Well That Didn’t Last Long!

Federal Hill Park got a nice gift from Under Armour in late 2011 as the sportswear apparel company headquartered in Locust Point renovated the basketball court at the bottom of the hill.  The court was redone with a black and red sports tile surface featuring a Maryland flag, a Baltimore Flag and an Under Armour logo at center court.  The hoops were designed like a real basketball court with glass backboards and indoor rims.  The renovated court provided a great addition to a highly-visible part of the city and neighborhood.

Unfortunately the pristine court did not last long.  Currently the backboard on the hoop on the southern side is completely shattered and the rim on the northern hoop is just sitting on the ground.  I guess there is a reason why most outdoor basketball courts feature metal backboards and rims that made of unbendable iron.  When you draw iron on a typical blacktop court, it’s not going to bounce its way back in. Tough sledding for basketball fans on the peninsula right now as this court is not functional, the courts at Latrobe are undergoing a renovation and, as always, only one of the two courts at Riverside Park still has baskets.

Though built by Under Armour, it is up to the Baltimore Recreation and Parks Maintenance to repair the court at Federal Hill Park.  Unfortunately for Recreation and Parks, it is not easy to find the glass backboard to replace the one that was shattered.  “Currently the glass backboard is on backorder and I have no timetable for when it will be fixed,” Joe Burch from Recreation and Parks told SouthBMore.com.  The broken rim on the other hand is something they can come out and adjust.

While the court shows very nice, I guess there is a reason most outdoor courts are built with the same indestructible materials they’ve always used.  At Riverside Park, every part of the court is falling apart other than the hoops that only suffer from the occasional ripped net.  Hopefully the repairs at Federal Hill Park stand the test of time, but if not it may be a good idea to go back to what works.

About the Author: Kevin Lynch

Founder and Publisher of SouthBmore.com, longtime resident of South Baltimore, and a graduate of Towson University. Diehard Ravens and O's fan, father of three, amateur pizza chef, skateboarder, and "bar food" foodie. Email me at Kevin@InceptMM.com and follow me on Twitter at @SoBoKevin.