The news came out a few days ago – the Philadelphia Spectrum, former home of the Philadelphia Flyers and Sixers … once titled “America’s Showplace” … will be demolished in 2009. Sadly, this is the last building that housed a major champion in Philadelphia (The Sixers in 1983, and the Flyers in ’74-75). I’ve seen some great events there – here’s a list of a few of them:
• Hockey – I got to see legends like Wayne Gretzky and Mario Lemieux play my hometown team. I saw Philly legends like Bobby Clarke, Billy Barber, and even Pelle Lindbergh. Best of all, I saw them with my family.
• Basketball – I didn’t go to many basketball games, but I did see the Sixers vs. Celtics when Larry Byrd and Dr. J. were still playing, and I got to see Michael Jordan shred the Sixers in the playoffs one year.
• Concerts – No, I never got to see the Stones perform there, but I did get to see some shows, including Eric Clapton, which didn’t suck. I honestly can’t remember going to more than a few, because by the time I was regularly going to shows, the Center had already opened up.
• The Circus – I remember going to the Spectrum on a class trip to see Barnum and Bailey’s Circus. I remember being frightened by how high we were sitting, and how steep the stairs were … oh, and I also remember worried that the tight-rope walker would fall … he never did, though.
• Disney on Ice – This used to be a family tradition around Christmas time. I loved going to this … and no, I’m not gay. I was probably around 6 or 7 when we first started going. For some reason, we stopped – I guess it got too expensive … or maybe my parents feared I was getting too much in touch with my feminine side.
• Other things – I’ve seen the Philadelphia Bulldogs roller-hockey team, The Philadelphia Phantoms AHL hockey team, The Philadelphia Fever and Philadelphia Kixx indoor soccer teams, and the Philadelphia Wings indoor lacrosse teams there.
One thing is really sad about all of this (besides the memories). The entire landscape of the “sports area” in Philadelphia has changed so drastically since 1988, that there really won’t be anything left from back then – The Vet’s gone, JFK’s gone, and the Spectrum will soon join them. Seriously, one of these newer stadiums needs to host a champion, and soon!
