Big things in Brooklyn

So the Nets opened up their shiny new home in central Brooklyn this past week. The team was supposed to play the Knicks, but Hurricane Sandy came through and pushed back the home opener to the Minnesota game tomorrow. The team has played a few preseason games, but nothing that counts

The arena has a weathered rust look, which I heard was actually stronger than a non weathered one due to the layers of metal(or something). I kind of think it's ugly, but it's a modern ugly. Also I love Brooklyn, so it's fine. All these scoreboards take up the nooks and cranies of the stadium.

BUT THATS NOT IT. The Islanders announced plans to move to Brooklyn in 2014. They figure, since their arena in Uniondale isn't good, moving to a place where current fans could still go is better than shipping to Seattle, or Kansas City. They didn't build the arena to fit hockey, so it'll be a bit weird. But this stadium will be a landmark in Brooklyn soon enough, and it looks way cooler than MSG. If anyone is in Brooklyn and goes to a game, feel free to do a report card. I would love to hear about it.

Minnesota Vikings Stadium News

Heard about this on the blog http://stadium-love-.tumblr.com/

Via the Penalty Flag 

Long have the Minnesota Vikings needed state funding for a new place to call home, now they have the architect and concept images of what future NFL stadiums could represent. 

According to TwinCities.com, Dallas-based HKS Inc., which designed the new Dallas Cowboys stadium as well as Lucas Oil in Indianapolis, was hired to build the $975 million facility for the Vikings in downtown Minneapolis. 

“Those two facilities are among the greatest in the world, and we’re very, very excited about taking what they’ve learned and what they’ve done and improving upon those projects and bringing that to Minnesota,” said Lester Bagley, the Vikings’ vice president of public affairs and stadium development. 

HKS will be paid $34 million, which includes payments to sub consultants as well. Drawings of what the new stadium will look like will likely be unveiled in January or February of next year, officials said. 

HKS was a joint pick by the team and the public stadium authority that was created after the Legislature approved $348 million in state money for the project. 

The Vikings are contributing $477 million, and the city of Minneapolis will pitch in $150 million. The facility will replace the Metrodome, the team’s current home on the eastern edge of downtown. It is expected to open in 2016. 

The authority released two conceptual designs Friday showing HKS’s ideas for the Vikings facility, but Kelm-Helgen said the stadium would likely look very different from those drawings. She said that beginning in October, the authority will have several meetings to hear how the public would like the stadium to look.

I mean, damn. Look at that concept.

New Rays Stadium Proposal

The Rays are back at it again sorta

 A group of developers proposed a new Rays stadium located in the business park named Carillon in north north St. Pete near the airport. The proposal is on the other side of the highway from my concept, if you need help visualizing. This one would cost roughly $600 million, with the developer putting up $150 million and the Rays believed to be willing to put up another $150 million. The Rays, aren't involved with this particular plan. It's just something a developer has come up with. 

St. Petersburg's City Council held a special two-hour meeting Friday to hear the proposal and hopes to get a new stadium built in St. Petersburg, as opposed to across Tampa Bay in Tampa. The proposal is beautiful, and planning to have around 35,000 seats. Actual businesses will be built into the side of the ballpark. The plan is to have business go on during the day, and then come gametime the parking lots around the stadium to be cleared and be available for parking. On top of that, Disney-style trams will go around making the walk not bad. Plus the renderings are pretty.

Many people want them to build the stadium in downtown Tampa. Thing is, the developers did a study on population and travel time and found that in this location across the bay from Tampa would have the most people within 30 minutes. So all of Tampa, Clearwater, and St. Pete could essentially drive there in a half hour. Sound familiar? But the Rays should take this seriously, the proposal is still in the St Pete city limits, and there is already bars and businesses all around that could host fans before and after games. 

I just hope this gets done coming from a huge fan.

Amon G Carter Stadium

Original Post

TCU opens the 2012 season against Grambling State on Sept. 8 2012, in the first game at Amon G. Carter Stadium after its $164 million rebuild. 

