Profiles of American / Canadian Sports Stadiums and Arenas

Copyright © 2006 by Gene W. Knupke.

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Contents

Author Biography

Book Summary

Introduction

Acknowledgments

Reference List

UPDATE

PHOTO CREDITS

AUSTIN’S PASTURE

FRIENDLY CONFINES

BIG APPLE’S GARDEN

A GIFT OF THE CLASS OF 1879

THE BIG A

HOME OF MAD CRAZY BASKETBALL

BATTLE OF NEW ORLEANS

STRAWBERRY CANYON

THE JAKE

STAR OF MADISON STREET

SOUL OF MIAMI

WAGNER, CLEMENTE, AND STARGELL STILL PRESENT

WORTH SINGING ABOUT

JET NOISE LEVEL

THE GALLOPING GHOST

WHERE THE BUFFALO ROAM

GLITZY MEETING PLACE

WE’RE BACK HOME

DOLPHIN AND MARLIN PLAYGROUND

PINE TREE SETTING

HOME IN INDIANA

BUILT FOR THE OLYMPICS

BEWARE OF THE PHOG

KENTUCKY FAIR’S CENTERPIECE

THE BIG HOLE

THE BIG WHITE STONE

A WONDER OF ITS TIME

A SPACE ODYSSEY

EVERYTHING IS UP-TO-DATE

HALLOWED GROUND

MAGICAL CASTLE

CHIEF OSCEOLA’S TEPEE

CLIMBER’S PARADISE

NAHAS’S DREAM

HOME RUN KING

JAZZ PERFORMANCES

DEATH VALLEY I

1895 ICON

RENAISSANCE BEGINNING

THOMPSON AND BOLING LINK

HOME OF THE GATOR BOWL

A SIGNIFICANT GIFT

ICE BOWL FAME

NILE’S SPIRIT

THEY BUILT IT ANYWAY

WILDCAT-MANIA

OLD FASHION REVIVAL

A RIVER ONCE FLOWED THROUGH IT

WINTER PALACE

THE BIG HOUSE

EXPENSIVE JEWEL

AN OLD LADY

PIRATE SHIP’S HOME PORT

THE GREEN MONSTER

EIGHTH WONDER OF THE WORLD

TEFLON-COATED FIBERGLASS ROOF

MILITARY BACKGROUND

CHARLES SPIRIT LIVES ON

ORANGEMEN PLAYHOUSE

SPIRIT OF ST. LOUIS

TIGER DEN

COLOR RED DOMINATES

WELCOME TO AGGIE LAND

BAPTIZED WITH HARLEM AND GOWANUS WATER

TIGER’S HOMESTEAD

COLONNADES ON THE LAKEFRONT

FIT FOR A KING

HOG HEAVEN

BOWEN’S IDEA

AARON AND YOUNT REMEMBERED

BETWEEN THE HEDGES

SOONER LAND

CHINA BASIN ENERGIZED

DEAN’S DOME

GOLDEN GOPHERS COURT

THAT OUTDOOR FEELING

THE TAJ MAHAL

MEADOWLANDS SHOWCASE

THE HOUSE THAT DOAK BUILT

A FAMOUS LANDMARK

GLEAMING PROVO MARRIOTT

HAPPY VALLEY

REBIRTH ON THE RIVERFRONT

LUXURIOUS PALACE

OLD TRAIN DEPOT

VALLEY OF THE SUN

GRANDDADDY OF THEM ALL

BLOOMINGTON BLOSSOMS

THE BOB

CANDLESTICK POINT

HOOSIER’S DOME

THE HOUSE THAT NEYLAND BUILT

TUSCALOOSA’S CRIMSON TIDE

HOLE IN THE ROOF

A MAN’S VISION

SITE OF THE BATTLE FOR

FORT DUQUESNE

THE HOUSE THAT RUTH BUILT

THE SWAMP

FANTASTIC FACILITY

THE HORSESHOE

THE BIG E

NEW YORK STATE’S LARGEST

THE TED

ROCKNE’S DREAM

PURPLE TRIMMINGS

MILE-HIGH ADVENTURE

RANGERS STAMPING GROUNDS

DEATH VALLEY II

EAST VILLAGE NEIGHBORHOOD

STATISTICS

In memory of my dad, Walter C. Knupke,

who enjoyed participating in sports and was an

enthusiastic spectator.

