Why old stadiums should be demolished

[Tabascocat]

Mods can move if need be....

Need a little input here. I am in arguments over why and which old stadiums are demolished. These stubborn Houstonians act like it is a sin to demolish the Astrodome.

I am trying to explain that it is just sitting there doing nothing and wasting tax payers money. I then included Texas Stadium and they all jump in saying it was never an icon. Well, I think it was, the only stadium with a hole in the roof for the Almighty to watch and all. If it could be torn down, so could the Dome. Heck, even Yankee Stadium is gone, what makes the Astrodome so special? It is nothing but an eyesore next to Reliant. The parking alone would be a beneficiary if it is gone.

Am I wrong here? I am the believer if it isn't being used or broke, get rid of it.

Maybe I am still bitter over Shea getting demolished and a bit jealous, IDK.

 

[jason54858]

Question when you talk to your Houstonian friends how are they explaining to you how the Astrodome is an "icon" tbh.

Second, Shea was a dump dude, and I'm a Mets fan too lol

 

[Tabascocat]

Question when you talk to your Houstonian friends how are they explaining to you how the Astrodome is an "icon" tbh.

Second, Shea was a dump dude, and I'm a Mets fan too lol

That stupid 8th wonder of the world stuff. If Shea was a dump, then what is the Dome? Felt like I was in a tomb in there. My first ballgame(and many, many more) was at the Astrodome, so I am not cold to it, it is just...blah.

As for Shea...yea, it needed work but I have fond memories from there I will never forget. My wife(then GF) told me to pack a bag and said we are going on a trip. She would not let me know where too but I figured out that we were heading to LaGuardia. My interest was peaked. I mentioned many times I wanted to see Shea before it was gone and she took me there in the last season(against her favorite team, the Lastros).

That was my first trip to NY and I will never forget it. Since then, I have been to Citi Field a few times. It is a nice stadium but seems to have a misplaced guidance, more so towards Jackie Robinson. Shea had that feel and atmosphere, Citi Field is kind of like Jerry world, no character.

 

[jason54858]

That stupid 8th wonder of the world stuff. If Shea was a dump, then what is the Dome? Felt like I was in a tomb in there. My first ballgame(and many, many more) was at the Astrodome, so I am not cold to it, it is just...blah.

As for Shea...yea, it needed work but I have fond memories from there I will never forget. My wife(then GF) told me to pack a bag and said we are going on a trip. She would not let me know where too but I figured out that we were heading to LaGuardia. My interest was peaked. I mentioned many times I wanted to see Shea before it was gone and she took me there in the last season(against her favorite team, the Lastros).

That was my first trip to NY and I will never forget it. Since then, I have been to Citi Field a few times. It is a nice stadium but seems to have a misplaced guidance, more so towards Jackie Robinson. Shea had that feel and atmosphere, Citi Field is kind of like Jerry world, no character.

Yeah, I've never been to the Astrodome to compare it to Shea tbh. Hell, I haven't even been to Citi Field or Jerry World (for a game anyway) lol. I do have fond memories of Shea tho. Spent many family outings in that place when I was kid. Shea will always have a special place in my heart, but you have to get with the times eventually. Shea was a dump compared to the newer stadiums. If they can bring down Yankee Stadium then there isn't a stadium in the world (except maybe the Colosseum in Rome) that can't go down.

 

[Yakuza Rich]

Shea was really bad, particularly after 9/11 where it felt like you were forced to watch the game at gunpoint. The place was a dump to begin with. I kinda look at it like it was just lucky to hold so many historic events there instead of being a place where it had such a great atmosphere that it made the events historic.

My issue is more with the new stadiums that are being produced. They are overly commercialized and they are often there to suck every penny out of the fans that they can.

As a Yankees fan, this is part of the issue I have with the new Yankee Stadium and I believe George had little input into the Stadium given his age when it was built. For instance, there are $10 seats that are obstructed view seats. While George was insistent on making $$$, he would have never allowed that to happen because it's low class and it comes off like trying to syphon every penny you can get which isn't 'the Yankee way.'

That's why I didn't care for Turner Field, it was about everything but the game at hand. I understand the idea behind the shops and restaurants, but I believe those are really best reserved to be next to the stadium instead of inside of the stadium. Let the wife and family shop while the dad gets to watch the game.

