NBA Stadium Blog Day 2008
Welcome to the 1st Annual (I think it's the first, but I'm not sure if it'll happen next year) NBA Blogger Arena Memoir Day. Actually, I made up that name, but Jones on the NBA made up the day. Today is the day where basketball bloggers 'round the 'net are sharing their thoughts and experiences about NBA arenas. Why? Because it's early September for NBA fans.
I'd highly recommend visiting other participants today, there are some very good writers involved. But, more importantly, I'd like to here what ya'all have to say. Surely someone has a good memory from seeing a Wolves game at the Metrodome. What about a Lakers game at the Armory?
Here at Hoopus, we strangely came up with all Milwaukee commentary. I smell a conspiracy. A cheesy conspiracy.
UPDATE: Check out T-Wolves Blog's entry in the event.
Peter W
People will think I'm crazy, but I loved the old Mecca in Milwaukee. Back in 1987, before the Wolves were established, I went to see games there occasionally. At that time I was a strict vegetarian, but decided to forgo all thought of purity and have my very first Wisconsin bratwurst. I had the pleasure of seeing the Bad Boy Pistons close to their hey day against Nellie's team. The Bucks had begun their slide into mediocrity, but had players like Terry Cummings, Sidney Moncrief, and in his first year in a Milwaukee uniform, Jack Sikma.
The Mecca to me was a real sports stadium: dank and outmoded, but full of character. And, to my surprise, the bratwurst was delicious!
Wyn
The Bradley Center is where I first saw NBA basketball being played. And the Milwaukee Bucks were the first NBA team I ever rooted for. My dad used to take my brother and me down I-43 to watch Glenn Robinson, Vin Baker, Eric Murdock, Jon Barry, Ken Norman, Derek Strong, Marty Conlon, Todd Day, Lee Mayberry, Alvin Robertson and my personal favorite, Blue Edwards.
The Mike Dunleavy era is not known for its "winning" in Milwaukee, but my dad taught me a lesson with this awful basketball team. The love I learned for professional sports in the Bradley Center (and Lambeau Field and County Stadium) came not from rooting for the winners, but for loving to watch the game being played with your friends and family, and rooting for your team.
And nothing said "teaching life lessons to your kid" like going to Major Goolsby's before a Bucks game. After all, that was the first place I saw a rubber penis affixed to a squirtgun. So, that was pretty interesting.
But for all the strife I endured growing up as a Bucks fan, I gained an appreciation for the guys who played their asses off every night, up 30 or down 30, because they knew they had no guarantees they'd ever play again. It was in the Bradley Center that I learned rooting for a team I felt was my own and gaining the camraderie built with strangers are the reasons why I root at all.
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Saw the Sixers play the Nuggets in an exhibition game in the Winnipeg Arena in 1984. The Sixers had just won the championship and I was very excited to see Dr J. However he had some kind of special shoes and he’d forgotten them in Edmonton or some such place, and didn’t even dress for the game. Ah yes the old forgot my shoes story, I’ve used it several times myself. Malone and Toney and those guys played about 5 minutes each, and Kiki Vandeweghe scored about 40 in a Nuggets blowout. Nobody really knew what was going on, least of all my dad. Inside the Arena they had tons of banners from the Jets’ WHA days in which they dominated the league and won a bunch of championships. The Jets are now the Phoenix Coyotes. They tore the Winnipeg Arena down a couple of years ago. Good times.
by plinytheelder on Sep 15, 2008 12:18 AM CDT 0 recs
The Guess Who suck, the Jets were lousy anyway.
Know that song?
Regardless, excellent share. Didn’t know they played exhibition games in Canada that far back. Good to know that they didn’t play their best players back then either.
by wyn on
Sep 15, 2008 8:52 AM CDT
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HAR
No I didn’t know that song but I just googled it. Well they’re right about the Guess Who that’s for sure!
by plinytheelder on
Sep 15, 2008 12:51 PM CDT
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Here's mine...
P.S. I linked to ya’ll.
http://www.twolvesblog.com/college-wolf-off-topic/off-topic-articles/nba-stadiums-blog-day.html
by College Wolf on Sep 15, 2008 12:08 PM CDT 0 recs
Word. Thx CW.
Sounds like yours was a bit more ruckus than bratwurst and rubber penises.
by wyn on
Sep 15, 2008 1:31 PM CDT
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Baseball
Baseball has these grand buildings (the old Yankee Stadium, not the current one, Fenway Park, Camden Yards, etc)
Why do baseketball arenas, for the most part, are ‘boring’? I supposed that nowadays a lot of arena are shared with hockey team, the archtechture can’t allow for a cool looking building.
That picture up there of the Minneapolis Armory…it just looks like a basketball arena
by DedicatedFollowerOfFashion on Sep 17, 2008 9:05 PM CDT 0 recs













