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I don't have a huge connection to Joe Louis Arena. I've been to a few Detroit Red Wings regular season games there. I went to the inaugural game of the Detroit Drive, Mike Ilitch's Arena Football League Team, and I hit the small seats at the JLA to see a telecast of Wrestlemania II.
So when the here is talk about building a new Joe Louis Arena, I have no problem with it. One of my good friends has attended at least 200 Red Wings games, concerts, and a couple of Stanley Cup Finals in the old building, so he might be a little sad when the Joe is finally a shuttered. However, he even realizes the JLA is kind of junky and not fan-friendly.
My friend and I are avid Detroit Tigers fans and we both have many memories of Tiger Stadium. We were both mixed on our feelings when they moved to Comerica Park. We liked the new stadium but had ties to the old. Comerica Park grew on us because we attended the Major League All-Star Game and World Series there. Now, we have fond memories of both stadiums.
So when Joe Louis Arena finally goes down, I won't really care, but I understand why some will hate losing their ties to the past.
Because I don't know too much about the JLA, I went in search of story that tells its tale. I found this take by Terry Foster of the Detroit News. I have been reading Foster for years and listening to him on 97.1 as well. I have a lot of respect for Foster.
I think you will enjoy this:
Joe Louis Arena was outdated even when it opened in 1979 at a cost of $57 million, replacing Olympia Stadium.
It was jammed on the river, isolated from the rest of downtown and lacked many of the amenities that added to the enjoyment of attending NHL games.
More than 30 years later, The Joe is one of the NHL's dinosaurs -- and if the Wings have their way, it might soon become extinct.
The team's lease with the City of Detroit expires in June. The Wings say it would cost them $10 million in renovations to remain at The Joe.
Owner Mike Ilitch wants the city to build a new arena downtown. And, while it's being built, there have been reports the team is considering signing a three-year lease with The Palace.
Whatever the outcome, Joe Louis
appears on its last legs.
At Saturday's Wings-Kings game, The News toured the facility and talked to fans about the home of Hockeytown.
Among the observations:
• The outside steps leading to the stadium, while always dangerous and ill-suited for a major sports arena, are worse than ever, with decaying concrete. The inside steps also are dangerous.
• The restrooms are so inadequate that fans -- especially women -- are forced to miss portions of the game because of long lines.
• The seats, leg room and corridor have one thing in common -- they're too small.
• Parking is a mess, and getting out of The Joe or its parking structure is a hassle.
Smells of the game
It hits you as soon as you walk off the People Mover -- a sulfur-like smell emitting from sewers and some parts of The Joe. Some fans complain it's not much better in the corridors, but Joe Louis smells better than old Tiger Stadium.
Dangerous steps
The steps that lead to The Joe are dangerous and scary -- steep, shallow and crumbling.
Fans complain you can only put half your foot on the steps while walking up and down, and there were a number of fans clutching the rails as if their lives depended on it.
There are two landings that prevent you from falling all the way to the bottom. But one slip can cause quite a bit of damage -- or at the very least, a twisted ankle.
The stairs inside aren't much better. They are steep and narrow, much like the ones at Olympia Stadium. But unlike the outside steps, there is no railing to support you.
During Saturday's game, a woman stumbled trying to navigate the steps in heels. She caught herself, did a half spin and was on her way.
In and out
Another complaint? There only are two main exits which slow down entering and leaving The Joe.
Long restroom lines
Karen Oliver of Chicago was one of 55 women waiting to get into the restroom between the first and second periods. She said long waits were common and frustrating at Chicago Stadium
At The Joe, not only are there not enough restrooms, but some have as few as four stalls.
"This is not good," she said.
Barb Hilborn of Okemos normally does not go to the bathroom between periods because it would cause her to miss part of the next period.
"Tell them that women are important and want to see the game also," Hilborn said. "We don't like missing parts of the game."
Midway through the second period, lines were 40-50 people long.
The men's line is long, too, but moves quicker.
No leg room
Dave Karaffa of Center Line stands 6-foot-1 and feels pain in his knees every time he stands up at The Joe.
The spacing between rows is atrocious, and even shorter people feel like they are folding themselves into their seats. Often, your knees are touching the back of the row in front of you. If somebody has to get by, the entire row must stand because of lack of space.
"It's pretty tight in there," he said. "If only we could have a little wider space. That would be good."
Small seats
People don't sit down at The Joe.
They wedge themselves in.
Fans complain they lose even more space after taking off coats and jackets. There's barely room between small seats and tight aisles for souvenirs and food.
"Maybe they can have those seats like in the movie theater where you can lean back a little bit," said Lawrence Westerfield of Detroit.
Nose bleeds
The Joe has 86 luxury suites, and most are in the upper tiers of the stadium. If somebody is going to pay premium money for luxury, fans would like to be closer to the action.
The Palace, for instance, has suites just above the lower bowl and more up high.
Narrow concourse
It takes less than two minutes at the end of periods for the concourse to become impassible. Fans must navigate around concession and bathroom lines, people standing holding drinks and folks trying to find their favorite fare.
It becomes a mass of humanity with little room.
Scott Leach of Grosse Pointe Farms was one of thousands of fans scrunched against a pole watching people.
"It would be nice if they had an arena up to code," Leach said. "I mean, this is 2010. So, yeah, it would be nice to have more room in here."
Fans also complain it takes too long to get concessions.
Scoreboard
The scoreboard is too small and lacks punch. Fans want to see the action in high definition and hear play-by-play in stereo. Right now, the spoken word often becomes distorted and difficult to understand.
Fans said they enjoy the big screen at Ford Field and the end zone
Others want to see the return of the organ.
Not downtown
The Joe is on its own island off the Detroit River, isolated from the rest of downtown. Its neighbors are an apartment complex, Cobo Center, parking lots and a freeway.
People have to drive or take one of the various shuttles to dine at a downtown restaurant or casino.
"My problem is there's no atmosphere outside the arena," said season-ticket holder Tim Zelmanski of Royal Oak. "It seems like a pain to get anywhere. You have to cross Jefferson and that detracts from the total atmosphere."
Parking
Fans complain it's difficult and takes way too much time to exit The Joe's parking structure.
Some fans, in fact, say it's easier to park on the Cobo Arena roof.
But overall, there's very little parking near the arena. Most spots are five or six blocks away.
Until next time, enjoy Michigan.
