Wide World of Sports Venues-April 21

The time has come for another fresh edition of the Wide World of Sports Venues!

Old Yankee Stadium

The Bronx, New York City, NY

Opened: April 18, 1923, reopened April 15, 1976
Closed: September 30, 1973 (renovations), September 21, 2008 (final game)
Demolished:2009-2010 (estimated)
Surface: Grass
Construction Cost: $2.4 Million (1923), $167 Million (1976)
Capacity: 58,000 (1923), 82,000 (1927), 62,000 (1929), 71,699 (1937), 70,000 (1942), 67,000 (1948), 67,205 (1958), 67,337 (1961), 67,000 (1965), 65,010 (1971), 54,028 (1976), 57,145 (1977), 57,545 (1980), 56,936 (2008)
Field Dimensions: Left Field-318 feet, Left Center-399 feet, Center Field-408 feet, Right Center-385 feet, Right Field-314 feet, Backstop-84 feet
Home Teams: New York Yankees (MLB) 1923-1973, 1976-2008, New York Yankees (AFL I) 1926, New York Yankees (NFL) 1927-1928, New York Yankees (AFL II) 1936-1937, New York Yankees (AFL III) 1940, New York Americans (AFL III) 1941, New York Yankees (AAFC) 1946-1949, New York Yanks (NFL) 1950-1051, New York Giants (NFL) 1956-1973, New York Generals (USA/NASL) 1967-1968, New York Cosmos (NASL) 1971, 1978
Events Attended: August 2007 Yankee game against the Detroit Tigers.  The Yankees won 9 to 3.  It was the best, and I mean the BEST, overall baseball I've had in my young life so far.  In my ongoing journey to visits all 30 MLB stadiums, I'm glad I got to see this one before it was closed down.  Like my dad has said before, say what you want about the Steinbrenners, but they know what it takes to put a quality product on the field as well as off the field in the stadium atmosphere.  The employees are very friendly and the fans are the best in baseball.  That's right.  I said it.  The one thing I'll always remember was when Joba Chamberlain, who was a rookie at the time, came out of the bullpen late in the game, there was such a rousing ovation that it felt like the whole stadium shook.  To this day, I have never heard a crowd as loud as it was on that day.  I have a feeling that is a nightly occurence in New York that has continued across the street.  That is what made Yankee Stadium the great cathedral of baseball.

Photo Courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Kjetil Ree under CC-BY-SA 2.0 License      

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 6

HSBC Arena

Buffalo, NY

Opened: September 21, 1996
Construction Cost: $127.5 Million
Capacity: Ice Hockey-18,690 Concerys-18,500 Basketball-19,200
Home Teams: Buffalo Sabres (NHL) 1996-Present, Buffalo Bandits (NLL) 1996-Present, Buffalo Destroyers (AFL) 1999-2003, Buffalo Blizzard (NPSL) 1996-2001, Buffalo Wings (not joking, RHI) 1997-1999
Events Attended: None

Photo Courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and TonyTheTiger under CC-SA 3.0 License

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 5

Nassau Veteran's Memorial Coliseum

Uniondale, NY

What an ugly looking building it is!  It's definitely showing its age.

Opened: 1972
Construction Cost: $31 Million
Capacity: Ice Hockey-16,234
Home Teams: New York Islanders (NHL) 1972-Present, New York Nets (ABA/NBA) 1972-1977, New York Arrows (MISL) 1978-1984, New York Express (MISL) 1986-1987, Long Island Jawz (RHI) 1986, New York Saints (NLL) 1989-2003, New York Dragons (AFL) 2001-2008, New York Titans (NLL) 2007, New York Majesty (LFL) 2009-Present.  Ooh la la.
Events Attended: None 

Wide World of Sports Venues-February 4

Madison Square Garden

New York City, NY

Opened: February 11, 1968
Construction Cost: $123 Million
Capacity: Basketball-19,763 Ice Hockey/Lacrosse-18,200 Concerts-20,000 WaMu Theater-5,600
Home Teams: New York Rangers (NHL) 1968-Present, New York Knicks (NBA) 1968-Present, New York Liberty (WNBA) 1997-Present, New York Titans (NLL) 2007-2009, New York Knights (AFL) 1988, New York CityHawks (AFL) 1997-1998, Democratic National Convention 1976, 1980 1992, Republican National Convention, 2004, Big East Men's Basketball Tournament (NCAA), St. John's Red Storm (NCAA) 1969-Present
Events Attended: While on vacation in 2001 (before 9/11), we went through Penn Station, which is located directly underneath MSG numerous times.  We also stayed at Hotel Pennsylvania, which is across the street from MSG.  My mom's mother and her brothers were with us.  We had the Presidential Suite, which was very nice.  We were supposed to have two separate rooms but they gave them away before we arrived.  I wasn't sad that we got upgraded! 

Photo courtesy:
Wikimedia Commons and Chensiyuan under CC-SA 3.0 License