Giant Roll of Duct Tape Sighted Downtown

[waterboy]

I like the arena. I have seen it a couple of times from the west view floating down the Arkansas and it fits nicely into the skyline. A little drab but no complaints from me. Are they going to polish it?

My sister and many of her friends, however, think it looks like a crushed Keystone Light beer can and is surprised that Coors didn't identify it quickly and sponsor the thing. Can't expect art to please everyone.

Artist don't drag up old county road and race riot pics to impugn the past. Its like perusing through a jr. high school yearbook and laughing at the hair styles. Believe me, the fifties and sixties in Tulsa was golden and yes, better than today. For dating purposes, I saw and purchased gas at 19 cents a gallon.

Tulsa was a fast growing, progressive, diverse, hard working town that was growing faster than infrastructure could keep up. Kind of like South Tulsa now. It was rough around the edges. They were experimenting with asphalt type roads after having used brick and concrete. Getting the right mix that didn't crack or wash away seemed to be difficult. Tulsa was one of the first to use traffic circles, one way streets and parking meters. At one time we actually had self esteem. Oil Capitol. Cleanliest City. Magic City.

I love the Beryl Ford pics that show a 20's era skyline behind a "Green Acres" dilapidated farm house with its roof caving in. We were swallowing up farm land, pecan groves, and river bottom as fast as we could.

[carltonplace]

quote:Originally posted by Hoss  I used to live on Elgin just north of 15th until I was 6, until the east leg of the IDL forced us out.

Hoss, do you have pictures of that area? There was a thread a while ago about Locust Park with pictures, I'd love to see more.

[Hoss]

quote:Originally posted by carltonplace

quote:Originally posted by Hoss  I used to live on Elgin just north of 15th until I was 6, until the east leg of the IDL forced us out.

Hoss, do you have pictures of that area? There was a thread a while ago about Locust Park with pictures, I'd love to see more.

I *might* be able to see if my Mother still has some pictures she took with me.  The address at the time was 1430 S. Elgin.  The railroad track that crosses 15th Street at the bottom of the hill was in my backyard.

[USRufnex]

Duct tape... or chocolate cake?!?

http://www.arenadigest.com/visits/kansas_coliseum.htm

"Kansas Coliseum seen from the outside is a long, low rusty rectangle. From a distance, it really does look like chocolate sheet cake."

[USRufnex]

quote:Originally posted by cannon_fodder



Art Devo wasn't the past when we embraced it, we shouldn't live in the past now etc. etc.

[cannon_fodder]

Whip it good. [B)]

[AMP]

quote:Originally posted by mrB

quote:Originally posted by AMP

Dude, I never heard anyone else refer to it as a roll of Duct Tape.  Just stating what I thought it looked like, a giant roll of duct tape.

Hey AMP, maybe you should talk to BOK Arena booking and get this event in for next year.
AMP OUTLAW WINTER NATIOANLS INDOOR RACE SERIES

Or maybe you have and couldn't and that's your reasoning for being so AMP'd about the BOK's appearance!

Being the 4star poster you are, you did miss a few past threads, such as;  
BOK arena looks like a roll of cheap duct tape.
http://www.tulsanow.org/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=10602

And don't worry MDepr2007, I'm not really trying to tell a poster [i.e AMP] what to do, other than scan previous topics before getting AMP'd!


The BOK Arena, it be okay!

I have not been on this forum for many months.  

I have done business with several SMG managed venues.  I actually prefer to produce events at privately owned venues.  Much less red tape and burecratic nonsense to deal with.  Besides the fact that the costs are much less and one can provide a much lower ticket price with the same quality of entertainment.  

Several other production companies including Live Nation, Clear Channel, SRO have prouduced motorcycle events at the Lazy E Arena and other high-rent facilities in Oklahoma. Some successfull and others not so successful.  One that offered a $30,000 purse and had a budget of over $50,000 did not sell many tickets, around 250 total, and was produced as recently as last fall.  