Gene W. Knupke

Author Biography

Gene W. Knupke became hooked on the history of venues ever since experiencing his first sporting event. It took twenty years of researching to fulfill his vision of what makes a venue tick and the dramas that unfold. Although the original research was lost, he wouldn’t give up the dream. A member of the Society for American Baseball Research, he received a BA degree in journalism from the University of Denver. There, he was sports editor of the student newspaper and worked part time on the Denver Post sports staff. He and his wife, Carolyn, live in Fountain Valley, California.

Book Summary

This book profiles histories of stadiums and arenas in America and Canada: how they came about and how they became known; great performances, upsets, anecdotes, pageantry, and traditions—all factors that glorifies these venues; pageantry: Chief Osceloa intimidates Florida State Seminoles foes with flaming spear; great performances: Don Larson’s perfect, no hit, World Series, conquest and UCLA’s seven straight national basketball titles; upsets: Jets downing Baltimore in Super Bowl III; anecdotes: wrong-way run in football, sex as the main attraction, and slinging octopus onto the rink. Statistics on 355 venues, 109 stories, and 86 photographs make up the book.

Introduction

The vast Roman Colosseum was the forerunner. The famous amphitheater that sits on a stage in the middle of Rome is mirrored in the architecture of Harvard Stadium and California Memorial Stadium in the United States. Today, the United States is the world leader in the number of sports coliseums. They spread out from the four corners of the nation. From the Yale Bowl in the northeast to Safeco Field in the northwest to the Rose Bowl in the southwest to Pro Player Stadium in the southeast they make their presence known. In the midwest, discover Allen Fieldhouse, Soldier Field, and Wrigley Field. Everywhere from Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum to Rupp Arena to Madison Square Garden to Arthur Ash Stadium to Yankee Stadium and the Louisiana Superdome are just a few of many that dots the landscape. In Canada, their treasures are Bell Centre and the Skydome which magically come alive throughout the year. There are more than 355 venues that have a seating capacity of at least twenty-two thousand for outdoor stadiums and at least twelve thousand seats for indoor arenas. To be included in this book was the criteria used.

The nation’s largest stadium in seating capacity, 107,501, is Michigan Stadium on the campus of the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor. The Wolverines always sell out the place. New York’s Yankee Stadium with its 57,545 seats ranks on top in the baseball world. Insofar as basketball is concerned, Thompson-Boling Arena can accommodate 24,535 fans at the University of Tennessee. Syracuse University’s Carrier Dome can handle thirty-three thousand in its multipurpose configuration. Montreal’s Bell Centre with 21,273 seats rule the biggest in the hockey kingdom.

Franklin Field, University of Pennsylvania, is considered the oldest stadium, followed by Harvard Stadium and then the famous Yale Bowl in New Haven, Connecticut.

America’s venues have experienced and contributed countless pages of recorded history. Babe Ruth and his many home runs comes, to mind. Who can forget the Galloping Ghost, Red Grange of Illinois football and what he did against the Michigan Wolverines, or wrong way Roy Riegel in the Rose Bowl. Then there is the cinderella New York Jets upsetting the Baltimore Colts in the Super Bowl as proclaimed by Joe Namath. Nolan Ryan with his record number of no-hitters, UCLA’s fabulous eleven NCAA basketball championships, the glory day of the Boston Celtics, the exploits of Michael Jordan, Wayne Gretzky are unforgettable. The Olympic Games, Muhammad Ali boxing triumphs, and Barry Bond’s seventy-three home runs are just a part of history. Hopefully, this book will bring back some of those unforgettable memories that are staged every year in stadiums and arenas throughout this land before thousands of spectators.

Acknowledgments

Firstly, I wish to thank all the hundreds of publicists in the professional and collegiate world of sports who answered my questionnaires and letters for information and photographs. Without their assistance, this book mission would have been impossible. Secondly, city governments and chambers of commerce, and city convention and visitor’s bureaus were helpful in securing contacts needed to pursue the dream for this project. Thirdly, the support of my wife, Carolyn; my daughter, Jill and husband, Bryan Groves; and friends are greatly appreciated, especially when my original research was lost and the dream appeared to be doomed. But I was reassured to begin once again, and it worked. Thank you, everyone, for your support of my vision.

