Archive for July, 2011

Mohegan Sun backers applaud advance in Mass. gambling talks

A group supporting a planned Mohegan Sun casino in Palmer, Mass., expressed its pleasure this week when Massachusetts Gov. Deval Patrick agreed to a key provision that will speed the legalization of casino gambling in that state.

Patrick, in his monthly radio appearance on WTKK-FM, said he will accept one competitively bid slots parlor in addition to three resort casinos. The parlor provision had been a key sticking point in last years debate and its resolution clears the way for a vote later this year although tax rates and regulations are still being debated.

Palmer Businesses for a Palmer Casino hailed the move and wants to deepen its alliance with Mohegan Sun.

(We are) eager to understand more from Mohegan Sun as to its development partner and the development agreement with Town of Palmer, the group said in a press release.

Eastern Connecticut-based Mohegan Sun had no immediate comment.

Palmer is in competition with Holyoke for the one license expected to be issued for western Massachusetts.

NJ casino union protests pay cuts at Resorts

ATLANTIC CITY, NJ –
Thousands of casino workers protested outside Resorts Casino Hotel on Thursday, denouncing steep pay cuts most employees had to take when new owners bought the casino last year and throwing down the gauntlet to all 11 of the citys casinos with contract talks coming up soon.

Bob McDevitt, president of the union, Local 54 of Unite-HERE, said Resorts actions were shameful and cant be allowed to occur at other casinos in the struggling gambling town.

Rancho Mirage council OKs proposal tightening guidelines for vacation rentals

Rancho Mirage city leaders on Thursday approved a proposal that may increase enforcement on vacation rental property usage within the city and help collect transient occupancy tax.

The City Council voted 4-0, with councilman Scott Hines abstaining, to add guidelines to an ordinance that requires homeowners to register their property as vacation rentals, which are homes occupied for 27 consecutive days or less.

Once residents understand we are serious in enforcing the guidelines I think everyone will realize this was well put together, Councilman Richard Kite said at Thursdays regular meeting at Rancho Mirage City Hall.

Under the new guidelines:

At least one person 21 years old or older must be present at the home.

There may only be up to two guests per every bedroom staying overnight.

From 7 am to 10 pm, up to eight people may be in homes with two bedrooms or less; 12 people per three bedrooms; 16 people for four bedrooms and 18 people per five bedrooms

Property owners must apply for permits 30 days in advance if their homes will have daytime guests that exceed the allotted number of daytime visitors.

Outdoor music cannot be played from 10 pm to 1 pm

The minimum fine for not registering a home has increased from $500 to $1,000.

To make sure we are serious, is one of the reasons we bumped up the fines, Kite said.

City officials have said previously that there are 350 vacation rentals worth $300,000 in annual TOT that are not registered and dont pay taxes.

Coachella Valley officials for years have dealt with issues revolving around vacation rentals and unclaimed TOT.

Palm Springs, Indian Wells and Palm Desert all adopted stricter rules in recent years to help enforce vacation rental ordinances.

Desert Hot Springs leaders also recently discussed the issue.

But historically, weve not had problems other communities had with short-term rentals, Rancho Mirage City Manager Pat Pratt said, adding his citys main goal was collecting outstanding TOT.

Colin Atagi is a reporter for The Desert Sun. He can be reached at (760) 778-4645 or at Colin.Atagi@thedesertsun.com

East Orange General Hospital Goes Live on GE Centricity Enterprise

EAST ORANGE, N.J., Jul 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
The 211-bed East Orange General Hospital is now live on GE Centricity*
Enterprise 6.6, an integrated clinical, financial and administrative
solution. East Orange General Hospital is a premier urban hospital that
has taken on increasing significance as neighboring communities have
suffered the loss of their hospitals and more face financial
difficulties in the region.

“We have an unwavering commitment to serving the vast healthcare needs
of our community,” said East Orange CEO Kevin Slavin. “For a community
hospital like ours, having a robust, integrated EMR solution like
Centricity Enterprise 6.6 will undoubtedly help us to better manage
quality improvement in a tough financial climate. In addition, meeting
Stage 1 of Meaningful Use is a significant milestone that we will be
proud to achieve in 2011.”

