Which U.S. city has the best pro sports arenas? (hockey, Denver Nuggets)

[T-8]

Hi everybody...
I'm from Italy and... we have such awful arenas in here !
I've been playing basketball for 5 years, and all the arenas I went in, and all the ones I saw on TV, were overlighted, had nightmare-bathrooms and, in general, had too many sponsor advertisements inside, so we got our eyes not pointing at the game, but attracted by the exagerate light and colors that there were in.
Moreover, I've sometimes seen someone smoking during a nationwide broadcasted game (!!), and if you were watching too, you could have noticed what highest ring seated poeple were doing during the game (e.g. eating, talking each other, sleeping, drinking or ...). Kinda Big Brother, men !!

I usually like arenas in which light allows you to concentrate on the game, on the court, having darker-lighted seats as you reach the uppermost part.
You know what ? Somohow, it seems like you're playing or watching a game in a place whom roof is the night sky !!
For this reason, McNichols Sports Arena (Denver, CO), Alamodome (San Antonio, TX) and Target Center (Minneapolis, MN) are the ones that I prefere.
At the same time, I really cannot forget about Galen Center (Los Angeles, CA), USC Trojans homecourt. Taking a look at downtown LA while watching a game is something unbelievable. Just imagine you're there, all seats vacated, lights turned out, and only sunset light showing you your pathway !!

The arena I hate most is undoubtedly Amway Arena (a.k.a. TD Waterhouse Center), in Orlando, FL. Light inside there is too disturbing. Don't like at all.


PS::: Will BOK Center be home to the NBA D-League team Tulsa 66ers ?

[X-Greensboro Resident]

Originally Posted by Rwarky

Which U.S. city has the best pro sports arenas (football and baseball stadiums and domes, and basketball and hockey arenas)? Why, because of the location, transit options, history, newness, etc?

Dude, I'm totally offended that you don't have Indianapolis on your list! What is up with that?

We have the RCA dome where the Colts play, next year the new stadium named Lucas Oil Stadium opens up. We also have Conseco Fieldhouse where the Pacers play which is awesome. Then, there is Victory field Baseball stadium which is one of the best minor league ball parks I"ve ever been to. Also, there is Hinkle Fieldhouse where the Butler Bulldogs play and that's where the movie "Hoosiers" was filmed.

[dfrench8456]

i went with Boston because you got Fenway which as we all know is the oldest and most beloved ballpark in the Majors and is only getting better with all the renovations that John Henry and the rest of the ownership do every year then you got the Boston Garden or whatever you want to call it, its a top of the line faculity, and you got Gillette Stadium only five years old beautiful place can be argued that its the best stadium in the pros.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by Canes2006Champs

That certainly looks cool, who's going to be using it?

Actually before I posted I should have understood that this is probably for major league pro sports arenas. Tulsa does have pro sports, but it's minor league pro sports such as the Tulsa Talons, the Tulsa NBA D team, and the Tulsa Oilers that will be using this arena. When OkC gets an NBA team (which will happen in the next year), you may see that team play a few games a year in the new BOK arena, at least I hope so anyway.

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by T-8

PS::: Will BOK Center be home to the NBA D-League team Tulsa 66ers ?

Yep! It will be their home as well as a couple of other teams (Oilers, Talons).

[T-8]

Hi there...

I've seen enchanting pictures from the BOK Center outside, in Tulsa, OK.

Seems to be the new architecture's state-of-the-art thread.

But all I gotta ask is: is it really worth the price ?

I mean: is it really worth the price building such a masterpiece if you only got D-League team and minor league teams to be homed to ?

For the sake of economics: have y'all thought about how long will it take before BOK Center ownership gets a consistent revenue ?

Picture this: here in Italy, for years we've been told we'd need the Strait of Messina Bridge to be built. Projects are for 3,666 meters (about 2 road miles) highway and railroad length. Total cost is about 10 billion US$.
The bridge ownership estimates, until 2032, to have at least 100,000 vehicles crossing the bridge per year. Economists calculated that revenue could be satisfacting only if 100,000 vehicles per year (with toll being about 45 US$), for about 60 years, will cross the bridge.

What's it up with BOK Center ?
Simple: how many people are expected to be attendants, before ownership gets its revenue ?
Consider that, most likely, no major league will ever step foot in Tulsa, so you'll get only boring minor league teams as tenants.
So how can you pretend the BOK Center to be soldout ?

>> How long will it take before ownership gets its revenue ?

[Synopsis]

Originally Posted by T-8

Hi there...

I've seen enchanting pictures from the BOK Center outside, in Tulsa, OK.

Seems to be the new architecture's state-of-the-art thread.

But all I gotta ask is: is it really worth the price ?

I mean: is it really worth the price building such a masterpiece if you only got D-League team and minor league teams to be homed to ?

For the sake of economics: have y'all thought about how long will it take before BOK Center ownership gets a consistent revenue ?

Picture this: here in Italy, for years we've been told we'd need the Strait of Messina Bridge to be built. Projects are for 3,666 meters (about 2 road miles) highway and railroad length. Total cost is about 10 billion US$.
The bridge ownership estimates, until 2032, to have at least 100,000 vehicles crossing the bridge per year. Economists calculated that revenue could be satisfacting only if 100,000 vehicles per year (with toll being about 45 US$), for about 60 years, will cross the bridge.

What's it up with BOK Center ?
Simple: how many people are expected to be attendants, before ownership gets its revenue ?
Consider that, most likely, no major league will ever step foot in Tulsa, so you'll get only boring minor league teams as tenants.
So how can you pretend the BOK Center to be soldout ?

>> How long will it take before ownership gets its revenue ?

They've already sold out the luxury seats to local corporations and I hear attendance is going to follow suit. It is an iconic building, and it did surprise me that Tulsa invested in this masterpiece of architecture, but Tulsa has always been a city that loves its architecture. Just look at most of those buildings downtown, there is art deco architecture everywhere. We'll just have to see how it pans out. I believe Tulsa will get a pro team in the next several years; probably a hockey team because hockey is big in Tulsa. Also, the economy in Tulsa and all of Oklahoma is doing much better than many parts of the country because there wasn't such a housing bubble to bust in Oklahoma.

Also, they are going to be hosting NCAA tournaments there and that is BIG money in this part of the country. Also, some of the arena was privately funded through local philanthropists if I recall.

[txstate]

Houston has two retrachable roof dome stadiums plus Toyota Center and home of the eighth wonder of the world the Astrodome, plus the Houston dynamo will have the next stadium for soccer and a first of its kind. But now Dallas sh*ts on everybody with the new Cowboys Stadium you can play football, basketball, track. and baseball all in that facility. Dallas win hands down, or should I say arlington wins.

[Libohove90]

No one mentioned Philly yet?

Basketball/Hockey: Wachovia Center, relatively new, one of the largest venues in NBA/NHL
Football: Lincoln Financial Field, new and sexy
Baseball: Citizens Bank Park...just beautiful

[Finger Laker]

a lot of good choices - although I'm not a fan of phoenix sports teams they do have some nice venues

jobing.com is a great hockey venue, of the ones i've been in I would only rate the Xcel center higher

UoP Stadium is pretty high tech for a football stadium

Chase does a good job at providing a comfortable summer baseball stadium

US Airways Center underwent a big renovation and is your standard basketball arena

I hear the nascar track is OK

Some of the spring training facilities are amazing - the new camelback ranch is incredible (home of the dodgers & white sox)