What Events Have You Been To At Madison Square Garden?
- Thread starter RutgersRaRa
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Boxing (Cotto 2x's, Golden Gloves), Knicks (including a 50 point Jordan game), Rangers, too many BE tournament games to count (the Friday night semi's double headers were the best), Duke (including Coach Ks record breaker), Kentucky, etc. college basketball games, comedy shows (Chris Rock, Ansari, etc) and plenty of Sesame Street, Grinch, etc. Kids shows at the theater.
RU vs North Carolina Hoops - 1982 or 83 ?? Michael Jordan Sam Perkins Coach Dean Smith
RU Vs Louisville in Hoops 1981 or 1982 ? Denny Crum Coach. They went into their stall loffense (No shot clock back then) because RU was playing well and keeping it close.
Both losses for RU but Good games
NIT semifinal RU vs Iowa state--- mid 2000;s
Greatful Dead concert early 80's
Never to a knick or ranger game.
RU Vs Louisville in Hoops 1981 or 1982 ? Denny Crum Coach. They went into their stall loffense (No shot clock back then) because RU was playing well and keeping it close.
Both losses for RU but Good games
NIT semifinal RU vs Iowa state--- mid 2000;s
Greatful Dead concert early 80's
Never to a knick or ranger game.
ARMS concert, Trinidad vs Whittaker, NIT(damn you Tim Higgins), Dead, Clapton, Bob Fest(Dylan 50anniv), Virginia Slims, Big East Tourney, preseason NIT, Smack Down(free VIP), Red Storm, hockey, circus, finished Boston to NY Aids Ride, Knicks...more to come as cobwebs clear.
Oh, good god, I remember that game. They burned 7 minutes off the clock at the end of the game, and we did NOTHING!
Hey RaRa, Just had to see if you were here. I decided tonight that I can continue to drink all of the alcohol I desire because nothing can shorten my life more than rooting for the NY Rangers. They have been killing me for years! Game 6 Sunday.
Oh, I totally get it, and I am still alive!! Holy crap, that was ridiculous. And I called it last game, that we needed to jam the net and we needed to bring up a defenseman with a good wrist shot to cheat up and have a wing cheat back to prevent a breakaway. And wouldn't you know it, having guys in front of the net actually works. Vigs now knows what to do.
And you get bonus points for being a Ranger and Rutgers fan--I know what it's like!
Lord, so many, I couldn't come close to naming them all. Probable the most memorable were the 9/11 benefit concert, the first night of the R&R Hall's 25th Anniversary (highlight, Jerry Lee Lewis kicks-off show and ends his "set" by kicking-over his piano bench--a punk-rock star at 80!) and WrestleMania I. I've seen, at least, a half-dozen circuses, WWF cards, Big East tourneys and NITs. For music, without even giving it much thought, Grateful Dead (12 shows), U2 (6 shows, I think), Neil Young (4 shows, again, I think, including CSNY), Roger Waters (3-4 shows, including Dark Side and The Wall), Metallica (3-4 shows), Depeche Mode (3 shows), The Who (twice, including a Quadrophenia performance), Phish (twice), Bowie's 50th birthday bash, Sabbath, Ozzy and Dio (at various times, both, solo and with Sabbath), Springsteen, Guns n' Roses, Pearl Jam, NIN, Jane's, RHCP, Oasis, White Stripes, Black Keys, Jay-Z, The Police, Billy Joel . . . . And, honestly, there's way more and I'm no RU #'s
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Too many RU bball games to count, beginning in December 1966 (freshman year), but the last one was the Iowa State NIT semifinal game more than 10 years ago. The most memorable of these was the triple OT win over Ohio State in the final of the Holiday Festival in December 1978, followed by the 1967 NIT opening round win over Utah State in what was RU's first post-season game ever, and the ECAC Metro championship win over St. John's in 1976 to keep the undefeated season going, at 28-0.
Also one Rangers game in the late 60s, but that didn't interest me.
Also one Rangers game in the late 60s, but that didn't interest me.
Not too many. I remember my grandparents taking me there by train for a circus in the early 70s. . Also have vague recollections of seeing the Harlem Globe Trotters there circa mid 70s. Saw AC/DC at MSG on their Flick of the Switch tour back in Dec 1983. Never seen an NBA or NHL game there. Maybe I should put that on my bucket list.
one of the best concerts I have ever attended was John Cougar on Thanksgiving night around 1986 or 87. Every Big East Tournament from 1980 - 1990 as well as a few Knicks games and of course the Ringling Bros Circus, i was probably around 9 years old so it would be circa 1971.
Didn't this version of MSG (Number 3 or 4?) open up in 1968?
I would be cool to hear from those that went to events/games at the old MSG (#2 or #3?) prior to this one being built.
Concerts, pro and college bball games, pro hockey, circus. RU/st johns games in 70s were classics. Saw Stones with Billy Preston in 75.
Rangers, Knicks, Many RU and other college BBall games, Bowie (78), Dead several times, Rolling Stones, Jethro Tull, Elton John, Bruce, Neil Young, George Harrison w/ Billy Preston and Ravi Shankar (74, not Bangladesh) Wilco/Sleater-Kinney/Flaming Lips, Ringling Bros Circus several times.