Reference List

ABC Sports Television

Baseball America

Cleveland Plain Dealer

College Sports Magazine

ESPN Sports Almanac

Football News

Green Cathedrals

Inside Sports Magazine

Los Angeles Times

Media Guides from many teams

NCAA Guides

Orange County Register

Sports History Magazine

Sports Illustrated

Teams’ publicity departments

The Football Thesaurus, Deke Houlgate

The Sporting News and Guides

USA Today, Baseball Weekly

USA Today, The Complete Four Sport Stadium Guide

WWW Ballparks, Munsey, & Suppes

UPDATE

Since completion of the manuscript on June 15, 2004, recent name changes has occurred as follows:

PHOTO CREDITS

1.       Alamodome

       Kurt Gehlhaar, Fotografika, Inc.

2.        Allen Fieldhouse

       Kansas University Athletics Corporation

3.        Aloha Stadium

       Hawaii Visitors Bureau / Warren Bolster

4.        Alltell Stadium

       Jacksonville Jaguars

5.        Angel Stadium

       Copyright Robery Binder / Angels

6.        Arrowhead Stadium

       Hank Young, Kansas City Chiefs

7.        Arthur Ashe Stadium

       USTA / Russ Adams Producions, Inc.

8.        Bank One Ballpark

       Courtesy Arizona Diamondbacks

9.        Beaver Stadium

       Penn State Image Resource Center

10.        Ben Hill Griffin Stadium

       University of Florida Licensing Office

11.        Bryant-Denny Stadium

       University of Alabama

12.        Bud Walton Arena

       University of Arkansas Media Relations

13.        Busch Stadium

       St. Louis Cardinals

14.        California Memorial Stadium

       University of California, Berkeley

15.        Camp Randall Stadium

       Courtesy of Wisconsin Sports Information

16.       Clemson Memorial Stadium

       Clemson University Sports Information Dept.

17.       Cleveland Browns Stadium

       Copyright Skip Trumbetti

18.       Conseco Fieldhouse

       Indiana Pacers

19.       Coors Field

       Rich Clarkson & Associates, LLC

20.       Cotton Bowl

       Squire Haskins Photography, Dallas, Texas

21.       Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium

       B.       Woody Photo / Texas Longhorn Athletics

22.       Dean Smith Center

       University of North Carolina

23.        Delta Center

       Don Grayston / Utah Jazz

24.        Doak Campbell Stadium

       Florida State University Sports Information

25.        Dodger Stadium

       Gene W. Knupke

26.        Ericsson Stadium

       Larry Harwell, Carolina Panthers

27.        Fenway Park

       Aerial Photos International, Inc.

28.        FleetCenter

       Steve Babineau

29.        Florida Citrus Bowl

       University of Central Florida

30.        Franklin Field

       Penn Athletic Communications Office

31.        Giants Stadium

       New Jersey Sports & Exposition Authority

32.        Gund Arena

       Gene W. Knupke

33.        Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

       University of Minnesota Media Relations Department

34.        Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome

       University of Minnesota Media Relations Department

35.        Husky Stadium

       University of Washington Media Relations

36.        Illinois Memorial Stadium

       University of Illinois Sports Information Office

37.        Invesco Field at Mile High

       Copyright Michael Dickson / Rich Clarkson & Associates

38.        Jacobs Field

       Gene W. Knupke

39.        Jacobs Field

       Copyright Skip Trumbetti

40.        Jordan-Hare Stadium

       Auburn Athletic Media Relations

41.        Kauffman Stadium

       Kansas City Royals

42.        Kinnick Stadium

       University of Iowa Photo Services

43.        Kyle Field

       Texas A&M University

44.        Lambeau Field

       Green Bay Packers

45.        LaVell Edwards Stadium

       Mark A. Philbrick / BYU

46.        Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum

       Los Angeles Convention & Visitors Bureau / Michael & Tom Grime

47.        Madison Square Garden

       New York City Convention & Visitors Bureau

48.        Marriott Center

       Mark A. Philbrick / BYU

49.        McKale Center

       University of Arizona Photo Center

50.        Michigan Stadium

       University of Michigan

51.        Minute Maid Park

       Houston Astros Media Relations

52.        Mountaineer Field

       West Virginia University Photographic Services

53.        Nebraska Memorial Stadium

       Rick Anderson of Omaha, Nebraska

54.        Network Associates Coliseum

       Oakland Athletics Baseball Company

55.        Neyland Stadium

       University of Tennessee Sports Information Dept.

