McNichols Sports Arena
Encyclopedia
McNichols Sports Arena was an indoor arena, in Denver
, Colorado
, USA, adjacent to Mile High Stadium
. Completed in 1975, at a cost of $10 million, it seated 16,061, for hockey
games, 17,171, for basketball
games and contained 27 luxury suites, which were installed as part of the 1986 renovation. It was named after the mayor of Denver, William (Bill) H. McNichols, Jr., who served from 1968 to 1983. A small scale scandal was created when the arena was named after a sitting mayor.
The arena was largely shuttered after the Nuggets and Avalanche moved to Pepsi Center
and was razed in 1999 to make space for a parking lot surrounding INVESCO Field at Mile High
.
of the WHA
from 1975 to 1976, the Colorado Rockies
of the NHL
from 1976 to 1982, the Colorado Flames
of the CHL from 1982 to 1984, the Denver Nuggets
of the ABA
and NBA from 1975 to 1999, the Denver Avalanche
of the MISL
from 1981 to 1982, the Colorado Avalanche
of the NHL
from 1995 to 1999, and the Denver Grizzlies of the International Hockey League from 1994 to 1995.
McNichols hosted the NCAA Final Four
in 1990, won by UNLV
over Duke University
and the West Regional Semifinal in 1996. It was also host to the 1976 ABA All-Star Game, in which the host Nuggets defeated the ABA All-Stars, games 1, 2, and 5 of the 1976 ABA finals, and the 1984 NBA All-Star Game. It also hosted games one and two of the Stanley Cup
Finals in 1996, where the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers
in four games to bring the Mile High City its first major sports championship.
The arena was the site of the largest crowd ever to see an NCAA college ice hockey game in the State of Colorado, as the University of Denver
defeated Colorado College
, 3–2, for the Denver Cup championship in 1995, with over 16,000 fans in attendance.
Another notable event at McNichols took place on December 13, 1983, when the Nuggets hosted the Detroit Pistons
in a regular season contest. Nugget players Kiki Vandeweghe and Alex English
scored 51 and 47 points respectively, while Piston Isiah Thomas
also scored 47 points, with teammate John Long
scoring 41 in a 186-184 triple-overtime Detroit win over the Nuggets. The game, still to date, is the highest-scoring game in NBA history, and also holds the record for the most players to score 40 or more points in a single game. However, the game was not televised in the Denver area (instead being shown back to the Detroit market, via WKBD-TV) and was attended by just over 9,300 people. This game has since been broadcast on NBA TV
and ESPN Classic
.
On October 9,1987 the US HOT ROD Mud Bog & Battle of the Monster Trucks show was hosted. It was the only monster truck event held at McNichols.
's concert from 1981 was performed here, as MTV
's first ever live concert.
The arena hosted "Alvin & the Chipmunks starring the Amazing Computer" on February 8, 1986. It was a family event for children.
The "Ice Capades" was held at McNichols on April 5, 1986.
The arena played host to Amnesty International
's A Conspiracy of Hope Benefit Concert on June 8, 1986. The show was headlined by U2
and Sting and also featured Bryan Adams
, Peter Gabriel
, Lou Reed
, Joan Baez
and The Neville Brothers
.
Parts of U2's half-live rockumentary Rattle and Hum
, came from one concert filmed in the arena, on the third leg of the band's 1987 Joshua Tree Tour, including Bono's famous "Fuck the revolution!" speech during "Sunday Bloody Sunday
".
Def Leppard
recorded one of their shows here in February 1988 and released it as Live: In the Round, in Your Face
.
The bonus tracks on Stevie Ray Vaughan
& Double Trouble
’s album In Step
, including “The House is Rockin’” (Live), “Let Me Love You Baby” (Live), “Texas Flood” (Live), and “Life Without You” (Live) were recorded on November 29, 1989 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, CO. In this recording of “Life Without You”, Vaughan delivers his poignant monologue on his troubles, with substances abuse and his newly-found sobriety. He asks those in the audience to take care of themselves so they can "be there for the ones who love you and need you the most."
The first event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
was held there in 1993.
