75.8.79.45 (talk) What's an "informal" demolition? also removed extraneous and duplicative wording Tag: references removed |
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The '''Spectrum''', formerly known as the '''CoreStates Spectrum''' (1994–1998), '''First Union Spectrum''' (1998–2003), and '''Wachovia Spectrum''' (2003–2009) was an [[list of indoor arenas|indoor arena]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. Opened in the Fall of 1967 as part of what is now known as the [[South Philadelphia Sports Complex]], it eventually seated 18,136 for [[basketball]] and 17,380 for [[ice hockey]], [[Arena football]], [[indoor soccer]], and indoor [[lacrosse]] after several expansions of its [[seating capacity]]. |
The '''Spectrum''', formerly known as the '''CoreStates Spectrum''' (1994–1998), '''First Union Spectrum''' (1998–2003), and '''Wachovia Spectrum''' (2003–2009) was an [[list of indoor arenas|indoor arena]] in [[Philadelphia]], [[Pennsylvania]]. Opened in the Fall of 1967 as part of what is now known as the [[South Philadelphia Sports Complex]], it eventually seated 18,136 for [[basketball]] and 17,380 for [[ice hockey]], [[Arena football]], [[indoor soccer]], and indoor [[lacrosse]] after several expansions of its [[seating capacity]]. |
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The building closed on October 31, 2009 and was demolished the following year. |
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⚫ | The building |
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==History== |
==History== |
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===Demolition=== |
===Demolition=== |
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⚫ | The building closed on October 31, 2009 after a four-night concert stand by [[Pearl Jam]]. Internal demolition of the structure began on November 8, 2010,<ref>[http://www.wellsfargocenterphilly.com/news.aspx?story=908 "Preparations For Spectrum Demolition To Begin On November 8:] News release, Wells Fargo Center November 3, 2010.</ref> to make way for a hotel in the ''[[Philly Live!]]'' complex.<ref>{{cite news | first=Joseph N. | last=DiStefano | coauthors= | title=Spectrum owners seek Jersey sites for new arena| date=September 4, 2008 | publisher=[[Philadelphia Inquirer]] | url =http://www.philly.com/philly/blogs/inq-phillydeals/Spectrum_owners_seek_Jersey_sites_for_new_arena.html| work = | pages = | accessdate = September 5, 2008 | language = }}</ref> A "wrecking ball ceremony" took place November 23, 2010, with [[Bernie Parent]], [[Bobby Clarke]], [[Julius Erving]], [[Ed Snider]], and others on hand to watch as the demolition of the building began.<ref>[http://www.wellsfargocenterphilly.com/news.aspx?story=911 ''Spectrum to Face Wrecking Ball on November 23 at 12 p.m.''] Wells Fargo Center News Release, November 9, 2010</ref> The demolition of the Spectrum was accomplished without the use of explosives. It took four-and-a-half months months, culminating on April 1, 2011 as the final pieces of the concrete structure were removed. |
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While the Spectrum hosted its last event on October 31, 2009, demolition of the arena did not formally begin until more than a year later. A public "wrecking ball ceremony" attended by some of the athletes who made the building famous such as Hockey Hall of Famer's [[Bernie Parent]] and [[Bobby Clarke|Bob Clarke]] of the NHL Flyers and [[Julius Erving]] of the NBA 76'ers, was held in the adjacent parking lot on November 23, 2010, to formally begin the Spectrum's demolition.<ref>[http://www.delcotimes.com/articles/2010/11/24/news/doc4cec92b74a553571921980.txt ''With pomp and circumstances (and a wrecking ball), the Spectrum starts to come down''] The Delaware County ''Daily Times'', November 24, 2010</ref> However unlike Veterans' Stadium which had been located across Pattison Avenue before being imploded on March 31, 2004, the process of tearing down the Spectrum took four-and-a-half months (completed in April, 2011) and was accomplished without the use of explosives. |
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[[File:Spectrum_Demolition.jpg|thumb|center|750px| |
[[File:Spectrum_Demolition.jpg|thumb|center|750px|Composite of two views of the Spectrum taken seven years apart from the same location in the Wells Fargo Center. The upper image was made in April, 2004, and the lower in April, 2011 after demolition. The white areas at ground level are the back walls of the locker rooms.]] |
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==The Spectrum's "Sports Complex" neighbors== |
==The Spectrum's "Sports Complex" neighbors== |
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The Spectrum was the oldest of the four currently existing arenas and stadiums (of the six built |