56.        Notre Dame Stadium

       Copyright 1998 David C. Berta

57.        Ohio Stadium

       Ohio State Athletics Communications

58.        Olympic Stadium

       Montreal Expos

59.        Oriole Park at Camden Yards

       National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, NY

60.        Pauley Pavilion

       Helen and Louis Friedman

61.        Pro Player Stadium

       Miami Dolphins

62.        Qualcomm Stadium

       Qualcomm Stadium Management / City of San Diego

63.        Raymond James Stadium

       Copyright Gandy Photography, Inc. / Outback Bowl

64.        Rose Bowl

       Pasadena Convention & Visitors Bureau

65.        Rose Garden

       Rose Quarter

66.        Rupp Arena

       David Coyle, University of Kentucky

67.        Sanford Stadium

       University of Georgia Sports Communications Office / Mark Yearby

68.        Savvis Center

       Savvis Center

69.        SBC Park

       Copyright San Francisco Giants

70.        Shea Stadium

       New York City Convention & Visitors Bureau

71.        SkyDome

       Courtesy of the Toronto Blue Jays

72.        Staples Center

       Dr. Frank Y. Sadao, OD

73.        Sun Devil Stadium

       Courtesy Scott Photography Copyrighted 1997

74.        Texas Stadium

       Texas Cowboys

75. The Ballpark in Arlington

       Copyright 1995 Glenn Patterson / Sky Cam / Texas Rangers

76.        Tiger Stadium

       Copyright Steve Franz / LSU Athletic Dept.

77.        Turner Field

       Courtesy of Atlanta National Baseball Club, Inc. Copyright 2002, All Rights Reserved

78.        University Arena / The Pit

       University of New Mexico / Steve Bercovitch

79.        Vaught-Hemingway Stadium / Hollingsworth Field

       University of Mississippi

80. Williams Arena

       University of Minnesota Media Relations Department

81.        Williams Arena

       University of Minnesota Media Relations Department

82.       Williams-Brice Stadium       

       University of South Carolina / Jim Covington

83.        U. S. Cellular Field

       Chicago White Sox

84.        Wrigley Field

       National Baseball Hall of Fame Library, Cooperstown, New York

85.        Yale Bowl

       Yale University

86.        Yankee Stadium

       New York City Convention & Visitors Bureau

AUSTIN’S PASTURE

Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, Austin, Texas

Just as Texas ranks first in beef production, the Longhorns of Texas rank first in production of pigskin victories in their Austin pasture over their bitter rivals, Texas A&M. Ever since their big home, Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium, existed, the Longhorns tradition that A&M will never beat them on their grazing lands has been more than a Texas dream. The stadium was opened in 1924, and the Steers have caused many a Texas A&M nightmare as they tried to keep its proudest tradition intact. It took the seventeenth game or the 1956 battle for Texas A&M to break the tradition with their first win, 34-21. In this span, the Aggies were shut out in nine games. Today through the 2000 affair, the Longhorns have won thirty, lost only eight and one contest a tie for a home percentage of .789.

Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium history has been strongly influenced by the Aggie Eleven at College Station. Through great spirit and enthusiasm, the stadium was planned and dedicated. Texas was promised a new football plant if it would beat A&M in 1923. Only the year before the Longhorns lost to A&M. But a 6-0 Texas win set the plans in motion for a new stadium. Students started a rally and a great money drive for the project. The motto was Win or Lose, a Stadium by Thanksgiving 1924. Of course, the idea spread swiftly throughout Austin and was a howling success.

Construction began on April 4, 1924, with a deadline of November 27, 1924, the date of the A&M affair. The contractors had to build at a very fast pace in order to be ready for the classic match. The project was built in record time. The stadium was financed, planned and constructed in one year and two days from the first moment that an organization had conceived the idea. The then twenty-seven-thousand-seat venue was readied for the A&M game and was initiated in the only way Texas fans would have it with a 7-0 conquest of their greatest opponent.

The late Governor Pat M. Neff dedicated the Texas Memorial Stadium, as it was then called, on November 27, 1927, as a monument for the men of Texas who lost their lives in World War I. Throughout the stadium about two hundred bronze plates were placed to honor the university dead. The memorial monument on the north wall was realized from a $10,000 appropriation and portrays the figure of a woman with arms outstretched to represent freedom. Adjacent to the sides of the monument are listed over five thousand names of the Texas World War I dead.

The recent renovation and expansion, completed in 1999, cost about $51.6 million. Among the improvements are double-decking the sideline stands, adding suites, more restrooms and concession stands, new field lights, coaches locker room and shower, are just a part of the work. The new seating capacity of 80,082 makes the steer pasture the second biggest in the state of Texas. At the same time, the rededication labeled the stadium, Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium in honor of the legendary Longhorns coach.

