Going, going ...

I think this is my last picture of the demolition of Memorial Auditorium. I try not to shoot empty fields.

There was a ceremony of sorts today on the site, as a variety of politicians gathered for the usual dull speeches. They did open the time capsule from 1939. According to the headlines in the three-cent paper of the day, the Soviet Union was acting war-like toward Finland. I smell trouble ahead there. Plus, they revealed the winning photographs in the contest to determine the best picture of the demolition. There was a general consensus that the second-place photo (which had "Buffalo" of "Buffalo Memorial Auditorium" just starting to come down at the beginning at the project) should have won.

Must have been 500 people there today at least, if you don't count the politicos who ruined their shoes by walking in the mud. I'd say 499 of them had cameras.

The walls come tumbling down

No, not the J. Geils Band song, although it's a good one. The walls here refer to Memorial Auditorium.

We (The Buffalo News, that is) got some fine video of the demolition of part of the building today. So if you want to see a little more history go down and smoke, click here.

I think my old office is officially gone.

Indefinite holiday

From 1986 to 1992, I worked in Memorial Auditorium in the Buffalo Sabres' public relations department. Earlier today, I walked by the back of the Aud with a couple of friends. You could look through the back doors and see the HSBC Building, which was a bit unusual. I pointed up to the third level and said, "I used to work right about there."

However, Harry Scull took a picture of my old workplace that is even more graphic:



Guess the office is closed today.

One last goodbye

I had the chance this afternoon to go into Memorial Auditorium one last time. I couldn't resist.

My friend Suzanne got me inside the construction/destruction site, as she has the job of taking pictures of the demolition for the company. Those of you who haven't been downtown lately might not recognize the front of the building:



It's obviously a very odd feeling to be able to look inside the building and see the cylinders still hanging from the roof. Crews were knocking material down while we were there.

From there we headed for the other end of the building, went inside, up a ramp, past a hole that looked like the Stanley Cup had gone through it, and finally to floor level. It's pretty dark in there, except for the huge hole at one end, but a little photo editing came up with this picture:



Finally, here's proof I was there with a brighter picture by Suzanne ... with the remains of part of the press box hanging on the bottom of the oranges in the background:



The actual floor is covered with some sort of frozen liquid -- not enough to use for skating, and not exactly worth a walk -- your shoes might melt. The seats are all gone. The walkway to the Sabres dressing room was open, but we only had one flashlight and I didn't think there would be much to see at this point.

After looking around, one thought struck me: "What's holding the roof up, anyway?" It's obviously the same supports that kept it up for years, but the light pouring through the top didn't make me feel completely confident.

OK, I've seen enough of the place and have no curiosity about going back. Farewell, old friend.

One last look

Buffalo News photographer Harry Scull -- whose work you no doubt have seen as you've read "Rayzor's Edge" over and over again for the last 11 months -- made his last trip to the Aud the other day. The first shot he sent me is an interesting one -- out the back door, looking out from the past into, well, the present and future.



His other shot is one last look from ice level:

Speaking of the Aud...

A Buffalo News blog just asked the question, "What would you take from Memorial Auditorium if you had the chance?" (Gee, where did Mike Harrington get that idea?)

Someone posted a link to a Web site that's filled with fairly recent pictures of the inside of the place. You can see it here.

Awed

After a mere 11 years, the city of Buffalo finally is starting to figure out how to get rid of Memorial Auditorium.

It announced that some of the blue seats will go on sale to the public next summer, as well as some other, to be determined items. The place has been sitting empty since HSBC Arena opened in the fall of 1996. Now that the Bass Pro development apparently is set (note the word apparently), our city fathers have decided it is safe to tear the place down within the next two years.

And that raises a fundamental question. Should I buy a couple of the seats?

Hmmm. That's a tough one.

I grew up as a sports fan in Memorial Auditorium. I saw the Buffalo Braves there. The Buffalo Sabres. Canisius College basketball. The Buffalo Stallions soccer team. I saw Roberto Duran fight there, Ernie Ladd wrestle there, John McEnroe volley there. Heck, I saw Joanie Weston take part in a Roller Derby match there.

And that doesn't even cover the concerts: Bruce Springsteen, the Police, U2, Genesis, Rush, Yes, INXS, Bob Segar, Huey Lewis and the News, Elton John, Billy Joel, Diana Ross (sister's idea), Emerson Lake & Palmer (my idea), etc. One time on my way out of work, Roger Waters was rehearsing for that night's concert. So I sat down at 10th row center ice and watched the band go through a complete version of "Money" from "Dark Side of the Moon." I was an audience of one.

And I even worked there for six years. After 16 years of attending and covering events there, I worked for the Sabres and had a key to the side door. (Interestingly enough, the Sabres never asked for the key when I left. I was honest enough to leave it on my desk while departing.) Then I went back to journalism, and covered games there for four more years.

So owning seats to the place would be, at the least, fun. But, another question quickly follows.

What would I do with them? I don't have a classic rec room where they could be displayed. They would sit in the basement, unused and unseen. That would be a bit of a waste of money.

So I think I'll sit out of the Aud souvenir sale. But I do have one item from the place stashed away. The press box had little plastic squares with seat numbers on them, as there were no individual chairs up there. On the night of the last hockey game in the Aud, which I covered, I brought a screwdriver and took my seat number, #35, with me.

Has the statute of limitations run out for that little bit of larceny yet?