Meadowlands Arena

Continental Airlines Arena

File:Contairarenalogo.png
Former names	Brendan Byrne Arena (1981-1996)
Location	50 Route 120, East Rutherford, New Jersey, 07073
Owner	New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
Operator	New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority
Capacity	20,049 (NBA Basketball) 20,029 (NCAA Basketball) 19,040 (Hockey) 20,000 (Concerts)
Construction
Broke ground	1977
Opened	July 2, 1981
Construction cost	$85 million
Architect	Grad Partnership and Dilullo, Clauss, Ostroki & Partners
Tenants
New Jersey Devils (NHL) (1981-2007) New Jersey Nets (NBA) (1981-present) New Jersey Rockets (MSL) (1981-1982) Seton Hall Pirates (NCAA Basketball) New Jersey Saints (NLL) (1987-1988) New Jersey Storm (NLL) (2002-2003) New Jersey Red Dogs/New Jersey Gladiators (AFL) (1997-2002) New Jersey XTreme (NIFL) (2005)

Continental Airlines Arena is a multi-purpose indoor arena in the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey. It is home to the New Jersey Devils NHL hockey team and the New Jersey Nets NBA basketball team. The arena also hosts the men's basketball games of Seton Hall University. Official seating capacity as of 2004 is 19,040 for hockey; 20,029 for college basketball; 20,049 for NBA games; and a maximum 20,000 for concerts. The arena attracts spectators and fans from much of the New York Metropolitan Area and not just New Jersey. Continental Airlines Arena was named after Continental Airlines.

History

Construction on a new arena across New Jersey State Highway 20 (now 120) from Giants Stadium and the Meadowlands Racetrack began in 1977. Originally named Brendan Byrne Arena (named after the sitting governor of the state, who was also a member of the ownership group seeking to bring an NHL team to the State), the arena opened July 2, 1981, with the first of six concerts by New Jersey rock musician Bruce Springsteen. This was followed by an ice show later that month. Although named after Byrne, many people and some tickets and press releases simply referred (and still refer) to it as Meadowlands Arena.

On October 30, 1981, the Nets, who had played their previous four seasons at the Louis Brown Athletic Center at Rutgers University, made their debut at the arena, losing to the New York Knicks, 103-99. Later that season, on January 31, 1982, the NBA All-Star Game was played at the arena.

In 1982, the Colorado Rockies of the NHL relocated to the Meadowlands and became the New Jersey Devils. Their first regular-season game, on October 5, 1982, resulted in a 3-3 tie with the Pittsburgh Penguins.

College basketball arrived at the arena with the opening rounds of the 1984 NCAA basketball tournament. Seton Hall moved its Big East Conference men's basketball games to the arena for the 1985-1986 season, enhancing a tradition that would soon become rich. The arena hosted the NCAA men's Final Four in 1996, the last traditional arena to do so as of 2007, and has played host to numerous regional finals since 1986. It also hosted the 1982-1989 Metro Atlantic Athletic Conference and 1986 Atlantic Ten Conference men's basketball tournaments.

Other teams that have called the arena home include the New Jersey Rockets of the Major Soccer League, the New Jersey Rockin Rollers of Roller Hockey International; and the New Jersey Red Dogs / Gladiators of the Arena Football League. Two different National Lacrosse League teams have played at the arena — the New Jersey Saints from 1987-1988, and the New Jersey Storm from 2002-2003. The New York Cosmos also used the arena to host indoor soccer games. The venue also hosted WWF SummerSlam in 1989 and 1997, as well as the King of the Ring tournament in 2001 and WWE No Mercy 2004, and has hosted several episodes of WWE Monday Night RAW, as well as WWE SmackDown. It is set to host SummerSlam in 2007. It was also the scene of one of Ric Flair's NWA World Heavyweight title vicories on January 11, 1991, as Flair beat Sting. The win was Flair's 8th title win, although, since he was recognized as the WCW world champion as well as the NWA world champion (the two titles were recognized separately), it could count as his 9th title win as well.

The arena has been a popular site for concerts, due to it having been designed with acoustics in mind and to it having a lesser facility fee for artists than competing venues, such as Madison Square Garden. Bruce Springsteen remains the most popular concert act to perform in the Arena; his appearances have included a 10-night, sold-out run in 1984, an 11-night run in 1992, and a 15-night, sold-out run in 1999. This last feat is commemorated by a large banner hanging from the rafters, next to the banners representing the achievements of the resident sports teams. A 1999 concert by Dave Matthews Band was recorded for a PBS special, and subsequently released as a concert album and DVD under the name Listener Supported.

