Bradley Center #4 Worst Stadium in US

[Lennys Tap]

There's something very wrong with that perception, in my opinion.  Cities and taxpayers can't be expected to just churn out new sandboxes every 20 years to help a billionaire owner and millionaire players.  That model will not sustain itself, especially with the revenue situation cities and states are already having.

100% correct. Perceptions are wrong as often as not. Pays not to worry much about them.

[Hidden User]

Apparently they have never seen the sears center in Hoffman Estates, Illinois. Watched MU get rocked by Dayton there two years ago. Not a fun place to watch a game.

[77ncaachamps]

He has obviously never been to Arco Arena.

Arco was built to be a temporary stadium, then it was built up to seat 18K, which is the second smallest in America. It's in the middle of nowhere, twenty miles from downtown, and it's a concrete eyesore in a cornfield. It creaks, it's older than the Bradley Center's most recent renovation, it has so many broken seats that they've started replacing blue armrests on red seats and vice versa, creating an ugly lower bowl even when fans aren't there. Nobody in Sacramento even likes that place and are adamantly pursuing a new arena because we recognize we need one.

And that's why the Maloof brothers will try to move to Las Vegas or Seattle.

Sacto doesn't deserve a basketball team.

[Brewtown Andy]

He has obviously never been to Arco Arena.

Arco was built to be a temporary stadium, then it was built up to seat 18K, which is the second smallest in America. It's in the middle of nowhere, twenty miles from downtown, and it's a concrete eyesore in a cornfield. It creaks, it's older than the Bradley Center's most recent renovation, it has so many broken seats that they've started replacing blue armrests on red seats and vice versa, creating an ugly lower bowl even when fans aren't there. Nobody in Sacramento even likes that place and are adamantly pursuing a new arena because we recognize we need one.

If we trust Wikipedia, Arco and the BC are the same age, with the BC breaking ground first and opening a month earlier.

That would fall in line with what I remember reading a while back: The BC was the third oldest NBA building, behind Key Arena and MSG.  With the Sonics in OKC now, that makes the BC the 2nd oldest building.

[Chicago_inferiority_complexes]

There's something very wrong with that perception, in my opinion.  Cities and taxpayers can't be expected to just churn out new sandboxes every 20 years to help a billionaire owner and millionaire players.  That model will not sustain itself, especially with the revenue situation cities and states are already having.

My favorite argument, of the many disingenuous arguments for a new stadium, is that there will be development around it that will create enough tax revenue to offset the cost of the subsidies to build the stadium.

If that's true for the Bradley Center, I would like to know what existing retail/restaurant activity would exist around the Bradley Center if it were rebuilt that could not exist now if developers thought there was enough demand.

Will more people hit up OGBH after a Marquette game in a new Bradley Center versus the existing Bradley Center?

[bma725]

That would fall in line with what I remember reading a while back: The BC was the third oldest NBA building, behind Key Arena and MSG.  With the Sonics in OKC now, that makes the BC the 2nd oldest building.

The BC became the third oldest building when Key Arena was vacated, it was previously the 4th oldest.  MSG is the oldest, followed by Oracle Arena in Oakland, then the BC. 

Of course, if you really want to break out down, you could argue that the BC actually feels more outdated than MSG and Oracle, because both of those stadiums have undergone extensive renovations since the BC opened, MSG in 1991 and Oracle in 1997....and MSG is scheduled to do another one before the 2011-12 season.

[MUBurrow]

My favorite argument, of the many disingenuous arguments for a new stadium, is that there will be development around it that will create enough tax revenue to offset the cost of the subsidies to build the stadium.

If that's true for the Bradley Center, I would like to know what existing retail/restaurant activity would exist around the Bradley Center if it were rebuilt that could not exist now if developers thought there was enough demand.

Agreed.  Although one argument somewhat in the same vein that has made sense to me is when people say that the best thing for a new BC would have been putting Miller Park downtown. When there was rumblings about jamming Miller Park into that area behind the Bradley, it makes sense that the Bradley would have looked horrible in comparison, and in the grand vision of a sports district downtown, a decision would have been pushed to at the very least renovate.

[Ari Gold]

My favorite argument, of the many disingenuous arguments for a new stadium, is that there will be development around it that will create enough tax revenue to offset the cost of the subsidies to build the stadium.

If that's true for the Bradley Center, I would like to know what existing retail/restaurant activity would exist around the Bradley Center if it were rebuilt that could not exist now if developers thought there was enough demand.

Will more people hit up OGBH after a Marquette game in a new Bradley Center versus the existing Bradley Center?

I'll talk to my friends grandparents see if they can get something going
The Bucks just wont feel the same if a non-politician owns it, so I'll take care of that too.

[Buzz Williams' Spillproof Chiclets Cup]

If only Cleveland could have to something show for building both the Gund and Quicken Loans in the past 20 years...

/cheapshot
//too soon?

Gund and the Q are the same building. It's just a naming rights deal.

[brewcity77]

As best one could tell, the court is on street level, which means that immediately after entering, you have to hike UP to your seats, which a) sucks because walking up stairs is hard

I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this. Walking up stairs is hard? That's your gripe? ROFL, what a sissy. If walking up stairs is hard, I have two suggestions, a) stay at home on your couch with pork rinds and Mickey D's burgers or b) walk some more stairs, you probably need it!

[Brewtown Andy]

I couldn't stop laughing when I saw this. Walking up stairs is hard? That's your gripe? ROFL, what a sissy. If walking up stairs is hard, I have two suggestions, a) stay at home on your couch with pork rinds and Mickey D's burgers or b) walk some more stairs, you probably need it!

Or use the escalators like everyone else.

[GoldenWarrior]

If only Cleveland could have to something show for building both the Gund and Quicken Loans in the past 20 years...

/cheapshot
//too soon?

That's the same building... ??

[GoldenWarrior]

There's something very wrong with that perception, in my opinion.  Cities and taxpayers can't be expected to just churn out new sandboxes every 20 years to help a billionaire owner and millionaire players.  That model will not sustain itself, especially with the revenue situation cities and states are already having.

I agree with you, but it is how most people are viewing it, never said it was the correct way it should be viewed.

[spazerak]

You can buy beer at the BC cant you?  That puts it in the upper realm of collegate arenas right there

THIS!! 

[Aughnanure]

The BC became the third oldest building when Key Arena was vacated, it was previously the 4th oldest.  MSG is the oldest, followed by Oracle Arena in Oakland, then the BC.  

Of course, if you really want to break out down, you could argue that the BC actually feels more outdated than MSG and Oracle, because both of those stadiums have undergone extensive renovations since the BC opened, MSG in 1991 and Oracle in 1997....and MSG is scheduled to do another one before the 2011-12 season.

Hasn't there been talk for a BC renovation (though I dont think it was a lot of money compared to most stadium renovations)? Would love it if they could make it more basketball-viewing friendly - like removing that stupid hole at both ends of the court and getting more seat closer to the court. I could be wrong, but The BC could probably add another 1000 or so seats, especially in the lower bowls if that hole wasn't there (Hell, Allen Fieldhouse now gets up to around 16,000 now because of how they added new seats new- and that place is tiny).

Just look at the difference between Kansas City's New Sprint Center and the BC....why is there that hole there...is it really because it was made for hockey originally?

I could care less about restaurants and concessions, I want it improved for the atmosphere (which is already great at the big games).