While I loathe to say this, it's one of the reasons why SEC football is a powerhouse. They have built a collection of well designed stadiums. Each seat about 90K, have excellent grass fields, are relatively clean and are in good shape as well as right on top of the action. But what the stadiums are about is about the game at hand, instead of bringing in sushi bars, GAP stores, etc. And the SEC has reaped the benefits from it because if you're watching the game at home, you end up wanting to be there.





YR

 

[MRV52]

According to God, Texas Stadium was the real 8th Wonder of the World and not the Astrodome. We all knew why there was a hole in the roof, so that God could watch his favorite team.

 

[Doomsday101]

Mods can move if need be....

Need a little input here. I am in arguments over why and which old stadiums are demolished. These stubborn Houstonians act like it is a sin to demolish the Astrodome.

I am trying to explain that it is just sitting there doing nothing and wasting tax payers money. I then included Texas Stadium and they all jump in saying it was never an icon. Well, I think it was, the only stadium with a hole in the roof for the Almighty to watch and all. If it could be torn down, so could the Dome. Heck, even Yankee Stadium is gone, what makes the Astrodome so special? It is nothing but an eyesore next to Reliant. The parking alone would be a beneficiary if it is gone.

Am I wrong here? I am the believer if it isn't being used or broke, get rid of it.

Maybe I am still bitter over Shea getting demolished and a bit jealous, IDK.

As someone who has lived in Houston for 45 years I will say that I wished there was something that could be done with the Astrodome where it was put in use, however no one has come up with a plan to do so nor want to invest the money. Given that the only practical thing to do is to demolish it.

As for Texas Stadium of course it too was an icon, even TV show Dallas did the fly over of the Stadium as part of their intro. Texas Stadium had a unique look to it and to some extent a bit of that look was included with the new stadium.

 

[jazzcat22]

And what are they supposed to do with these old stadiums. Leave them sit for people to do a drive by or make them museums. I doubt those go over very well.
Real Estate....$$$$$...that's what it's about.

As for the Astrodome, I was told by a friend that lives in Houston, they were trying to get things in there to convert for conventions, turn part into hotels inside, or what ever it was. It's a dispute witht e owner vs city or something like that. And comes down to $$$$. But in the mean times it gets worse and worse conditions.
Time for it to come down.

 

[Nova]

The Astrodome is not an icon. Anyone slinging rocks about it being more important than another stadium just lacks any sense of self awareness.

Wish I had some good info, but one thing seems obvious. The building will require maintenance and suck money down the drain, and it's just not that important.

We're not talking about a historical landmark or even one of the great sporting venues in the history of American Sports.

It's not Fenway. It's not Yankees stadium (which was demolished, even with the infinitely richer history than the Astrodome), it's not Wrigley. It's not even the Superdome.

Now that I think about it, it's almost embarrassing to hold on to something like that. Something that means so little in the grand scheme of things. Is the Astrodome the only thing to have pride in when it comes to the sports history of Houston? If so, that's just sad.

Knock it down, and build a statue of Hakeem the Dream to the same scale of the Statue of Liberty.

 

[Tabascocat]

The Astrodome is not an icon. Anyone slinging rocks about it being more important than another stadium just lacks any sense of self awareness.

Wish I had some good info, but one thing seems obvious. The building will require maintenance and suck money down the drain, and it's just not that important.

We're not talking about a historical landmark or even one of the great sporting venues in the history of American Sports.

It's not Fenway. It's not Yankees stadium (which was demolished, even with the infinitely richer history than the Astrodome), it's not Wrigley. It's not even the Superdome.

Now that I think about it, it's almost embarrassing to hold on to something like that. Something that means so little in the grand scheme of things. Is the Astrodome the only thing to have pride in when it comes to the sports history of Houston? If so, that's just sad.

Knock it down, and build a statue of Hakeem the Dream to the same scale of the Statue of Liberty.

Perfect! I'll go grab my tools and start on this project

 

[perrykemp]

Back before the knocked down the old Detroit Silverdome they it converted mainly for use for Monster Truck pulls / displays.

I vote for that outcome for all old stadiums....

 

[WoodysGirl]

This is what a FB friend wrote about the Astrodome...

