justin_j36
04-21-2008, 05:15 PM
Scoreboard adding buzz to Doug Shaw Stadium upgrade
By Josh Hoke - jhoke@thesunnews.com (jhoke@thesunnews.com)
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If the vision of city leaders is realized, the centerpiece of renovations at Myrtle Beach's Doug Shaw Stadium will turn football Friday nights into an experience, while also giving every citizen the chance to enjoy the facelift.
The $3.1-million overhaul includes the addition of a field turf playing surface, a six-lane, rubberized track and upgraded visitor seating, but perhaps nothing will play a bigger role in the stadium's enhanced atmosphere than the $346,000, video-capable scoreboard that will give event organizers the ability to show instant replays, movies and live TV.
City officials completed a deal last week with South Dakota-based Daktronics to build the 49-by-28-foot scoreboard, which features a 17-by-13.5-foot video screen. The screen is the third largest in South Carolina, trailing only those at Clemson's Memorial Stadium and South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium in total size, Myrtle Beach football coach Scott Earley said.
"I'm a firm believer that if you're spending this kind of money, you might as well make it the best there is," said Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, who had the idea to replace the 40-year-old stadium's outdated scoreboard. "There is no question it's an added experience."
Rhodes hopes the scoreboard is more than just a gameday asset. The city would like to hold movies nights, so families can bring their lawn chairs, stretch out on the turf and watch a movie under the night sky. Upper State football power Byrnes installed a video screen several years ago and holds similar events in its stadium.
The new scoreboard at Doug Shaw is a joint venture between the city of Myrtle Beach and the high school's booster club. The club will sell 14 advertising spaces on the scoreboard that will generate an estimated $100,000 per year. Once the loan is repaid, the club and city will split the revenue. The club's portion will benefit all Seahawks sports, and the city's half will pay for stadium upkeep, Earley said.
Earley is already thinking about the advantages the scoreboard will have for his team.
"I think it's the atmosphere that it will create pregame," he said. "We'll put our highlights up there. I think the visiting teams will spend more time looking at the board than stretching. That's an advantage for us. I think in high school football it can be intimidating. It's like a college atmosphere. We're going to do all kinds of stuff to enhance the aesthetics of the game."
Since the Seahawks will be playing on what Earley said is the first synthetic field in South Carolina prep football, they will have a distinct home-field advantage. The facility will host 5,500 spectators this season, but the next phase, which isn't likely to occur for several years, includes the addition of 3,000 seats on the current visitor's side, which would then become the home side.
Officials have begun courting events for the new stadium on the college, prep and youth levels. Rhodes said S.C. High School League Commissioner Jerome Singleton discussed the possibility of playing the state soccer and track championships at the venue. City officials have also said they would like to see the North-South All-Star football game return to Doug Shaw after moving to Coastal Carolina's Brooks Stadium several years ago.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/story/423915.html
By Josh Hoke - jhoke@thesunnews.com (jhoke@thesunnews.com)
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If the vision of city leaders is realized, the centerpiece of renovations at Myrtle Beach's Doug Shaw Stadium will turn football Friday nights into an experience, while also giving every citizen the chance to enjoy the facelift.
The $3.1-million overhaul includes the addition of a field turf playing surface, a six-lane, rubberized track and upgraded visitor seating, but perhaps nothing will play a bigger role in the stadium's enhanced atmosphere than the $346,000, video-capable scoreboard that will give event organizers the ability to show instant replays, movies and live TV.
City officials completed a deal last week with South Dakota-based Daktronics to build the 49-by-28-foot scoreboard, which features a 17-by-13.5-foot video screen. The screen is the third largest in South Carolina, trailing only those at Clemson's Memorial Stadium and South Carolina's Williams-Brice Stadium in total size, Myrtle Beach football coach Scott Earley said.
"I'm a firm believer that if you're spending this kind of money, you might as well make it the best there is," said Myrtle Beach Mayor John Rhodes, who had the idea to replace the 40-year-old stadium's outdated scoreboard. "There is no question it's an added experience."
Rhodes hopes the scoreboard is more than just a gameday asset. The city would like to hold movies nights, so families can bring their lawn chairs, stretch out on the turf and watch a movie under the night sky. Upper State football power Byrnes installed a video screen several years ago and holds similar events in its stadium.
The new scoreboard at Doug Shaw is a joint venture between the city of Myrtle Beach and the high school's booster club. The club will sell 14 advertising spaces on the scoreboard that will generate an estimated $100,000 per year. Once the loan is repaid, the club and city will split the revenue. The club's portion will benefit all Seahawks sports, and the city's half will pay for stadium upkeep, Earley said.
Earley is already thinking about the advantages the scoreboard will have for his team.
"I think it's the atmosphere that it will create pregame," he said. "We'll put our highlights up there. I think the visiting teams will spend more time looking at the board than stretching. That's an advantage for us. I think in high school football it can be intimidating. It's like a college atmosphere. We're going to do all kinds of stuff to enhance the aesthetics of the game."
Since the Seahawks will be playing on what Earley said is the first synthetic field in South Carolina prep football, they will have a distinct home-field advantage. The facility will host 5,500 spectators this season, but the next phase, which isn't likely to occur for several years, includes the addition of 3,000 seats on the current visitor's side, which would then become the home side.
Officials have begun courting events for the new stadium on the college, prep and youth levels. Rhodes said S.C. High School League Commissioner Jerome Singleton discussed the possibility of playing the state soccer and track championships at the venue. City officials have also said they would like to see the North-South All-Star football game return to Doug Shaw after moving to Coastal Carolina's Brooks Stadium several years ago.
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/sports/story/423915.html