20 years ago

[*pally*]

the end of an era

It took just 37 seconds to implode Cinergy Field (Riverfront Stadium) on this date in 2002. #Reds #Bengals @Reds @Bengals pic.twitter.com/giysLEZTyp

— Local 12/WKRC-TV (@Local12) December 29, 2022

[*Awful Llama*]

I was at home from work that day and lying in bed with a bad back. Someone, channel 19, maybe, had live coverage, so I was able to watch it happen live.

Like probably so many here, I went to my first MLB and first NFL games there. It was always so exciting to climb the ramps up and get that first glimpse of the artificial turf. I remember freezing my ass off at the Denver game during the Bengals' 5-0 "November to Remember " in '81, it was a playoff atmosphere.

I was sad to see it go that day, but PBS was a huge step up.

[TecmoBengals]

I watched it in person from Northern KY. It was cool to see. I had so many great memories watching baseball games in that stadium with my dad.

[Goalpost]

Blue seats, green seats, yellow seats, red seats.

[*bengalfan74*]

(12-29-2022, 08:27 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: I was at home from work that day and lying in bed with a bad back.  Someone, channel 19, maybe, had live coverage, so I was able to watch it happen live.  

Like probably so many here, I went to my first MLB and first NFL games there.  It was always so exciting to climb the ramps up and get that first glimpse of the artificial turf.  I remember freezing my ass off at the Denver game during the Bengals' 5-0 "November to Remember " in '81, it was a playoff atmosphere.

I was sad to see it go that day, but PBS was a huge step up.

I remember that first time getting up high enough to see the field. I was probably 8 or 9, eyes as big as 50 cent pieces.

[*bengalfan74*]

(12-29-2022, 08:42 PM)TecmoBengals Wrote: I watched it in person from Northern KY. It was cool to see. I had so many great memories watching baseball games in that stadium with my dad.

Me too

Probably 72 or 73 ? Oh those were the days. The smell of beer, popcorn, peanuts, and hot dogs. Watching the Big Red machine. My oh my what memories.

[grampahol]

I still remember Crosly Field and how green that grass looked as a little kid and how clean their uniforms looked.  I played in the dirt a lot.. 

[guyofthetiger]

I went to the Grand Opening of Riverfront Stadium in 1970. It was awesome for the time. Lots of Reds/Bengals memories there. That was the era where the MLB and NFL shared stadiums. It was designed like Pittsburgh and St. Louis stadiums.

[*Awful Llama*]

(12-29-2022, 08:44 PM)Goalpost Wrote: Blue seats, green seats, yellow seats, red seats.

We almost always sat in the red seats and occasionally got to sit in the green.  The blue and yellow sets?  Them was for the rich folks 

[Sled21]

I'll always remember the Eddie Money/Steve Miller Band/Eagles concert I attended at Riverfront. If I remember right, tickets were like 12 dollars

[*Awful Llama*]

(12-29-2022, 10:40 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I'll always remember the Eddie Money/Steve Miller Band/Eagles concert I attended at Riverfront. If I remember right, tickets were like 12 dollars

And that probably included dinner with Steve and Eddie and a walk through the tour bus.  

Another memory:  Bengals hosting the Vikings on Christmas Eve '95 in a game meaningless to the Bengals and with the Vikings' playoff hopes on life support.  Vikings lead for most of the game, until Jeff Blake rallied the troops and pulled even late.  The Vikings fumbled the ensuing kickoff and we got the ball in their territory with just :03 left.  Pelfrey hit a long FG with the clock reaching 0:00 and the place went crazy.  On the way out a Channel 12 reporter was interviewing fans and I joined the group yelling and waving our #1 fingers.  Well, we were #1 that day 

[*Go Cards*]

(12-29-2022, 10:52 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: And that probably included dinner with Steve and Eddie and a walk through the tour bus.  

