I love it!

I for one can't wait to see the place first hand tomorrow night against Bill Cosby's own Temple Owls. Next move should include moving students to the floor for a better game time atmosphere, although I have a feeling the big donors that like to sit and be quiet might take issue with that.

GO VOLS!

Having gone to most every basketball game (men's) since Thompson-Boling opened and having been to the two exhibition games this year, I can speak with some authority. The black seats hide any emptys, much moreso than the orange. Of course, seeing as the arena is a virtual sellout for every men's game, that's not really an issue. I believe the number is over 16,000 season tickets for men's games, plus a few thousand for students and some single gamers, puts you at about the 21,000 capacity.

The black also provides a more 'intimate' feeling, which is hard in a big barn. In other arenas where seats are black they claim it feels intimidating to opposing teams (not likely as intimidating as Lofton, R. Smith, J. Smith, T. Smith, Chism, Crews, Childress and the rest...pick your poison boys).

The changes to the arena are amazing. The three story suites on one side, the unbelievable scoreboard (complete with jumbo screens on four sides), black chairbacks all the way up, it's all pretty amazing. If you haven't seen it, I highly recommend it. It may be hard to manage the talent this year. But, Pearl is the real deal. The team seems to buy in to the philosophy and will accept coaching.

Oh...and I understand Coach Summitt is happy with the changes and the new Pratt Pavilion practice facility. Pearl and Summitt seem to get along fabulously. Nothing to compare anywhere else in the country.

GO VOLS!

With a pine (dark yellow) parquet floor, the orange seats provided no contrast. The black actually draws your attention to the floor looking down and looking up, the new center hung video board. For the same reason casino carpets are so busy they are hard to look at, the same in reverse is what they did in Thompson Boling. It's a matter of focusing your attention.

Its a great looking venue for basketball game, GET OVER IT.

There really is plenty of orange in the arena. They've replaced a lot of the white painted surfaces with orange. The new banners have more orange in them. And the new scoreboard uses a lot of orange in its displays. The black is really black, too, not off-black or mixed with gray, so it's very striking. The place just looks spectacular.

I was there for the Lady Vols exhibition game Sunday, which wasn't as full as the men's game (around 12-13,000), so you could see a lot more empty seats, and it really does make a difference. Your eyes are really drawn to the court. I found myself completely forgetting to look at the stats board, probably because I could just look up at the new center scoreboard without really moving my eyes very far.

Too bad the exterior is such an eyesore.

Sounds like someone read the Metro Pulse editorial today. Some people will find something to complain about. It's like they look for it.

When I start sitting outside for games, I'll care. As it is, it's fine. The arena looks like a lot of new, large basketball arenas (large, tan and plain). It was built with a budget in mind. It sits on Neyland Drive next to the football stadium and a parking garage (it might be different if you stuck the same building in the middle of downtown or a bunch of nice, historic buildings). Could it be prettier? I guess.

For now, and after sitting in that arena for close to 20 years through Houston, O'Neill and Green, I'm just dang happy with the inside and prospects for a fabulous hoops season. My cup is flowing over.

At one time the Brooklyn Bridge was considered an eye sore. Every piece of architecture goes through a period of time where it appears outdated and tacky.

Baseball enthusiast used to complain how ugly "cookie-cutter" stadiums were. They renivated Kansas City's Kaufman stadium, a notoriously ugly "cookie-cutter" stadium. Its now a baseball gem and one of baseball's finest. Its a pleasant reminder of not just architecture in the mid-1900s, but also ballball and American life back then. Furthermore, in St. Louis, the public greatly wanted to simply renivate Old Busch Stadium, but the "cookie-cutter roof" that covered the entire circumference of Old Busch Stadium was not able to be partially saved, only able to exist as one complete circle, therefore eliminating any possiblity of improving Old Busch Stadium while keeping the exterior/roof.

Give the Tommy Bowl time. Soon it will be gem.

How about letting some architecture students work on a project for the exterior improvements? The exterior is just as important as the interior architecture. I think UT needs to take a good look at what architecture can do for the community. To be honest, something architecturally significant inside AND out draws more students, supporters, and donors. This goes for the other buildings around campus as well....stop building those "cartoony", collegiate gothic buildings and focus on better architectural designs for this day and age. The students wand something fresh and lively.

Do you worship everything about UTK, CBT?

Why yes I do. I have altars in the shape of Neyland Stadium set up at home, orange and white prayer beads and study every book written about General Robert Neyland, hallowed be the name.

Sarcasm obviously. I simply point out that I have experience and a perspective that anonymous critics like you don't. Others are free to disagree and, as you'll note, often do.

CBT, I think sometimes you crow too much and assume too much. The person that "brought to my attention that the seats at the Thompson Boling Arena were changed" has been affiliated with the University for probably more years than you have been alive. This person has also attended most every Lady Vols basketball game. This person liked the orange seats. This person will continue to attend Lady Vols games even if the seats are pink and purple much less black. It's BIG ORANGE country and this person's blood does truly run ORANGE!

Thus, there are plenty of people here at KnoxViews and around town that love that big ole T as much or more than you and probably have more association to that big ole U than you. It doesn't mean any part of the U of T is perfect and cannot be critized to make it better.

It doesn't mean any part of the U of T is perfect and cannot be critized to make it better.

No disagreement here. Mine is only one point of view.

there are plenty of people here at KnoxViews and around town that love that big ole T as much or more than you

More? Doubtful.

has been affiliated with the University for probably more years than you have been alive.

I'm only 43, so maybe. My 'association' dates back to childhood. Games as a child, sold cokes/souvenirs at Neyland in middle school, undergrad at UT, avid supporter.

It's BIG ORANGE country and this person's blood does truly run ORANGE!

Sounds like we have some things in common.

I'm only 43

Yep, the person she's talking about has orange blood a lot older than that.

Bizgrrl,

One of the reasons folks may have reacted a little strongly to your initial post is that this argument has been going on for almost a year, ever since they announced the change from orange to black. Anybody who listens to sports talk radio in this town has heard it over and over and over again: "How dare they take out the orange seats?!?!"

Personally, I was taking a wait and see attitude. And what I saw, I liked (on the inside of TBA, the outside is, as others have said, an architectural crime).

Anyway, you just kind of walked into the tail-end of a very contentious, and yet tedious, year-long "discussion".

The previous explanations of the rational behind the colors and design and so forth, contrast, drawing eyes to the floor, etc. seem to make sense.

I have to agree, though, that from the outside that thing is an abomination and an insult to the riverfront and Neyland Drive. It's an embarrassing eyesore. If the outside architecture can actually be changed as suggested by a previous poster, that would be money well spent.

Then we could go to work on the sewer treatment plant down there. What a colossal planning mistake, however many years ago it was. Not to mention building Neyland Drive right up next to the riverbank. I believe even Victor Ashe lamented about how stupid that was.

My initials are in my username, just like you.

Posters often refer to me by my first name, sometimes my last as well. Any regular poster knows me beyond my initials (which started because it's how I sign emails). You obviously do. So, your name is? C'mon out from the shadows.

However, the difference is that I do not fancy myself a local celebrity.

That's a laugh.

It has been brought to my attention the background on black.

The Black Pearl.

Aren't the men's warm up uniforms now black?
The seats are now black.

Sure is putting a lot of pressure on Pearl.