LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — After the Shawnee Park basketball court was damaged ahead of the Dirt Bowl last year, several upgrades have been made as the city tries to prevent it from happening again.
Ahead of last year's annual summer event, vandals damaged the court. Surveillance video showed a black Dodge Challenger doing burnouts on the playing surface early one morning. The vehicle had been reported stolen earlier that morning, according to police.
This drone image shows the vandalism that was done to the basketball court at Shawnee Park in Louisville. (WDRB image)
Metro Parks and Recreation was able to resurface the court last year, and added some new bleacher seats around the area.Â
The most recent upgrade to the park are 5,000-pound stones that not only provide more seating for fans going to watch the Dirt Bowl, but serve as barriers for cars.
The stones, which came from the McAlpine Locks where they once supported the Louisville and Portland Canal, were placed around the court this spring.
"We thought it might be a good idea to use those around the Dirt Bowl court as well," said Jason Canuel, director of Metro Parks and Recreation. "One, for security and two, it's also another place to sit. So it's kind of dual purpose."
Leaders said the stones serve as a security measure that seems to be working so far.
"Luckily, this year we've gone incident-free," Canuel said. "I think the upgrades, the security upgrades, that we've done up to this point have been successful and very receptive by the spectators and the players."
Dirt Bowl organizer Ravon Churchill has certainly been receptive.
"It was egregious, it was excessive, it was petty, unnecessary what happened to the courts," Churchill said Friday. "It just goes to show the commitment that the city of Louisville has, and Metro Parks has, and the mayor's office has to this iconic event."
Both Churchill and city leaders want to make sure the tournament remains an iconic event, especially for generations to come.
Metro Council approved the city's $1.1 billion budget Thursday, which includes about $500,000 for more Dirt Bowl upgrades. It's not clear yet what the money will be used for specifically, but leaders believe the funding will help keep the event moving forward safely.
"We want to make sure it goes 57 more years," said Churchill. "There's no event in Louisville like the Dirt Bowl at Shawnee Park, for sure."
With rain in the forecast this weekend, it's unlikely that any basketball will be played at Shawnee Park on Saturday, but organizers said they have a backup plan to play indoors. They're hoping to resume outdoor play in the park Sunday.
Founded in 1969 during a time of civil unrest, the grassroots tournament organized by Metro Parks workers has grown into a summer tradition that blends high-level basketball with family cookouts, neighborhood pride, and West End history.
Over the years, legends like Darrell Griffith, Butch Beard, Artis Gilmore and Rajon Rondo have played on its courts. So have hundreds of kids chasing dreams and representing their neighborhoods. It's one of the longest-running outdoor basketball tournaments in the country.
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