It's a sad day in Football History on every level. The voters have spoken. The Astrodome will fall. Perhaps this is reflective of a society that no longer puts any value in historical land marks. Perhaps for this younger generation, the absence of the ability to conjure up the Ghosts of Football's past blinds them from the atrocity it has committed by ballot! My spiritual seance /say-uns/ brings to light the memories of Earl Campbell trotting out of the huddle on first and ten with every player on the opposing team knowing the ball was coming to him, and there was nothing they could do to stop him. I weep for the whole Luv ya Blue fam...Dan Pastorini, Gifford Neilson, Billie White Shoes Johnson, Mike Rozier, Kenny Boroughs, Carl Roaches, Jack Tatum, all the way down to Bruce Mathews, Warren Moon, Haywood Jeffries, Alonzo Highsmith, and Ernest Givens. Baseball greats like Bagwell and Biggio, Nolan Ryan, and Oral Herschizer. And the epic Labor-Day Classic battles between my alma-mater TSU vs Prairie View. I saw young Vince Young absolutely set the Dome on fire in his days as a Houston Madison Marlin. But the most memorable day for me was the 1994 Championship Celebration Ceremony I attended for the Houston Rockets where I stood just 5 feet away from NBA legends like Hakeem the Dream, Mad Max, and Super Mario! Yes the capitalistic culture-less minded neanderthal voters have spoken..and it was a resounding caveman's 'OOGA-BOOGA! While other countries hold on to there wonders of the world like The Great Pyramids, the Taj Mahal, it's seems what the rest of the world officially called the 8th wonder of the world, the first of it's kind, is just a mere financial nuisance to THIS culturally decadent society.

Personally, I'm all for it being demolished. Everything is out of code and it's asbestos-filled. I'm glad the voters have some common sense and voted against the latest money-trap promoted for it.

 

[Doomsday101]

And what are they supposed to do with these old stadiums. Leave them sit for people to do a drive by or make them museums. I doubt those go over very well.
Real Estate....$$$$$...that's what it's about.

As for the Astrodome, I was told by a friend that lives in Houston, they were trying to get things in there to convert for conventions, turn part into hotels inside, or what ever it was. It's a dispute witht e owner vs city or something like that. And comes down to $$$$. But in the mean times it gets worse and worse conditions.
Time for it to come down.

Harris County ownes the Astrodome, city of Houston has no say in this. You are right there have been some different ideas tossed about for the Astrodome and to my knowledge nothing has come about with these ideas. As of yesterdays vote regarding the Astrodome voters rejected plan to renovate and it likely will be demolished.

 

[joseephuss]

Back before the knocked down the old Detroit Silverdome they it converted mainly for use for Monster Truck pulls / displays.

I vote for that outcome for all old stadiums....

The Silverdome hasn't been knocked down. They just deflated the roof. There are plans to build a permanent roof system.

 

[perrykemp]

The Silverdome hasn't been knocked down. They just deflated the roof. There are plans to build a permanent roof system.

Oh really? Whoops. I'm from Grand Rapids and don't get to the northern suburbs of Detroit much these days. For some reason I thought they blew it up. My bad!

 

[Doomsday101]

The Silverdome hasn't been knocked down. They just deflated the roof. There are plans to build a permanent roof system.

I'm thinking to get the most bang out of the buck they should blow up Detriot and keep the Silverdome. lol

 

[Tabascocat]

This is what a FB friend wrote about the Astrodome...



Personally, I'm all for it being demolished. Everything is out of code and it's asbestos-filled. I'm glad the voters have some common sense and voted against the latest money-trap promoted for it.

Lol, your friend lost me when he said Orel Hershiser. The rest of those accolades pale in comparison to the house that Ruth built and it is gone, enough said IMO.

 

[jazzcat22]

Harris County ownes the Astrodome, city of Houston has no say in this. You are right there have been some different ideas tossed about for the Astrodome and to my knowledge nothing has come about with these ideas. As of yesterdays vote regarding the Astrodome voters rejected plan to renovate and it likely will be demolished.

Thanks for the info. I was just saying what I was told and tried to remember. This was told to me a year or so ago.

 

[joseephuss]

Oh really? Whoops. I'm from Grand Rapids and don't get to the northern suburbs of Detroit much these days. For some reason I thought they blew it up. My bad!

I had to look it up. I didn't recall them demolishing it, so I did some quick research. I remember a few years ago it was sold for just over $500K. Looks like it will be some sort of convention center once they fix the roof.

 

[Doomsday101]

Thanks for the info. I was just saying what I was told and tried to remember. This was told to me a year or so ago.

No biggy, most people in Houston do not know the differance between Harris County and the City of Houston. lol

I have worked for Harris County for 29 years now and some people still will make comments thinking the Mayor of Houston is out boss. lol