The Spectrum was the oldest of the four currently existing arenas and stadiums (of the six built between 1926 and 2004) which make up Philadelphia's "[[South Philadelphia Sports Complex|Sports Complex]]". The Complex now occupies roughly a quarter of the 1926 site of Philadelphia's [[Sesquicentennial Exposition|'''Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition''']], a 184-day [[Expo (exhibition)|World's Fair]] in 1926, held on grounds bounded by 10th Street, Packer Ave., 23rd Street, and the U.S. Navy Yard (Terminal Avenue). The Spectrum occupies the south side of Pattison Avenue between Broad and 11th Streets that in 1926 was the site of the fair's main trolley station operated by the [[Southeastern Pennsylvania Transportation Authority#History|Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company]]. |
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When opened in 1967, the Spectrum sat just north of the |
When opened in 1967, the Spectrum sat just north of the 102,000 seat '''[[John F. Kennedy Stadium]]''' (originally known from 1926 to 1964 as "'''Municipal Stadium'''"<ref>{{cite book |last=Austin|first=E.L.|coauthors=Odell Hauser|title=The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition|chapter=Chapter XXX "MUNICIPAL STADIUM"|publisher=|year=1929|location=Philadelphia|isbn=|pages=419–423 }}</ref>) which had been built more than four decades earlier. On September 23, 1926, a crowd of 120,557 packed the stadium in the rain to witness [[Gene Tunney]] capture the world heavyweight boxing title from [[Jack Dempsey]], and for decades the monolith also served as the venue for 42 annual [[Army–Navy Game]]s. JFK Stadium was demolished in 1992 to make way for a new indoor arena, the '''[[Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)|Wells Fargo Center]]''', which opened in August 1996, and with the closure of the Spectrum, became the oldest facility in the complex. Originally known as the "CoreStates Center" (1996–1998), the "First Union Center" (1998–2003), and more recently the "Wachovia Center" (July 2003 – June 2010), the 20,000+ seat facility replaced the Spectrum as home to the Flyers, 76ers and the [[Philadelphia Wings]] of the [[National Lacrosse League]]. |
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For |
For 33 years, '''[[Veterans Stadium]]''' (opened 1971, closed 2003, demolished 2004), the third facility built at the complex to accommodate the [[MLB]] [[Philadelphia Phillies]] and [[National Football League|NFL]] [[Philadelphia Eagles]], was located immediately north of the Spectrum directly across Pattison Avenue. "The Vet" was replaced by two new facilities: a purpose-built football/soccer stadium, '''[[Lincoln Financial Field]]''' (opened 2003), located directly across 11th Street from the Wells Fargo Center, and a new dedicated baseball stadium, '''[[Citizens Bank Park]]''' (opened 2004), on the northeast corner of Pattison Ave. and Citizens Bank Way (11th St.) immediately east of the former Veterans Stadium site, which now serves as a parking lot. |
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[[File:spectrum panorama.jpg|thumb|center|750px|The |
[[File:spectrum panorama.jpg|thumb|center|750px|The '''Spectrum''' (''center'') when it was the oldest (1967) of the four venues which then made up Philadelphia's "Sports Complex." Visible in this 2004 view from the roof of the [[Wells Fargo Center (Philadelphia)|Wells Fargo Center]] (1996) is '''[[Citizens Bank Park]]''' (''right''), the area's newest (2004) facility, S. Broad St. (''left''), and the city's skyline along the horizon to the North. (Composite panoramic digital image by Bruce C. Cooper, ''DigitalImageServices.com'')]] |
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==Statues== |
==Statues== |
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{{Portal|Philadelphia}}A [[statue]] of [[Sylvester Stallone]], |
{{Portal|Philadelphia}}A [[statue]] of [[Sylvester Stallone]], depicted in his role of Philadelphia [[boxing|boxer]] [[Rocky Balboa]], stood for many years in front of the main (Pattison Avenue) entrance of the Spectrum, which had been represented in the movie as the site of Rocky's [[Rocky|first]] and [[Rocky II|second]] fights with [[Apollo Creed]]. (The fight sequences were filmed was the [[Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena]].) The statue was removed several times over the years to be used in the filming of sequels to the original film. In September 2006, it was given a new home in an area near the base of the steps of the [[Philadelphia Museum of Art]] not far from where a spot on the plaza at the top of the Museum's steps where it had appeared in the film ''[[Rocky III]]''. Since the statue was not deemed "art,"{{cn}} it was moved around the corner of the museum on Kelly Drive. Other statues that stood in the arena area included: |
