For years, Mellon Arena was known as both the 'Igloo' due to it's shape as well as the Civic Arena. The nickname 'Igloo' was very fitting being that it was the home to the NHL's Pittsburgh Penguins from 1967 to 2010. In fact, the arena received the nickname before the franchise's mascot had been named. The Igloo was unlike many other NHL arenas in that it's roof was able to retract. The roof meant that there were no obstructed views in the arena.
The Penguins were actually not the first hockey team to play in the arena; the Pittsburgh Hornets were. The Penguins both opened and closed the arena with losses to the Montreal Canadiens. The Habs, as the Canadiens are called, eliminated the Penguins from the Eastern Conference semifinals in 2010. During that year, Mellon arena was the third smallest NHL arena. Although it was eligible to become a member of the National Register of Historic Places. Allegheny County, however, voted to demolish the arena because they want to develop the area around the arena.
Unlike most NHL arenas, parking in the surrounding areas of Mellon arena was very simple. There is a light rail train station nearby. There were also parking garages offering parking for around $10 as well as free meters on nights and weekends.
When Mario Lemieux took control of the Penguins in 1999, he used the idea of the Penguins relocating to another city as leverage to get a new NHL arena constructed. Upon construction of the Consol Energy Center, the city of Pittsburgh and the Penguins are hoping for new development to come to the area. Such developments would include new hotels, restaurants and offices to compliment the area. The area would be much like the Arena District in downtown Columbus, where Nationwide Arena sits as the center piece. (Home of the Blue Jackets).
The Igloo saw three Stanley Cups during it's days as home of the Penguins. Let's hope that the new arena will be as fortunate.
NHL Arenas
Monday, April 2, 2012
Forgotten NBA Arenas: Charlotte Coliseum
Charlotte Coliseum was once one of the liveliest NBA arenas and boasted a fun fan environment for Charlotte Hornets fans. It was also the largest NBA arena with a capacity of 24,000 seats; very similar to the size of Rupp Arena in Lexington, KY. "The Hive" as it was nicknamed, was only home to the Hornets for 17 short years between 1988 and 2005. Between it's opening and 1997, the arena hosted 364 consecutive sellouts which was phenomenal for a small market club like the Hornets.
Businessman George Shinn was aware of the popularity of college basketball in the state of North Carolina and thought Charlotte would be a great fit for an NBA franchise. He was awarded the Hornets as an expansion team as were the Twin Cities, Miami and Orlando. However, he became very unpopular in the 90s when he refused to grant Michael Jordan a larger role in ownership, traded Alonzo Mourning and was accused of raping a woman. As a result, the attendance began to decline, eventually putting the Hornets with the worst attendance among NBA arenas.
By the 2000s, Charlotte Coliseum was aging quickly and offered very little in terms of club and luxury seating. Shinn eventually applied to have the franchise moved to another city because the city of Charlotte refused to construct a new NBA arena with public funds. A deal was finally reached when the city said they would build a new home for the Hornets as long as Shinn wasn't the owner. He subsequently moved the Hornets to New Orleans and Charlotte was promised a franchise by 2004.
The NBA's newest expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats played their entire first season at the Coliseum while awaiting the construction of Time Warner Cable Arena. Unlike many other NBA arenas, the Hive sat miles from the downtown area which often hinders attendances in other cities. Think Power Balance Pavilion and the old Richfield Coliseum. Time Warner Cable Arena was erected in Uptown Charlotte, a very active part of town with plenty of shops, restaurants and hotels.
The old Coliseum stood until June of 2007 when it was demolished. The former site is currently vacant with no plans to re-develop. May 'The Hive' rest in peace.
NBA Arenas
Businessman George Shinn was aware of the popularity of college basketball in the state of North Carolina and thought Charlotte would be a great fit for an NBA franchise. He was awarded the Hornets as an expansion team as were the Twin Cities, Miami and Orlando. However, he became very unpopular in the 90s when he refused to grant Michael Jordan a larger role in ownership, traded Alonzo Mourning and was accused of raping a woman. As a result, the attendance began to decline, eventually putting the Hornets with the worst attendance among NBA arenas.
