Although it opened to little fanfare and with even fewer accommodations, Detroit's Joe Louis Arena became much more than simply "another sports arena" in the Motor City. It became an institution for toughness and grit, providing the perfect backdrop for one of the fiercest rivalries in all of sports: the Red Wings vs the Avalanche. The Conception After years of civil unrest and a crumbling auto industry, by the end of the 1970s, the city of Detroit was beginning to crumble a

Born in a San Francisco basement just months after the devastating 1906 earthquake, Joe Cronin rose to prominence in America's pastime by becoming a reliable batter, a proficient ball catcher and a longtime executive who oversaw the changing times. The Early Years Joe Cronin was born to an Irish immigrant and his wife on October 12, 1906. While his family lived in his aunt's basement for the first year of his life, they moved into San Francisco's Excelsior District in 1907 wh

Two decades before the "Miracle on Ice" captivated America, an undersized yet youthful group of college players and amateurs went to Squaw Valley, California with one thing on their mind: to win gold. Of course, nothing great comes easy and on February 27, 1960, the U.S. Hockey Team beat the USSR 3-2 in the semifinals of the Squaw Valley Olympics. Led by the indomitable West Point coach Jack Riley, Team USA wasn't even expected to get past the first couple of rounds. But this

Today, the city of Detroit is known as "Hockey Town". Built on a rich history with their beloved Red Wings, the Motor City has witnessed their team win an incredible 11 Stanley Cups over the years. But the love for their team was not born in Little Caesars Arena or even the storied Joe Louis Arena, but in a grand arena meant specifically for civic pride. This is the story of Olympia Stadium. The Conception Largely due to the rise of the Ford automobile plant, the city of Detr

For 65 years, Chicago Stadium was a beacon of hope for the Windy City. No matter how the job market or political climate looked or the wars fought overseas, Chicago Stadium could always be counted on to hold events that could be the calm before the storm, a respite in a trying time in someone's life. This is its story. The Conception The end of the 1920s was a time filled with change in America. The roar of the decade had died down as the Great Depression picked up steam and

The Green Bay Packers have not always called Lambeau Field "home". There was a time when they used the local East High School and its adjoining City Stadium for practices and games. It was an era when the NFL was still learning to fly and things such as luxury suites and season ticket sales were decades away from even being thought of. City Stadium joined East High School's landscape in 1925, a full 69 years after the school was founded. The Packers had tired of playing at Be

Just across a lawn from each other at the University of Pennsylvania resides two of America's oldest sports venues: Franklin Field and the Palestra. Over the past century, each has hosted countless memorable moments while transporting fans back to a time when the stands were positioned right on top of he action and before giant video boards. Franklin Field With athletics becoming a bigger deal in the college landscape, the University of Pennsylvania decided to build an athlet

For the past 50 years, the Superdome has interwoven itself within the culture of New Orleans. Having risen at a time when the rest of the landscape was evolving, it's seen much of the Big Easy's rich history, such as hosting eight Super Bowls and hosting a lot of very big games in college football. Most importantly, it was there when the city needed it most. The Concept Ever since he was awarded an NFL franchise back in 1966, Saints owner John Mecon Jr. made it his mission to

Ever since becoming the Kansas City Chief's starting quarterback, Patrick Mahomes has seized the opportunity to be the NFL's next great quarterback. In just seven short years, he's won three Super Bowls and has been named the league's MVP twice. As hard as it may be to imagine, there was a time in his life when winning the championship didn't come quite as easily. Let's take a look back at his career as a Whitehouse High School Wildcat. 2011 -Sophomore Year Young Patrick Ma

To date, the city of New Orleans has hosted 11 Super Bowls and 91 Sugar Bowls. However, the first three Super Bowls and the first 40 Sugar Bowls played in New Orleans were not played in the vast, cozy confines of the Superdome but rather in the dreary, roofless Tulane Stadium. But while it may look unappealing to the eye, the stadium hosted some of the sport's most legendary teams and heroic players while showing the world the possibilities of holding the biggest events in t

