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OT: What are the cathedrals in sports?

Beancounter88

Beancounter88

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Dec 22, 2010
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Going to Augusta this week made me think of all of the cathedrals that would be on the bucket list - need some help here. You can go to a game - where do you want to go? Stadium turnover in some sports makes it harder than you think.

MLB - Fenway, Wrigley, Yankee? (Fenway for me, although I was at PNC recently in Pitt and it was beautiful)
NFL - Lambeau probably. Soldier? (Lambeau)
NBA - really tough. MSG, even though play has been so bad for a long time now? (MSG reluctantly)
NHL - really tough because of turnover. Joe Louis, Bell Centre, MSG? (Joe Louis)
College Football - lots of top choices. ND? Bama? Michigan? Army? Personally, I'd love to see a Saturday night SEC game at a place like LSU or Bama. (Bama)
College Basketball - lots of top choices. Duke? Kentucky? Kansas? Palestra? (Duke slightly over Kansas)
Racing - Had to pick between Daytona, Indy, Churchill Downs? (Churchill Downs)
Soccer - Old Trafford (ManU), Wembley, Camp Nou, Bernabeu? (Nou)
Golf - slam dunk for Augusta? What about Pebble or St. Andrews? (Augusta)
Tennis - Wimbledon over Flushing and Paris? (Wimbledon)

Where would you put the Rose Bowl - so many big games there. Just some food for thought on a Wednesday.
 
Beancounter88 said:
Going to Augusta this week made me think of all of the cathedrals that would be on the bucket list - need some help here. You can go to a game - where do you want to go? Stadium turnover in some sports makes it harder than you think.

MLB - Fenway, Wrigley, Yankee? (Fenway for me, although I was at PNC recently in Pitt and it was beautiful)
NFL - Lambeau probably. Soldier? (Lambeau)
NBA - really tough. MSG, even though play has been so bad for a long time now? (MSG reluctantly)
NHL - really tough because of turnover. Joe Louis, Bell Centre, MSG? (Joe Louis)
College Football - lots of top choices. ND? Bama? Michigan? Army? Personally, I'd love to see a Saturday night SEC game at a place like LSU or Bama. (Bama)
College Basketball - lots of top choices. Duke? Kentucky? Kansas? Palestra? (Duke slightly over Kansas)
Racing - Had to pick between Daytona, Indy, Churchill Downs? (Churchill Downs)
Soccer - Old Trafford (ManU), Wembley, Camp Nou, Bernabeu? (Nou)
Golf - slam dunk for Augusta? What about Pebble or St. Andrews? (Augusta)
Tennis - Wimbledon over Flushing and Paris? (Wimbledon)

Where would you put the Rose Bowl - so many big games there. Just some food for thought on a Wednesday.
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As a diehard Yankee fan you have to remove Yankee stadium from the list. This Yankee Stadium is not THE Yankee Stadium.

Solidier Field was butchered when they did the remodel.

I would put Augusta on top of all the lists.

I have been to 2 Saturday night games at LSU. By far the best tailgate anywhere followed by a great atmosphere inside.
 
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IU's Assembly Hall in college basketball for sure.
OSU Horseshoe for college football as well as Nebraska.
 
MLB - Fenway, Wrigley
NFL - Lambeau
NBA - maybe MSG I would guess, but that's probably it
NHL - maybe Toronto or Montreal given the hockey craziness there?
College Football - Rose Bowl game, Notre Dame, Michigan, Penn State, LSU for a night game, Ole Miss (hedges), Clemson
College Hoops - Indiana, Duke, Kentucky
 
MulletCork said:
Wrigley Field was fun to go to and Wrigleyville was cool to stay in and party. But the stadium itself was an absolute dump.
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I felt the same about Fenway. Small seats, long rows, no bathrooms.
 
Lambeau for the NFL... the end.

The real Yankee Stadium is gone, so the new one doesn't count. You can place it in the fancy new stadium list if you want.
 
Beancounter88 said:
Going to Augusta this week made me think of all of the cathedrals that would be on the bucket list - need some help here. You can go to a game - where do you want to go? Stadium turnover in some sports makes it harder than you think.

MLB - Fenway, Wrigley, Yankee? (Fenway for me, although I was at PNC recently in Pitt and it was beautiful)
NFL - Lambeau probably. Soldier? (Lambeau)
NBA - really tough. MSG, even though play has been so bad for a long time now? (MSG reluctantly)
NHL - really tough because of turnover. Joe Louis, Bell Centre, MSG? (Joe Louis)
College Football - lots of top choices. ND? Bama? Michigan? Army? Personally, I'd love to see a Saturday night SEC game at a place like LSU or Bama. (Bama)
College Basketball - lots of top choices. Duke? Kentucky? Kansas? Palestra? (Duke slightly over Kansas)
Racing - Had to pick between Daytona, Indy, Churchill Downs? (Churchill Downs)
Soccer - Old Trafford (ManU), Wembley, Camp Nou, Bernabeu? (Nou)
Golf - slam dunk for Augusta? What about Pebble or St. Andrews? (Augusta)
Tennis - Wimbledon over Flushing and Paris? (Wimbledon)

Where would you put the Rose Bowl - so many big games there. Just some food for thought on a Wednesday.
Click to expand...