GE Centricity Enterprise is an integrated clinical, financial and
administrative solution targeting large hospital systems. At East Orange
General Hospital, the staff believes the system can enhance patient
safety by reducing manual entry of medications and other critically
important clinical details. Providing information at the clinicians’
fingertips will reduce the time spent searching for data and help
increase efficiency.

“We are proud to work with the dedicated staff of East Orange as they
strive to provide the best possible patient care and continually raise
the bar on patient safety, quality of care and financial performance,”
said Jim Corrigan, Vice President and General Manager of GE Healthcare
IT, Americas. “With the technology infrastructure in place to achieve
Meaningful Use, we are confident that East Orange will continue
providing the excellence they offer to the community at every possible
facet of care.”

*Registered trademark of General Electric Company.

ABOUT GE HEALTHCARE:

GE Healthcare provides transformational medical technologies and
services that are shaping a new age of patient care. Our broad expertise
in medical imaging and information technologies, medical diagnostics,
patient monitoring systems, drug discovery, biopharmaceutical
manufacturing technologies, performance improvement and performance
solutions services help our customers to deliver better care to more
people around the world at a lower cost. In addition, we partner with
healthcare leaders, striving to leverage the global policy change
necessary to implement a successful shift to sustainable healthcare
systems.

Our “healthymagination” vision for the future invites the world to join
us on our journey as we continuously develop innovations focused on
reducing costs, increasing access and improving quality around the
world. Headquartered in the United Kingdom, GE Healthcare is a unit of
General Electric Company

/quotes/zigman/227468/quotes/nls/ge GE
0.00%



. Worldwide, GE Healthcare employees
are committed to serving healthcare professionals and their patients in
more than 100 countries. For more information about GE Healthcare, visit
our website at
www.gehealthcare.com .

For our latest news, please visit

http://newsroom.gehealthcare.com

ABOUT EAST ORANGE GENERAL HOSPITAL:

East Orange General Hospital is East Orange’s largest private employer
and Essex County’s only independent, fully accredited, acute-care
hospital. Serving the community for over a century, East Orange General
Hospital recently expanded its services and is continually adding new
equipment and programs to provide the highest level of quality and
compassionate patient care. Specialty areas include: Same Day Surgery,
Physical Rehabilitation Services, Behavioral Health, Family Health,
Emergency Medicine, Outpatient Hemodialysis, Hyperbaric/Wound
Management, Vascular and Medical/Surgical Services. For more
information, please visit
http://www.evh.org/ .

SOURCE: GE Healthcare

MEDIA CONTACT:
GE Healthcare
Corey Miller
414.469.5499
corey.miller@ge.com

Copyright Business Wire 2011

/quotes/zigman/227468/quotes/nls/ge

Add GE to portfolio

GE

General Electric Co.


$
18.11

0.00
0.00%

Volume: 48.68M
July 28, 2011 4:00p

Artwork by cancer patients featured

Lily Pharmaceutical and the National Coalition for Cancer Survivorship began a program in 2004 that gave those impacted by cancer a new outlet to vent their feelings canvas.

The Oncology on Canvas art competition and exhibition invited those diagnosed with cancer, and their healthcare providers, family members, friends and caregivers, to put their emotions on canvas. Narratives are included with the art pieces on display at Crestviews 21st Century Oncology, which had an open house July 12 to highlight recent renovations and expansion of services.

View photos here

The artwork will remain on display at 21st Century Oncology until July 27. The art is placed among treatment equipment and hallways, patient dressing rooms and consultation areas.

Themes include good days, celebrations, depression, renewal, strength, loss, family, survival and remembrance. Some of the art pieces feature breast cancer pink and ovarian cancer teal. Others are starkly black and white, while some feature vibrant kaleidoscopes of color.

Since the Oncology on Canvas inception, more than 3,600 stories have been told through the art. A book of artworks is printed and featured art pieces are shipped to different locations, where cancer patients can view, appreciate, find solace and hope in the works. Many of the pieces submitted are the first art expressions ever committed to canvas by the person affected by the disease. The chosen works are displayed in fewer than 800 locations per year.