While Madison Square Garden is widely known as one of the leading athletic venues in the world, there are layers to its rich story. There have been four iterations of the storied arena and not all were known for athletics. In fact, it wasn't until the third version of the Garden was first constructed that it began to truly focus on its impact in sports and society. The Concept Tex Rickard was hot. the highly respected boxing promoter had recently drawn over 100,000 people t

Very few men in NFL history can say that they have impacted the game of football in the way that Kellen Winslow did. From 1979 through 1987, he transformed the tight end position from a glorified tackle who just so happened to have a few select passing routes in his repertoire, into the virtuoso that we see on the the gridiron all over America. This is his story. The Early Years Kellen Winslow was born in St. Louis, Missouri on November 5, 1957. As the third of seven childre

Deep in the heart of Toronto stands an ancient relic of a bygone era. In its heyday, it was home to nine Stanley Cup champions while hosting so many historic moments in Toronto. Dubbed one of the "cathedrals" of hockey, Maple Leaf Gardens still very much looks the part from the outside despite not having hosted a major hockey event since 1999. This is its story. Development Conn Smythe had a dilemma. The owner of the Toronto Maple Leafs had grown wary of the uncomfortable a

While the Showtime Lakers were known for their star-studded cast of offensive prowess, few remember the rollicking defensive force that quietly powered them to five world championships. Although he never averaged more than 11.9 point per game or graced an All-Star roster, Michael Cooper did enough to stifle Larry Bird and the Boston Celtics. The Early Years Michael Cooper was born in Los Angeles on April 15, 1956. Although he showed flashes of talent, he wasn't a full-time s

Every great football dynasty needs a competent backup quarterback. In the 1960's, the Green Bay Packers enjoyed the subtle services of Zeke Bratkowski. Dubbed the "Super Sub", he found great success leading the team to victory when their franchise quarterback Bart Starr was either hurt or ineffective. But there is so much more to his story than years collecting splinters on the bench. The Early Years Edmund Raymond Bratkowski was born in Danville, Illinois no October 20, 193

Few arenas have earned as much mystique as the Boston Garden. It was almost as if it was created specifically to play mind games with opponents while giving their beloved Bruins and Celtics a boost of energy. It worked. From the day it opened in 1928 until the day its iconic parquet floor was taken apart and sold for souvenirs, the Boston Garden held the heart of Beantown in the palm of its hand. The Concept After enjoying the fruits of the roaring '20's, America was more th

While the city of Boston has a rich history in sports, none of it would have been possible without the father-son duo of George and Walter Brown. Together, they oversaw the famed Boston Marathon as well as both the Boston Arena and Gardens while ushering in multiple avenues of amateurism and professionalism, including the founding of both the Bruins and Celtics. This is their story. George George V. Brown was born on October 21, 1880 in Hopkinton, Massachusetts. He grew up o

Deep in the heart of the Philadelphia Sports Complex stood a stadium that bristled with energy and bustled with memories nearly every night. The Spectrum was home to both the Flyers and the 76ers and proved to be quite the advantage for its occupants as their fans rollicked the night away. Through the pain and struggle of searching for that elusive title, the Spectrum became a symbol for all of Philadelphia. This is its story. The Spectrum It was built on the site of a for

In the years before the Lakers moved into the Fabulous Forum, they played their home games adjacent to the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. While they gained an audience in that short period of time, the nation began to realize just how relevant the Coliseum's neighbor could be to the sports landscape at large. Built on 3939 South Figuero Street in just under 15 months between April 1958 and July 1959 by the noted architect Welton Becket, the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena

The climax of the first Rocky movie was set in Philadelphia's Spectrum Arena , but it wasn't filmed there. Instead, Sylvester Stallone and company filmed the historic bout between Rocky Balboa and Apollo Creed at one of America's forgotten jewels of the sport: Los Angeles's Grand Olympic Auditorium. Initially, the plan was for the new auditorium to be built in 90 days, but after breaking ground on 1801 South Grand Avenue in January 1925, construction slowed until it was co