Phish
performed and recorded their show, on November 17, 1997, which was later released as a live album, entitled Live Phish Volume 11
.
ZZ Top
performed at the venue's final concert on September 12, 1999.
Denver, Colorado
The City and County of Denver is the capital and the most populous city of the U.S. state of Colorado. Denver is a consolidated city-county, located in the South Platte River Valley on the western edge of the High Plains just east of the Front Range of the Rocky Mountains...
, Colorado
Colorado
Colorado is a U.S. state that encompasses much of the Rocky Mountains as well as the northeastern portion of the Colorado Plateau and the western edge of the Great Plains...
, USA, adjacent to Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium
Mile High Stadium was a multi-purpose stadium, that stood in Denver, Colorado, from 1948 until 2001.It hosted the Denver Broncos, of the AFL and the NFL, from 1960-2000, the Colorado Rockies, of the National League, of the MLB, from 1993-1994, the Colorado Rapids, of MLS, from 1996-2001, the...
. Completed in 1975, at a cost of $10 million, it seated 16,061, for hockey
Ice hockey
Ice hockey, often referred to as hockey, is a team sport played on ice, in which skaters use wooden or composite sticks to shoot a hard rubber puck into their opponent's net. The game is played between two teams of six players each. Five members of each team skate up and down the ice trying to take...
games, 17,171, for basketball
Basketball
Basketball is a team sport in which two teams of five players try to score points by throwing or "shooting" a ball through the top of a basketball hoop while following a set of rules...
games and contained 27 luxury suites, which were installed as part of the 1986 renovation. It was named after the mayor of Denver, William (Bill) H. McNichols, Jr., who served from 1968 to 1983. A small scale scandal was created when the arena was named after a sitting mayor.
The arena was largely shuttered after the Nuggets and Avalanche moved to Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center
Pepsi Center is a multi-purpose arena in Denver, Colorado, United States. The building is home to the Denver Nuggets of the National Basketball Association, the Colorado Avalanche of the National Hockey League, and the Colorado Mammoth of the National Lacrosse League...
and was razed in 1999 to make space for a parking lot surrounding INVESCO Field at Mile High
INVESCO Field at Mile High
Sports Authority Field at Mile High, previously known as Invesco Field at Mile High, and commonly known as Mile High, is a multi-purpose stadium, in Denver, Colorado. It replaced the identically sized, but commercially obsolete Mile High Stadium in 2001...
.
Sports connections
"Big Mac" was the home of the Denver SpursDenver Spurs
The Denver Spurs were a professional ice hockey team based out of Denver, Colorado. The Spurs began play in the Western Hockey League in 1968, and played at the Denver Coliseum. The Spurs became the first professional sports team in Colorado to win a championship in 1971–72...
of the WHA
World Hockey Association
The World Hockey Association was a professional ice hockey league that operated in North America from 1972 to 1979. It was the first major competition for the National Hockey League since the collapse of the Western Hockey League in 1926...
from 1975 to 1976, the Colorado Rockies
Colorado Rockies (NHL)
The Colorado Rockies were an American professional ice hockey team in the National Hockey League that played in Denver, Colorado, from 1976 to 1982. They were a relocation of the Kansas City Scouts, a 1974 expansion team. The franchise moved to East Rutherford, New Jersey, in 1982 and was...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
from 1976 to 1982, the Colorado Flames
Colorado Flames
The Colorado Flames are a defunct minor-pro hockey team that played in the Central Hockey League in Denver, Colorado for two seasons from 1982 to 1984. They were the top minor league affiliate of the NHL's Calgary Flames. They played their home games at McNichols Arena. When the league folded,...
of the CHL from 1982 to 1984, the Denver Nuggets
Denver Nuggets
The Denver Nuggets are a professional basketball team based in Denver, Colorado. They play in the National Basketball Association . They were founded as the Denver Rockets in 1967 as a charter franchise of the American Basketball Association, and became one of that league's more successful teams...
of the ABA
American Basketball Association
The American Basketball Association was a professional basketball league founded in 1967. The ABA ceased to exist with the ABA–NBA merger in 1976.-League history:...
