I'll never understand why the Memphis Grizzlies are building a new arena.

[SmileyBoy]

I'm watching NBA Fastbreak on ESPN, and I've noticed something:

The Memphis Grizzlies are currently playing in the 20,000-seat Memphis Pyramid, a decent arena BUILT IN 1991. IT'S A YOUNGER ARENA THAN MY T-WOLVES' TARGET CENTER. The pyramid has revenue-producing luxury suites and club seating, and is also home to the U of Memphis Tigers basketball team. If you asked me, there's only ONE THING that needs to be put in that arena, and that's a brand-new digital scoreboard. And apparently, the city of Memphis built that arena in the early-1990's in order to lure an NBA franchise there.

Well, they got their franchise, but Memphis is currently constructing the new FedEx Forum outside downtown which will actually seat LESS than the Pyramid when finished. Apparently the team and the city felt that a 13 year-old arena that's not IN ANY WAY obsolete (and that has revenue-producing suites and club seating) was not good enough for their NBA team, so they decided to build a new honking white elephant arena.

This trend in the NBA of replacing 12 year-old arenas (Miami, Memphis, Charlotte), and using public funds squeezed out of the populace to pay for them is really starting to piss me off.

Now let me say that I'm NOT against building new stadiums or using public money to build them. In Minneapolis, the obsolete Metrodome is costing the Vikings and Twins millions of dollars a year in lost revenue. That 22 year-old stadium is OBSOLETE. I BELIEVE THEY NEED TO REPLACE THAT ONE. There's actually a few sports venues that I feel could afford to see the wrecking ball eventually.

But this trend in the NBA, especially the example in Memphis, pisses me off to some extent. The Pyramid is a nice facility. Why won't they keep playing there???

And one more thing, The Pyramid is the most unique design for a sports facility I've ever seen in my life, and stadium architecture is my life's work. It's certainly a marvel of sports architecture. It'll be a shame to see it go if the UM Tigers decide to play in that new arena.

[KT2000]

1. Let me guess

Didn't Bush make a ton of money on his meager investment into the Rangers by having public funds build the stadium, then selling the team for a huge profit? (Proceeds are not shared with the taxpayer)

This is a con that is happening all over the country. All the sports franchises want to get in on it.

[SmileyBoy]

2. Believe me, I know of Bush's stadium on-job with the Rangers in 1993.

And The Ballpark In Arlington is very ugly, too. It's an industrial-style, urban retro design in the middle of flat, empty suburban real estate.