 Built in 1930, Amon G. Carter Stadium has not undergone a major renovation since 1956. The renovation will allow TCU to enhance the game day experience for all fans by improving accessibility and crowd flow, enhancing seating to provide better views of the field, and significantly improving concession stands, elevators, restrooms and lighting. Tours will be available to the public from 1:30 - 3 p.m. on Sept. 6. 

 The re-developed Amon G. Carter Stadium will feature suites, club seats and improved fan amenities in many areas – new and more comfortable seating, wider concourses, new and improved restrooms and concession areas, handicap accessible accommodations, elevators and escalators and new lighting. Additionally, the stadium will feature a new press box. 

 Renovations began on the west side and north end zone following the 2010 season. Renovations for the east side began following the 2011 season and were completed in time for the opening game.

 This year marks TCU’s 82nd season playing at Amon G. Carter Stadium. The 2012 season is also TCU’s inaugural season in the Big 12 conference.

More pictures here

TCU article

MiLB Ballpark News

Sorry! I've been busy with college, but I'll post some stuff while I'm in the laundry room for all of you.

Today, the Charlotte Knights broke ground on their new stadium set to open in 2014. The team has been trying to move into Charlotte for a while now, but they only recently got a deal and started digging today. The team has been playing in the close by Fort Mill, SC in Knights Stadium since 1990. The stadium was originally built with a large area behind the outfield to maybe bring a major league team to the area. no such thing has happened, so they pulled the trigger and built a new AAA ball park. Now they just need to rebrand!

Read more

 On a similar note, the Birmingham Barons will play in their new downtown stadium starting next year. The team has been playing in Hoover, Alabama(Just south of B-Ham) since 1987, but the Barons themselves have played in Birmingham since 1885. The new stadium will have the skyline behind the 3rd base line, and will be a good stadium in the Southern League.

Read More

What's funny is that both teams are moving downtown, and affiliates to the White Sox.

60 million dollar HS stadium

Ever wonder what a 60 million dollar high school football stadium looks like? Well you can see it above. This is the deadspin article.

 You're looking at a recent photo of Eagle Stadium, in Allen, Texas, a northern suburb of Dallas. The stadium, three years in the works, will seat 18,000 when it opens later this month. It's got two luxury suites, a pro-quality press box, a 3,400-square-foot HD video scoreboard—and tickets will be just $10 a game for the all-bleacher seating. This is Texas football.

 According to Fox Sports Southwest, Eagle Stadium is only the fifth-largest high school field in the state, though that includes an MLS arena, two 1930s WPA projects, and Memorial Stadium in Mesquite, which is shared by five schools. So actual single-purpose prep stadiums don't get any bigger or nicer than this one.

 The old 14,000-seater apparently wasn't big enough anymore, which is mind-boggling to someone whose 3,000-student high school didn't even have a home field. Allen faced some criticism as the stadium was built in the midst of shrinking funding and an education budget shortfall. But the cash came straight from residents, in the form of a 2009 bond measure that passed with 63 percent—and also included funding for a performing arts center.

More pictures

NEWS

So I got back from my Tallahassee-Indiana-New York road trip!

I saw all the stadiums on the FSU campus, so this year expect a bunch of stadium report cards. We drove on through to Indiana to visit family. I wanted to go to a Indianapolis Indians game, but they weren't home when I was there. We flew to New York, where I saw the Mets play at Citi. That ballpark is GREAT. My favorite ballpark so far. We have a report card, so I haven't posted yet! On the 4th of July we went to Coney Island, and were outside the Brooklyn Cyclones stadium where I got a shirt, but didn't see inside.

It's right on the board walk, so it was cool watching the fireworks there.

I also saw MSG up close, and Yankee Stadium from the air! We didn't go by the new Brooklyn arena, and the Islanders play really far away. Also, no New Jersey even though the Giants/Jets/Red Bull play RIGHT there.

So sorry for the lack of posting, I just havent thought of what to do! I want to go to a Rowdies game before I leave for college, so I might. Also the Olympics are this weekend, so I'll post the stadiums soon. My dad and I also are trying to work out going to Raleigh when Florida State plays his NC State in October. I could hook you guys up

New Redwings Arena?