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*"Score!", a statue depicting Flyers right-wing [[Gary Dornhoefer]]'s game-winning overtime goal in Game 5 of the 1973 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals against the [[Minnesota North Stars]]; |
*"Score!", a statue depicting Flyers; right-wing [[Gary Dornhoefer]]'s game-winning overtime goal in Game 5 of the 1973 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals against the [[Minnesota North Stars]]; |
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*A [[Kate Smith#Kate Smith Statue|statue of Kate Smith]], the Flyers' [[good luck charm]], whose rendition of |
*A [[Kate Smith#Kate Smith Statue|statue of Kate Smith]], the Flyers' [[good luck charm]], whose rendition of "[[God Bless America]]" is believed to have helped the Flyers become back-to-back [[Stanley Cup]] Champions in 1974 and 1975; |
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*A statue of [[Julius Erving]], who played for the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] from 1976 |
*A statue of [[Julius Erving]], who played for the [[Philadelphia 76ers]] from 1976 to 1987. |
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Recently, Comcast Spectacor has announced that these statues will be incorporated into the design of ''[[Philly Live!]]''.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/sports/hockey/28spectrum.html?pagewanted=2 New York Times - The Spectru Still Has a Hold]</ref> |
Recently, Comcast Spectacor has announced that these statues will be incorporated into the design of ''[[Philly Live!]]''.<ref>[http://www.nytimes.com/2010/04/28/sports/hockey/28spectrum.html?pagewanted=2 New York Times - The Spectru Still Has a Hold]</ref> |
Revision as of 19:08, 6 April 2011
Former names | The Spectrum (1967–1994) CoreStates Spectrum (1994–1998) First Union Spectrum (1998–2003) Wachovia Spectrum (2003–2009) |
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Location | 3601 S Broad St Philadelphia, PA 19148 |
Owner | Comcast Spectacor, L.P. |
Operator | Global Spectrum |
Capacity | 18,369 (concerts) 18,136 (basketball) 17,380 (hockey & AFL) |
Construction | |
Broke ground | June 1966 |
Opened | September 30, 1967 |
Closed | October 31, 2009 |
Demolished | November 23, 2010 - April 1, 2011 |
Construction cost | $7 million ($64 million in 2024 dollars[1]) |
Tenants | |
Philadelphia Flyers (NHL; 1967–1996) Philadelphia 76ers (NBA; 1967–1996) Philadelphia Wings (NLL I (Original franchise 1974–75) and II (Current franchise 1987–1996) Philadelphia Phantoms (AHL; 1996–2009) Philadelphia KiXX (NPSL/MISL II/NISL; 1996–2009) Philadelphia Soul (AFL; 2004–2008; selected home games) Philadelphia Freedoms (WTT; 1974) Philadelphia Bulldogs (RHI; 1994–1996) Philadelphia Fever (MISL I; 1978–1981) |
The Spectrum, formerly known as the CoreStates Spectrum (1994–1998), First Union Spectrum (1998–2003), and Wachovia Spectrum (2003–2009) was an indoor arena in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Opened in the Fall of 1967 as part of what is now known as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex, it eventually seated 18,136 for basketball and 17,380 for ice hockey, Arena football, indoor soccer, and indoor lacrosse after several expansions of its seating capacity.
The building closed on October 31, 2009 and was demolished the following year.
History
Opened as "The Spectrum" in fall 1967, Philadelphia's first modern indoor sports arena was built to be the home of the expansion Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL, and also to accommodate the existing Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA. The building was the second major sports facility built at the south end of Broad Street in an area previously known as "East League Island Park" and now referred to simply as the "South Philadelphia Sports Complex."
Early years
Ground was broken on the arena on June 1, 1966, by Jerry Wolman and then-Philadelphia Mayor James Tate.[2] Construction was finished in 16 months at a cost of $7 million ($64 million in 2024 dollars[1]). The first event at the arena was the Quaker City Jazz Festival on September 30, 1967,[3] produced by Larry Magid.[4] The 76ers moved there from Convention Hall. Lou Scheinfeld, former President of the Spectrum, explained that the name "Spectrum" was selected to evoke the broad range of events to be held there. "The 'SP' for 'sports' and 'South Philadelphia,' 'E' for 'entertainment,' 'C' for 'circuses,' 'T' for 'theatricals,' 'R' for 'recreation,' and 'UM' as 'um, what a nice building!" Scheinfeld also said that a seat in the city's first superbox initially cost $1,000 a year: "For every Flyers game, Sixers game, circus, you name it, you got 250 events for $1,000."[5] The Flyers won their first ever home game in this arena by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins, 1-0. Bill Sutherland scored the arena's first goal.