One needs to know the market and what the ticket buyers and participants budgets are for multiple events.  A one time event may have the luxury of commanding a higher ticket price and be held in a five star facility.  I and many others in Oklahoma have discovered that a lower cost and less fancy facility works better than the overpriced and over glamous buildings for many motorcycle folks.  Not always the case such as with annual single events, but with a series and ongoing events the lower costs the better for the profit side of the equations.  

Our entire budget for one of out Indoor races is around $3,000 total for each event.  That would not even cover hauling in dirt at the BOK Center.  

I have produced AMA Pro-AM Arenacross races at the Myriad, an SMG managed building in Oklahoma City, Claremore Expo Center an SMG managed building in Claremore and at a few others.  The OKC Myriad management group from SMG met with us and informed us that after we had a contract that we were not allowed to place more than 10 inches of dirt on the floor.  They insisted the Floor had a load limit of 250 lbs per foot.  

Crazy rules and retulations such as curfew hours at State Fair Speedway in OKC, noise limits and additional rent for running over time when producing races is a deal breaker for me.  I have produced several events at SFS in OKC, and was constantly being told by the Fair Board what, where, why and when we could do what we needed to do.  Others may enjoy being told by folks that have no clue about a sport on how to produce it, I have no desire to work under those conditions.  Besides I produce most of my events because I like to, to me they are more of a big party of friends getting together than a business deal.  I don't do it just for the money.  

Mike Kidd rented the Tulsa Civic Center for a BooKoo Arenacross couple of years back. It cost him $3,500 to re-sticker the Hocky Rink after they  took out the dirt they brought in to build the track.  

Live Nation does have an AMA Arenacross on their schedule in February of 2009 at the BOK Center. Arenacross races are those held in smaller venues that cannot accomodate a Supercross size track.   Based on other Arenacross events I and others have produced in Tulsa, it may sell some tickets, but I doubt if it will sell out.  Houston of Honda's MX team Semi was on the highway this afternoon and they drove past the arena when they turned off of 412 onto hwy 75.  

Several of us including many regional producers of events asked the design team questions regarding the floor size, load limits, cargo door size, loading dock capabilities and more.  Don't remember them ever sending a questionaire regarding the requirements of producers of ongoing and annual events held in Oklahoma.

It is a shame the designers did not make the floor space large enough to accomodate a 1/4 mile oval track, and connect an 8  acre exhibition hall with adjoining doors.  Could of been a great place for Super Cross, 1/4 mile Midget races and much more.  Instead it is similar to the Myriad, a hockey rink with 20,000 seats.

[AMP]

In 1964 in the Tulsa a person earning minimum wage could purchase 15,000 miles worth of gasoline at 15 miles per gallon, for just four weeks wages. Today that same distance worth of gasoline takes 22 weeks of today's minimum wage work.

In 1964 in Tulsa one could buy 48 bottles of Coca Cola for the same price as one bottle of Coca Cola today. And a Griffs or Sandy's Cheeseburger was 19 cents, fries were a nickle.



And there was no sales tax on any purchase less than 50 cents as the tax then waw 2 cents on a dollar here. By making three separate transactions for a $1.00 total purchase when I was a kid, I got 6 pieces of bubble gum for the 2 cents I saved in tax, gum was 3 pieces for a penny then.

[Chris]

quote:Originally posted by AMP

In 1964 in the Tulsa a person earning minimum wage could purchase 15,000 miles worth of gasoline at 15 miles per gallon, for just four weeks wages. Today that same distance worth of gasoline takes 22 weeks of today's minimum wage work.

In 1964 in Tulsa one could buy 48 bottles of Coca Cola for the same price as one bottle of Coca Cola today. And a Griffs or Sandy's Cheeseburger was 19 cents, fries were a nickle.



And there was no sales tax on any purchase less than 50 cents as the tax then waw 2 cents on a dollar here. By making three separate transactions for a $1.00 total purchase when I was a kid, I got 6 pieces of bubble gum for the 2 cents I saved in tax, gum was 3 pieces for a penny then.

You're old, we get it.

[TheArtist]

quote:Originally posted by AMP

In 1964 in the Tulsa a person earning minimum wage could purchase 15,000 miles worth of gasoline at 15 miles per gallon, for just four weeks wages. Today that same distance worth of gasoline takes 22 weeks of today's minimum wage work.