By the 2000s, Charlotte Coliseum was aging quickly and offered very little in terms of club and luxury seating. Shinn eventually applied to have the franchise moved to another city because the city of Charlotte refused to construct a new NBA arena with public funds. A deal was finally reached when the city said they would build a new home for the Hornets as long as Shinn wasn't the owner. He subsequently moved the Hornets to New Orleans and Charlotte was promised a franchise by 2004.
The NBA's newest expansion team, the Charlotte Bobcats played their entire first season at the Coliseum while awaiting the construction of Time Warner Cable Arena. Unlike many other NBA arenas, the Hive sat miles from the downtown area which often hinders attendances in other cities. Think Power Balance Pavilion and the old Richfield Coliseum. Time Warner Cable Arena was erected in Uptown Charlotte, a very active part of town with plenty of shops, restaurants and hotels.
The old Coliseum stood until June of 2007 when it was demolished. The former site is currently vacant with no plans to re-develop. May 'The Hive' rest in peace.
NBA Arenas
Forgotten MLB Ballparks: The Astrodome
In 1960, Major League Baseball expanded by two teams; the New York Mets and the Houston Astros. Only the Astros weren't called the Astros, they were the Colt .45s which is perhaps one of the worst names in the history of sports. The Houston Astrodome was the first domed MLB ballpark in the history of the game. The dome was necessary in order to protect fans from the brutal and unpredictable Houston summers.
Although the Astrodome wasn't cookie-cutter shaped like other MLB ballparks of the same era, it was used for multiple purposes. The Dome was also home to the NFL's Houston Oilers which you know them now as the Tennessee Titans. Multi purpose stadiums usually meant poor sight lines for baseball games.
The Dome itself presented many problems upon it's opening. Bermuda grass was planted but would die because of the lack of sunlight. There were plenty of glares of sunlight which often made it difficult for outfields to field fly balls. In response, Astroturf-an artificial grass, was born.
The Oilers would play in Houston until 1997 when it relocated to Nashville, becoming the Titans. Oilers owner Bud Adams felt that the Astrodome was inadequate for NFL football with only 50,000 seats; making it the smallest NFL stadium. City officials responded by implementing taxes to fund the addition of 10,000 additional seats as well as luxury boxes. Eight years later, Adams still wasn't happy and began lobbying for a new stadium to be built. Like many other owners, he wanted a stadium with club seating which generates much more revenue for the owner. The city had become disgusted with Adams and refused to attend games, practically allowing the team to relocate to Nashville.
The Astrodome became solely a ballpark until the Astros too wanted out in the late 1990s. Their owner, Mr. Mclane, used the threat of selling the Astros to another city as leverage to get Minute Maid Park built. The Astros began play at Minute Maid Park, formerly Enron Field, in 2000. The ballpark was one of the first MLB ballparks to have a retractable roof. The roof is always open for games when the weather is fair and less humid.
Today, the Astrodome still stands vacant. It is right next door to the Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans. Plans to turn it into a luxury hotel have failed. The city doesn't know what to do with the Dome because demolition would likely harm the surrounding property. Something needs to be done because fans can almost guarantee that their tax dollars are going towards the up-keep of the place.
MLB Ballparks
Although the Astrodome wasn't cookie-cutter shaped like other MLB ballparks of the same era, it was used for multiple purposes. The Dome was also home to the NFL's Houston Oilers which you know them now as the Tennessee Titans. Multi purpose stadiums usually meant poor sight lines for baseball games.
The Dome itself presented many problems upon it's opening. Bermuda grass was planted but would die because of the lack of sunlight. There were plenty of glares of sunlight which often made it difficult for outfields to field fly balls. In response, Astroturf-an artificial grass, was born.
The Oilers would play in Houston until 1997 when it relocated to Nashville, becoming the Titans. Oilers owner Bud Adams felt that the Astrodome was inadequate for NFL football with only 50,000 seats; making it the smallest NFL stadium. City officials responded by implementing taxes to fund the addition of 10,000 additional seats as well as luxury boxes. Eight years later, Adams still wasn't happy and began lobbying for a new stadium to be built. Like many other owners, he wanted a stadium with club seating which generates much more revenue for the owner. The city had become disgusted with Adams and refused to attend games, practically allowing the team to relocate to Nashville.