There have always been contests of excitement, pleasant, startling, or magical at Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium. Flashback to 1939 encounter with Arkansas Razorbacks. The thriller saw the Longhorns on the short end of a 13-7 count with thirty seconds remaining in the tussle. But soon the sharp Razorbacks became rusty as the Crain-Patrick play sent the Texas rooters roaring down to the field. A short aerial over the middle by R. B. Patrick and snagged by Jack Crain of Texas, who galloped down field for seventy-one yards and the equalizer, was the turning point. The nosy crowd then saw Texas boot the leather through the uprights for a 14-13 victory.

In 1954, LSU’s Tigers invaded and the game was won by the jet-propelled method. Only the year before Texas lost to LSU at Baton Rouge, 20-7. So revenge was a big factor. The Longhorn TDs came on 80, 62, and 92-yard plays for a 20-6 victory.

Eddie Phillips and Cotton Speyrer executed a forty-five-yard scoring pass play with twenty seconds left on the clock to beat UCLA, 20-17, on that hot October day in 1970. People still recall the screams, noise of sixty-five thousand followers for that thrilling play, and they were in no hurry to exit the stadium.

On September 21, 1996, the matchup was between No. 6-ranked Texas and No. 9-ranked Notre Dame. The stadium was overflowed with a record crowd of 83,312. At the time it was the largest attendance anywhere in the state of Texas. Jim Sanson of Notre Dame was the culprit. As time expired, Sanson booted a thirty-nine-yard field goal that shocked the Texas faithful as Notre Dame won, 27-24. It was the first time that Coach Lou Holtz won at Texas. Three previously tries were when he was coach at Arkansas.

One of the most remarkable upsets occurred on October 23, 1999. Texas was outgained by Nebraska’s Cornhuskers, 429 to 275. But that didn’t mean anything. Texas took No. 3-ranked Nebraska to the tune of 24-20 and damaged their hopes for a national championship.

Aside from the many thrilling games that Darrell K. Royal Memorial has staged, two incidents will long be remembered because the victim was the stadium. It happened in 1950 when someone discovered a thick layer of oats in strips stretching across the stadium playing field. A powerful vacuum cleaner was employed in an attempt to remove the seeds, but difficulties with extension cords made the job unsuccessful. When the seeds had sprouted, they formed large yellow letters. This so-called oat-sowing affair proved how bitter and intense some rivalries are under the Texas skies. These yellow letters formed A&M on the sod of Darrell K. Royal Memorial Stadium. Letters that have meant much in the history and development of this famed football venue. But this isn’t the end. In 1994, about a week before the A&M game, vandals infiltrated the stadium at night and removed the horns from the Longhorn logo painted on the field at the midstripe. It cost $7,500 to repair the damage. The vandals were never caught, but the game went on as planned. It’s believed that the Texas players were probably upset by the hornless logo on the artificial turf at the fifty-yard line. Perhaps, this is true because the Aggies won the battle, 34-10. That’s expected in the world of football, deep in the heart of Texas.

FRIENDLY CONFINES

Wrigley Field, Chicago, Illinois

Time marches on for the Chicago Cubs have been playing baseball at the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field, for more than ninety years to top all National League parks. If you are longing for a place that represents the past, then Wrigley Field would energize your senses. Ivy-covered outfield walls, a huge manually operated scoreboard atop the centerfield bleachers, the singing of the traditional Take Me Out to the Ball Game—all is a part of the Chicago Cubs famed landmark at 1060 W. Addison Street on the north side of town.

Its birth in 1914 was fourteen-thousand-seat Weeghman Park home of the Chicago Whales of the Federal Baseball League. The park’s construction started in March 1914 on the site of an old seminary. About a month later, April 23, 1914, the park opened. In 1920, the Wrigley family bought the team from Weeghman and changed the name to Cubs Park. Six years later Cubs Park became Wrigley Field in honor of owner, William Wrigley Jr.

The Friendly Confines is a unique place. Besides the publicized ivy-covered walls and manually operated scoreboard, you will have foul poles that honor the two most famous Cub players—Ernie Banks and Billy Williams. The foul pole in left has a flag with number 14 on it, the number Banks used. On the right pole, the flag is number 26 which was Billy Williams’s identity. At the conclusion of every game played at Wrigley Field, the centerfield scoreboard announces the result for on top of the board a flag will fly with either a W or L. This is a tradition that started way back in its beginning.

