http://www.nytimes.com/2015/03/30/sports/ncaabasketball/vast-stadium-falls-silent-except-for-clangs.html?_r=0
I am unaware of any other Dome setup where the court is set in the very center of the dome and the stands are angled at a ridiculously flat angle. If someone stands up in front of you 4 rows ahead, I really doubt you can see anything as a fan.
But the bigger problem in Houston is the shooting background. On TV, I saw an angle from behind Tyus Jones in the first half against Gonzaga where Tyus was shooting (and making) a free throw. He was shooting into a black abyss that resembled outer space, except he also had to shoot over the heads of a group of fans who seem to be presenting a play or musical of some sort, since they were very brightly illuminated for whatever reason.
At a basketball stadium, you can look through the glass backboard and into the crowd when you are shooting. The game is played in what appears to be daylight, and, if anything, the lights on the crowd are LESS bright than those on the court. Houston's stadium, like Del Griffith's anecdotes, is a miracle, it has none has none of that. You shoot out of the light and over the heads of someone presenting a play and then into the deepest darkest abyss you have ever seen.
I would imagine that someone shooting a corner 3 sees the rim and then acres of black space. Perhaps the best strategy for a player would be to find a poorly lit outdoor court 100-150 miles from Houston on a cloudy night and shoot into the darkness. Of course, that would not provide the additional wild card of the bizarre crowd angle and lighting, but maybe you could park 300 cars facing one another with their lights on about 50 yards from the court?
I am sure Houston has warm weather and a lot of millionaire boosters and the museums/strip bars that fans want, but my lord, can't someone advise them as to how to set up a basketball arena?
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