McNichols Sports Arena
Big Mac | |
Address | 1635 Bryant Street |
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Location | Denver, Colorado, U.S. |
Coordinates | 39°44′34″N 105°1′21″W / 39.74278°N 105.02250°W |
Owner | City of Denver |
Operator | Feyline |
Capacity | 16,000 Detailed sports capacity
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Construction | |
Broke ground | August 8, 1973) (1996–97) |
McNichols Sports Arena was an
Sports use
It was named after Denver mayor William H. McNichols Jr., who served from 1968 to 1983. A small-scale scandal surrounded the naming because McNichols was in office at the time.
Twenty-seven
McNichols Sports Arena was the home of the
The NBA's Denver Nuggets played their last game on May 5, 1999, against the Houston Rockets, and the Colorado Avalanche played their final game on June 1, 1999, during the playoffs versus the Dallas Stars. Though the arena was only 24 years old when it was demolished, like most arenas of the 1970s, it was narrow and dark in the concourse-level corridors. In addition, the locker rooms and shower facilities were not updated to NBA and NHL standards. Also, the arena lacked enough luxury suites (27 compared to some newer arenas' 200 or more) and had no club seating. Combined, these factors effectively made McNichols Sports Arena obsolete.
The arena closed after the Nuggets and Avalanche moved to the Pepsi Center (now Ball Arena) and was demolished in 2000 to make space for a parking lot surrounding Empower Field at Mile High.
Notable events
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 1 and 2 of the Stanley Cup Finals in 1996, where the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers in four games to bring Denver its first major sports championship.
UFC 1, the first event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship, was held there in 1993.[6]
Another notable event at McNichols took place on December 13, 1983, when the Nuggets hosted the
Concerts
The opening event at McNichols Sports Arena was a concert by Lawrence Welk on August 22, 1975.
The group Heart performed their rendition of "Unchained Melody" at the arena in 1980. "Unchained Melody" was included on their highly successful double LP Greatest Hits/Live released November 1980.
The Grateful Dead played McNichols 13 times between 1977 and 1994. The Grateful Dead here for the first time on their Fall Southwest Tour on October 9, 1977. In 1979, the band was scheduled for 3 nights at red rocks, but 8/13/1979 and 8/14/1979 were moved to McNichols because of rain. The Grateful Dead would return to play the arena 7/13/1981, 7/14/1981, 12/12/1990, 12/13/1990, 12/14/1990. 12/2/1992 and 12/3/1992 would be the first shows of 1992 following the band's break in 1992. 11/29/1994, 11/30/1994, and 12/1/1994 would be the final 3 shows the band would perform in Colorado.
Elvis Presley performed a sold-out concert here on April 23, 1976.
Paul McCartney and Wings performed here for one night June 7, 1976.[8]
The Bee Gees played here on July 2, 1979, as part of their highly successful Spirits Having Flown Tour.
The band KISS performed at McNichols on November 4, 1979, as part of their Dynasty Tour. This was the last tour featuring original drummer Peter Criss until 1996.
Rolling Stones guitarists Keith Richards and Ron Wood performed as The New Barbarians at the arena in 1979.
REO Speedwagon's concert from 1981 was performed here, as MTV's first ever live concert.
The arena played host to Amnesty International's A Conspiracy of Hope Benefit Concert on June 8, 1986. The show was headlined by U2 and Sting and also featured Bryan Adams, Peter Gabriel, Lou Reed, Joan Baez and The Neville Brothers.
Parts of U2's half-live rockumentary
Jethro Tull played the arena from 1976 to 1980.
Def Leppard recorded one of their shows here in February 1988 and released it as Live: In the Round, in Your Face.
Pop star
Pop star Prince made a stop here on July 3, 1986, while on his Parade Tour.
The bonus tracks on Stevie Ray Vaughan & Double Trouble's album In Step, including "The House is Rockin’" (Live), "Let Me Love You Baby" (Live), "Texas Flood" (Live), and "Life Without You" (Live) were recorded on November 29, 1989, at McNichols Sports Arena.
Depeche Mode held a concert for its Devotional Tour at the arena on November 2, 1993. Following the performance, keyboardist Martin Gore was arrested by local police and fined $50 for disturbing the peace when holding a loud party in his hotel room.[10]
The very first Ultimate Fighting Championship (UFC) event UFC 1 was held on November 12, 1993.
Phish performed and recorded their show, on November 17, 1997, which was later released as a live album, entitled Live Phish Volume 11.
ZZ Top performed at the venue's final concert on September 12, 1999. They were also the first rock band to play the arena on August 27, 1975.[11]
Steve Miller Band and Bachman-Turner Overdrive played McNichols in 1978.
Rush played McNichols a few times, one occasion being March 1, 1980.
On Halloween, 1976, Black Sabbath, Heart and Boston played to a huge standing room only crowd in McNichols.
ZZ Top played on August 1, 1976 under the Colorado Sun-Day #2 event. When BOC dropped out, the concert was moved from Mile High Stadium to McNichols Arena. Then the Outlaws were added to the billing. The night of the concert, the Outlaws did not show, due to some illness, so ZZ Top started early and played for at least three hours. Great show!
References
- ^ "Western History Subject Index :: Western History Subject Index". Denver Library. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- NBA.com. Archived from the originalon February 9, 2012.
- ^ 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–". Retrieved February 29, 2024.
- ^ Rinaldi, Ray Mark (May 2, 2013). "Architect Charles Sink Left a Legacy of Modernism in Denver". The Denver Post. Retrieved February 24, 2015.
- ^ Suppes, BALLPARKS.com by Munsey and. "McNichols Sports Arena". Arenas by Munsey & Suppes. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
- ^ Fight Finder – UFC 1 The Beginning Mixed Martial Arts Statistics Archived 2008-04-20 at the Wayback Machine
- Elton John 1975 West of Rockies tour
- ^ Wings Concert at McNichols Arena
- ^ Rattle & Hum, The Movie, 1988
- ^ "November 1993: When Martin Gore of Depeche Mode got arrested in Denver". Totally 80s. Retrieved 25 June 2022.
- ^ "Denver Entertainment: The Denver Post". extras.denverpost.com. Retrieved 6 April 2018.
Events and tenants | ||
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Preceded by Denver Arena Auditorium |
Home of the Denver Nuggets 1975–1999 |
Succeeded by Pepsi Center |
Preceded by Quebec Coliseum (as Quebec Nordiques ) |
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 | Basketball Tournament Finals Venue 1990 |
Succeeded by Hoosier Dome |
Preceded by Kemper Arena )(as Kansas City Scouts |
Home of the Colorado Rockies 1976–1982 |
Succeeded by |
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
|
Preceded by First event
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Ultimate Fighting Championship venue UFC 1 |
Succeeded by Mammoth Gardens |