OT: What are the cathedrals in sports?

[jmc11201]

Is Hinkle where the state final in Hoosiers was filmed? The time frame in the movie was 1952

Played and filmed there.

 

[RAA-1]

I would add the Indy Motor Speedway built in 1909. Been there for the Indy 500 with 300,00+ of my closest friends.

I think we also have to add the LA Colisium built in 1923 +/- and has hosted College Football teams, NFL, track and 2 Olympic games as well as many other events like the Super Bowl.

One other would be Craven Cottage in the UK. It is the home of Fulham FC and was built in 1896. It has been expanded over the years but is still a small venue that retains is original.character. It makes Fenway look like a very modern stadium. I attended a Fulham vs Liverpool match there a few years ago. Unfortunately, Fulham has since faced relegation.

 

[kreme]

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.

Great point..What history..And it looks the same as it did in the sixties.

 

[soundcrib]

Hate the Yankees but respect the history. I love reading about history and looking at old pictures. Spent a lot of time reading about Yankee Stadium through the years. Old and Old/Old Yankee stadium was hallowed ground. It never should've been torn down completely with a new one across the street. Yankee Stadium should have always been on the original plot of land. They could've played in the new CitiField during an expansive renovation. But George would've never gone with that, especially with the Mets having something really new. NYS layout with Monument Park and the Hard Rock in center field is a joke. Shame.

 

[Babybull244]

Did you see they are playing a game at Bristol Motor Speedway - VA Tech vs Tenn. this fall. Should be interesting think that place holds 180K.

http://www.bristolmotorspeedway.com/fans/colossus/colossus-screen-lift-timelapse.html

 

[e5fdny]

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"?

The same could be said about Kyle Field.

Oh yeah, I went there...

 

[vkj91]

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 .

Pre reconstruction the cotton bowl was a disaster. I went to a red river shootout and have never felt so "afraid" at a venue. The concourse was like a normal hallway and a mad rush started before kickoff. People were getting trampled as if there was a fire. It was a scary scene and there was no way for security to intervene.

 

[e5fdny]

Skiing: Kitzbuhel

Any Winter or Summer Olympic venues that might fit?

Fun post.

Tough to include Olympic venues like Lake Placid or LA Coliseum since they're not used very often.

Considering what happened on "The Ice" as it's called, I'd put it on the list.

 

[rutger80]

MLB--Dodger Stadium. Wrigley is a dump...
NFL--Lambeau (or the Vet---haha just kidding)
NHL--MSG...everything else is too new to qualify
NBA--MSG....everything else is too new to qualify
College football- The Horseshoe, the Big House, the Rose Bowl, LA Coliseum, Bryant-Denny, Neyland Stadium, Autzen
College Hoops---Palestra, Allen Fieldhouse, Cameron Indoor, Rupp, Pauley Pavillion
Euro Soccer-Camp Nou, Bernabeu, Wembley, Old Trafford, White Hart Lane, San Siro
Golf-Augusta National, Merion, Pebble Beach, St. Andrews

 

[FanuSanu52]

Considering what happened on "The Ice" as it's called, I'd put it on the list.

Good thought. I was thinking that venues that have hosted multiple Olympics would be a good start, so Lake Placid checks two boxes. Also the first and probably most classic American winter venue. Heard it's a pretty nice place to visit, too.

I second it.

 

[Ready to Rumble]

College football seems to have the most cathedrals. In just the Big Ten I would consider Michigan's The Big House, Ohio State Shoe, Iowa's Kinnick, Nebraska's Memorial, Wisconsin's Camp Randall all Cathedrals. Some might add Penn State.

 

[Plum Street]

Forgot la coliseum . Good call for those people that mentioned it .

 

[i'vegotwinners]

Golf,

Augusta, St Andrews, Pebble Beach,

Tennis,

Wimbledon,

MLB,

Wrigley, Fenway,

NBA, none left

NFL,

Lambeau, Soldiers Field, are the closest to it left.

college bball,

Duke, Kansas, Pauley, IU, (need a first 15-20 rows at IU though)


college fball,

OSU, Bama, Rose Bowl, Neb. LSU,


Olympic sports,

LA Colosseum,


people getting eaten by lions and tigers,

Roman Colosseum


youth bball with the little hoop you hang over the door,

my bedroom as a kid.

 

[FanuSanu52]

A couple of racing/automotive venues worth adding:

Nurburgring

Bonneville

 

[rubaseball78]

The Barn.

 

[AreYouNUTS]

The same could be said about Kyle Field.

Oh yeah, I went there...

Yeah, Kyle Field is "boring," lol!




** disclaimer: I'm a HUGE fan of West Point and Michie Stadium, a "top 15 MUST visit" college stadium, IMHO. Just find it odd that either place would be called "boring."

 

[wcfan10]

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.

Excellent list. I would put in soccer:
1. Bernabeu 2. Wembley 3. Maracana 4.Camp Nou 5 . Man U
Tennis - Paris, WImbledon, US Open

 

[AreYouNUTS]

Excellent list. I would put in soccer:
1. Bernabeu 2. Wembley 3. Maracana 4.Camp Nou 5 . Man U
Tennis - Paris, WImbledon, US Open

..but Wembley is akin to Yankee Stadium. Yes, they have "big" games there, no doubt, but it's not the original and lost a lot of its "mystique" IMHO.

 

[RUinPinehurst]

No love for Pinehurst No. 2?

 

[wcfan10]

..but Wembley is akin to Yankee Stadium. Yes, they have "big" games there, no doubt, but it's not the original and lost a lot of its "mystique" IMHO.

I would say the Bernabeu is the closest to Yankee stadium. The team has the most European trophies..

 

[AreYouNUTS]

I would say the Bernabeu is the closest to Yankee stadium. The team has the most European trophies..

You missed my point. It's not about the "team," itself, as Wembley doesn't even have one (other than the English national team), it's about the fact that neither current stadium are the ones which became "cathedrals."

 

[e5fdny]

Yeah, Kyle Field is "boring," lol!

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** disclaimer: I'm a HUGE fan of West Point and Michie Stadium, a "top 15 MUST visit" college stadium, IMHO. Just find it odd that either place would be called "boring."

I'm pretty sure @West Point Knight knew what I meant.

That was just for him. :)

 

[scarletjimmy]

I'd put Saratoga in this list for horse racing. Tough to beat that place on a nice summer afternoon, preferably during the week when it's a bit less crowded.

I was hoping someone would say Saratoga or Churchill Downs

 

[saran]

College football seems to have the most cathedrals. In just the Big Ten I would consider Michigan's The Big House, Ohio State Shoe, Iowa's Kinnick, Nebraska's Memorial, Wisconsin's Camp Randall all Cathedrals. Some might add Penn State.

I also think cfb has more "cathedrals" . As much as I loath the current Ivy League I think Yale Bowl and Harvard Stadium are worth a mention. Harvard's stadium (1903) is the oldest in nation. The Yale Bowl was the inspiration for other bowl stadiums like Rose Bowl. Yale had 27 NatChamps. Yale is 890–366–55 in football and Harvard is 829–383–50 with 7 NatChamps. Sure they haven't been central to cfb for awhile but for decades they made cfb what it was. I mean if MSG can be a "Mecca" for anything then the old iconic cfb stadiums can make a case