Stadium Central

Watching the Cincinnati vs. Connecticut game last Saturday got me intrigued about the home of the Bearcats, Nippert Stadium. It was touted as the second oldest college stadium behind Franklin Field at the University of Pennsylvania. First of all, I will need to check on the specifics of that claim, as I have heard talk of both Bobby Dodd Stadium on the campus of Georgia Tech and Harvard Stadium as being oldest stadiums. Back to Nippert...I have never visited the stadium, but its location in the middle of campus looks to create some interesting features. The telecast on ABC last week showed students walking to classes along the concourse overlooking the stadium. A number of campus buildings abut the stadium, creating an intimate collegiate environment. The buildings seem quite unique as well, especially the one that houses the football offices. It actually has a look of a prison, but I am willing to go with it. The modern building behind the end zone adds even another look. While the hardcore architect may scoff at the mishmash of buildings, my untrained eye would probably just think that the mismatched buildings just provide more places of interest. :) I think that such stadium quirks make college football stadiums fascinating, and I look forward to the opportunity to see Nippert Stadium in person. With the success of the Bearcat football team this season, a trip there on gameday would make for a memorable experience.

On Friday, I witnessed the penultimate show in the 42 year history of Philadelphia's Spectrum. Pearl Jam had the honor of closing the old building down, and I had the honor of sitting in Row 1 of Section 215 to see the Seattle rockers do their best to make the building shake. I couldn't think of a better way to say goodbye to an era of arenas.

I have been to a number of these old arenas, but more recent trips to newer versions such as Air Canada Centre in Toronto and Verizon Center in DC have changed my perception of an arena experience. It was, therefore, a great opportunity to dive back into the past. The first thing that one notices when approaching the Spectrum is its diminutive build compared to the newer Wachovia Center next door, where the Flyers and Sixers moved in 1996 in search of revenues from luxury suites and club seats. The newer arena does seat more (21600 vs 18400 for basketball), but the scale is dramatically larger than the difference in seating capacity would suggest. The smaller size is dramatized by the incredibly short amount of time that it takes to walk an entire loop in the concourse.

A lot of other features mark the differences...the narrow concourse, the relative scarcity of bathrooms and their placement downstairs. Certainly, the most dramatic differences are witnessed inside the seating bowl. Fans sit predominantly in "coach" seats, with only a few spartan luxury boxes placed between the first and second levels. The press box is equally muted. This arena is about the common fan, a place where people from all walks of life sit on equal ground cheering their favorite athletes or musicians. For that reason, there is no better place for a rock concert. For a concert, you want all eyes focused on the stage, the fans giving 100% of their energy to the performers who bounce that energy back. No white cloth dining tables a la Verizon Center, no towers of luxury suites where business deals are being made or conversations revolve around the plight of mutual funds. Just a place where everyone is there to partake in a communal party. For that reason, an old-school venue like the Spectrum will sorely be missed.

Certainly there are negatives of this place...traversing the concourses is not a task for the claustrophobic, vending options are not terribly exciting, and seats are packed just a bit too tight. But as a venue that brings people together to focus on the game or show at hand, it is hard to beat such a sparsely outfitted venue like the Spectrum.

I had the great pleasure to spend Friday night enjoying a show at one of the nation's great sports complexes at one of the most exciting times that this complex has seen. The complex is the collection of stadiums and arenas on the south side of Philadelphia, home to Citizens Bank Park, Lincoln Financial Field, the Wachovia Center, and the Wachovia Spectrum. While I am partial to stadiums and arenas that are embedded in an interesting part of the community or that has stellar views of water or mountains, the presence of four distinct venues in one location makes for an interesting setting. Few other places can make a claim; the closest to this setup would be the Meadowlands in East Rutherford, NJ, where Giants Stadium, the Izod Centre, and the Meadowlands Race Track share the same patch of land. As a native of the Garden State, the Meadowlands holds a special place in my heart, but I really like the access and the setup of the sports complex in Philadelphia.

This weekend was a special one for the venues. The Spectrum was seeing its last performances, hosting four nights of Pearl Jam. At the same time on Friday night, the Sixers were kicking off their home basketball season. That night, though, was only the appetizer for more fun to follow, with Saturday having an afternoon Flyers' game at the Center, Pearl Jam playing the last concert in the Spectrum, and the Phillies hosting game 3 of the World Series! The fun didn't stop, though, with the Eagles hosting the Giants on Sunday afternoon and the Phillies hosting the Yankees for game 4 of the World Series. It felt like this patch of land off of I-95 was the center of the universe!

Yes, stadiums are typically more interesting when one can walk from a neighborhood pub over to the game, there was something really spectacular about walking through the parking lots, seeing the retro-style Citizens' Bank Park on one corner, the modern-style Linc showing off its steel girders and Eagle head a few blocks away, and the comparatively new Wachovia Center towering over the old-school Spectrum. Yes, the stadiums are surrounded by an asphalt jungle of parking lots, making those yearning for a more sustainable transportation plan shiver. But a train station brings fans within walking distance, and the sharing of the parking lots by four venues must be commended for its efficiency. And the fact that two new stadiums and an arena were built on the site of an old arena and an old stadium can also be considered as a wise re-use of city real estate.

One may not throw out the names of Philadelphia's sporting venues when mentioning sports' iconic structures, but the collection of venues off of the interstate in South Philly makes for an oasis for those whose blood flows a bit faster in the presence of sporting palaces.