On March 1, 1968, wind blew part of the covering off the Spectrum's roof during a performance of the Ice Capades, forcing the building to close for a month while Mayor Tate fought with Philadelphia DA Arlen Specter over responsibility for the construction of the roof, and the damage was repaired.[6] The 76ers moved their home games to Convention Hall and to the Palestra, but neither of those arenas had ice rinks at the time and there were no other NHL-quality sites in the Philadelphia area. Thus the Flyers hurriedly moved their next home game (against the Oakland Seals) to Madison Square Garden in New York followed by a meeting with the Boston Bruins played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto before establishing a base at Le Colisée in Quebec City, home of their top minor league team, the AHL Quebec Aces, for the remainder of their regular season. (The roof was repaired in time to permit the Flyers to return to the Spectrum to open their first Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues on April 4, 1968.)[7] Similarly in 1993, the Flyers played a day game against the Los Angeles Kings during a blizzard. A piece of flying debris smashed out one of the concourse windows, cancelling the game just after the first period.
In the 1970s, the venue's location on Broad Street and the team's reputation for fisticuffs led to the nickname "Broad Street Bullies".
The Spectrum, along with the Met Center and The Forum, was one of the first sports arenas to have a scoreboard with a messageboard. Furthermore, the messageboards on the Spectrum scoreboard were the first dot matrix screens in pro hockey or basketball, capable of photos, animation, and replays as well as messages.
Flyers and 76ers' championships and All-Star Games hosted
The Flyers won their first Stanley Cup at the Spectrum on May 19, 1974, defeating the Boston Bruins, 1–0, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in front of a then-capacity crowd of 17,007. Perhaps the most important and emotional hockey game—or sporting event of any kind—ever held there, however, came at the height of the Cold War on January 11, 1976, when the Flyers became the first NHL team to defeat (by 4–1) the vaunted hockey team of the Soviet Central Red Army (ЦСКА). [1] Two games in the inaugural Canada Cup hockey tournament were also held at the Spectrum in September of that year, as the U.S. took on Czechoslovakia and the USSR.
Ten NHL or NBA playoff championship series were hosted at the Spectrum. The Flyers competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1985, and 1987. The 76ers played in the NBA Finals in 1977, 1980, 1982, and 1983. The 1976 and 1992 NHL, and 1970 and 1976 NBA All-Star Games were also held here. The AHL Phantoms also won their first Calder Cup title on Spectrum ice before a sellout crowd of 17,380 on June 10, 1998, by defeating the Saint John Flames, 6–1.
The Spectrum is the only venue to host the NBA and NHL All-Star Games in the same season, doing so in 1976, when it also hosted that year's Final Four. It is also one of a handful of venues to host the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals at the same time, doing so in 1980 (all four major Philadelphia teams would reach the championship round of their respective sport in the 1980 season).
College basketball tournaments
The Spectrum was used for many basketball tournaments, including Big Five games, eight Atlantic Ten Conference tournaments (1977, 1983, 1997–2002), the 1975, 1980 and 1992 NCAA East Regional (site of the famous last-second shot by Christian Laettner of Duke to beat Kentucky), and the 1976 and 1981 Final Fours (both won by Bobby Knight's Indiana Hoosiers). Smaller conferences preferred holding tournament games at this venue over the larger Center nearby.
Bull riding
In 2003 and 2004, the PBR brought their Built Ford Tough Series tour to the Spectrum.
Professional wrestling
Professional wrestling exhibitions promoted by the World Wrestling Federation (WWF) were performed at the Spectrum on a regular basis during the 1980s and 1990s. As were the Flyers and 76ers games, many of these performances were telecast live by PRISM, a regional sports and movies cable channel with its production and broadcast facilities physically located in the Spectrum from its founding in September 1976, until it ceased operations on October 1, 1997.[8] (On that date PRISM was replaced by Comcast SportsNet located in the CoreStates Center.) Among the major WWF events which the building hosted were SummerSlam in 1990,[9] King of the Ring in 1995, and various other live shows featuring performers such as Hulk Hogan and others. After the WWF moved their shows away from the Spectrum, World Championship Wrestling (WCW) promoted their Philadelphia-based shows there until the company was bought by the WWE in 2001.