The artists also get a chance to enter a contest, with contributions made to the cancer-related charity of the winners choice.

The 2010 best of exhibition, best entry by a person diagnosed with cancer, and best mixed media by a person diagnosed with cancer categories, were awarded to Annette Zalewski from Arizona.

Her piece, Wild Water, is a result of her dealing with lung cancer. Her decision to put her feelings on canvas resulted in a painting of a peaceful waterfall across a rocky area. She then cut the work into vertical and horizontal strips and wove them back together.

My life after a diagnosis of lung cancer feels like it has been cut up, rearranged and become a different picture, she said. The treatments and side effects, like the rocks in turbulent water, can make me feel bruised, battered and worn out.

When scan results show improvement or stability, I can coast smoothly for a while, but any negative change leads to another bumpy ride down the falls. Yet as the rushing water continues on its path, I plan to continue surviving and weaving a beautiful life.

According to the American Cancer Societys website, 3,400 people in the United States are diagnosed with cancer each day. The National Cancer Institute estimates that 8 million Americans are cancer survivors. With better treatment and early diagnosis, deaths from cancer have been on the decline since 2006, according to American Cancer Society statistics.

Until 1986, patients from here had cancer treatments out of Pensacola, North Okaloosa Medical Center Radiation Oncologist Dr. Warren Amos said. In 2005, it all came here and we have expanded and added programs and services and equipment and you are standing in the culmination of that.

UPI NewsTrack Entertainment News

Katy Perry leads with 9 VMA nods

NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) — US pop star Katy Perry led the field with nine nods when nominations for the 2011 MTV Video Music Awards were announced.

MTV said Wednesday Perry is nominated for Video of the Year and Best Female Video for Firework, Best Pop Video for Last Friday Night [TGIF], and Best Collaboration, Best Art Direction, Best Direction, Best Editing and Best Special Effects for ET featuring Kanye West and directed by Floria Sigismondi.

Her video for Teenage Dream is nominated for Best Cinematography.

Also in the running for Video of the Year are Adeles Rolling in the Deep, Tyler, the Creators Yonkers, Bruno Mars Grenade and Beastie Boys Make Some Noise.

Perrys fellow nominees for Best Female Video are Adeles Rolling In The Deep, Beyonces Run the World [Girls], Nicki Minajs Super Bass and Lady Gagas Born This Way.

Shortlisted for Best Male Video are Cee Lo Greens F*** You, Eminems Love the Way You Lie, Bruno Mars Grenade, Kanye Wests All of the Lights and Justin Biebers U Smile.

Earning the nod for Best Hip Hop Video are 67 by Lil Wayne and Cory Gunz, All of the Lights by Kanye West, Rihanna and Kid Cudi, Look at Me by Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes, Super Bass by Nicki Minaj and The Show Goes On by Lupe Fiasco.

Nominated for Best New Artist are Foster the People for Pumped Up Kicks, Wiz Khalifa for Black and Yellow, Tyler, the Creator for Yonkers, Big Sean for My Last and Kreayshawn for Gucci Gucci.

Vying with Perry for the award for Best Pop Video are Adeles Rolling in the Deep, Bruno Mars Grenade, Pitbulls Give Me Everything and Britney Spears Till the World Ends.

Up for Best Rock Video are The Black Keys for Howlin For You, Foo Fighters for Walk, Foster the People for Pumped Up Kicks, Mumford Sons for The Cave and Cage the Elephant for Shake Me Down.

The acts nominated for Best Collaboration, along with Perry and West, are Pitbull, Ne-Yo, Nayer and Afrojack for Give Me Everything, Chris Brown, Lil Wayne and Busta Rhymes for Look at Me Now, Kanye West, Rihanna and Kid Cudi for All of the Lights and Nicki Minaj and Drake for Moment 4 Life.

The VMAs are to be handed out Aug. 28 at the Nokia Theatre in Los Angeles.

Rapper DMX released from prison

LOS ANGELES, July 21 (UPI) — Earl Simmons, the rapper known as DMX, has left an Arizona prison after serving a seven-month sentence for probation violations, officials said.

Billboard.com said Simmons was released Tuesday morning.

