Minnesota’s High-Profile Basketball Court is a Cheesehead?!?
The Minnesota Vikings played all of three seasons in their massive stadium before the turf was covered up and a basketball hardcourt was installed-- but it's not even from here in Minnesota!
The Vikings' home, U.S. Bank Stadium, is home to this weekend's NCAA Final Four college basketball championship-- the second big event the venue has hosted in its short 3-and-a-half year lifespan.
And, over the weekend, while teams like Michigan State, Virginia, Auburn and Texas Tech were winning their Elite Eight round of games for the right to play for the championship here in Minnesota, crews at U.S. Bank Stadium were installing the brand new basketball court.
But, according to this CBS-Minnesota story, the new court was made with wood that was 'locally-sourced,' as is all the rage these days. Except, it didn't come from here in the Land of 10,000 Lakes. It's actually made of hardwood harvested from my home state of Wisconsin.
What?!? Minnesota's Final Four basketball court is actually a Cheesehead?!? That's right. The story says Connor Sports of Chicago, which also makes the basketball floors for the NBA (and the other venues in this year's Final Tournament) had to use maple from a few hours away in Wisconsin because it was too wet in Minnesota last fall when they were logging and harvesting the wood.
So, yeah-- Minnesota's maple masterpiece which will be in the spotlight this weekend, is actually an interloper from a state just east of here!
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