Notable concerts
Many concerts have been staged at the Spectrum since the 1960s, which was renowned for its world-class acoustic properties.
- Cream performed during their farewell tour there, supported by Lee Michaels.
- The First Quaker City Rock Festival was an early all-star show there, featuring Moby Grape, The Chambers Brothers, Vanilla Fudge, and Big Brother & The Holding Company, among other acts.
- The Doors performed a 95-minute show, a recording of which was released years later as, The Doors Live in Philadelphia '70.
- The Grateful Dead played the Spectrum 53 times, by far the most of any musical act.
- British Progressive rock band Yes played the Spectrum 32 times between 1971 and 2004, including a matinee show in 1974 for their Tales from Topographic Oceans Tour.
- Aerosmith played the venue 23 times between 1976 and 1994, including a few notorious performances in the late 1970s in which rowdy fans injured the band members with glass bottles and M-80s.
- Pink Floyd played the Spectrum in 1972, 1973, 1975 and 1977. They last played two shows there on June 28–29, 1977, during their Animals/In the Flesh Tour. On the second night (June 29, 1977), Floyd member Roger Waters fell ill and did most of the show after a painkiller injection. However, the painkiller wore off and was taken to the hospital and missed the final encore of "Us and Them" where second guitarist Snowy White had to fill in on bass guitar. Unbeknownst to the crowd, this was the first time that the rest of Pink Floyd (guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour, drummer Nick Mason and keyboard player Rick Wright) performed a song live without Waters (they would go on without Waters as of 1986). Roger's experience performing while ill at this venue would be documented on "Comfortably Numb".
- The Who performed at the Spectrum throughout the 1970s. The 1973 show was documented in a famous audio bootleg of their Quadrophenia performance. A CD has been released of John Entwistle's performance on March 15, 1975, when he opened for Humble Pie.
- Genesis regularly played the venue during the Phil Collins era from 1977 to 1986 (they would play Veterans Stadium on their 1992 We Can't Dance tour and the Wachovia Center on their 2007 Turn it on Again reunion tour). Their three November 1983 performances on the band's Mama Tour were recorded for a US FM radio broadcast and was released as a bootleg entitled "Three Nights in Philly".
- KISS performed live during the Crazy Nights tour in 1987. The concert can been seen on the 3rd disk of Kissology Volume Two: 1978–1991, although footage is incomplete.
- On the night of December 9, 1980, after learning of the assassination of John Lennon following a performance there the night before, Bruce Springsteen opened the show with a statement regarding Lennon and said, "It's a hard thing to come out and play but there's just nothing else you can do." With members of the E Street Band in tears, Springsteen and his band put on a 34-song marathon which ended nearly 3½ hours later, with a cover of "Twist and Shout".
- The hard rock band Dio, fronted by vocalist Ronnie James Dio played the Spectrum frequently in the '80s. Two of the mid-'80s appearances were filmed and released commercially. The first of these even went by the name A Special at the Spectrum (and as later released on DVD in the 2000s under the name We Rock).
- The last public events at the legendary arena took place on October 27–28 and 30–31, 2009, by Pearl Jam. The band came to the stage each night after a video montage of memorable Spectrum moments followed by the Rocky theme music. Over the four nights, Pearl Jam performed 103 different songs, with its final night on Halloween lasting over 3 hours and 35 minutes and including 41 songs.[10]
- The final event was a large private cocktail party thrown by Comcast-Spectacor chairman Ed Snider on January 16, 2010. Musical acts included a duet of "God Bless America" featuring a recorded Kate Smith alongside a live Lauren Hart, headliner Earth, Wind & Fire, with the very last set being a performance by Elvis interpreter Johnny Seaton.[11]
Spectrum Theater
The Spectrum Theater was a venue for acts not big enough to fill the entire Spectrum arena. The stage was placed in the middle of the Spectrum floor, and the other half of the arena behind the stage was closed off with curtains, creating a theater-like environment. Some of the acts that played in this configuration included Frank Zappa in 1973, 1976 and 1977; David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour in 1974; Bob Marley's Natty Dread Tour in 1975 and Kaya Tour in 1978; Bruce Springsteen in 1976; Peter Gabriel's tour in 1982 and Howard Jones in 1987.
