Future Report Cards

Last week, I was accepted into Florida State University, so naturally, the best part will be posting stadium report cards for you all. Here are just the major facilities that will soon have a post about them.

Doak Campbell Stadium

 Dick Howser Stadium

 Donald L. Tucker Center(Basketball)

National Stadium: Warsaw

 Poland's new National Soccer Stadium is almost done! The opening game of Euro 2012 will take place at Warsaw’s new 58,000 capacity National Stadium, now almost completed. It will also host two other group matches, a quarter-final and a semi-final.

 The outdoors is paneling that make the Poland flag. Which is really nice for the new National Stadium. Even though it's very similar to the new major stadiums popping up in Europe, and the renovations at BC Place stadium in Vancouver

There are some additional pictures over at Stadium Porn, which you should look through!

BBVA Compass Stadium

Major League Soccer sources told Houston’s FOX 26 Sports the financial institution, BBVA Compass, has acquired the naming rights to the Houston Dynamo’s new downtown soccer-specific stadium. League sources also confirmed the Dynamo’s naming rights deal with BBVA Compass is for 10 years and is worth $20 million.

The Dynamo’s stadium, is scheduled to open on May 12, 2012 when the Dynamo play their first home game of the upcoming season.

Since their move from San Jose, the Dynamo have been playing at  the Houston Cougars' football stadium. But following everybody else, they got the soccer specific stadium they've been dreaming of. They have one of the best fans in the MLS, and they will be very great full.

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.

Report Card-less Venues

I'm up in Greensboro, NC visiting family for the holidays. My dad and I were driving around downtown and I wanted to go by the Greensboro Coliseum, because I'm a stadium nerd. He last lived up here in 1975, when he was at NC State, so he hasn't been to some newer stadiums. I asked him, "Have you ever been to a game there?" He told me he would go to basketball and hockey games when he lived here, and it sat about 8,000. Then I remembered, I've been to a game there! Obviously, it was a long ass time ago, so I can't remember much, but here are some stadiums that I haven't been since I've been really into stadiums.

Greensboro Coliseum- Greensboro Prowlers-Roanoke Steam 

 Victory Field x2- Indianapolis Indians- Rochester/Toledo

 Germain Arena- College Hockey Tournament/ BC-Cornell

Homestead-Miami Speedway- 2003 Ford 400

Daytona International Speedway x2- Daytona 500 qualifying, Pepsi 400 qualifying

 Capital City Stadium- Columbia Blowfish-Some team

I wish I could remember these enough to report! But those are the ones I've been to. I went to Wrigley one time, after 5th grade, but I didn't think I'd post it here because Bmac did a report card for us. 

Caesar's Palace

Yes, you're seeing that right. During the 1991 NHL Preseason, the Kings and Rangers faceoff'd at an outdoor rink at Ceasar's Palace. The Las Vegas strip provided the background for the first ever NHL exhibition game to be held outdoors. The Kings and the Rangers battled under the lights outside Caesars Palace - the first hockey game played in Las Vegas since 1968 - in mid-80 degree temperatures. The game drew a crowd of 13,000, most of whom wore shorts and t-shirts to take it all in.

I finally found pictures of this event, and that's why I'm showing you all. It all started with me posting my concept for a winter classic in Tampa, and people started discussing this. I knew about this, but I hadn't seen pictures. They had trouble with the ice cooling system, and had to slightly raise the temperature, and had to put water down and freeze it regularly.

But it wasn't the first event hosted at Caesar's Palace.

In 1981 and 1982, F1's American Grand Prix was on a circuit at the parking lot of the casino. Drivers hated the course because of the desert hear, and has been described as one of the worst F1 courses in history.

So that's just some quick history of Las Vegas's Caesars Palace sporting events. O fcourse they've had boxing and poker, but these are much cooler.

Renovated St. Pete Times Forum

Last month, I went to the newly renovated St Pete Times forum for the Tampa Bay Lightning-Philadelphia Flyers. Here is some photos, starting with banners!

 View from the new party deck

 The new pipe organ bar

 A view from the bar

 Just a picture from down low

 Post game

 And the piece-de-resistance, the Tesla Coils!

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.