Word wfrazerjr. :) That was the first thought that popped into my head.
dead spots in the parquet floor . . . the moisture that would accumulate from the Bruin ice below Well, no one had control over the dead spots; it was a home court advantage only insomuch as Celtic players knew to avoid them. The Bruins ice was very rarely left below the parquet, though that's a common misconception. I can only think of one time and that's because it caused a Celtics-Hawks game to be cancelled halfway through due to puddles.
yerfatma, enlighten us on the common misconception. The ice DOES rest below the floor. Sure, it's hidden under layers of plywood and insulation, but it's there. I don't think there is any magic or witchcraft at work.
Back in Ty Cobb's day, the area of dirt in front of home plate in Tiger Stadium (actually, I think it was called Navin's Field at that time) would get soaked down to mud just before a game. Called Cobb's Lake, it would slow his bunts down to just the right amount of slowness that would allow him to run those out for hits. "It's a fact!"