The Flyers and 76ers' move
The 1995-96 NHL and NBA seasons were the final ones for the Flyers and the 76ers at the Spectrum. Mike Hough of the Florida Panthers scored the arena's final official NHL goal in the 2nd overtime of Game 5 of the 1996 Eastern Conference Semifinals. Although both the Flyers and 76ers moved across the parking lot to the new and larger Wells Fargo Center (then CoreStates Center), the arena remained in place and was used by the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL, the Philadelphia Kixx of the NISL, the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League for Saturday home games, and a variety of other sporting events and concerts.
The Flyers and 76ers had been in need of a new facility for some time. One reason was the need for more revenue streams to meet skyrocketing operating costs. The Spectrum had relatively few luxury suites or other amenities common in newer arenas.
In addition, the arena's sight lines left much to be desired. Some seats in both the hockey and basketball configurations (especially in the upper level) had badly obstructed views. There was only one concourse for all three levels, making for somewhat cramped conditions whenever attendance was anywhere near capacity.
Final season
On July 14, 2008, Comcast Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider officially announced that the Spectrum would be shuttered and torn down to make way for Philly Live!, a proposed retail, dining and entertainment hub. "This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," said Snider. "The Spectrum is my baby. It's one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me."
The Phantoms commemorated the final season of the Spectrum by wearing a special patch on their uniforms, as illustrated on the right. The team also celebrated some of the building's memorable moments throughout the season. The Flyers marked the last season by playing two-preseason games at the Spectrum. They played the Carolina Hurricanes in an NHL pre-season game on September 27, 2008, and the Phantoms on October 7 of that same year. Before the game against Carolina, the Flyers honored the team captains in the franchise's history. Those honored in the pre-game ceremony were Lou Angotti, Ed Van Impe, Bob Clarke, Mel Bridgman, Bill Barber, Dave Poulin, Ron Sutter, Kevin Dineen, Éric Desjardins, Keith Primeau and Derian Hatcher.[12]
The last NCAA basketball game the Spectrum hosted saw the Villanova Wildcats defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers on January 28, 2009.[13] The Sixers defeated the Chicago Bulls on March 13, 2009, by a score of 104–101 in the final NBA game in the Spectrum.[14][15] The game was sold-out and attendance was 17,563.[14][16]
The Phantoms' last regular season game at the Spectrum was played April 10, 2009, against the Hershey Bears, as the Phantoms won the game, 5–2, while the last Kixx game was against the Massachusetts Twisters on March 22. The Kixx moved onto the Temple University campus and played the 2009–10 season at the Liacouras Center. The Phantoms were sold to a Pittsburgh-based ownership group, and moved to Glens Falls, New York, for the 2009–10 season.
"With this season being the final season of the Wachovia Spectrum, we will celebrate the history of the Spectrum with an exciting, year-long, celebration of events," Comcast Spectacor President Peter Luukko said. Phish was rumored to be among the acts to commemorate the closing of the arena. "It is our hope and intent to bring back many of the musical acts and entertainers who have made the Spectrum 'America's Showplace.'" Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played two shows at The Spectrum on April 28 and 29 as part of their Working on a Dream Tour, and returned on October 13–14 and 19–20 for their Spectrum swan song, followed by Pearl Jam on October 27, 28, 30 and 31 to close the building; their opening acts included Social Distortion on the 27th and 28th and Bad Religion on the 30th and 31st. A scheduled concert with Leonard Cohen on October 22 was moved to the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby, Pennsylvania, instead. On October 23, 2009, Philadelphia area musicians The Hooters, Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates headlined a concert titled "Last Call". [2] Tickets were as low as $6.00. The remaining members of The Grateful Dead; including Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann performed their final set of shows at the Spectrum on May 1 and 2, 2009; the May 2 show was their 54th consecutive sell out at the Spectrum. The Dead closed the May 2 show with the song "Samson and Delilah". The song contains the fitting refrain "If I had my way, I would tear this old building down." The lyric was changed by bands singer Bob Weir to say "I wouldn't tear this old building down."
Demolition
The building closed on October 31, 2009 after a four-night concert stand by Pearl Jam. Internal demolition of the structure began on November 8, 2010,[17] to make way for a hotel in the Philly Live! complex.[18] A "wrecking ball ceremony" took place November 23, 2010, with Bernie Parent, Bobby Clarke, Julius Erving, Ed Snider, and others on hand to watch as the demolition of the building began.[19] The demolition of the Spectrum was accomplished without the use of explosives. It took four-and-a-half months months, culminating on April 1, 2011 as the final pieces of the concrete structure were removed.
