The Spectrum

Today it was announced that the Spectrum will be torn down next year. It is truly a dark day in Philadelphia sports history. While not quite as fond in my heart as the Vet was, the Spectrum will still be missed dearly I saw my first Flyers game there. I saw my first Sixers game there. My top 5 Spectrum memories.

5. Watching terrible Rob Haskin-led Saint Joe's teams take on equally bad Dusquesne or Fordham teams in the late 1990's during the Atlantic 10 tournament.

4. Going to a Phantoms game with Jose Rovelli. If there is anything worse than regular season hockey, it is regular season minor league hockey.

3. Never attending a lacrosse or indoor soccer game. I am very proud of never attending a LAX or soccer game at the Spectrum. This may seem easy to do, but for those that grew up in the Philadelphia area, you know it was hard not to get Kixx or Wings tickets thrown your way. And do you know why? Because it was lacrosse and soccer and those sports suck assholes. In my younger years, people would constantly tell me, "Wings games are a blast....the atmosphere is amazing." No thank you......fag.

2. March 14, 1995. Dana Barros dropped 50 points on the Rockets. Look it up. I was there.

1. The greatest memory of the Spectrum for me was a cold, winter night when the Sixers were playing the Pistons. These were the 2-time Champion Pistons and the Spectrum was rocking. It being a school night, and me being in third grade, my dad and I had to leave after the 3rd quarter. I wanted to watch the last possession of the quarter, so as my dad waited at the bottom of the ramp to the concourse, I watched the Sixers inbound the ball to Manute Bol. At this point, the Sixers were probably down 35 points. So the guards, most likely Dumars and Thomas, just applied light pressure when the realized Bol had the ball and was eighty feet from the rim. Bol panicked. Instead of dribbling (no chance) or lifting the ball 10 feet in the air, he did what any 7'7 Sudanese giant would do. While standing, he lifted up his massive leg, put the ball through his legs without dribbling, and then put his leg back down. The Spectrum went nuts at the least athletic move of all time. From what I remember, the Pistons guards backed away in awe and the crowd cheered and cheered. My dad almost didn't believe me when I tried to tell him what happened.



So there it is....thank you Spectrum...and thank you Dad for taking me to the "Manute game". And for never taking me to a gay soccer game or douchey LAX game.