and NBA from 1975 to 1999, the Denver Avalanche
Denver Avalanche
The Denver Avalanche was an American soccer team based out of Denver, Colorado that played in the Major Indoor Soccer League from 1980 to 1982. Their home arena was McNichols Sports Arena...
of the MISL
Major Indoor Soccer League (2001–2008)
The Major Indoor Soccer League was the top professional indoor soccer league in the USA. The league was a member of both the United States Soccer Federation and FIFA. The MISL had replaced the NPSL which folded in 2001. According to MISL.net, the league has ceased operations as of May 31, 2008...
from 1981 to 1982, the Colorado Avalanche
Colorado Avalanche
The Colorado Avalanche are a professional ice hockey team based in Denver, Colorado, United States. They are members of the Northwest Division of the Western Conference of the National Hockey League . The Avalanche have won the Stanley Cup twice, in 1995–96 and 2000–01. The franchise...
of the NHL
National Hockey League
The National Hockey League is an unincorporated not-for-profit association which operates a major professional ice hockey league of 30 franchised member clubs, of which 7 are currently located in Canada and 23 in the United States...
from 1995 to 1999, and the Denver Grizzlies of the International Hockey League from 1994 to 1995.
McNichols hosted the NCAA Final Four
NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship
The NCAA Men's Division I Basketball Championship is a single-elimination tournament held each spring in the United States, featuring 68 college basketball teams, to determine the national championship in the top tier of college basketball...
in 1990, won by UNLV
University of Nevada, Las Vegas
University of Nevada-Las Vegas is a public, coeducational university located in the Las Vegas suburb of Paradise, Nevada, USA. The campus is located approximately east of the Las Vegas Strip. The institution includes a Shadow Lane Campus, located just east of the University Medical Center of...
over Duke University
Duke University
Duke University is a private research university located in Durham, North Carolina, United States. Founded by Methodists and Quakers in the present day town of Trinity in 1838, the school moved to Durham in 1892. In 1924, tobacco industrialist James B...
and the West Regional Semifinal in 1996. It was also host to the 1976 ABA All-Star Game, in which the host Nuggets defeated the ABA All-Stars, games 1, 2, and 5 of the 1976 ABA finals, and the 1984 NBA All-Star Game. It also hosted games one and two of the Stanley Cup
Stanley Cup
The Stanley Cup is an ice hockey club trophy, awarded annually to the National Hockey League playoffs champion after the conclusion of the Stanley Cup Finals. It has been referred to as The Cup, Lord Stanley's Cup, The Holy Grail, or facetiously as Lord Stanley's Mug...
Finals in 1996, where the Colorado Avalanche defeated the Florida Panthers
Florida Panthers
The Florida Panthers are a professional ice hockey team based in Sunrise, Florida, in the Miami metropolitan area. They are members of the Southeast Division of the Eastern Conference of the National Hockey League . They play their games at the BankAtlantic Center in Sunrise and are the...
in four games to bring the Mile High City its first major sports championship.
The arena was the site of the largest crowd ever to see an NCAA college ice hockey game in the State of Colorado, as the University of Denver
University of Denver
The University of Denver is currently ranked 82nd among all public and private "National Universities" by U.S. News & World Report in the 2012 rankings....
defeated Colorado College
Colorado College
The Colorado College is a private liberal arts college in Colorado Springs, Colorado, United States, in the foothills of the Rocky Mountains. It was founded in 1874 by Thomas Nelson Haskell...
, 3–2, for the Denver Cup championship in 1995, with over 16,000 fans in attendance.