I spoke to my daughter. I just got off the phone with my wife, the music Web site quoted the hip-hop artist as saying shortly after his release. Im going to go see my daughter while the sun is up then Im going to be in the studio, man.

Simmons was arrested Nov. 18 for a probation violation after he was allegedly found to be in possession of cocaine.

He was also cited for use of OxyContin without a prescription, failing to submit to drug testing, failing to participate in counseling programs, failure to make payments for fines and driving on a suspended license.

Simmons has been incarcerated numerous times in recent years in connection with assault, weapons, drugs or animal-cruelty arrests.

Shannen Doherty to star in reality series

NEW YORK, July 21 (UPI) — WE tv says it has ordered a new, 1-hour docu-series tentatively called The Shannen Doherty Project and starring the Hollywood actress.

The eight-part series will be about Dohertys relationship with photographer Kurt Iswarienko.

Viewers will witness the challenging, comical, and dramatic moments that ensue when two people — with two different backgrounds — come together, bringing along their own sets of opinionated friends and family, the cable network said in a synopsis. Their complicated, and often hilarious, journey also includes wedding preparations, a house tragedy that may end in lawsuits, and the next chapter of the actress burgeoning career.

The series is to begin production next month. It is expected to premiere in early 2012 on WE tv.

Shannens relationships and life experiences make her a riveting personality to watch, John Miller, WE tvs senior vice president of original productions and development, said in a statement Thursday.

This is an opportunity for audiences to get a rare sneak peek into the real Shannen, who has been notorious about guarding her private life. Her situations are familiar and is what will make this series stand apart from other celeb-reality shows. Its what WE tv does best — present stories that showcase the wild ride of modern-day life from a womans perspective.

The famously outspoken actress is best known for her work on TVs Little House on the Prairie, Beverly Hills, 90210, Charmed and Scare Tactics. She also co-starred in the iconic movie Heathers.

Track Palins wife, Britta, is pregnant

WASILLA, Alaska, July 21 (UPI) — Britta Palin, the daughter-in-law of former Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin, is pregnant with her first child, People.com reported Thursday.

The former Britta Hanson, 21, married Palins 22-year-old son, Track, in May.

People.com said a friend from the couples native Alaska announced the baby news and posted pictures of the expectant mother on Facebook.

Britta is a nursing student and Track is an Army Reservist and commercial fisherman.

Sarah Palin is a former governor of Alaska and 2008 GOP vice presidential nominee. Sarahs teenage daughter Bristol was pregnant with her first child during the 2008 presidential election. She became a celebrity by speaking publicly about teen pregnancy, competing on TVs Dancing with the Stars and writing a memoir.

The family did not respond immediately to a request for comment on the news of Brittas pregnancy, People.com said.

Philips’ SpeechExec Enterprise 4.0 Now Available to Customers

ATLANTA, Jul 26, 2011 (BUSINESS WIRE) –
Philips, a leading manufacturer of mobile and stationary dictation
solutions, today announced the availability of its newest dictation
management software solution, SpeechExec Enterprise 4.0. The new
software package improves the user experience through numerous upgrades
including advanced integration capabilities with speech recognition
software and iPhone, iPad and BlackBerry platforms.

“One of the most noticeable changes from the last software package is
the superior integration with speech recognition,” said Florian
Schwiecker, Director at Philips Speech Processing, North America. “When
we started developing this iteration of our software, we talked to users
about their needs and found that business professionals in all
industries are starting to use speech recognition as often as possible.
So we were committed to ensuring that our technology would fully and
completely integrate with the best speech recognition platforms
currently available.”

In addition to the advanced speech recognition capabilities, SpeechExec
Enterprise 4.0 easily integrates with iPhones, iPads and BlackBerry
devices. The system also includes new settings designed to allow
customers the ability to install the software in the Terminal Server and
Citrix environments. The software upgrade also works in 64-bit CPUs and
operating systems.