The arena has seen the Devils clinch two Stanley Cup championships before a home crowd. The franchise won its first Cup on June 24, 1995, and then clinched its 3rd title in 9 years on June 9, 2003. The arena also was host to the Los Angeles Lakers winning an NBA Championship by sweeping the Nets on June 11, 2002, and the Anaheim Bullfrogs winning the 1997 Murphy Cup, the championship of Roller Hockey International, over the New Jersey Rockin' Rollers.

Licensing rights to name

The Arena at night, following a Bruce Springsteen concert.

On January 4, 1996, the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority announced a naming rights deal with Continental Airlines under which the airline, with a hub at nearby Newark Liberty International Airport, would pay the NJSEA $29 million over 12 years. Many thought this was a political move, since Brendan Byrne was a Democrat and the governor at the time of the deal was Christine Todd Whitman, a Republican. The former governor's son, Tom Byrne, was the state Democratic Party chairman at the time, and publicly voiced his displeasure. The senior Byrne was not upset about it: "I was immortal for 15 years," he said at the time.

The name change to Continental Airlines Arena also caused controversy in April of that year, when the arena hosted the NCAA Final Four. During the CBS coverage of the event, Continental signage was not shown on camera, and the arena was simply referred to as "The Meadowlands". CBS and the NCAA already had airline sponsors for the event before Continental's naming rights deal.

Criticisms

Continental Airlines Arena frequently is cited near the bottom of arena polls. It is commonly referred to as "cold and dull" in appearance, as well as being "cavernous". Recently, USA Today rated it the worst NBA arena. This has played a role in the Nets' and Devils' plans to vacate the arena.

In an attempt to remain on par with the features of most modern arenas, circular LED rings were just installed on the facing of the upper level.

The arena is also criticized for funneling both levels of the arena into one, crowded concourse.

On the other hand, the arena is generally well-regarded for concerts, with its good sightlines and relatively good acoustics; the cavernous nature here can add to the drama of a top show.

Recent developments

In Fall 2004, the arena unveiled a new alternative configuration for concerts called the Theater at Continental Airlines Arena. The arena's capacity is greatly reduced to under 4,000 simply by the strategic placement of a large number of black drapes.

Future in doubt and Xanadu

Plans have been unveiled to downscale the arena in conjunction with several developments, including a new arena for the Nets in Brooklyn, New York, a new arena for the Devils in Newark called Prudential Center, and the creation of a new alternative entertainment and shopping center, Xanadu on the Meadowlands grounds. The relocations of the tenant sports franchises, as well as Xanadu's current construction while the arena is still in use, leaves the arena's future in doubt.

Gallery

• 
  The Arena concourse.
• 
  Arena interior during a Seton Hall Pirates college basketball game.
• 
  Arena interior during a WWE Raw house show.
• 
  One of the New Jersey Nets banners hung above one of the four corner-hung Daktronics ProStar video boards.
• The center-hung four-sided Sony JumboTron video and score board.
  The center-hung four-sided Sony JumboTron video and score board.
• 
  One of two score boards hung high above the upper level on the east and west sides of the arena.
• 
  One of the two Daktronics Color Starburst message/animation displays and the LED ring on the north side of the arena.
• 
  One of the two Daktronics Color Starburst message/animation displays, the LED ring, and the banner signifying Bruce Springsteen's sold-out 15-night concert run at the arena in 1999 on the south side of the arena.
• 
  One of the New Jersey Devils banners hung above one of the four corner-hung Daktronics ProStar video boards.
• 
  The banners hanging from the rafters signifiying the three Stanley Cup Championships the New Jersey Devils won at the arena.
• 
  The glass skylights that ring the entire circumference of the concourse.
• 
  The arena floor after a Seton Hall game.
• 
  The Box Office entrance.

External links

• Meadowlands Sports Complex
• New Jersey Nets
• New Jersey Devils
• Seton Hall University athletics
• Seats3D Interactive Seating Tour of Continental Airlines Arena

40°48′42.36″N 74°4′3.01″W