Another notable event at McNichols took place on December 13, 1983, when the Nuggets hosted the Detroit Pistons
Detroit Pistons
The Detroit Pistons are a franchise of the National Basketball Association based in Auburn Hills, Michigan. The team's home arena is The Palace of Auburn Hills. It was originally founded in Fort Wayne, Indiana as the Fort Wayne Pistons as a member of the National Basketball League in 1941, where...
in a regular season contest. Nugget players Kiki Vandeweghe and Alex English
Alex English
Alexander English is a retired American basketball player and former assistant coach of the Toronto Raptors of the National Basketball Association who played at the forward position...
scored 51 and 47 points respectively, while Piston Isiah Thomas
Isiah Thomas
Isiah Lord Thomas III , nicknamed "Zeke",is the men's basketball coach for the FIU Golden Panthers, and a retired American professional basketball player who played point guard for the Detroit Pistons of the National Basketball Association from 1981 until 1994. He led the "Bad Boys" to the NBA...
also scored 47 points, with teammate John Long
John Long (basketball)
John Eddie Long is a retired American professional basketball player.After starring at the University of Detroit, the 6’5” shooting guard was selected by the Detroit Pistons in the second round of the 1978 NBA Draft. The move was largely influenced by Dick Vitale, who coached Long at UD before...
scoring 41 in a 186-184 triple-overtime Detroit win over the Nuggets. The game, still to date, is the highest-scoring game in NBA history, and also holds the record for the most players to score 40 or more points in a single game. However, the game was not televised in the Denver area (instead being shown back to the Detroit market, via WKBD-TV) and was attended by just over 9,300 people. This game has since been broadcast on NBA TV
NBA TV
NBA TV is a television specialty channel that is dedicated to showcasing the sport of basketball in the United States. The network is financially backed by the National Basketball Association , which also uses NBA TV as a way of advertising their out of market package NBA League Pass, and partner...
and ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic
ESPN Classic is a sports channel that features reruns of famous sporting events, sports documentaries, and sports themed movies. Such programs includes biographies of famous sports figures or a rerun of a famous World Series or Super Bowl, often with added commentary on the event...
.
On October 9,1987 the US HOT ROD Mud Bog & Battle of the Monster Trucks show was hosted. It was the only monster truck event held at McNichols.
Notable events
REO SpeedwagonREO Speedwagon
REO Speedwagon is an American rock band. Formed in 1967, the band grew in popularity during the 1970s and peaked in the early 1980s. Hi Infidelity is the group's most commercially successful album, selling over ten million copies and charting four Top 40 hits in the US...
's concert from 1981 was performed here, as MTV
MTV
MTV, formerly an initialism of Music Television, is an American network based in New York City that launched on August 1, 1981. The original purpose of the channel was to play music videos guided by on-air hosts known as VJs....
's first ever live concert.
The arena hosted "Alvin & the Chipmunks starring the Amazing Computer" on February 8, 1986. It was a family event for children.
The "Ice Capades" was held at McNichols on April 5, 1986.
The arena played host to Amnesty International
Amnesty International
Amnesty International is an international non-governmental organisation whose stated mission is "to conduct research and generate action to prevent and end grave abuses of human rights, and to demand justice for those whose rights have been violated."Following a publication of Peter Benenson's...
's A Conspiracy of Hope Benefit Concert on June 8, 1986. The show was headlined by U2
U2
U2 are an Irish rock band from Dublin. Formed in 1976, the group consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr. . U2's early sound was rooted in post-punk but eventually grew to incorporate influences from many genres of popular music...
and Sting and also featured Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams
Bryan Adams, is a Canadian rock singer-songwriter, guitarist, bassist, producer, actor and photographer. Adams has won dozens of awards and nominations, including 20 Juno Awards among 56 nominations. He has also received 15 Grammy Award nominations including a win for Best Song Written...
, Peter Gabriel
Peter Gabriel
Peter Brian Gabriel is an English singer, musician, and songwriter who rose to fame as the lead vocalist and flautist of the progressive rock group Genesis. After leaving Genesis, Gabriel went on to a successful solo career...
, Lou Reed
Lou Reed
Lewis Allan "Lou" Reed is an American rock musician, songwriter, and photographer. He is best known as guitarist, vocalist, and principal songwriter of The Velvet Underground, and for his successful solo career, which has spanned several decades...
, Joan Baez
Joan Baez
Joan Chandos Baez is an American folk singer, songwriter, musician and a prominent activist in the fields of human rights, peace and environmental justice....
and The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers
The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in New Orleans, Louisiana.-History:The group notion started in 1976, when the four brothers of the Neville family, Art , Charles , Aaron , and Cyril The Neville Brothers, an American R&B and soul group, was formed in 1977 in...
