Saturday, May 28, 2011

The ship that buried bin Laden may host aircraft carrier game

In case the prospect of the first-ever college basketball game on an aircraft carrier isn't intriguing enough for fans, the ship North Carolina and Michigan State will play on next November may be especially noteworthy.

Mike Whalen of the Morale Entertainment Foundation told WRAL that the carrier that will host the event in San Diego will either be the USS Ronald Reagan or the USS Carl Vinson. Of course, the USS Carl Vinson is the ship the body of Osama bin Laden was brought to in order to be buried in the North Arabian sea.

That choice of aircraft carriers would only heighten the patriotic atmosphere for a game that will be held on Veterans Day in front of a crowd of mostly military personnel. Organizers did not want to risk selling tickets to civilians out of fear there would be an aftermarket and they would not be able to control who's coming aboard a U.S. warship.

Of the 7,000 seats available aboard the ship, the only ones not earmarked for military personnel will go to sponsors or high-profile boosters from either school. Fans who can't secure a ticket will be able to watch on ESPN.

Whalen, a Marine veteran, told the Detroit Free Press last month that he expects a festive atmosphere no matter which aircraft carrier hosts the game.

"Veterans Day is sort of a somber holiday," he said. "We look to change that. It should be more than a day off. It's going to be a day to look forward to because we're going to have a good time."

Bijou Phillips Marika Dominczyk Dita Von Teese Rachel Nichols Dido

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