The Detroit Red Wings are moving ahead in their hopes of building a new downtown arena and have selected an architect, according to a report by Sports Business Journal.
SBJ's Don Muret cites three sources in saying the Red Wings have hired HKS, an international firm headquartered in Dallas. HKS will work with Chan Krieger NBBJ, a Boston architect specializing in urban developments, according to Sports Business Journal.
HKS officials did not comment and Karen Cullen, a corporate spokeswoman for the Red Wings, told Muret there was nothing new and added "our organization has been on record saying we’d like to have a new arena in downtown Detroit."
HKS was co-designer of American Airlines Arena in Dallas.
According to Sports Business Journal, the Red Wings would like their new arena to seat 18,000 and the team has explored multiple sites downtown.
Joe Louis Arena, owned by the city of Detroit, is 33 years old.

 So finally the Redwings can move into a new shiny arena, on the day I post a Redwings concept on my other blog. I posted about it before, so I'm happy they might move out of their old arena.

I copied the story from here.
http://www.mlive.com/redwings/index.ssf/2012/05/report_red_wings_choose_archit.html

Goodbye Amway Arena

The home of the Orlando Magic from 1989 to 2010 was imploded on Sunday. They began to take down the inside last fall, and then detonated the rest of it at 7:30 in the morning Sunday. The Magic moved into the new Amway Center which might be the best arena in the US, and it hosted the 2012 NBA All-Star Game.

But this is what you all wanted to see, the implosion video!

One guy actually got hit by debris and was injured! But there is no more eyesore arena next to the really cool one.

New Detroit Red Wings arena part of mall complex?

With a ton of real-estate activity at the rumored site of a new Detroit Red Wings (NHL) arena, the talk is a new facility could be part of a larger mall complex. The area between Woodward Avenue and Cass near Temple, a blighted area, has emerged as a hot real-estate market in recent months, with several properties changing hands or in the midst of negotiations for a sale. Red Wings coach Mike Babcock may have let the cat out of the bag during a radio interview with the local 97.1 The Ticket station:

 “If you want the city to come back, you got to revitalize downtown. A big part of that’s going to be the new arena, and the mall and the stuff going around it,” he said. “And that’s very important. That’s why we need the state to jump onside, and the sooner the better, if we’re going to revitalize Michigan. It’s got to start right here in Detroit.” 

 With developer Al Traubman rumored to be looking at a downtown shopping center, the outlines of the plan become clearer: a new arena as part of a much larger development. And this is the same site where a stop was added to light-rail plans several months ago, despite the lack of any current need for a stop.



I think that would be a great move. Detroit's downtown would get a boost with the best team in hockey for the last 20 years having a shiny new arena in the middle of downtown. I also think it would do justice, because Joe Louis Arena seems pretty crappy. It was opened in 1979, and Detroit is home to one of the nicest stadiums in the MLB and NFL. Also, the Pistons play about 25 miles away from downtown. Who knows? Maybe they can have all 4 teams together downtown.

First Look: Marlins Ballpark

Here is about 100 pictures of the Marlins Ballpark for you guys!

http://www.stadiumpage.com/construction/MarlinsPark_201200302.html

I think it looks REALLY good. I have some friends going there when the Rays are in town, but unfortunately they play the same weekend I graduate. So I'll get them to do a report card for you all.

Now, I have some stuff planned. I'll try to do 3 spring training ballpark report cards this month. I'm going to Port Charlotte for the Rays in two weeks, and our friend Neil will be in Ft. Myers, and do the Twins and BoSox' park. Should be cool.

JetBlue Park

So the Red Sox opened up their new Spring Training facility in Ft. Myers, Florida today with the reporting of pitchers and catchers. It has a mix of new design, and a giant Fenway-esque monster. Seen below.

Here is a link to a video that takes you on a tour!
http://www.nesn.com/2012/02/tom-caron-tours-jetblue-park-gains-insight-on-what-makes-red-sox-new-spring-training-facility-specia.html

So in blog news, I've been busy, but I'll try to post some stories I see. I also might have a report card for the Citrus Bowl for you all.

A look at Marlins Ballpark

Here we go! It's shaping up down there in Miami. The first home game is Opening Day, with the Cards in town for a 1 game series.