.
Parts of U2's half-live rockumentary Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum
Rattle and Hum is the sixth studio album by rock band U2 and companion rockumentary directed by Phil Joanou, both released in 1988. The film and the album feature live recordings, covers, and new songs...
, came from one concert filmed in the arena, on the third leg of the band's 1987 Joshua Tree Tour, including Bono's famous "Fuck the revolution!" speech during "Sunday Bloody Sunday
Sunday Bloody Sunday (song)
"Sunday Bloody Sunday" is the opening track from U2's 1983 album, War. The song was released as the album's third single on 11 March 1983 in Germany and the Netherlands. "Sunday Bloody Sunday" is noted for its militaristic drumbeat, harsh guitar, and melodic harmonies...
".
Def Leppard
Def Leppard
Def Leppard are an English rock band formed in 1977 in Sheffield as part of the New Wave of British Heavy Metal movement. Since 1992, the band have consisted of Joe Elliott , Rick Savage , Rick Allen , Phil Collen , and Vivian Campbell...
recorded one of their shows here in February 1988 and released it as Live: In the Round, in Your Face
Live: In the Round, in Your Face
Live: In the Round, in Your Face is a live video from Def Leppard. The video contains a full Def Leppard live show at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado and additional footage from shows at The Omni in Atlanta, Georgia, compiled from footage shot during the band's 1987/1988 US Hysteria...
.
The bonus tracks on Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stevie Ray Vaughan
Stephen Ray "Stevie Ray" Vaughan was an American electric blues guitarist and singer. He was the younger brother of Jimmie Vaughan and frontman for Double Trouble, a band that included bassist Tommy Shannon and drummer Chris Layton. Born in Dallas, Vaughan moved to Austin at the age of 17 and...
& Double Trouble
Double Trouble (band)
Double Trouble was the backing rhythm section for Texas blues rock guitarist and lead vocalist Stevie Ray Vaughan. Originally consisting of drummer Chris Layton and bassist Tommy Shannon, Reese Wynans would later join the outfit on keyboards.-History:...
’s album In Step
In Step
In Step is the fourth studio album by Stevie Ray Vaughan and Double Trouble released in 1989. The title In Step can be seen as referring to Vaughan's new-found sobriety, following the years of drug and alcohol use that eventually led Vaughan into rehabilitation. It was also Vaughan's final album...
, including “The House is Rockin’” (Live), “Let Me Love You Baby” (Live), “Texas Flood” (Live), and “Life Without You” (Live) were recorded on November 29, 1989 at McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, CO. In this recording of “Life Without You”, Vaughan delivers his poignant monologue on his troubles, with substances abuse and his newly-found sobriety. He asks those in the audience to take care of themselves so they can "be there for the ones who love you and need you the most."
The first event of the Ultimate Fighting Championship
Ultimate Fighting Championship
The Ultimate Fighting Championship is the largest mixed martial arts promotion company in the world that hosts most of the top-ranked fighters in the sport...
was held there in 1993.
Phish
Phish
Phish is an American rock band noted for its musical improvisation, extended jams, and exploration of music across genres. Formed at the University of Vermont in 1983 , the band's four members – Trey Anastasio , Mike Gordon , Jon Fishman , and Page McConnell Phish is an American rock band...
performed and recorded their show, on November 17, 1997, which was later released as a live album, entitled Live Phish Volume 11
Live Phish Volume 11
Live Phish Vol. 11 was recorded live at the McNichols Sports Arena in Denver, Colorado on November 17, 1997.The 1997 fall tour will always be remembered by fans as the funky era of Phish, during which the band de-emphasized their often technical approach in favor of more simple, groove-based jams...
.
ZZ Top
ZZ Top
ZZ Top is an American rock band, sometimes referred to as "That Little Ol' Band from Texas". Their style, which is rooted in blues-based boogie rock, has come to incorporate elements of arena, southern, and boogie rock. The band, from Houston Texas, formed in 1969...
performed at the venue's final concert on September 12, 1999.