Wrigley was the last holdout in the major leagues for night baseball. The Wrigleys believed the game is meant for day performances. However, the dark ages ended on August 8, 1988, when six banks of lights flooded the playing field for the first time. After three and a half innings, rain cancelled the meeting; and the official night game was staged the next evening with a 6-4 Cub triumph over the New York Mets.

Throughout the decades, Wrigley Field dramas have unfolded. One of the dramas was in the third game of the 1932 World Series. New York’s Babe Ruth was facing Charley Root in the fifth inning. This is when the so-called shot was demonstrated. With two strikes and two balls, the legend says Ruth pointed to the spot where he was going to hit the ball. And on the next pitch, he hit a home run in the designated area to give the Yanks the game. This was Ruth’s last World Series homer. The Yankees captured the fourth game the next day for the championship.

Let’s roll back the years to September 28, 1938. As darkness was approaching, Wrigley Field was in the bottom of the ninth inning and the score tied at five with the Pirates, Manager Gabby Harnett became the hero. With two out, he blasted a game winning home run in the near darkness of the Friendly Confines. The victory gave the Cubs the lead over Pittsburgh in the pennant chase and eventually the league championship.

It was on May 2, 1917, that Wrigley Field experienced a double no-hitter. Reds pitcher Fred Toney versus Cubs pitcher Jim Vaughn were the headliners. But after nine innings, something had to give. It was Vaughn who weakened in the tenth. With one out, the Reds Larry Kopf got the first hit of the game. But later Jim Thorpe drove in the only run as Toney then zeroed the Cubs in the bottom of the tenth. History was made, and the odds of this ever repeating itself is unlikely.

Wrigley Field for fifty years was the home of the Chicago Bears NFL football. December 29, 1963, was a bitter wintry day with temperatures a way below the freezing mark. Still 45,801 fans made it to Wrigley to witness George Halas’s Bears come from behind to whip the New York Giants, 14-10, for the NFL title.

Don’t get confused. This isn’t a Chicago Bear football game. This is a baseball game. The score, 23-22, happened on May 17, 1979, with the Philadelphia Phillies who came out the winner. Eleven home runs were blasted in this ten-inning affair. Philadelphia led off with a seven-run, first inning. They tallied eight times in the third inning. The Cubs countered with a six-run, first inning act and seven runs in the fifth inning. The most total bases, ninety-seven, established a new major league record. Probably, home plate’s surface was showing wear and tear.

Did you know that in six tries, the Cubs have never won a World Series in Wrigley? Perhaps, in this instance the Friendly Confines is not the proper terminology. But, on the other hand, the Chicago Bears won the NFL championship four times of the five played at Wrigley Field.

Many sagas are relived at Wrigley: Ernie Banks 500th home run in 1970, Stan Musial of St. Louis recorded his three thousand hit in 1958, the Cubs twenty-one-game winning streak started here in 1935, Sammy Sosa in 1999 became the first player to hit sixty home runs twice, and the Cubs will have a life-size statue of the late Harry (Holy Cow) Caray, legendary broadcaster standing outside the Friendly Confines.

When part owner, Phil Wrigley, designed a public relations campaign to name Wrigley Field The Friendly Confines, its purpose was to bring more fans into the park. Chicago Cub fans continue to flock to the venue for they cherish their heritage. Even though Wrigley Field has not seen a World Series for some fifty-eight years through 2003, the spirit of the past and the future is well alive. They say there will always be a Wrigley Field at 1060 West Addison Street.

BIG APPLE’S GARDEN

Madison Square Garden, New York

The world-famous Madison Square Garden has been on the New York scene for 122 years. But since 1925, its location has not been on Madison Square, but nevertheless the name lingers on. There have been four venues in its history. The first and second buildings were located on Madison Avenue between Twenty-sixth and Twenty-seventh streets. The third Garden site was on Eighth Avenue between Forty-ninth and Fiftieth streets. Today, Madison Square Garden IV towers some six stories above street level over the Penn Station in midtown Manhattan, about a half mile from its birthplace.

The circular shape of the Garden is 425 feet in diameter, and its height measures 150 feet. The main arena seats 19,763 for basketball events and 16,200 for ice hockey. At the top levels of the interior, eighty-nine suites are situated. In addition, 2,700 club seats are available for basketball and 2,100 club seats for hockey. During 1993 to 1994, a $200 million refurbishing of Madison Square Garden was instigated.

