I remember when Google Maps first launched. I was in college, and I was fascinated. The entire United States of America was not only searchable by location, but if you really wanted to, you could zoom in to a spot in, say, Vermont, and "drive" all the way to Santa Monica pier. It wasn't exactly the real thing, but it killed a few nights in the old college paper newsroom, and there's nothing wrong with that. Now you can use Google Earth, which is basically a mapped 3D model of the entire planet, on your phone. The future is now.
Which is why it's somewhat exciting to hear that Google Earth has taken to modeling the insides of buildings, too. Among the choices for detailed digital re-creation? The Phog, also known Kansas's Allen Fieldhouse, also known as one of the most storied, bucket-list-worthy arenas in all of sports. The Lawrence Journal-World explains:
Next week, Google Earth will open the doors on its virtual Allen Fieldhouse, a 3D digital model detailing everything from the paint on James Naismith Court to the catwalks above and every seating section, scoreboard and championship banner in between.
But why Allen Fieldhouse? What, is there some high-ranking Google employee who wants to model his old collegiate stomping grounds for the sake of bragging rights? Actually, yes, that's exactly the case:
“We’ll have that on there if and when they make it to the Final Four,” said [Brian] McClendon, co-founder of Google Earth and now vice president for Google Earth, Google Maps, engineering and product, who grew up in Lawrence.�If?�“It’s when,” he corrected.
“We like to model reality,” said McClendon, whose Google Earth team is using nearly 200 photos taken of the fieldhouse interior by Dinneen. “Our goal is to match the real world as closely as possible. …
“If they win, we’ll certainly put a 2011 banner inside the fieldhouse.”
Silicon Valley types have a bit of a reputation for braggadocio; fun little iPhone apps aren't merely distractions, they're "vital tools for the next generation of communication." Technology isn't just changing the way people waste time, it's "changing the world." Sometimes true, sometimes false, but the point is: Mix that attitude with the trash-talking impulses of the die-hard college hoops fan (not to mention the die-hard Kansas fan) and this is what you get. Kansas has a history of upsets in the tournament, Brian. I know you oversee a product that put the world inside the average consumer's pocket, but still. Don't tempt fate.
Oh, and while you're at it, please do this for every college hoops arena possible. Anything to make the offseason more bearable. (Update: A Google spokesperson informs me that the Goog has also created 3D models of the 14 stadiums hosting the NCAA tournament this season, as well as launched a landing page with a few other map-based ways to track the tournament action. I'm not sure anyone needs any of this, but it's pretty cool all the same.)
(Hat tip: Reader Martin C.)
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