“As we were creating SpeechExec Enterprise 4.0, we wanted to meet the
needs of today’s professional workers, which meant the software needed
to be compatible with fast servers and smart phones,” said Thomas
Brauner, CEO and category leader at Philips Speech Processing. “If
today’s professionals can’t work on fast servers or on their smart
phones, they cannot deliver the best customer service and may lose their
competitive advantage. SpeechExec Enterprise 4.0 ensures that users can
use the technology in almost any environment.”

Other upgrades to SpeechExec Enterprise 4.0 include a new user interface
which features new application icons, splash screens and toolbar icons
designed to mimic modern PC applications so users can quickly learn the
program. All user-interface elements follow an intuitive pattern that
makes it easy for new and experienced users to navigate through the
application. Other updates included in the newest software version are:


Heightened security, including advanced confidentiality features
through encrypted logins and passwords.


A Carousel view option, which enables typists to see the most relevant
information at a glance in a modern and convenient way.


The ability to display only the most commonly used toolbar functions.

SpeechExec Enterprise is now available from your Philips Speech
Processing certified partner (MDCE).

About Philips Speech Processing

For more than 50 years, Philips Speech Processing has been the driving
force in delivering dictation and speech technologies to users around
the world. With its headquarters and production center located in
Vienna, Austria, Philips Speech Processing is the world leader in
professional digital and analogue dictation solutions. From office-based
desktop dictation to mobile dictation, from conference recording to
entire workflow solutions with the SpeechExec software family, our
products support every imaginable scenario. Revolutionary digital
dictation products, such as the SpeechMike, the Digital Pocket Memo with
Voice Commands, the Barcode Module, and the LAN Docking Station are
helping professionals to work more efficiently every day, in the easiest
possible manner, entirely in keeping with Philips “sense and simplicity”
philosophy. For more information, visit:
www.philips.com/dictation .

About Royal Philips Electronics

Royal Philips Electronics of the Netherlands

/quotes/zigman/264418/quotes/nls/phg PHG
-1.04%



(aex:PHI) is a
diversified health and well-being company, focused on improving people’s
lives through timely innovations. As a world leader in health care,
lifestyle, and lighting, Philips integrates technologies and design into
people-centric solutions, based on fundamental customer insights and the
brand promise of “sense and simplicity”. Headquartered in the
Netherlands, Philips employs more than 119,000 employees in more than 60
countries worldwide. With sales of EUR25.4 billion in 2010, the company is
a market leader in cardiac care, acute care and home health care,
energy-efficient lighting solutions, and new lighting applications, as
well as lifestyle products for personal well-being and pleasure with
strong leadership positions in flat TV, male shaving and grooming,
portable entertainment, and oral health care. News from Philips can be
found at
www.philips.com/newscenter .

SOURCE: Philips Speech Processing

Philips Speech Processing
Michaela Kraft, +1-905-201-4202
michaela.kraft@philips.com

www.philips.com/dictation

Copyright Business Wire 2011

/quotes/zigman/264418/quotes/nls/phg

Add PHG to portfolio

PHG

Koninklijke Philips Electronics N.V. ADS


$
24.71

-0.26
-1.04%

Volume: 790,911
July 28, 2011 4:03p

Online gambling moving forward in New Jersey

BY BOB HOLT
NEWJERSEYNEWSROOM.COM

State Senator Raymond Lesniak believes New Jersey should legally be able to allow online gambling inside its own borders.

According to the Courier Post, Lesniak plans to introduce legislation in November addressing the main concerns of Gov. Chris Christie, who vetoed the bill that would have made New Jersey the first state to legalize in-state Internet gambling in March. Lesniak said Christie was concerned about possible Internet gambling cafes turning up, and that some revenue would go to horse racing.

Reviewed Casinos reports that Lesniak sent a letter to US Attorney General Eric Holder, in response to a letter Holder received from Congressmen Harry Reid and Jon Kyl. The congressmen asked the Department of Justice to thwart attempts by several states to pass such Internet gambling legislation, claiming it violated federal law, including the Wire Act of 1961. New Jersey, Nevada, California, Florida, Iowa and Hawaii are considering the subject.

But Lesniak argues that ‘unlawful Internet gambling’ does not include bets where the wager is initiated and received exclusively within a single state.

When Christie vetoed the bill, philly.com reported the Casino Association of New Jersey called for the question to be but on the ballot in the next general election. Christie said he was open to the referendum idea.

