[Shotimes] Re: OT outliving a stadium

[Ron Porter]

I never got around to going to the old Comiskey Park in Chicago when I lived there, but I caught a few games at the new Comiskey (it dwarfed the old Comiskey before they tore it down!!). It was the same as going to the new Comerica Park in Detroit. The old stadiums had charm, but they did a great job at both Comiskey and Comerica wrt watching a game.
 
Ron Porter

Matt Kennedy <matt.kennedy@gmail.com> wrote:
... stands as the greatest place to watch a ballgame in the country.

its terrible to see classic stadiums go. i cried when they tore down
county stadium in milwaukee. sure, it was old and ugly, but had
character and, damn, i loved that smell. miller park is cool, but
just doesn't hack it.

On 5/1/05, Scott Krietemeyer wrote:
> All this and Wrigley still stands....
> 
> Scott
> 
> On 5/1/05, Charles Cooper wrote:
> > Hey there tearing down the Pontiac Silverdome next year former home of the
> > Detroit Lions and it was built back in the mid 70's.
> > ----- Original Message -----
> > From: "Donald Mallinson" 
> > To: "'v8sho'" ; "SHOtimes" 
> > Sent: Sunday, May 01, 2005 6:34 PM
> > Subject: OT outliving a stadium
> >
> > > You know you have put on a few years when you (meaning me, and a lot of
> > > you SHO folk out there) have outlived an entire stadium!
> > >
> > > Story today in our paper mentioned that this is the last year of use for
> > > Busch Stadium in St. Louis. I thought to myself that it was kind of early
> > > to be tearing it down, but then they mentioned that it was opened in 1966.
> > >
> > > I have fond memories of Busch Stadium as a member of the Marching Saluki's
> > > band as a trumpet, then Mellophone player and finally the announcer for
> > > the half-time shows starting in 1967. That is why I remember the stadium
> > > as being new. Haven't been there in many years, but it's unique arches
> > > always looked cool to me.
> > >
> > > Also as a performer at half-time for NFL games I loved the fans in St.
> > > Louis. We played at a few other NFL stadiums and always (especially at
> > > Green Bay) the fans could care less about the half-time, sometimes
> > > becoming hateful that we were delaying the reappearance of their beloved
> > > team. Not really, but in their beer addled brains we were not
> > > entertainment!
> > >
> > > Busch stadium though was like having 50,000 aunts and uncles. We rewarded
> > > the fans by being the only half-time band ever to that time (maybe ever to
> > > today) to play to the side of the field opposite the TV camera's during a
> > > nationally televised game! Back then they still showed at least some of
> > > the half-time, but today you don't see any of the half-time unless it is a
> > > big production number with body parts being exposed. College bands can't
> > > get a break today. WE would come off the field from giving it all and
> > > could not take a step without someone shoving a beer in our hands! (now
> > > this was cool to someone about 18 years old!).
> > >
> > > Best memory is the special version of the Tribute to America that we did
> > > for pre-game. Started with a special version of Aaron Coplands Tribute to
> > > the Common Man and blended into a single snare with the band at one end of
> > > the stadium in front of the goal post. Then a single trumpet on the upper
> > > level of the stadium at the opposite end from the band would do the first
> > > section of the Star Spangled Banner. For the second section another solo
> > > trumpet would play from the first level behind the band, then the band
> > > would come in and build to a great crescendo for the remainder of the
> > > song. I swear you could hear a pin drop on the astroturf at the
> > > beginning, as the crowd enjoyed this so much and had so much respect for
> > > the performance and the tradition. This was not a version that people
> > > sang along with till the third portion of the song. KMOX Television used
> > > a recording of us for their sign on/sign off for a couple of decades, and
> > > may still use it.
> > >
> > > I will miss Busch Stadium, and it feels funny to outlive (assuming nothing
> > > bad between now and when it comes down) an entire landmark! ;)
> > >
> > > Don Mallinson
> > >
> > >
> >
> >
> 


-- 
Peace-
Matt Kennedy

One has to look out for engineers -- they begin with 
sewing machines and end up with the atomic bomb. 
-- Marcel Pagnol, film director