter of potential physical advantage and fairness where certain skills, not strength are important. It's kind of like the runner with the blade leg a while back. The blade gives spring, requires less energy and has less weight than a human leg, is that an advantage? There's articles both ways on both matters.

[PoliSciGuy]

It is definitely a complex topic with no easy answers. When this topic comes up in my class sessions on civil rights, some of the biggest advocates for keeping the sports "separated" comes from women athletes who are concerned about some of the things you mentioned. It's going to take most likely a couple generations of laws and experiences to shake all this out to some sort of an agreeable conclusion (Title IX for example was crafted almost 50 years ago and we're still trying to suss out the impacts). I just don't think that blanket bans on trans individuals from playing women's sports is the best way forward since it's inherently exclusionary and not the kind of long-term solution we need to be moving towards.

[mugofbeer]

So are you trying to insinuate that athletic women today are narrow-minded, as you used in your prior post? They are about the most demanding group there is for equality. To me, it seems a woke standard is being forced on women who work incredibly hard to get where they have gotten that simply may not be fair.

If Trae Young or Buddy Heild or Stephan Curry became trans, would it be fair to let them compete in the WNBA? What if it were Kevin Durant or James Hardin? Their skills wouldn't change much if they transitioned.

Why can't transgendered compete against other transgendered as bladed runners are now doing?

[dankrutka]

I really don't know the science of it all so l pose this seriously. I've played a lot of sports and l understand if a man is taking treatments to transition to a woman he/she loses muscle mass. What wouldn't be lost is the ability to run, dribble, shoot a basket, kick, field a ball, throw, swing a bat, finesse moves in many other sports, etc.

It's not a matter of politics to me, it's a matter of potential physical advantage and fairness where certain skills, not strength are important. It's kind of like the runner with the blade leg a while back. The blade gives spring, requires less energy and has less weight than a human leg, is that an advantage? There's articles both ways on both matters.

It's all grounded in bigotry. Where are these transgender athletes who are dominating women's sports? They're just using these theoretical made up scenarios as their cover for bigotry.

Losing the WCWS will be a huge loss for OKC if it happens, but for once, I agree with the NCAA here. If your state can't host and support everyone then you don't deserve national events.

[GoGators]

So are you trying to insinuate that athletic women today are narrow-minded, as you used in your prior post? They are about the most demanding group there is for equality. To me, it seems a woke standard is being forced on women who work incredibly hard to get where they have gotten that simply may not be fair.

If Trae Young or Buddy Heild or Stephan Curry became trans, would it be fair to let them compete in the WNBA? What if it were Kevin Durant or James Hardin? Their skills wouldn't change much if they transitioned.

Why can't transgendered compete against other transgendered as bladed runners are now doing?

this is all just hypothetical scenarios that aren't based in the real world. These bills are just "solutions" looking for a problem that doesn't exist. Is the Oklahoma legislature going to cost the state tens of millions of dollars a year and hurt the image of the state on a national level yet again because "what if Kevin Durant decided to be trans?" The whole thing is laughable.

[Pete]

^

Exactly right.

This is yet another example of pandering to alt-right constituents by building another evil strawman enemy, like some crazy pedophile ring or the 'deep state'.


Why on earth don't these legislators concentrate on things that will actually help Oklahoma, like increasing funding for education??