The main events in the Garden are the NBA New York Knicks, the NHL New York Rangers, and the WNBA New York Liberty basketball. Madison Square Garden is also the home of the NIT college basketball classic.

There are several moments to share when Madison Square Garden is the topic. On December 14, 1993, the Denver Nuggets were the opponent on a Pizza Hut promotion. If the Knicks could hold Denver under eighty-five points, each fan would receive free pizzas from Pizza Hut. With the score, New York, 93, Denver 84 and only 5.1 seconds left on the clock, Denver rookie, Darnell Mee, was at the free throw line. But with the crowd yelling Pizza! Pizza! throughout the fourth stanza, it must have affected Mee’s concentration because he missed both shots enabling the audience to get free pizzas.

Another Garden episode took place before a jam-packed audience on May 8, 1970, in game 7 of the NBA Finals with the Los Angeles Lakers. The Knicks led by a starting lineup of Walt Frazier, Willis Reed, Dave DeBusschere, Dick Barnett, and Bill Bradley fought off Wilt Chamberlain and the Lakers, 113-99, to claim their first NBA title for the city of New York. Three years later, New York won its second NBA championship against Los Angeles.

August 8, 1999, is memorable at the garden for that’s when 19,563 witnessed the WNBA’s New York Liberty versus the champion Houston Comets. Sophia Witherspoon garnered twenty-two points to energize the Liberty to a 74-71 victory. With seventeen seconds to go, New York was behind 72-71 but was not to be denied.

Madison Square Garden doesn’t get much billing in the way of boxing as in the past. However, March 8, 1971, was a thriller. That’s when undefeated Joe Frazier clashed with undefeated Muhammad Ali for the heavyweight championship. By a slim margin, Frazier triumphed when a left hook dropped Ali in the fifteenth round.

Bygone days continue when you think about the New York Rangers. It has been fifty-four years since New York captured the Stanley Cup. But on June 14, 1994, the Rangers seized the Stanley Cup before 18,200 fans. In game 7 the final score was New York, 3, and the Vancouver Canucks, 2. A magical day for ice hockey in the Big Apple.

Another hockey drama involved one of the greatest players in history. It was on March 29, 1999, that the great Wayne Gretzky of the Rangers with a little over two minutes to play and on his own rebound smacked the puck into the net to give New York a 3-1 victory. It was Gretzky’s 1072nd career goal, surpassing Gordie Howe as the leading goal scorer in the history of professional hockey.

Madison Square Garden lives on, whether it is the present edition or a new edition. Back in 1986, it was suggested that a new venue be built. But for sure if and when that materializes, the arena will surely be known as Madison Square Garden, a name famous around the world in sports.

A GIFT OF THE CLASS OF 1879

Harvard Stadium, Cambridge, Massachusetts

In 1903, Harvard graduate Theodore Roosevelt was president of the United States, and the first World Series was played between the Boston Red Sox and Pittsburgh. But another historical event, the opening of Harvard Stadium on November 14, 1903, occurred when Harvard lost to Dartmouth 11-0 in the first football stadium built in the United States. The U-shaped stadium architecturally resembles a Greek and Roman structure. The huge reinforced concrete facility was then the world’s largest and recognized as quite an engineering feat in its day.

The stadium was a gift of the class of 1879 on their twenty-fifth anniversary. Before anything could be done, an insight into the stadium’s use and need had to be determined. Some people thought concrete material could not withstand the winters and that football was just a passing fancy. After these ideas were quenched, a stadium go-ahead signal resulted. Therefore, in just four and a half months, the $310,000 building was completed and ready for football.

Presently, the seating capacity is 37,067, although in 1927 the seats totaled 57,166 when a steel structure was built at the north end of the field and later removed. When the edifice opened, twenty-three thousand could be seated. Several renovations were made throughout the stadium’s life, but preserving the original plan. Being a member of the Ivy League, how apropos that the stadium’s exterior is gradually being covered with the growth of ivy.