I'm a huge Yankee fan...and NYS is far from a cathedral. It's probably one of the worst stadiums in baseball these days.
 
Cowboys Stadium should get mention. Its brand spanking new, but it may be the greatest stadium ever built.
 
I think part of the criteria needs to be the age of the venue. It's got to have some history of great games in the past to be considered a cathedral. For local venues, I agree that Madison Square Garden belongs on the list but the new Yankee Stadium does not. At least not yet. Maybe Belmont Park.
 
Was thinking Cowboys Stadium was just there in November, but I don't think it fits into the "cathedral" category, it's more an amusement park. Been to Wrigely, Fenway is a cathedral, there is no better place to watch a game for pure sightlines and I'm a die hard Yankee fan
 
Ready to Rumble said:
I think part of the criteria needs to be the age of the venue. It's got to have some history of great games in the past to be considered a cathedral. For local venues, I agree that Madison Square Garden belongs on the list but the new Yankee Stadium does not. At least not yet. Maybe Belmont Park.
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Agree.

You can feel the history as you walk inside and make your way to the track.
 
I love the classics. Fenway, the Palestra, Lambeau. One of my favorite RU away games was the old Orange Bowl. I may be the only one who enjoyed the bowl game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Great history there.
 
Rose bowl , cotton bowl (is this still standing? ).
Duke for a college hoops game . Roosevelt stadium jersey city . Dunn center . West 4th basketball courts .
For historical significance the astrodome, is that still up ? It was a sports venue , wonder of the world and post hurricane Katrina housing .

Places like Shea, giants stadium and especially Yankee stadium should not have been demolished . Refurbish and play somewhere else for a year. Yankee stadium was hallowed ground .
 
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As a Penn grad, I would include Franklin Field along with the Palestra. Franklin Field is host to the Penn Relays.
 
MulletCork said:
Wrigley Field was fun to go to and Wrigleyville was cool to stay in and party. But the stadium itself was an absolute dump.
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Same thing with the old Yankees Stadium. Historical and amazing beyond words, but a true dump during its last 10 or so years of life. Fenway is a dump as well.
 
In addition to the one's listed above:

In soccer - San Siro, the old Wembley and some this side of the pond - Azteca, Maracana, Bombonera.

College basketball - hinkle fieldhouse

There are no Cathedrals of NBA, NHL nor NFL other than Lambeau. And this the inherent problem with professional sports. Anything great with history and provenance is torn down to build something shiny and new to squeeze another dollar out of the fan (see Yankee Stadium, LA Forum, Boston Garden, Soldier Field).

In College Football there are about two dozen, which is why we love the game so much.
 
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Beancounter88 said:
Going to Augusta this week made me think of all of the cathedrals that would be on the bucket list - need some help here. You can go to a game - where do you want to go? Stadium turnover in some sports makes it harder than you think.

MLB - Fenway, Wrigley, Yankee? (Fenway for me, although I was at PNC recently in Pitt and it was beautiful)
NFL - Lambeau probably. Soldier? (Lambeau)
NBA - really tough. MSG, even though play has been so bad for a long time now? (MSG reluctantly)
NHL - really tough because of turnover. Joe Louis, Bell Centre, MSG? (Joe Louis)
College Football - lots of top choices. ND? Bama? Michigan? Army? Personally, I'd love to see a Saturday night SEC game at a place like LSU or Bama. (Bama)
College Basketball - lots of top choices. Duke? Kentucky? Kansas? Palestra? (Duke slightly over Kansas)
Racing - Had to pick between Daytona, Indy, Churchill Downs? (Churchill Downs)
Soccer - Old Trafford (ManU), Wembley, Camp Nou, Bernabeu? (Nou)
Golf - slam dunk for Augusta? What about Pebble or St. Andrews? (Augusta)
Tennis - Wimbledon over Flushing and Paris? (Wimbledon)

Where would you put the Rose Bowl - so many big games there. Just some food for thought on a Wednesday.
Click to expand...

You only have 1 more year to see the Wings at the Joe. 16-17 is the farewell season. The new arena is almost complete. I will be travelling out next fall to see a game there.

Even the Joe is not really all that special as an arena, its really just that the Wings have been very good recently, and have won a whole mess of games there. All of the classics from 25 years ago have been replaced. There used to be legenday arenas, like the Montreal Forum, Maple Leaf Gardens, Boston Garden.
 
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Loved watching double headers at the Palestra growing up until i got to play there as an opposing player. Locker rooms were dark and dank and the floor has a ton of dead spots. I think you could put 200 people in there and the place would be loud. That and my six minutes of playing time were largely unproductive.
 
