McNichols Sports Arena
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| McNichols Sports Arena | |
|---|---|
| Big Mac | |
| Location | 1635 Bryant Street Denver, CO 80204 |
| Opened | 1975 |
| Closed | 1999 |
| Demolished | 1999 |
| Owner | City and County of Denver |
| Construction cost | $10 million |
| Tenants | Denver Spurs (WHA) (1975-1976) Colorado Rockies (NHL) (1976-1982) Colorado Flames (CHL) (1982-1984) Denver Nuggets (NBA) (1975-1999) Colorado Avalanche (NHL) (1995-1999) Denver Grizzlies (IHL) (1994-1995) Denver Dynamite (AFL) (1987-1991) Denver Avalanche (MISL) (1980–1982) 1990 NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament |
| Capacity | 17,171 basketball 16,061 hockey |
McNichols Sports Arena (aka Big Mac) was an indoor arena in Denver, Colorado, USA, adjacent to Mile High Stadium. Completed in 1975 at a cost of $10 million, it seated 16,061 for hockey games or 17,171 for basketball games and contained 27 luxury suites. The arena was largely shuttered after the Nuggets and Avalanche moved to Pepsi Center and was razed in 1999 to make space for a parking lot surrounding INVESCO Field at Mile High.
Contents |
[edit] Sports connections
"Big Mac" was the home of the Denver Spurs of the WHA from 1975 to 1976, the Colorado Rockies of the NHL from 1976 to 1982, the Colorado Flames of the CHL from 1982 to 1984, the Denver Nuggets of the American Basketball Association, the Denver Avalanche of the MISL from 1981 to 1982, the NBA from 1975 to 1999, the Colorado Avalanche of the NHL from 1995 to 1999, and the Denver Grizzlies of the International Hockey League from 1994 to 1995.
McNichols hosted the NCAA Final Four in 1990, won by UNLV over Duke University and the West Regional Semifinal in 1996. It was also host to the 1976 ABA All-Star Game, in which the host Nuggets defeated the ABA All-Stars, games 1, 2, and 5 of the 1976 ABA finals, and the 1984 NBA All-Star Game. It also hosted games one and two of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, where the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers in four games to bring the Mile High City its first major sports championship.
McNichols also hosted the first event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship in 1993.[1]
The arena was the site of the largest crowd ever to see an NCAA college ice hockey game in the State of Colorado, as the University of Denver defeated Colorado College, 3–2, for the Denver Cup championship in 1995, with over 16,000 fans in attendance.[citation needed]
[edit] Concert arena
When not being used for athletic events, the venue was frequently used for music concerts including performances by Bruce Springsteen, Grateful Dead, Electric Light Orchestra, REO Speedwagon, Neil Diamond, Steven Curtis Chapman, Linda Ronstadt, Beastie Boys, Guns N' Roses, and Phish. ZZ Top performed at the venue's final concert September 12, 1999.[citation needed]
REO Speedwagon's concert from 1981 was performed here as MTV's first ever live concert. Def Leppard's live concert video, In the Round, In Your Face (filmed over two nights) is from two concerts performed by the band there in 1988 on their Hysteria tour.[citation needed] Parts of U2's half-live rockumentary Rattle and Hum came from one concert filmed in the arena on the third leg of the band's 1987 Joshua Tree Tour, including Bono's famous "Fuck the revolution!" speech during Sunday Bloody Sunday.[citation needed]
[edit] References
[edit] External links
| Preceded by Denver Arena Auditorium |
Home of the Denver Nuggets 1975 – 1999 |
Succeeded by Pepsi Center |
| Preceded by Quebec Coliseum |
Home of the Colorado Avalanche 1995 – 1999 |
Succeeded by Pepsi Center |
| Preceded by The Forum |
Host of the NBA All-Star Game 1984 |
Succeeded by Hoosier Dome |
| Preceded by Kingdome |
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 1990 |
Succeeded by Hoosier Dome |
| Preceded by Kemper Arena |
Home of the Colorado Rockies 1976 – 1982 |
Succeeded by Brendan Byrne Arena |
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Denver Grizzlies 1994 – 1995 |
Succeeded by E Center |
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Denver Spurs 1975 – 1976 |
Succeeded by last arena |
| Preceded by first arena |
Home of the Colorado Flames 1982 – 1984 |
Succeeded by last arena |
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