St. John Arena v. The Jerome Schottenstein Center at Value City Arena

Where do we begin when discussing these two contrasting buildings? Let’s start with the arena named after former Ohio State basketball coach and athletic director Lynn Saint John. This building was destined to have a religious name because it is a holy place. It is a cathedral for the game of the basketball. As a youngster in the late 80’s/early 90’s, I felt blessed to witness games in St.John. Though my parents were typically only able to take me to one game a season against a lesser opponent, the excitement and energy in the building was, nonetheless, overwhelming. But I didn’t care who Ohio State was playing or where my seats were located. Everyone in that place, from the coaches to the players to the cheerleaders to the fans were thrilled to be there and you could feel that. The seats weren’t that comfortable, the view of the game wasn’t always great, and the place had the smell of a used athletic sock. But who cares? It was hard to imagine a more electrifying, raucous environment for a college basketball game. I was proud to be a Buckeye basketball fan and have one of the best arenas in the country to watch my favorite team.
In 1998, Cal Ripken’s consecutive game streak game to an end at 2632 games. Roger Maris’s single season homerun record was overtaken by the steroid-juiced Mark McGwire. And The Value City Arena at The Jerome Schottenstein Center opened up on Lane Avenue in Columbus and became the new home of the Ohio State men’s and women’s basketball teams. Ohio State basketball was now no longer about the energy of the crowd and the product on the floor. Now seat licenses , kiss cam, bad trivia, and tee shirt giveaways overtook the actual games. With the rare exceptions of loud moments in a handful of big games over the years, “The Schott” has consistently had the energy and excitement of a morgue. Was the short-term financial gain made by the switch of the OSU basketball venue worth losing the heart and soul of a program? Not only did the Ohio State teams lose the decided home court advantage that St.John offered, the fans lost an amazing place to watch the teams they support. Maybe the powers that be will one day realize the grave mistake they have made and switch the Ohio State basketball games back to the place it belongs: St. John Arena.

Check out this Kroger commercial featuring St. John Arena

A picture is worth a thousand words...

Here is a picture from The Dispatch on Monday...it pretty much speaks for itself.

Lets Bring the Basketball Buckeyes Back Home

WHY NOT PLAY OHIO STATE BASKETBALL GAMES IN A BASKETBALL ARENA RATHER THAN AN ENTERTAINMENT CENTER THAT LOOKS LIKE A SPACESHIP????????

I HAVE BEEN COMPLAINING ABOUT THE SCHOTT LONG ENOUGH....LETS TRY TO DO SOMETHING ABOUT THIS.