Wrigley Field Triangle Building

A proposed idea for the triangle lot adjacent to Wrigley Field along the 3rd base grandstand - a thesis project developed with the University of Notre Dame School of Architecture. Really dig the ideas, renderings, floor plans, and elevations for this Triangle Building to enhance the Wrigley Field experience.

 The main idea is to liven up the Wrigley experience, since the stadium is starting to ware down. It features a lot of things such as a Cubs Museum, Pro Shop, and a deck at the very top that connects.

It's a proposal, but it looks VERY nice.

Read more about the project here, and look at more views here.

The future of the Ti-Cats

The Hamilton Tiger-Cats will have a new stadium ready for the 2014 season. Thing is, it's not that easy. After about 2 years of debates and arguing, they decided on the new stadium. The stadium will be a part of the Toronto Pan American Games, just 40 miles down the road.

 The team and the city couldn't come to an agreement on where they would put the new building. The city wanted it near the water, the team wanted it in the suburbs. But they decided on putting them in the same location as the current stadium. The problem with that, is that they wont have a stadium. For 2013, the Tiger-Cats will potentially be a traveling team. But it's better than losing the team. The stadium's capacity has dropped to around 28k, but whatever works. They won't be in the 80 year old Ivor Wynne Stadium much longer.

New Baylor Plans?

A few weeks ago, Baylor announced the plans of building a new on-campus state of the art football stadium. The stadium will replace Floyd Casey Stadium. Floyd Casey is off campus, and one of the smaller ones in the Big 12 at 50,000 seats. This whole thing was being led by head coach Art Briles, who wants the hot Bears to have an on campus stadium so their students can be closer to games.

A few things. The open ended stadium will have a view of the river, and campus. There will be a pedestrian bridge from Baylor, across the river to land that the University purchased from the city of Waco. Pedestrian bridges are great, any Titans fans would know. You park once at a major location(ie Baylor, Nashville), and walk to the stadium. After the game, you walk back, without having to move your car.

Lastly, it will be roof, which very few teams have. But some shade in September in the middle of Texas isn't a bad thing.

Populous does the best work on stadiums, no denying that.

Cal Bears Stadium

For the 2011 season, the Cal Bears have been playing at the Giants' AT&T Park. The reason for this is, one, they're renovating their own stadium. And two, it is the only professional stadium not currently in use. Since 1923, Memorial Stadium hasn't been renovated. It's stood the same, for nearly 90 years. They finally decided to make minor updates and turn this...

Into this.

The first part of the renovation was to redo the student facilities and locker rooms. Next, they redid both endzones, and pressbox side. The west side was completely demolished, except for the outer wall and redone. Also, they put expansion joints on earthquake safe blocks because in 1923, they built the stadium on a fault line... But it's all good and it's a nice renovation to one of those old Pac 10 stadiums you see in California.

#HailState

Who likes twitter? Mississippi State does. In an attempt to get a trending topic, they put #HailState in the endzone, hashtag and all. Anyway to draw attention between the match up between the 5-6 Bulldogs and the 2-9 Rebels. The nameplates will also have HailState on them. No word on hashtags for that one.

Here's my personal twitter if you want it.
https://twitter.com/#!/MichaelDanger94

Marlins Ballpark Update

The new ballpark in Miami is starting to come together. It looks really small, at 37,000 people, but I think it will look good in the end...

...other than the home run celebration thing...

Yeah, every home run hit by the Marlins, this thing will go off a-la apple at Citi Field. Here's a youtube video. Yuck. Hopefully Mike Stanton does his thing on the road.

BC Place for the Whitecaps

One little update on the last post, the Whitecaps tarped off the upper deck. I had to find this out after I called bullshit the picture below.

http://www.whitecapsfc.com/news/2011/10/vancouvers-bell-pitch-downtown-featured-fifa-12 The Whitecaps are saying that the new BC Place will be on Fifa 12. I saw it, and figured they had a generic stadium and called it BC Place because the upperdeck and windows weren't there. Turns out it's legit, and you can now play there on Fifa 12, the only MLS stadium in the game.