While on assignment Friday, March 9, at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena I hurried in to shoot a robot contest that was in progress. After calming down and finding my subjects, I started to look around, imagining moments that have come and gone over what has been almost 50 years of sporting events, concerts and much more. The floor that I walked on was old and made for the Ice events, this was the home of the Los Angeles Kings. I tried to smell the air, for some sent of ice, but none lingered. I looked up at the scoreboard, imagining all the games that were played by the Los Angeles Lakers from 1960-67 and the Los Angeles Clippers from 1884 -1999.
The long byways and the structure of them made for interesting images,
with millions of people who have walked these byways, one can almost feel a faint excitement in the air.
A lonely telephone booth sat off in the corner on the main floor, simple, made of wood. I have no idea how long it has been there but I wondered about the many who must have made phone calls from behind the door, which is now open, the booth vacant.
What did we do without cell phones? There was a lot more to tell our friends and family when we got home wasn’t there?
The portrait of Nixon surprised me and looking closer I discovered that The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena was dedicated by Vice President Richard M. Nixon July 4, 1959.
The portrait of John F. Kennedy inspired me, “We stand at the edge of a New Frontier, the frontier of unfulfilled hopes and dreams. It will deal with unsolved problems of peace and war, unconquered pockets of ignorance and prejudice, unanswered questions of poverty and surplus."
John F. Kennedy made his acceptance speech in 1960 to the Democratic National Convention at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in July of 1960 as the Democratic nominee.
Little pieces of history are all around us and sometimes it’s nice just to stop and take a closer look.
The plaque dedicating the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena inscribed at the top reads, “In Recognition of all who served their country in all wars and in special tribute to those who gave their lives in service.”
At the bottom reads “When the one great scorer comes to write against your name, he marks not that you won or lost, but how you played the game,” by Grantland Rice.
The arena holds 16,000 fans, but the parking lot only holds 6,500 and anyone who has gone to a recent event there or a USC game knows that is a major downfall of both event sites.
Another interesting fact that I found is that it only cost 7 million dollars to build in 1959, money that was raised from bonds. Knowing this, I would think that someone would build a proper parking structure since both arenas are wonderfully historic and great places to go, but I digress.
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