There were 30 cars in the line to get into the Charlotte Coliseum parking lot Sunday at 9:15 a.m. Traffic moved slowly and sometimes not at all. It was like the old days when traffic was clogged because the New York Knicks were in town. That people cared about the Knicks attests to how old those old days were.
Adults, kids, old dogs and a Beagle puppy came to see the Coliseum come down. Some dressed in church clothes, some in rain clothes and some in biker clothes.
Despite the Knicks-Charlotte Hornets analogy, it wasn’t like being at a game. It was like being at a drive-in movie. Fans of the Coliseum and of explosions got comfortable in their cars or looked for a vantage point that offered a better view. I ran into so many people I know, most of whom had come to say goodbye.
When the implosion was pushed back 30 minutes to 10:30 a.m., I drove around the building, encountering hundreds of people with cameras and video recorders in every parking lot along the way.
The media entrance through which we entered the past 19 years was closed, so I drove to the Raycom sports building, which offered a great view of the Coliseum and of the VIPs below. I saw a lot of khaki among the VIPs. Everybody is wearing khaki to implosions this summer.
Then came sirens and countdowns and then it was time. There were a series of blasts, each amazingly loud. There was a cadence to them, like a big man hitting a heavy bag the same way at the same interval every time.
There were at least 15 blasts. Then the building crumbled and everybody cheered. Then came dust, just a wall of dust. Few of the spectators left. The present had been unwrapped; what was inside?
When the dust faded, everybody cheered again. Rubble! Hooray.
The sight and the sequence that led to it really were remarkable. It had been a long time since the Coliseum got anybody excited. I was happy the building could do that one last time.
It bothered me to see it fall, mostly because it was a good facility, replaced by a smaller downtown arena that nobody wanted. What a colossal waste.
Posted by: snapshot01 | June 04, 2007 at 07:51 AM
Ok yea alright whatever ... damn not one word about the Shinn guy who brought this sports dead minor league town pro sports and we all know who he is and it wasnt Jerry Richardson or Pat mamas boy McCrory who oddly couldnt keep his hands and arms off Mugsey Bogues, hummm..., or Bobs Cats guy or any other.
Yea lets go back 20 short yrs and relive the horror of having lost the minor league Checkers hockey team in the old arena that held 13k if they were lucky yet packed in 2-300 a match before folding or head down off South Blvd off Marsh Rd where the 1A Hornets had played for 60 yrs in a wooden blencher ballpark that burned in the late 70s and was replaced with little league blenchers and became the Os and Shinn bought out selling them to get a AAA team with the new ballpark that held 10,000 across from Carowinds. And forget that crap about being so far away in SC, pleaseeee... The original ballpark built 100 yrs ago was in the far reaching suburb of Dilworth NOT downtown and that goes for the original Colisium built way the hell out 2 lane country road Independence NOT downtown.
Yea lets not forget the Phoenix sports editor who said the only franchise this town would get would one with golden arches ... blah blah blah ... and dont forget how Stern bragged how Shinn was a the most persistent little guy he ever met and he couldnt take a piss without him calling ....
We know the Hornets set everything in motion for Charlotte including US Air and the new airport and what is now Bank of America growth including Wachovia and the NFL Panthers.
Charlotte could afterall look like Richmond or Greensboro had it not been for Shinn.
And we know spoiled brat fans booted the easy target Shinn and look who the hell we ended up with in BJ who never lived in Charlotte and got a 300 million new area downtown plus all the proceeds for everything ... Damn.
Shinn was no saint but who is? He came along at the perfect time to save Charlotte though and noone can argue that. Lets dont forget Jim Bakker and PTL was on the way downhill ... lol .. so we needed something big and quick ...
Posted by: Tommy | June 04, 2007 at 12:38 PM
The old Coliseum was an icon for those of us growing up in the 60s & 70s--before the days of ESPN & MTV. It was live and loud; and it left an imprint on us that won't ever be forgotten.
Posted by: deb | June 06, 2007 at 11:47 AM
We know the Hornets set everything in motion for Charlotte including US Air and the new airport and what is now Bank of America growth including Wachovia
The Colesium was 20. The new aiport is 25 having opened on May 2, 1982 with about 20 gates on concources B and C.
The Colesium was s sign of growth which is what everybody wanted.
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