Posted on 09/14/2016 2:59:46 PM PDT by BenLurkin
Aerial footage Wednesday showed what was once the site of an NBA title series, two NCAA Basketball championships, the 1963 NBA All-Star Game, and the 1960 Democratic Convention now with over half of its roof demolished and much of the site covered in debris.
While spending recent years largely in disrepair, the Sports Arena has a storied past: Vice President Richard M. Nixon delivered the dedication address for the Sports Arena on Memorial Day in 1958, and John F. Kennedy, then a 43-year-old senator from Massachusetts, was nominated for the Democratic presidential ticket in 1960.
(Excerpt) Read more at losangeles.cbslocal.com ...
I recall (somewhat) Santana opening for Eric Clapton and then joined him for final encore - a white hot rendition of The Who's 'Eyesight for the blind'. The best concert ever.
RIP Fabulous Forum.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q8Qbo0WqvOI
One of the worst arenas ever built. Deserved to be torn down. The Long Beach Arena, finished two years later, also needs to be torn down.
lotta citizen tax money sh1t away there.
I know. :(
Besides hosting the 1960 Democratic Convention, FReepers might be interested in knowing that another political event, of a conservative type, was held at the Sports Arena in August of the year following.
I'm referring to the huge rally organized by Dr. Fred Schwarz and his Christian Anti-Communism Crusade in August, 1961, which was attended by throngs of business people, activists and high-school and college students by the busload.
It was possibly the largest political event (aside from the aforementioned Democrat convention) of the decade in Los Angeles, lighting a fire under thousands of participants--myself included.
Besides Dr. Schwarz, who appeared throughout the 3-day event, some of the speakers were W. Cleon Skousen, Herbert Philbrick, Dr. Edward Teller, Congressman Walter Judd and a senator from Connecticut (!), Thomas J. Dodd. Those names wouldn't mean anything to Gen-Xers but those of us who grew up in the duck-and-cover years very much appreciated what they had to say about the communist menace and what we could do to resist it.
All the local TV stations covered the rally, interviewing some of the participants and speakers for the evening news. The Times even wrote about it, although not favorably IIRC.
It was a big event. Lots of people, flags and banners, funny hats, flyers and books for sale. More like a convention than many conventions I've been to, except nobody voted.
Another thing or two: there were no demonstrators, no protests, no shouting down of the speakers. Everything was very civil.
This was pre-Vietnam, pre-Kennedy assassination. After that, it all changed.
Used to go to concerts there back in the 60’s.
To bad, I am pretty sure it could have been rehabed and used for a lot of different purposes.
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