The Spectrum's "Sports Complex" neighbors
The Spectrum was the oldest of the four currently existing arenas and stadiums (of the six built between 1926 and 2004) which make up Philadelphia's "Sports Complex". The Complex now occupies roughly a quarter of the 1926 site of Philadelphia's Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition, a 184-day World's Fair in 1926, held on grounds bounded by 10th Street, Packer Ave., 23rd Street, and the U.S. Navy Yard (Terminal Avenue). The Spectrum occupies the south side of Pattison Avenue between Broad and 11th Streets that in 1926 was the site of the fair's main trolley station operated by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company.
When opened in 1967, the Spectrum sat just north of the 102,000 seat John F. Kennedy Stadium (originally known from 1926 to 1964 as "Municipal Stadium"[20]) which had been built more than four decades earlier. On September 23, 1926, a crowd of 120,557 packed the stadium in the rain to witness Gene Tunney capture the world heavyweight boxing title from Jack Dempsey, and for decades the monolith also served as the venue for 42 annual Army–Navy Games. JFK Stadium was demolished in 1992 to make way for a new indoor arena, the Wells Fargo Center, which opened in August 1996, and with the closure of the Spectrum, became the oldest facility in the complex. Originally known as the "CoreStates Center" (1996–1998), the "First Union Center" (1998–2003), and more recently the "Wachovia Center" (July 2003 – June 2010), the 20,000+ seat facility replaced the Spectrum as home to the Flyers, 76ers and the Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League.
For 33 years, Veterans Stadium (opened 1971, closed 2003, demolished 2004), the third facility built at the complex to accommodate the MLB Philadelphia Phillies and NFL Philadelphia Eagles, was located immediately north of the Spectrum directly across Pattison Avenue. "The Vet" was replaced by two new facilities: a purpose-built football/soccer stadium, Lincoln Financial Field (opened 2003), located directly across 11th Street from the Wells Fargo Center, and a new dedicated baseball stadium, Citizens Bank Park (opened 2004), on the northeast corner of Pattison Ave. and Citizens Bank Way (11th St.) immediately east of the former Veterans Stadium site, which now serves as a parking lot.
Statues
A statue of Sylvester Stallone, depicted in his role of Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa, stood for many years in front of the main (Pattison Avenue) entrance of the Spectrum, which had been represented in the movie as the site of Rocky's first and second fights with Apollo Creed. (The fight sequences were filmed was the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena.) The statue was removed several times over the years to be used in the filming of sequels to the original film. In September 2006, it was given a new home in an area near the base of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art not far from where a spot on the plaza at the top of the Museum's steps where it had appeared in the film Rocky III. Since the statue was not deemed "art,"[citation needed] it was moved around the corner of the museum on Kelly Drive. Other statues that stood in the arena area included:
- "Score!", a statue depicting Flyers; right-wing Gary Dornhoefer's game-winning overtime goal in Game 5 of the 1973 Stanley Cup Quarterfinals against the Minnesota North Stars;
- A statue of Kate Smith, the Flyers' good luck charm, whose rendition of "God Bless America" is believed to have helped the Flyers become back-to-back Stanley Cup Champions in 1974 and 1975;
- A statue of Julius Erving, who played for the Philadelphia 76ers from 1976 to 1987.
Recently, Comcast Spectacor has announced that these statues will be incorporated into the design of Philly Live!.[21]
Former tenants
Full-time
- Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL
- Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA
- Both incarnations of the Philadelphia Wings (NLL I Original franchise 1974–75 and Eagle League/MILL/NLL II the current franchise 1987–1996)
- Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL
- Philadelphia KiXX of the NPSL
- Philadelphia Bulldogs of the RHI
- Philadelphia Freedoms of World Team Tennis (1974)
- Philadelphia Fever of the original Major Indoor Soccer League
Part-time
- Villanova University Wildcats of the NCAA Big East Conference; some high-attendance men's basketball home games which the on-campus arena, The Pavilion, was too small to accommodate.
- Philadelphia Soul of the original AFL (when the Wells Fargo Center was not available)
Notable events
- U.S. Figure Skating Championships – 1968
- NBA All-Star Game – 1970, 1976
- NHL Stanley Cup Finals – 1974, 1975, 1976, 1980, 1985, 1987
- The Flyers won the 1973-74 Stanley Cup at the Spectrum, defeating the Boston Bruins in Game 6 and winning the series, 4-2.
- The Montreal Canadiens won the 1975-76 Stanley Cup at the Spectrum, winning Game 4 and the series, 4-0.
