Last September, Veterans Stadium held its last game and prepared itself for implosion. At that point, I was finished with the big, clumsy stadium. I saw it every time I drove into my office, and I was looking forward to working in the new ballpark being built directly across the street. Basically, I was quite ambivalent about the demise of the Vet. I suppose I had already spent myself writing about it. Oh, but how quickly things change. Last Sunday I stayed up all night (and morning) in order to get to my office at the Wachovia Center by 4 a.m. and before the mandated 5 a.m. "lockdown." Still non-plussed about the implosion, I joked around in the office and worked ahead to lessen the load I would have to carry after the event. After all, as every one knows, when the game or event ends, that's when media-types like me go to work. Rarely do I get to revel in what I had just seen until later.
Anyway, a funny thing happened a few minutes before the detonators were pushed -- it was as if all those feelings I had pushed aside had surfaced and manifested itself into a shaking right hand, although that could have been the liters of caffeine I had dumped into my body in attempt to stay awake all night. Nevertheless, I had bizarre mixed emotions... I was both happy that the old building was being put out of its misery, and sad that I would not be able to show the place to my kids. It was weird.
Still, I found it quite odd that this place that had spoken of with such contempt -- it was a dump, frankly -- by so many people, in which the phrase, "We need a new stadium in order to compete... " was so mourned. It seemed a bit odd watching people who had beat the drum for a new stadium for so long suddenly turn to blubbering fools once the plunger was pushed.
Which is it, dude, is he gonna shit or is he gonna kill us?
As one can imagine, I spent a lot of time at old Veterans Stadium and it's really weird to see its remains resting on the corner of Broad and Pattison like a model of Ground Zero. I felt like I had witnessed an execution; sure it was warranted, but killing is wrong whether it's sanctioned or not.
Oh well, rest in pieces Veterans Stadium.
Here are my stories from last Sunday. This one is about the implosion and This one is a popular piece about growing up going to the Vet.
Here are some pictures of the implosion and these are pictures that I took during the last season.