Olympia Stadium

[Magnatomicflux]

Agreed Downriviera. I wasn't old enough to enjoy Olympia, and the Joe makes me feel very.......disconnected from the action. That's why I loved Windsor arena. Even in a "box" seat, I could damn near drop a french fry on someone seated at the boards. lol

[Downriviera]

I've been to all the original six buildings and played in all of them except New York. I think Windor Arena is the best place to watch a game. I always sat in the last row in the corner above the Zamboni entrance. This is where all the NHL scouts would sit. You were still close to the action yet you could see everything without turning your head. Playing there was great, too. I felt bad for the defenseman though, those corners were really small and made them easy targets.

[Magnatomicflux]

Too bad the Spits don't play in the barn anymore. I think the university team plays there now which is good for the arena, but not the same. The new place is nice, but again not the same. Plus it's way the hell out in the east end and might as well belong to Tecumseh. I also hate when they call arenas "WFCU arena" for example. A credit union???? That's what we name it after? Sure they put money into it but man.....more creativity maybe? Just like Skydome in Toronto. Rodgers Center...screw off, it's Skydome.

[schulzte]

Due to the closeness of the balconys and overhangs at Olympia and Tiger Stadium, there were some obstructed view seats that were located behind the support pillars. I remember reading before the new stadiums were built that they would have no obstructed view seats. So every seat has an unobstructed view, but because of this, all the seats are farther from the action. I would gladly put up with some obstructed view seats to get closer to the field of play. You could sit in the last row of the balcony at Olympia and still feel and hear the action. If you are more than a third of the way up the upper bowl at the Joe, you lose the feel and sound of the game.

I remember once I was watching a Wings game on TV, and they were talking about the orignial six arenas. Mickey commented that people used to be on top of the action and that "they don't build 'em like they used to". I say why not? A few obstructed views aren't the end of the world either. My design would have between 100 and 200 obstructed view seats, but bring all the balconies about 15 to 20 feet closer to the ice than they otherwise would be. That was the whole idea, get 20,000 fans closer to the ice than any where else.

http://www.stadiumdrawings.blogspot.com

[blackmath]

Yes Magnatomicflux, I do frequent that site every day, one of my favorites! Schulzte, I totally agree with you, it's the lack of support columns that has taken people further back from the action. I'm no structural engineer, but cant the top tier of seats be supported by luxury/press boxes below them? Also, the Ballpark in Arlington has obstructed view seats in their faux Tiger Stadium right field, which is one of the more popular places to watch the game there. Why? because its so close to the field... This should be put to a vote in the newspaper or online - Would you have 1000+- obstructed view seats in the new arena in order to sit closer to the action or would you like zero obstructed views and be further away?

Another thing - support columns aren't that bad, you simply tilt your head a few inches as the play is going by you. This shouldn't even be an issue in a hockey arena as there really isnt a lot of static play like there is in baseball, so I say, bring back the columns and lets make a real hockey palace for the greatest hockey fans in the world.

[Gistok]

It's interesting that you mention being so far away that you're disconnected from the game.

Wanna know one of the major reasons why Vaudeville died a slow death in the 1930s?

The theatres that they built for Vaudeville got larger and larger... and it was determined that once you were more than 75 ft. from the entertainer... you lost the intimacy of the entertainment.

In some ways this is also the case with several of the professional sports.

[reddog289]

My Step Dad "Pops" Grew up round that area.I thank him for waking me up on that July day to go get some bricks from the Olympia. Was in the Olympia but don't remember cause I was too young.More later.

[schulzte]

I think one has to try to strike a balance here. Tiger Stadium had more obstructed views than it needed to have. But the sports architects went nuts over the phrase "not a bad seat in the house". Well, I'd ask "How many good ones are there?". There are probably fewer really good seats at the CoPa than at Tiger Stadium. I think giving up 1-2% of capacity to obstructed views in order give better viewing to 30-40% of the audience is a no brainer.

http://www.newolympia.blogspot.com

Yes Magnatomicflux, I do frequent that site every day, one of my favorites! Schulzte, I totally agree with you, it's the lack of support columns that has taken people further back from the action. I'm no structural engineer, but cant the top tier of seats be supported by luxury/press boxes below them? Also, the Ballpark in Arlington has obstructed view seats in their faux Tiger Stadium right field, which is one of the more popular places to watch the game there. Why? because its so close to the field... This should be put to a vote in the newspaper or online - Would you have 1000+- obstructed view seats in the new arena in order to sit closer to the action or would you like zero obstructed views and be further away?

