Ever heard of a glow-up so weird it leaves you scratching your head? That’s exactly what happened at Courter Tech in Cincinnati—the same high school that birthed MLB legend Dave Parker. What used to be home to roaring football fans and baseball cheers is now completely different, like the energy is just gone. Yep, the fields where MLB legend literally crushed it as a baseball star have been swapped out for “berms.” And let’s just say that athletes everywhere are side-eyeing this transformation. How did a place with so much athletic history become all about landscaping and state college?

On December 10th, an X user brought the tea. They posted, “I visited soon-to-be Hall of Famer Dave Parker’s former high school, Courter Tech, in Cincinnati in April ’23. It is now Cincinnati State College. The home baseball & football field has been replaced with the berms you see in one of the photos I took.” Imagine visiting the hallowed grounds where Parker once balled out, only to find some grassy humps. Like, what even?

Here’s a little history for you: Cincinnati State College bought Courter Tech High School’s property from the Cincinnati Board of Education for $8.4 million in 1970. Courter Tech continued to share the facility with Cincinnati State College till 1974. It’s now a $750M educational hotspot. The legendary football field? Gone. Baseball diamond? Vanished. And in their place—berms.

Not bleachers, not tracks, not even parking lots. Berms. You’ve got to wonder, what would Dave Parker say about the very field where he used to hit home runs and touchdowns? Yes, Dave played football too. Ironically, football was actually his favorite sport, not baseball.

Dave Parker’s football glory days at Courter Tech

Now let’s rewind to the glory days when Dave Parker wasn’t just The Cobra of the MLB but also a straight-up menace on the football field. Back in the late ‘60s, Parker was already that guy at Courter Tech—a three-sport superstar dominating football, basketball, and baseball. But football? That was his first love. “I loved it because it’s a contact game,” Parker once said. “I liked to run over people.” If that doesn’t scream baller, then what does?

As a junior in 1968, Parker was an all-star running back, and literally made it through the first-team All-Public High School League. College scouts were practically camping out in his backyard. Over 60 programs wanted him, from football powerhouses to big-name universities. The man had options—big ones.

But life had other plans. During the first game of his senior year, Parker’s knee gave out in a cruel twist of fate. One bad play and his football dreams went up in smoke. Surgery the day after Thanksgiving sealed the deal. No more Friday night lights, no senior year baseball, no college football stardom. But hey, the man pivoted to baseball and became a legend, so no hard feelings, right?

Now, standing on those berms where the football field used to be, you can’t just help but wonder—what if? What if Parker’s knee hadn’t given out? Could he have been the Barry Sanders-esque star of the NFL before smashing home runs in the MLB? The transformation of Courter Tech into Cincinnati State College might’ve erased those physical fields, but Parker’s legacy? Diabolical. Berms or no berms, the man’s name still echoes louder than any Friday night cheer.