In 1964 in Tulsa one could buy 48 bottles of Coca Cola for the same price as one bottle of Coca Cola today. And a Griffs or Sandy's Cheeseburger was 19 cents, fries were a nickle.



And there was no sales tax on any purchase less than 50 cents as the tax then waw 2 cents on a dollar here. By making three separate transactions for a $1.00 total purchase when I was a kid, I got 6 pieces of bubble gum for the 2 cents I saved in tax, gum was 3 pieces for a penny then.

At one time Tulsa had 6,000 people per square mile paying for that square miles roads and infrastructure. For a long time it had around 3,000 people per square mile paying for that square miles worth of roads, water, sewer, electrical, cable, fire police, trash pick up, mowing, and other infrastructure. Now we are around 2,000 people per square mile trying to pay for ever more infrastructure, wider roads, etc. With an aging population and cities competing for the next labor pool of young people.

More infrastructure, less people paying for it = worse infrastructure or higher taxes per person.

Plus people are in worse shape, with worse health and more fancy meds, medical equipment, procedures, specialists, etc. than the "good old days". Both factors increase costs on all of us in many ways. Though dying then of something thats readily curable today might be seen as a pretty high cost.

Its also interesting to look at how the average person actually lived. I see those Beryl Ford photos that showed the insides of shops and homes. The homes were practically empty by todays standards. The shops seemed empty and bare as well compared with todays stores. Even most working class people have a TV or 2 or 3, easily have a radio or CD player, plus a computer, are paying for the added digital cable, sattelites, radio towers, "more infrastructure" etc that connect eveerything. We all likely have air conditioning, and many appliances. Btw, todays Burger Joints also have a lot more "stuff" including LCD TV's lol, and are paying for more infrastructure, medical costs, "even if not covering their own employees, we all pay one  way or another" etc. Also people are apparently buying more burgers, cokes and fries than they need regardless of "todays high prices".

I want an arena and am willing to pay taxes for it. I dont want more sprawl and dont like having to pay more taxes for that. So there we are.

[inteller]

all I know is I'd like to get some of that 33 cent premium being advertised.  probably higher quality that the pee water **** we have today too....only drawback is its probably leaded.

[Hoss]

Hey, I did my part yesterday.  I photographed the 'duct tape roll' for posterity.

Looks like a sod truck got a little overzealous here:



rest of the images are at:

http://www.flickr.com/photos/oilerfan/sets/72157606379876194/detail/

[USRufnex]

WB, I thought I was hallucinating when I remembered hearing the races at the fairgrounds from grandma and grandpa's front porch off Admiral and S. 70th E. Ave... thought maybe the other side of the river would take the edge off the sound, but yeah... guess you could hear those stock cars from 10 miles away...

quote:Originally posted by Chris


You're old, we get it.

We're here.  We're old.  Get used to it.  []

[sauerkraut]

I'd like to live the goood ole daze, however, I would miss my VCR and a few things like that. Those items were not around in by-gone eras. If you wanted to see a movie you could only see the films there were currently playing for 25 cents, you could not pick up a movie at a store. I could live without a cell phone and many other modern things, but I like my TV and VCR. I think the cars were much better long ago, they had no computers in them and they were simple to work on. The cars  were also built much stronger and were made of all metal.

[waterboy]

quote:Originally posted by USRufnex

WB, I thought I was hallucinating when I remembered hearing the races at the fairgrounds from grandma and grandpa's front porch off Admiral and S. 70th E. Ave... thought maybe the other side of the river would take the edge off the sound, but yeah... guess you could hear those stock cars from 10 miles away...

quote:Originally posted by Chris


You're old, we get it.

We're here.  We're old.  Get used to it.  []

Griff's! Had the best fish sandwich ever. That and Sussy's shrimp and cheese Pizza got me through high school. A date night was Shotgun Sam's on Brookside (now Best Hardware) and a movie at the Brooke or Delman. Sweet.
Getting old? Sour.