Another thing - support columns aren't that bad, you simply tilt your head a few inches as the play is going by you. This shouldn't even be an issue in a hockey arena as there really isnt a lot of static play like there is in baseball, so I say, bring back the columns and lets make a real hockey palace for the greatest hockey fans in the world.

[14509glenfield]

I loved Olympia and still follow the WINGS. The last game I saw at the Barn was a 7-4 win over the Rangers 12-26-1970. Always cheap seats or SRO. Anyone else take in a Blind Faith concert on 8-01-1969?

[Campfire Girl]

Loved Olympia. Went to many games there in the early 70s. too young to drive, so Dad had to drop us off and pick us up after the game. After one game, Gordie Howe saw us standing by the door waiting for Dad and insisted on staying with us until we were safely on our way. The look on my Dad's face when he saw Gordie standing with us was priceless! Being a Dad himself, he wanted to make sure we got safely on our way after the game.

[blackmath]

Gordie Howe is such a class act. A true professional and a gentleman.

[mikeinmotown]

My memories of the old barn

several red wings games with dad and granddad [[always against chicago)

seeing Peggy Fleming at the Ice Folies and her looking straight at me during the curtain call, me wearing my brother's giant coat, the sleeves hanging way down from my hands while i was resting my arms on the boards, and laughing

the "four together" world hunger year benefit with Harry Chapin, Gordon Lightfoot, John Denver and James Taylor - and a touching tribute to Bing Crosby by denver and lightfoot

I have to add, that I saw the Beatles, The Rolling Stones and to this day, one of the best concerts I've ever seen in my life. Pink Floyd doing the whole Dark Side Of The Moon. What I remember the most about Olympia at both the hockey games and concerts was how smoky it was. During hockey games, men were allowed to smoke cigars. During concerts we all smoked pot. Can you imagine that now. Oh another great all day event was the Detroit Pop Festival. Anyone remember that event?

[blackmath]

Link to the event's poster here - just scroll down a bit. Theres some other Detroit rock goodies in there as well.

http://www.motorcitymusicarchives.com/festivals.html

Great lineup for that show. It was on April 7th, 1969. MC5, The Bob Seger System and the Amboy Dukes played along with many other bands. I was unfortunately born 30 years too late to have been able to see any of these amazing musicians in their prime, so I envy everyone who was able to see them... They need to invent a time machine. Now.

[reddog289]

I don't remember being in the Olympia, Yet my Mother wouldn't lie to me, At least I don't think she would. She said I was at the Ice Capades and a few wrestling matches that she won tickets for from Bob Allison. I don't remember any of it. As for the outside. I do remember that. My Uncle would take me to alot of Wings games in the early 80's as tickets were cheap and could be bought at the box office at game time.Most of the time we traveled down Grand River to the Joe.
I really got to know that Ave by way of the Red Wings. As time went on I grew fond of the OLD BARN. Having grown up hearing the stories of the Olympia, I am grateful that I got up that morning and my Dads Olds had a big trunk.Too bad he didn't have a truck as we would have filled it up.My basement bar won't be complete till that red chunk of concrete and them bricks are sitting on it. Thanks for all your memories.

[reddog289]

BTW I love the proposal done up like the Olympia. I think it would stand out in the sporting world.

[65memories]

As a teacher at Cass Tech down Grand River way when Olympia closed, I would often drive by the old barn after it had been turned into a pile of bricks. One day I stopped and put a number of bricks in my trunk, planning to give them to my hockey friends as mementos. Some weeks later, I picked up some wood to make the plaques and went to get the bricks out of the trunk. To my surprise, they weren't there. After questioning everyone, I finally got around to my 11-year old son.
"James," I asked, "do you know anything about the bricks that were in my car?" "You mean those old bricks that were in the trunk?
"Yeah, those...I got them as gifts for Uncle Doug and some friends."
"Yeah, Dad, I threw them out in the trash a couple weeks ago when I surprised you and washed your car."
"But those bricks were from Olympia!!!"
long pause...
"What's Olympia?"

[blackmath]

65 that's almost as painful as stories I hear about people putting Mickey Mantle rookie cards in the spokes of their bikes to make them sound like motorcycles... the pain...

[9606 Prest]

Are the Red Wings offering any free tickets to any of their exhibition games this year? Last year I picked up some free tickets at a Krogers in Taylor.