The Interactive Media Entertainment and Gaming Association, representing offshore Internet betting websites, said Internet gambling in New Jersey could create between $210 million and $250 million in new revenues for Atlantic City casinos in its first full year. They said it could also create 1,586 to 1,903 jobs and $47 million to $55 million in New Jersey tax revenue.

According to nj.gov, Internet gambling casinos are not regulated. If a person wins a bet from an Internet casino-style game, horse race or sporting event, we cannot be sure they will ever be paid.

Diana Boggia: Tips for avoiding a chaotic family vacation

With summer in full swing, many families are planning vacations with great anticipation of fun-filled days and the making of lasting family memories.

Unfortunately, a lack of thoughtful planning regarding daily structure and consistent routine often causes tremendous distress, which vibrates throughout a family as children meltdown.

As a result, families return from vacation feeling they need a few extra days to recover from the chaos. Here are a few tips to make your family vacation calming, not chaotic:

Keep kids occupied

Provide children with a specially equipped travel bag, which includes new and interesting items, such as games, audio books and unusual manipulatives. I often see parents in airports, medical offices and restaurants who bring nothing to engage or entertain their child, simply expecting an old book left behind or a pack of crayons to keep their child occupied. These same parents then lose their temper, out of frustration, when their child misbehaves. Remember: Children require stimulation and personal, physical contact.

While many newer cars are equipped with DVD players, why not provide materials requiring engagement and interaction, which also provide stimulation and learning? Smart phones offer games of interest, but, again, why not provide children the opportunity to interact with family and learn about the world through hands-on experiences? When provided with their own travel bag for vacation, children will become more invested, remain engaged, show interest and intrigue and display less misbehaviors.

Provide incentives

It is inevitable that you will spend money on souvenirs, or even snacks at roadside rest stops. Parents can offer a money incentive for children who understand the value of money, allowing them to earn their snacks and souvenirs. This is not a bribe, as some may think, but rather a huge behavioral incentive, as a child becomes empowered by the opportunity to earn what he would like to purchase. Additionally, this incentive eliminates your child from begging for just one more souvenir, as he may purchase whatever he has earned for good behavior.

To start, provide each child with a personalized, plastic container before the trip. Explain that you will be offering the opportunity to earn 25 cents each 15 minutes (or offer a dollar amount per hour for 5-plus-year-olds who have more self-control) for cooperative travel, which means no fighting, yelling or throwing. Set your cellphone alarm so you are consistent and can follow through with your payout. Offer bonus quarters for exceptional behavior, such as polite manners, sharing and first-time listening.

Get some sleep

Going to bed in a strange place is often unsettling, especially if a family is sharing a room. Provide expectations before you travel, including quiet hotel behavior and general bedtime procedures. Ask if your child would like to take along anything special for comfort to help him sleep in a strange bed. Sometimes taking a pillow or favorite book from home can make all the difference. Dont set your child up for failure and expect him to fall asleep in a brightly lit room with the television on. Take the time to set him up for success by reading stories in a dimly lit room, and following your at-home bedtime routine.

And remember, make it your focus to recognize excellent behavior every time it happens!

Diana Boggia, M.Ed., is a parenting educator. Send her your questions by emailing FamilyMatters@cantonrep.com or writing The Repository, c/o Family Matters, 500 Market Ave. S, Canton, OH 44702. Find additional parenting resources at her website, www.yourperfectchild.com.

Playing Games Out of Place


And now, the latest example of a trend in sports event management — a college basketball game scheduled for Veterans Day on the aircraft carrier used to bury Osama bin Laden at sea.

Enlarge This Image

Rex C. Curry for The New York Times

Under the giant video screen at Cowboys Stadium in Texas, four bowling lanes were being built for the United States Women’s Open.

Sports teams are apparently convinced that the one thing better than a home game is a game at a place that is not a home to sports at all.

Ten years ago, in a simpler time for staging sporting events, Michigan State held an outdoor hockey game at its football stadium. The event, called the Cold War, drew 74,544 fans, a record for hockey at the time. What seemed like a novelty was actually a precursor: to professional basketball in a tennis stadium and professional tennis on a helipad, to college football in baseball stadiums and an N.B.A. game contested outdoors.

