The Izod Center was also known, at various times, as Brendan Byrne Arena and Continental Airlines Arena. The building, which opened in 1981, was ironically one of the oldest arenas in the NBA/NHL, but until the completion of Newark's Prudential Center in 2007, it was the youngest arena in the NY metro area. Nobody would call it a beautiful arena -- the USA Today once ranked it as the worst NBA arena -- but many would call it cavernous since it seated over 20,000 for basketball and concerts, plus 19,040 for hockey.
I guess you could say the Izod Center was a mixed bag. On one hand, it was extremely accessible from Route 3 and the NJ Turnpike, and it had a ton of cheap parking (until the recent construction of the new Meadowlands Stadium and the Xanadu shopping complex, anyway). On the other hand, it had only one main concourse for all 20,000 spectators to use. You can imagine the postgame people traffic, not to mention the bathroom and food lines during intermissions.
But overall, despite its lack of charm (as compared to, say, MSG or Detroit's Palace at Auburn Hills) it served its purpose extremely well. It had great sightlines and acoustics, so it was a very popular tour stop. Everybody and everything from Bruce Springsteen to the Dave Matthews Band to the American Idol tour to the Red Hot Chili Peppers (who actually recorded their "Snow [Hey Oh]" music video there) played at the Izod Center. And what about sports, you ask? Here's a rundown.
-- 4 Stanley Cup finals (1995, 2000, 2001, 2003)
-- 2 NBA finals (2002, 2003)
-- 11 NCAA basketball regional tournaments (second most of all time)
-- 1996 Final Four (last non-stadium arena to host the Final Four)
-- 8 MAAC conference tournaments
-- 1 A-10 conference tournament
In terms of teams, the Izod Center was home primarily to the New Jersey Devils, the New Jersey Nets, and Seton Hall men's basketball, but it also hosted the New Jersey Rockin Rollers (pro roller hockey), the New Jersey Red Dogs/Gladiators (arena football), the New Jersey Rockets (pro soccer), the New Jersey Saints (pro lacrosse), and the New Jersey Storm (pro lacrosse again). Add those teams to various concerts, circuses, and ice shows, and the Izod Center was a pretty busy place. It even once hosted the NBA finals and the Stanley Cup finals at the same time (2003)! It was the last arena to do so (following the Boston Garden, MSG, Philadelphia Spectrum, and Chicago Stadium).
To me, the Izod Center is like owning a mutt. Sure, you can buy a beautiful pure-bred dog for a thousand dollars. Everyone will agree that that pure-bred dog is pretty and fun to play with. But mutts are cute in their own way, and just as lovable and fun. They're cheaper, too! The moral of the story is that you can pay more for a "pure-bred arena" such as MSG or the Staples Center, but just as many priceless memories and experiences can be had with a mutt like the Izod Center.
Back to the main story. Elissa and I went to see the Nets play the Hawks on March 16. We stopped for White Castle before the game -- the Nets no longer offer the 4-tickets-plus-4-basketballs-plus-4-White-Castle-dinners-for-$80 deal -- and were excited for a close contest. We did not get a close contest, as the Nets "managed" to lose another game by more than 20 points. We also did not get a lively crowd...the listed attendance was 11,128 but I'd estimate that only 6,000 people showed up. Needless to say, it was a depressing sight, especially given the Nets' atrocious season, but things have to improve next year in Newark.
Before we left, however, we made sure to take some photos of the Izod Center. And not just for posterity, mind you...these pictures will hopefully trigger some nostalgia for people someday, or maybe even right now. Thanks for a great run, Izod Center.
UPDATE: In response to a couple questions, the Izod Center is not closing its doors (as far as anyone knows). As the title suggests, this post represents NYaT's farewell to the Izod Center. The arena could remain open for concerts, ice shows, circuses, and the like.
The truth is, Izod Center's raison d'etre -- hosting sports games -- will cease when the Nets leave in a few weeks. Plus, with several more attractive concert venues in the area (i.e., Prudential Center, MSG, New Meadowlands Stadium) it's unlikely that most of us will go there anymore. Since the Izod Center's main tenant is about to leave, it seemed that this is a good time to honor the arena's best years and bid it an unofficial farewell.
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Is it closing? I know the Nets are leaving, but won't it remain open for concerts and stuff?
ReplyDeleteIan, just to clarify, Jay wrote an update. It's only his goodbye to the Izod Center. Not much to be sad about, though. You say "mixed bag" and I say "worst venue in the Tri-State area". Well maybe after Shea. But even Shea hosted the Beatles. Izod just had bugs.
ReplyDeleteJust kidding. Sort of...
I've never been there, but I've heard Nassau Coliseum is even worse. It's certainly older, by about a decade. I'm sure if it hosted an NBA team, that would be the worst area in the league, rather than the Izod Center.
ReplyDeleteAs Andrew said, this is my farewell to the arena. While it will remain standing, at least for the foreseeable future, its future will likely be very similar to that of the Pontiac Silverdome, which was used sparingly after the Lions left in 2002. A Jehovahs Witness convention here, a monster truck show there, and an occasional concert mixed in. That's why I felt it's time to say goodbye to the arena as we've always known it.
I just thought of a potential upside to simply demolishing the structure: even more parking for the new Meadowlands Stadium. Should make the parking cheaper, too. It would take already one of the biggest tailgating scenes in the NFL and make it even bigger! I don't see a problem with that ;-)
i remember seeing michael jordan play. r.i.p. meadowlands and r.i.p. new jersey nets
ReplyDeleteone of the amazing place i used to spend time with my friends:)
ReplyDelete