Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game

By Matt Norlander

America!

The aircraft carrier pictured above is the USS Carl Vinson. It's toured the blue of this globe, helping protect and serve our country for three decades. Its call sign is "Golden Eagle." (So American, so awesome.) And it is now and forever famous for being the ship that was responsible for dumping Osama bin Laden's body into the Indian Ocean less than a day after United States Special Forces took out one of the most sinister terrorists in the history of this planet.

Next stop: San Diego, to host a college basketball game.

Organizers say it's all but certain that the Michigan State-North Carolina basketball game on Veterans Day will be played aboard the USS Carl Vinson, the aircraft carrier that carried Osama bin Laden's body to a burial at sea.
The Carl Vinson returned from its deployment Wednesday to Coronado, across the bay from downtown San Diego.

Mike Whalen of the Morale Entertainment Foundation told The Associated Press that 40 to 50 people from his group, ESPN, the Navy and vendors will be at the ship on Monday and Tuesday for a site survey. A briefing for civic leaders and the media is planned for Monday evening at the San Diego Hall of Champions.

If you need a sense of how big the Nimitz-classified Naval ship is, click the pic. It's said to be "99 percent" certain that this ship will be chosen, and if it's not, the Ronald Reagan will get hosting duties. College basketball, under some scrutiny in recent years, is doing a number of things to up its visibility in the early part of its season. Playing a game on an aircraft carrier is out of the box, different and certainly a gimmick worth trying. Some believe it to be a waste of money, but ESPN will actually foot a large part of this bill, and the game will have a majority of uniformed officers as spectators.

Aside from 9/11 and 10- and 20- and 25-year anniversaries of bin Laden's killing, there won't be a better time to recognize the job our troops have done than this upcoming Veterans Day, the first after the May 1 mission was completed in Abbottabad, Pakistan. The game will an amazing piece of unprecedented scenery, but will also, really, function as a backdrop for a celebration and appreciation to all those who have the guts and courage to defend our country.

Photo: Getty Images

oumei Since: Oct 7, 2011	Posted on: October 14, 2011 2:41 am Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game Terrific position on this publish! I noticed it lv handbags on sale particularly useful. I've saved the web site hyperlink in your planet extensive word wide web website and I am wonderful that I will arise once more nonetheless yet again in probable. [ Reply to Comment ]
D x 2 Since: Apr 8, 2008	Posted on: June 20, 2011 10:28 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game You are ignorant if you believe ESPN is paying for everything associated with this game. [ Reply to Comment ]
shibbykaiyai Since: Nov 7, 2008	Posted on: June 18, 2011 11:38 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game and for the guy cryin about taxes pay attention to what you read it says espn is payin Every dime of this will go to the NCAA which the last time I checked, was not hurting for cash. And who is paying for the additonal security (in personnel, aircraft, and water) and all of the other costs that go into playing this game? Sure the game isn't going to be in internation waters, but when has that stopped terrorists from trying to bomb something? They nearly blew up a damn plane over my house a couple christmases ago, so I'm thinking that even if it is in the bay, it's still going to require a sh$%load of security. it will bring attention to ncaa basketball and both schools and their student body will benifit How? And are MSU and UNC hurting for noteriety? Last time I checked, they were two top ten teams and major national universities. And how does the student body benefit? They won't get any tickets for the game as they are going to soldiers (as they should) and big wigs tied to the two programs. So the two schools pay to fly their teams to San Diego, they have to pay for all of the paperwork and clearances that the government will require to play the game, and then they do not even get to have their fans there unless they are troops. And what happens if someone gets hurt? It seems to me that both teams are getting jobbed here. [ Reply to Comment ]
ll757 Since: Oct 26, 2010	Posted on: June 18, 2011 12:16 am Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game go tar heels!!! on the map once again [ Reply to Comment ]
benedictrick Since: Aug 30, 2006	Posted on: June 18, 2011 12:05 am Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game The way they took care of a murderer's body, and didn't even release photos to the public, would have me pissed if my team was playing on "that" aircraft carrier!!! I stated earlier on a post when this story broke weeks ago, that I thought it was cool. Not after the White House's "careful" handling of Bin Laden's body, so as to not upset the Islamic World. People in Michigan will be indifferent, but I guarantee that a lot of people from North Carolina will feel as I do. [ Reply to Comment ]
badpick4sporsln Since: Jan 10, 2007	Posted on: June 17, 2011 11:58 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game Yeah, death is so awesome! Join up with me at MEPS (Air Force, I go in 2 weeks) and really "serve", let's see how cool death is then. [ Reply to Comment ]
17fan Since: Oct 19, 2007	Posted on: June 17, 2011 10:31 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game you guys are all crazy there is nothing wrong with this it will bring attention to ncaa basketball and both schools and their student body will benifit and for the guy cryin about taxes pay attention to what you read it says espn is payin [ Reply to Comment ]
mikednkc Since: Oct 17, 2006	Posted on: June 17, 2011 10:25 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game Buried my ass. Fed to the fish! [ Reply to Comment ]
brob167 Since: Mar 2, 2009	Posted on: June 17, 2011 10:05 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game This game is a pretty stupid idea, but not because it puts college students into harm's way. I'm sure the boat won't be sailing around in international waters while it's being played. The kids' lives aren't at risk, but this game is just unnecessary and I hope it's an exhibition. It's just one of those things you don't have to do, and probably shouldn't do. [ Reply to Comment ]
Sgt.Niedermayer Since: Mar 15, 2008	Posted on: June 17, 2011 9:16 pm Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game This game has been in the works for years, and was definitely not concocted to celebrate the killing of Bin Laden. Now, the fact they chose this ship to host the already-planned game, well...lighten up, colonel. That monster changed the course of the history of our nation, and not in a good way. Finally having closure is something that many people feel justified in celebrating, and the fact they'd celebrate such a thing goes a long way toward illustrating the depth of the horror he inflicted on this country. [ Reply to Comment ]