- NHL All-Star Game – 1976, 1992
- Philadelphia Flyers vs. Soviet Central Red Army Hockey Team (exhibition) – 1976
- 1976 Canada Cup (two games)
- NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament – 1976 and 1981 Men's Final Four (both won by Indiana); 1980 East Regional (won by Iowa) and 1992 East Regional (won by Duke)
- NBA Finals – 1977, 1980, 1982, 1983
- The Los Angeles Lakers won the 1979-80 NBA Championship at the Spectrum, winning Game 6 and the series, 4-2.
- MILL Championship – 1989, 1992, 1995
- WWF SummerSlam '90 – 1990
- WWF King of the Ring – 1995
- AHL Calder Cup Finals – 1998
- The Phantoms won the Calder Cup at the Spectrum, defeating the Saint John Flames in Game 6 and winning the series, 4-2.
- NPSL Championship – 2001
- MISL Championship – 2002
References
- ^ a b 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ . Philadelphia Daily News http://www.philly.com/dailynews/sports/20090317_Stan_Hochman__Snider-Wolman_feud_outliving_Spectrum.html. Retrieved March 27, 2009.
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(help) [dead link] - ^ "Bulls game at Wachovia Spectrum highlights Sixers 2008-09 schedule". Philadelphia 76ers. Retrieved August 15, 2008.
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(help) - ^ Klein, Michael (September 15, 2008). "Inqlings: Spectrum last blasts: Deafening, of course". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved October 19, 2008.
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(help) [dead link] - ^ October 19, 2009, Talk Philly, CBS3.
- ^ Johnson, William (April 1, 1968). "A Heavy Blow In A Windy City". Sports Illustrated. Retrieved March 18, 2009.
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(help) - ^ PhiladelphiaFlyers.com, News: This Date In Flyers History... March 1, 1968... Roof Blows Off Of Spectrum.
- ^ Williams, Scott E. (2007). Hardcore History: The Extremely Unauthorized Story of ECW. Sports Publishing LLC. p. 10. ISBN 1596700211.
- ^ "SummerSlam History". Retrieved February 2, 2008.
- ^ Cohen, Jonathan (November 3, 2009). "Pearl Jam closes Philly Spectrum with epic set". Reuters. Retrieved 2009-11-07.
- ^ Klein, Michael (Jan 17, 2010). "Spectrum goes out with a bang". Philly.com. Retrieved 2010-01-17.
- ^ Carchidi, Sam (September 28, 2008). "Flyers captains bid farewell to Spectrum". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
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(help) - ^ Kern, Mike (January 29, 2009). "Nice parting gift for Spectrum: Villanova beats No. 3 Pitt". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved March 13, 2009.
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(help) [dead link] - ^ a b Gelston, Dan (March 13, 2009). "76ers close Spectrum with win over Bulls". NBA.com. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
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(help) - ^ NBA.com staff (March 14, 2009). "Saying goodbye to the Spectrum". NBA.com. Retrieved March 16, 2009.
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(help) - ^ Fernandez, Bernard (March 14, 2009). "Sixers edge Bulls for thrilling Spectrum finale". Philadelphia Daily News. Retrieved March 15, 2009.
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(help) [dead link] - ^ "Preparations For Spectrum Demolition To Begin On November 8: News release, Wells Fargo Center November 3, 2010.
- ^ DiStefano, Joseph N. (September 4, 2008). "Spectrum owners seek Jersey sites for new arena". Philadelphia Inquirer. Retrieved September 5, 2008.
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(help) - ^ Spectrum to Face Wrecking Ball on November 23 at 12 p.m. Wells Fargo Center News Release, November 9, 2010
- ^ Austin, E.L. (1929). "Chapter XXX "MUNICIPAL STADIUM"". The Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition. Philadelphia. pp. 419–423.
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Further reading
- Donnellon, Sam (2009-03-14). "Forever young, inside the old Spectrum". Philadelphia Daily News.
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(help) - Fitzpatrick, Frank (2009-03-13). "A list of Spectrum moments to remember". Philadelphia Inquirer.
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(help) - Hoffman, Rich (2009-01-29). "Rich Hofmann: It took a while for Big 5 fans to warm up to Spectrum". Philadelphia Daily News.
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(help) - Rapa, Patrick (2009-11-03). "Top 20 Spectrum Moments: The Building Wanted Blood". Philadelphia City Paper. Retrieved 2009-11-05.
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External links
- Wachovia Spectrum: Arena History
- Remember the Spectrum - a tribute to the arena