LOGIN | REGISTER | RSS FEEDS

Abel to Yzerman

Joe Louis Arena: Our Home Down By The River

by VooX on 01/29/10 at 12:57 PM ET
Comments (0)

Thanks to the Emperor for giving me the heads-up on the following story from the new website, The Stadium Journey Development Blog.

Stadium Journey Blog

Stadium Journey is a brand-new web venture.  Our goal is to become a world-class community resource for sports fans, built around optimizing the experience of traveling to and attending live sporting events.

Cool idea, and an opportunity to give Herm a teaser about what the Joe Louis Arena experience is like.

Keep reading for highlights of Stadium Journey’s review of JLA, our home down by the river.

Getting to Know the Joe

Atmosphere: 4
Though Joe Louis Arena is a little more than just a roof and sheet of ice, it’s clear the playing surface is the focal point of all within.

Those entering must scale an imposing staircase if they bypass the catwalk crossing Jefferson Avenue. Once inside, red and white jerseys, walls, and seats dominate every vantage point, flushing out other colors. In Hockeytown, an overbearing show of support is never lacking. “Let’s Go Red Wings!” chants pervade throughout the course of the game to accompany the visual display of loyalty. Tightly packed, seating in the Joe is a squeeze. The organization of the arena allows for excellent viewing from any section, despite the absence of leg room. No matter what section your tickets are in, you’re never too far from the action. The young attendee sitting next to me commented, “there’s not a bad seat in the barn.” Few arenas in the NHL keep spectators closer to the action.

Whatever the Joe lacks in amenities it makes up in soul. The sheer number of banners hanging from the rafters drops the jaws of first-timers. Though Detroit doesn’t quite match the Montreal Canadiens in championships, the Red Wings proudly display 11 Stanley Cup Champion banners and a flurry of Western Conference flags. And be warned: If you attend a Red Wings playoff game, don’t get hit by an octopus!

No kidding.  When I first stepped into the arena back in April, 2008, I was taken aback at the spectacle of banners hanging in the air.  A profound experience for any Wings fan, and I’m sure very intimidating to all the visitors who come here.  There is a reason Joe Louis is the toughest road arena to play in, the banners and history throughout the building is one.  The other:

Fans: 4
Each game, a sea of red lines the upper and lower bowls of the arena. For generations, Red Wing fans have bought jerseys to support their team, and perhaps in no other American stadium will you find such a high percentage of people uniformed in their team’s garb.

But Detroiters don’t simply don the gear, they know their history. Detroit may possess the highest hockey IQ in the nation. From Alex Delvecchio to the Broad Street Bullies, expect to engage in intelligent conversation if you don the jersey of an opponent.

Crowds are extra rowdy when Original Six contenders come to town. Over the years, Chicagoans and Torontians have infiltrated the Joe en masse, encouraging Detroit supporters to amp it up to drown out the noise of their regional rivals. Engaging and civilized after wins or losses, the class of the majority normally shines through. That is, unless you root for the Colorado Denver Avalanche.

In Toronto, the fans boo opposing players for being too good.  Ask Bobby Orr.  In Joe Louis, that will not stand.  When my brother tried to start a chant mocking Bubba, he was told that, “We don’t do that here.”  Awesome stuff, from among the sharpest fans in any NHL fanbase.

I truly enjoyed talking hockey with the fans I met at the Joe, and I appreciated how much the fans there lived and breathed the team.

Take a click over to the Stadium Journey website and read the whole article.  The author wants to hear thoughts from Red Wings fans on it.

And I want to hear from the 19 as well.  What better way to spend a cold winter day than recounting your first experience(s) at JLA to each other?

Please recount your first impressions of the Joe below.  Also, let us know how you feel about JLA today and what any replacement arena should offer.  Thanks, 19.

Filed in: | Abel to Yzerman | Permalink
 

Comments

Be the first to comment.

Add a Comment

Please limit embedded image or media size to 575 pixels wide.

Add your own avatar by joining Kukla's Korner, or logging in and uploading one in your member control panel.

Captchas bug you? Join KK or log in and you won't have to bother.

Most Recent Blog Posts

About Abel to Yzerman

Welcome to Abel to Yzerman, a Red Wing blog since 1977.  No other site on the internet has better-researched, fact-laden and better prepared discussions than A2Y.  Re-phrase: we do little research, find facts and stats highly overrated and claim little to no preparation.  There are 19 readers of A2Y. No more, no less. All of them, except maybe one, are juvenile in nature.  Reminding them of that in the comment section will only encourage them to prove that. Your suggestions and critiques are welcome: .(JavaScript must be enabled to view this email address)

Get the top online sports betting bonuses available to sports betters!