Weren't those (and obviously many other events) held in MSG's Felt Forum?
Felt Forum use to be so easy to recognize if/when on TV...similar to the Garden's ceiling.
Here's a cool drawing from The Times in 1963:
Some MSG History article
http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2...-will-not-be-uprooted-from-penn-station/?_r=0
I went to the NIT games in 1967. They were in the old Garden. I've been to Knicks games in the new MSG as well as the circus and Globetrotters.
I've been to too many Knicks/Ranger games, and concerts to list (No Nukes, Concert for Bangladesh put together by George Harrison, and the Springsteen concerts the most memorable).. Attached to the MSG is a smaller venue that used to be called The Felt Forum (not sure what they call it now), my buddies and I used to go in and watch Golden Gloves Boxing there, drink many beers and have a great time. I saw a few concerts and event the NFL draft one year at the Felt Forum.
A large number of Ranger games including the final game of the Stanley Cup vs Boston in the early 70's, Knick games, and concerts.
Doors concert in 1971. Also used to go to the ECAC Holiday basketball tournament with my dad almost every year.
[QUOTE="Abro1975, Attached to the MSG is a smaller venue that used to be called The Felt Forum (not sure what they call it now),"
It is now called the Theater at MSG. Was there as a guest of a sponsor in the early 90's for one of the first ESPY shows before they moved it to Radio City Music Hall then to Vegas and now it is held in LA.
Attended many concerts at both MSG and the Theater as well as Big East Tournaments & NIT's that included RU.
It is now called the Theater at MSG. Was there as a guest of a sponsor in the early 90's for one of the first ESPY shows before they moved it to Radio City Music Hall then to Vegas and now it is held in LA.
Attended many concerts at both MSG and the Theater as well as Big East Tournaments & NIT's that included RU.
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I'd bet there are very few RU fans on this board that attended the first Women's BB game at the Garden with Queens College facing Delta St. on Feb 21st 1976.
The RU mens team also played that day in a triple header.
Rutgers 94-79 beat American U 94-79 and Manhattan beat Navy 81-63 before the Women's Game.
Delta State with Lucia Harris scoring 47 points beat Queens College (CUNY) 81-58
The RU mens team also played that day in a triple header.
Rutgers 94-79 beat American U 94-79 and Manhattan beat Navy 81-63 before the Women's Game.
Delta State with Lucia Harris scoring 47 points beat Queens College (CUNY) 81-58
Believe it or not I have never been to a sporting event at the garden other than the grapple at the garden.
I've seen about 15 concerts there though
History of Madison Square Garden(s)
1879: First Madison Square Garden was built without a roof. Used mostly for the Circus and Boxing.
Madison Square Garden II, from 1890 -1925 (hosted scores of events...Hockey teams such as the Americans and Rangers called it home...then of course the Knicks played hoops). MSG II also had a 32 story tower attached to it.
MSG II:
From 1926-1968, MSG III
1879: First Madison Square Garden was built without a roof. Used mostly for the Circus and Boxing.
Madison Square Garden II, from 1890 -1925 (hosted scores of events...Hockey teams such as the Americans and Rangers called it home...then of course the Knicks played hoops). MSG II also had a 32 story tower attached to it.
MSG II:
From 1926-1968, MSG III
"Didn't this version of MSG (Number 3 or 4?) open up in 1968?"
Yes, it did, in January IIRC. The old Garden seemed less spacious but that made the seats seem much closer to the court. It wasn't colorful, like the "new" Garden but it had its charms. And during NIT week in 1967, RU owned the Garden. People today don't realize it but back then the NCAA's had just 23 teams and the NIT had just 14, so getting a bid to any post-season tourney was a big deal. There were several ranked teams in the NIT back then, since the ACC and Big 8 (?) runners-up got NIT bids as only conference champs could make it to the NCAAs. When RU came out onto the court for the opening Utah State game, 18,000 people were on their feet screaming. We were literally standing on our seats for much of that game. RU had played two regular season games in the Garden that year - against Mizzou and NYU - but those were the first games we played there since the early 1950s, since RU bball was not considered good enough to be invited to play in the Garden. But after that season, RU became a college bball mainstay on the Garden schedule, along with St. John's, Fordham, and Manhattan, especially after NYU deemphasized sports in the early 1970s.
Yes, it did, in January IIRC. The old Garden seemed less spacious but that made the seats seem much closer to the court. It wasn't colorful, like the "new" Garden but it had its charms. And during NIT week in 1967, RU owned the Garden. People today don't realize it but back then the NCAA's had just 23 teams and the NIT had just 14, so getting a bid to any post-season tourney was a big deal. There were several ranked teams in the NIT back then, since the ACC and Big 8 (?) runners-up got NIT bids as only conference champs could make it to the NCAAs. When RU came out onto the court for the opening Utah State game, 18,000 people were on their feet screaming. We were literally standing on our seats for much of that game. RU had played two regular season games in the Garden that year - against Mizzou and NYU - but those were the first games we played there since the early 1950s, since RU bball was not considered good enough to be invited to play in the Garden. But after that season, RU became a college bball mainstay on the Garden schedule, along with St. John's, Fordham, and Manhattan, especially after NYU deemphasized sports in the early 1970s.
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