Sixty-five years after the opening of Harvard Stadium, the site was the scene of an unbelievable contest. The famous 1968 The Game which means the opposition is rival Yale, found both teams unbeaten as they took the field at Harvard Stadium before 40,280. In the first half, it was all Yale with a commanding 22-0 lead. However, just before the half ended, Harvard scored to make it 22-6. Going into the final period, it was Yale ahead, 29-13. Now only 3:30 of playtime remained. The script was better than anything Hollywood could write. Harvard took advantage of Yale’s mistakes to score a TD and made a successful two-point conversion to narrow the margin to 29-21. Only forty-two seconds left, and Harvard’s strategy naturally called for an on-side kick. It was successful as Bill Kelly got the ball on the Yale forty-nine. Quarterback Frank Champi ran for fourteen yards, but a Yale penalty put the ball on the Yale twenty. Harvard then advanced the ball to the six with fourteen seconds left. On the next play, the Crimson lost two. With three seconds left, Champi completed a pass to Vic Gatto for the score, making it 29-27 Yale. Going for a do-or-die situation, Champi threw to Pete Varney to tie the game at twenty-nine each. Although it was a tie, Harvard believed it was more of a victory and preserved its unbeaten season, the first since 1920.

Many Harvard Stadium feats bring on memories. Take the November 7, 1908, win over the Carlisle Indians and the famed Jim Thorpe. The Indian squad was shutout, seventeen-zip, to give Harvard a season of nine wins and one tie. The 1911 victory over Dartmouth, 5-3, began the thirty-three-game unbeaten streak. Cornell’s, 10-0, decision over the Crimson in 1915 put a stop to the streak. Back in time, Centre College Colonels blanked Harvard, 6-0, in the 1921 affair, the first loss for the Crimson in five years.

On October 2, 1993, a date to remember, Harvard beat Lafayette, 21-17, for its 700th win in history.

The Harvard-Yale rivalry is one of the most intense, dramatic, and thrilling that can be found anywhere. Pranks are sometimes a part of the attraction. Although the prank in the 1982 meeting had nothing to do with the Bulldogs, the culprit was MIT. A big black balloon covered with the letters MIT and buried under the turf came out of the ground by remote control, explodes and causes black smoke to appear. The prank happened after Harvard scored the leading TD in the second quarter. No one was hurt, but the game was delayed for about ten minutes.

Harvard University was established in 1636, sixteen years after the Pilgrims landed at Plymouth. Harvard Stadium opened 283 years after the landing. The nation’s oldest university claims to have the oldest football stadium. However, the claim is disputed by the University of Pennsylvania and its Franklin Field. Nonetheless, the fabled, storied structure with a facade similar to the Roman Colosseum has taken her age in stride. The Harvard Stadium tablet reads: The Harvard Stadium, Built in 1903 as the Twenty-fifth Anniversary Gift of The Class of 1879, Supplemented by Funds of the Harvard Athletic Association. Through the years the teams of Harvard had made good use of the storied athletic plant.

THE BIG A

Angel Stadium, Anaheim, California

It all began because the Angels wanted to seek their own identity. To get away from the Los Angeles Dodgers’ influence was a must. The city of Anaheim in Orange County purchased 157 acres of thriving orange groves, alfalfa, and cornfields for $4 million to make the Angeles’s dream become real. The shovels started the digging on August 31, 1964, for the stadium’s birth. Less than two years, April 9, 1966, the ball yard gates were opened for the San Francisco Giants exhibition game. The newly named California Angels lost to the Giants, 9-3, before an audience of 40,735.

Stadium General Manager, Tom Liegler said, There’s a lot of blood, sweat and tears mixed in with the concrete and mortar in this stadium… not the least of which are Rex Coons.

Back in 1963, a delegation of civic and county leaders, including Mayor Rex Coons, gathered in Washington to obtain Standard Metropolitan Statistical Area status for Orange County and were successful. An alert Coons discovered all SMSA regions had a professional sports team.

Sensing that the Los Angeles Angels were unhappy with the high rent of Dodger Stadium, among other things, Coons decided to make a play for them. The Angels had just turned down an offer from Long Beach. The city wanted their name attached to the team. Coons offered Anaheim as a location and advised owner Gene Autry he could name them whatever they desired. Less than a year later, the Angels reached an agreement to move to Anaheim and to become the California Angels. The only concern was getting a stadium built on short notice, but contractor Del Webb accomplished the task at hand. Coons idea was a reality.

Just fourteen years later, the building was expanded to sixty-nine thousand seats to accommodate the Los Angeles Rams football club. And now, seventeen years later, the stadium was downsized to just a baseball facility since the Rams left town. Anaheim Stadium, long known as the Big A, has a recent name change from