and for the guy cryin about taxes pay attention to what you read it says espn is payin

Every dime of this will go to the NCAA which the last time I checked, was not hurting for cash. And who is paying for the additonal security (in personnel, aircraft, and water) and all of the other costs that go into playing this game? Sure the game isn't going to be in internation waters, but when has that stopped terrorists from trying to bomb something? They nearly blew up a damn plane over my house a couple christmases ago, so I'm thinking that even if it is in the bay, it's still going to require a sh$%load of security.

it will bring attention to ncaa basketball and both schools and their student body will benifit

How? And are MSU and UNC hurting for noteriety? Last time I checked, they were two top ten teams and major national universities. And how does the student body benefit? They won't get any tickets for the game as they are going to soldiers (as they should) and big wigs tied to the two programs. So the two schools pay to fly their teams to San Diego, they have to pay for all of the paperwork and clearances that the government will require to play the game, and then they do not even get to have their fans there unless they are troops. And what happens if someone gets hurt? It seems to me that both teams are getting jobbed here.

Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game

The way they took care of a murderer's body, and didn't even release photos to the public, would have me pissed if my team was playing on "that" aircraft carrier!!! I stated earlier on a post when this story broke weeks ago, that I thought it was cool. Not after the White House's "careful" handling of Bin Laden's body, so as to not upset the Islamic World. People in Michigan will be indifferent, but I guarantee that a lot of people from North Carolina will feel as I do.

Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game

This game is a pretty stupid idea, but not because it puts college students into harm's way. I'm sure the boat won't be sailing around in international waters while it's being played. The kids' lives aren't at risk, but this game is just unnecessary and I hope it's an exhibition. It's just one of those things you don't have to do, and probably shouldn't do.

Ship that buried bin Laden to host MSU-UNC game

This game has been in the works for years, and was definitely not concocted to celebrate the killing of Bin Laden. Now, the fact they chose this ship to host the already-planned game, well...lighten up, colonel. That monster changed the course of the history of our nation, and not in a good way.

Finally having closure is something that many people feel justified in celebrating, and the fact they'd celebrate such a thing goes a long way toward illustrating the depth of the horror he inflicted on this country.

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