The Astrodome became solely a ballpark until the Astros too wanted out in the late 1990s. Their owner, Mr. Mclane, used the threat of selling the Astros to another city as leverage to get Minute Maid Park built. The Astros began play at Minute Maid Park, formerly Enron Field, in 2000. The ballpark was one of the first MLB ballparks to have a retractable roof. The roof is always open for games when the weather is fair and less humid.
Today, the Astrodome still stands vacant. It is right next door to the Reliant Stadium, home of the NFL's Houston Texans. Plans to turn it into a luxury hotel have failed. The city doesn't know what to do with the Dome because demolition would likely harm the surrounding property. Something needs to be done because fans can almost guarantee that their tax dollars are going towards the up-keep of the place.
MLB Ballparks
Forgotten MLB Ballparks: Crosley Field in Cincinnati
Crosley Field, formerly Redland Field, is perhaps one of the most historic yet least known MLB ballparks in baseball's history. It's final structure was finished just as two other MLB ballparks opened; Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Both Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are still in operation today. As the home of the very first professional baseball franchise, one would think the city would have a remembrance on the former site. However, there is very little remembering the old Crosley which stood on the corners of Findlay Street and Western Avenue.
Perhaps the most famous feature of the ballpark was the left field incline that rose 16 degrees. Baseball fans can get a general sense of what the incline was like by observing the center field slope at Houston's Minute Maid Park. In return, there is also a dedication to the terrace outside of Great American Ballpark complete with statues of Joe Nuxhall and Frank Robinson.
Home to the Reds from 1884 to 1970, Crosley was one of the smallest MLB ballparks in the country. It was named after Powel Crosley who purchased the team in 1934. Crosley would go on to be the first team owner to suggest and implement night baseball. He had to get permission from the league first but felt that with the Great Depression ongoing, the Reds would lose money if games would continue to be played during the day. Crosley was right - the ballpark was frequently over capacity for night games after the night lights were installed.
Of course, such large crowds presented a problem. Crosley was located on the West Side of town in more of a neighborhood setting as it was miles from downtown Cincinnati. There was very little parking for cars as traveling by train had decreased dramatically in the 1950s and 60s. During that same era, transplanted Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown was given the keys to an expansion team; the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals had no home, however, and part of the expansion plan was that a venue would be constructed for them. The deal came with perfect timing as the Reds were also looking for a new ballpark.
In 1970, both of Cincinnati's franchises moved to Riverfront Stadium which was located in a rather undeveloped part of the city. Riverfront was one of multiple MLB ballparks shaped like a cookie cutter. Those other ballparks were also home to the city's NFL franchise including Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Reds went on to win three World Series titles while playing at Riverfront. It was demolished in 2002, the year before the Reds moved into Great American Ballpark.
MLB Ballparks
Perhaps the most famous feature of the ballpark was the left field incline that rose 16 degrees. Baseball fans can get a general sense of what the incline was like by observing the center field slope at Houston's Minute Maid Park. In return, there is also a dedication to the terrace outside of Great American Ballpark complete with statues of Joe Nuxhall and Frank Robinson.
Home to the Reds from 1884 to 1970, Crosley was one of the smallest MLB ballparks in the country. It was named after Powel Crosley who purchased the team in 1934. Crosley would go on to be the first team owner to suggest and implement night baseball. He had to get permission from the league first but felt that with the Great Depression ongoing, the Reds would lose money if games would continue to be played during the day. Crosley was right - the ballpark was frequently over capacity for night games after the night lights were installed.
Of course, such large crowds presented a problem. Crosley was located on the West Side of town in more of a neighborhood setting as it was miles from downtown Cincinnati. There was very little parking for cars as traveling by train had decreased dramatically in the 1950s and 60s. During that same era, transplanted Cleveland Browns coach Paul Brown was given the keys to an expansion team; the Cincinnati Bengals. The Bengals had no home, however, and part of the expansion plan was that a venue would be constructed for them. The deal came with perfect timing as the Reds were also looking for a new ballpark.
In 1970, both of Cincinnati's franchises moved to Riverfront Stadium which was located in a rather undeveloped part of the city. Riverfront was one of multiple MLB ballparks shaped like a cookie cutter. Those other ballparks were also home to the city's NFL franchise including Three Rivers Stadium in Pittsburgh and Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia. The Reds went on to win three World Series titles while playing at Riverfront. It was demolished in 2002, the year before the Reds moved into Great American Ballpark.
MLB Ballparks
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