2/2/2004: End of the Vet

Thanks to Tux, who sent this along. These days there are a lot of new stadiums going up and, usually, this is followed by implosion video of the old stadium getting blown to smithereens in a minute's time. In the case of Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium, this will happen soon. They have taken out and sold all the seats and anything else that can be auctioned off, and that will happen Friday.

At this point, they're trying to pre-demolish anything that they can, in order to reduce the amount of dust that's generated by the implosion. There is a little bit of asbestos concern, as there is with almost any old building. So they are reducing the interior before blowing it up. This interior stuff gets sent to a landfill, where its value in memories will certainly be lost.

Hopefully, the cat from Section 207 won't be part of that dust.

Some of us have a lot of memories in that dust.

sad..

Even though I'm not a native, I still have sad feelings about seeing those pics. I know that the stadium hold a special place for Philly sportsfans.

Apparently, I missed the implosion of Memorial Stadium in Baltimore, and I'm not happy about that...I had fond memories of the 3 Orioles games that I attended there.

Yes, it's good to be a Packer fan, we have a beautiful new facility, but the "bowl" is still basically City Stadium from 1956 I think.

new packer stadium

Pity the season opener in the brand new stadium was a lopsided loss to the division rival Vikings. Would have been nice to have everybody there go home happy.

-mike

Was there a huge fault with that stadium? Why are they pulling down a perfectly good looking stadium and spending more money to put up a new one??????

Was there a huge fault with this stadium?
Why spend all that money pulling down a perfectly ok stadium and spending even more money building a new one???

What are they gonna do with them bigscreen tv's? Shit, one of them would look alright in my place

Quote:

Originally posted by Leah Was there a huge fault with that stadium? Why are they pulling down a perfectly good looking stadium and spending more money to put up a new one??????

Leah, are you referring to the one pictured here (Veterans Stadium in Philadelphia) or Lambeau Field in Green Bay?

As far as the Vet, it was poorly maintained and falling apart. In addition, it is a multi-purpose stadium (baseball and football) in an era that doesn't look favorably upon them anymore.

Incidentally, after the demolition of the Vet, the only two "cookie cutters" left will be RFK Stadium in Washington (where the Expos will play temporarily if they move there in 2005) and Busch Stadium in St. Louis (to be torn down in 2006).

That's OK, Leah. The new one was only half a Billion dollars. And I love contributing to it.

No choice, Bruce...like the city and state were going to let them move. Philadelphia is bad enough with the Eagles...imagine them NOT being here.

I wouldn't miss the extortionists for a minute. I can get all the football I want on cable and I wouldn't have to put up with all the wailing and gnashing when they lose.

No, you'd just have to put up with the wailing and gnashing because we didn't have a team.

We don't have a *team*, now.

Do you always look at the glass half-empty?

Take it from someone who went without a football team for awhile, if you could call Bill Bidwell's Cardinals a football team, you'll miss them if they were gone. In addition, it is cheaper to keep her than to go buy a new team and bring them to town later on. Man, we got reamed by the NFL over the Ram's move here from California!

I haven't heard or seen Shea referred to as a cookie cutter, nor should it be. The horseshoe shape makes it stand out from the others.

Quote:

Originally posted by stlbob Take it from someone who went without a football team for awhile, if you could call Bill Bidwell's Cardinals a football team, you'll miss them if they were gone. In addition, it is cheaper to keep her than to go buy a new team and bring them to town later on. Man, we got reamed by the NFL over the Ram's move here from California!

I thought the plan for the Mets was to build a park similar to Ebbets Field next door to Shea...is that not happening?

Quote:

Originally posted by xoxoxoBruce How could those selfish people worry about their businesses at the expense of some billionaire team owner.

No problem, Charlie. I was just commenting (sarcastically) on the team owners propensity for crushing their neighbors for profit. Bush did a number on the neighbors of his baseball stadium and when the courts ruled it illegal, the taxpayers got screwed again.

Bob, where are you at now in the St. Louis area?

More important, what high school did you go to?

Long shot, but did you know the Phillips family?

I know Chuck P. and a Deana P

DISCLAIMER: St. Louis is a city of 2.6 million people. We do NOT all know each other...I swear.