RUinNY said:
College basketball - hinkle fieldhouse
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Was going to say Hinkle but was beaten to the punch. Went to a bunch of games at IU's Assembly Hall, but Hinkle at Butler is worth checking out for a big game. Feels like a time warp in a great way.

 
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WhiteBus said:
As a diehard Yankee fan you have to remove Yankee stadium from the list. This Yankee Stadium is not THE Yankee Stadium.

Solidier Field was butchered when they did the remodel.

I would put Augusta on top of all the lists.

I have been to 2 Saturday night games at LSU. By far the best tailgate anywhere followed by a great atmosphere inside.
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The LSU night game is out of this world.
 
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A "cathedral" IMO means a place that's so beautiful it can get remodeled but is not allowed/should never be completely torn down/replaced. So for me:

Fenway, Wrigley (Baseball)
Rose Bowl, Cotton Bowl (Football)
Madison Square Garden (Basketball/hockey)
Bristol Motor Speedway (Racing)

Any other sports I don't follow closely or know any must-see classic venues.
 
One that has not been mentioned - Dodger Stadium. A decade or more older than many now-obsolete stadiums that have come and gone. Yet no one considers Dodger Stadium as "old". A cathedral to be sure. But unlike Fenway and Wrigley, not a relic.
 
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Plum Street said:
Rose bowl , cotton bowl (is this still standing? ).
Duke for a college hoops game . Roosevelt stadium jersey city . Dunn center . West 4th basketball courts .
For historical significance the astrodome, is that still up ? It was a sports venue , wonder of the world and post hurricane Katrina housing .

Places like Shea, giants stadium and especially Yankee stadium should not have been demolished . Refurbish and play somewhere else for a year. Yankee stadium was hallowed ground .
Click to expand...
The like is for W.4th St hoop courts...
 
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I am shocked that no one mentioned MetLife. Probably the worst $1.6B ever spent anywhere with the exception of Xanadu.
 
MSG is a dump. What is so great about it?

Mich and ND FBall stadium

Old Old Yankee Stadium - yes
Old Yankee Stadium - yes
New Yankee Stadium - will take time.

Fenway - I guess so. It should be a museum for tours. Awfully uncomfortable to sit in the lower bowl for a game. From the poles in the way, seats that look at the outfield forcing your watch with your head turned, to the narrow 1950s seats built for a 140lb guys. Pass. I turn down tickets in the lower bowl all the time.
 
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jmc11201 said:
Was going to say Hinkle but was beaten to the punch. Went to a bunch of games at IU's Assembly Hall, but Hinkle at Butler is worth checking out for a big game. Feels like a time warp in a great way.
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Is Hinkle where the state final in Hoosiers was filmed? The time frame in the movie was 1952
 
32Mine said:
I love the classics. Fenway, the Palestra, Lambeau. One of my favorite RU away games was the old Orange Bowl. I may be the only one who enjoyed the bowl game at Legion Field in Birmingham. Great history there.
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FWIW, you are not alone re: Legion Field. I also enjoyed being there
 
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Let me add a sport

Homewood Field (Hopkins) for lacrosse.

And a 2nd for Michie Stadium for college football.
 
I'm assuming Michie is in any ones list because of where it is? Otherwise...I'm sorry it is a rather boring venue next to a reservoir with a polite fan base...

But then again, what defines a sports "cathedral"?
 
MozRU said:
MSG is a dump. What is so great about it?
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Location, location, location. Did I mention location.

Definitely not a dump, but, not crazy about the semi-new reno. Miss the loges, the blues, the general feel. For me, it's as if somebody clean scrubbed of my childhood. As grimy as it was, I miss me some 70s NYC.
 
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Otherwise...I'm sorry it is a rather boring venue next to a reservoir with a polite fan base...

But then again, what defines a sports "cathedral"?[/QUOTE]

To me, a cathedral is a venue that has historical or traditional significance and a place where a true sports fan would kill to see a game. Where walking on the grounds counts for something. Interesting how no one mentioned Cameron, Allen Fieldhouse or Rupp, but Hinkle got a couple of mentions. Also amazing how Lambeau (and maybe Fenway - and I do like the comment about Dodger Stadium) is the only slam dunk choice in the 4 major sports. That is truly sad. Horse racing and college football seems to be mentioned most, but there's no clear choice and a lot of really cool places. Also surprised there's no Indy or Daytona, Wimbledon or St. Andrews. Tough to include Olympic venues like Lake Placid or LA Coliseum since they're not used very often.

Great to think of these places
 
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Doctor Worm said:
One that has not been mentioned - Dodger Stadium. A decade or more older than many now-obsolete stadiums that have come and gone. Yet no one considers Dodger Stadium as "old". A cathedral to be sure. But unlike Fenway and Wrigley, not a relic.
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3rd oldest in MLB and largest too.
 
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