“You’re seeing an evolution,” said Jerry Jones, the owner of the Dallas Cowboys. “Whether it’s a multipurpose stadium like ours, or a basketball game on an aircraft carrier, you’re elevating the awareness of the venue. You’re creating that ‘wow factor’ beyond the game itself.”

Jones built his $1.2 billion sports palace for more than his beloved Cowboys. He envisioned Cowboys Stadium as a giant stage, easy to configure for events as varied as the N.B.A. All-Star Game, international soccer and women’s professional bowling, which it hosted last week.

Team and league officials and event organizers are capitalizing on the notion that the site alone can make a game distinctive — and attract more viewers. The bigger (championship college basketball inside football stadiums), or more bizarre (a squash tournament at Grand Central Terminal), the better.

“This is an emerging trend,” said Tim Romani, the president of the Icon Venue Group and builder of $3 billion worth of sports stadiums. “It’s about being creative with your stadium, or other venues. We talked with a group in Germany about putting something on a cruise ship.”

The success of the N.H.L.’s Winter Classic provided something of a blueprint. It started with a photograph, one John Collins saw hanging in several offices when he arrived at the N.H.L. in 2006. The photograph showed an outdoor hockey game, a winter sport back amid the elements, and Collins said, “How come we haven’t done that?”

Collins, now the N.H.L.’s chief operating officer, came from the N.F.L., where he witnessed the power of large-scale, transformative events, where he learned that leagues are “limited only by their imaginations and their budgets.” He helped create the Classic to draw corporate sponsors and news media attention. He wanted it to feel like hockey’s Super Bowl, in the regular season.

The game, played annually on New Year’s Day, has taken place in N.F.L. teams’ stadiums (in Orchard Park, N.Y., and in Pittsburgh) and Major League Baseball stadiums (Wrigley Field in Chicago and Fenway Park in Boston). Since it started, Collins said, representatives from dozens of stadiums in North America — even those in cities without hockey teams — have inquired about hosting.

“I had people tell me it was the first hockey game they ever watched,” said Karl Alzner, a Washington Capitals defenseman. “It was just crazy. I felt like a football player, with 60,000 people in the stands, under all those lights. It felt like a Stanley Cup final.”

Long before the Winter Classic, Michigan State held its outdoor hockey game. The man behind it was Mark Hollis, an athletics administrator who created the 2003 BasketBowl, in which the Spartans played Kentucky in basketball at Ford Field, the home of the Detroit Lions and the 2009 N.C.A.A. men’s Final Four.

Even then, Hollis was kicking around an idea. He wanted to play a basketball game on an aircraft carrier.

This year, Michigan State and ESPN entered into discussions with the United States Navy, along with the Morale Entertainment Foundation, which arranges events for troops. Nick Dawson, the director of programming at ESPN, said his first thought was, “How in the heck can we pull this off?”

Mike Whalen of Morale Entertainment said his company committed more than $1 million to the project, but the money might be easier than the logistics. If the game, between Michigan State and North Carolina on Nov. 11 (11/11/11), is orchestrated as expected, organizers must account for sun, wind and inclement weather — not exactly the usual issues for a college basketball game.

Two courts will be constructed on the U.S.S. Carl Vinson, which carried Bin Laden’s body to the North Arabian Sea soon after he was killed May 2 in Pakistan. One of the courts will be on the flight deck, its stands wrapped in fabric to block wind; the other will be built on the hangar deck and used in the event of rain.

The ship will be moored off San Diego and positioned so the sun will hover above the court and not shine behind either basket. Should the Navy suddenly need the carrier to leave port, the courts and seating can be disassembled in 24 to 36 hours; they will be tied down, not bolted to the ship. Those who attend — there will be seating for about 7,000 — will have their names printed on their tickets as a security measure.

If it were played at one of the universities’ home arenas, it would be just another college basketball game in November between high-profile teams. Instead, they will forgo the ticket revenue for additional exposure, to compete where no other college basketball teams have.

  • 1
  • 2

Next Page »