Another memory:  Bengals hosting the Vikings on Christmas Eve '95 in a game meaningless to the Bengals and with the Vikings' playoff hopes on life support.  Vikings lead for most of the game, until Jeff Blake rallied the troops and pulled even late.  The Vikings fumbled the ensuing kickoff and we got the ball in their territory with just :03 left.  Pelfrey hit a long FG with the clock reaching 0:00 and the place went crazy.  On the way out a Channel 12 reporter was interviewing fans and I joined the group yelling and waving our #1 fingers.  Well, we were #1 that day 

That game was the coldest game Ive ever been attended live. Want to say they said regular temperature was just below zero and 

-39 with wind chill factor. Had to go by myself and could not even give a free ticket away out front that day.  

[*Awful Llama*]

(12-29-2022, 11:04 PM)Go Cards Wrote: That game was the coldest game Ive ever been attended live. Want to say they said regular temperature was just below zero and 

-39 with wind chill factor. Had to go by myself and could not even give a free ticket away out front that day.  

Yeah, it was a cold one alright, but was that the really cold game? I seem to recall that a coworker attended the Bears game two weeks earlier (which I did not attend) and I thought that one was close to zero.  I remember that he complained about it all the next day.  We won that one too, if memory serves.  That may have been an 8-8 year.

The Minny game was cold too, and I believe there was some snow being piled up in back of the end zones.  The field had frozen solid overnight, and even though the sun was out, the SE end of the field was in the shade and remained a bit of an ice rink.  Because of that Fuad Ravez couldn't plant on a FG attempt and slid, and the ball went sideways and wide, which was the difference in the final score.  I remember later that night Berman referred to his kick as a "Fuad Shot" 

[grampahol]

(12-29-2022, 09:59 PM)Awful Llama Wrote: We almost always sat in the red seats and occasionally got to sit in the green.  The blue and yellow sets?  Them was for the rich folks 

We usually had blue or green, but we definitely weren't rich. My old man had season tickets to give out at work to clients. Sometimes he just took us to games when there was no clients to give them to, but seats were great.. We wuz special.. But I always wanted to go wander around the nosebleed section and spit on the people way below the very top rail.... LOL Somehow I never got caught. 

[*pally*]

Most of my memories of Riverfront were of Reds games. Opening Day in 1977 sitting in straight away centerfield 4 rows from the top with 3 inches of snow on the ground. Watching the promotional "Father-son" game not realizing that I was watching future HOF player Ken Griffey Jr play ball at age 7 or 8.

[sandwedge]

Sad fact from my boyhood, never went to Riverfront. I have only seen the Reds when they came to San Diego. I used to harass the shit out of Deon Sanders.. He just laughed at me! Lol

[basballguy]

(12-29-2022, 11:29 PM)sandwedge Wrote: Sad fact from my boyhood, never went to Riverfront. I have only seen the Reds when they came to San Diego. I used to harass the shit out of Deon Sanders.. He just laughed at me! Lol

Same boat. First reds game was at the ballpark in Arlington (actual name). I wish I got the chance to go to riverfront. Got Adam Dunn to sign my hat that day. Girl I was dating threw it away a couple years later…f that girl

[*Wyche'sWarrior*]

My first MLB game was against Fernando Valenzuela, and a young rookie that wasn't nationally known yet named Eric Davis was playing for the good guys. My goodness, his speed in person was mind blowing. Got on base, promptly stole second and third, then scored on a sac fly.

First NFL was the OT win against Washington that secured the first seed in 88. Seeing the Ickey Shuffle as a twelve year old was killer. Welcome to the Jungle was released that year, and new in the stadium. They were probably my favorite band back then. The place literally moving. Awesome memories.

[BengalsRocker]

(12-29-2022, 10:40 PM)Sled21 Wrote: I'll always remember the Eddie Money/Steve Miller Band/Eagles concert I attended at Riverfront. If I remember right, tickets were like 12 dollars

You got two... right?

[TecmoBengals]

(12-29-2022, 09:03 PM)bengalfan74 Wrote: Me too

Probably 72 or 73 ? Oh those were the days. The smell of beer, popcorn, peanuts, and hot dogs. Watching the Big Red machine. My oh my what memories.

I wasn't alive for the Big Red Machine days. My dad took me to a ton of games in the late 80s and early 90s. His work had season tickets and from 92 to 94 nobody wanted to use them so we went to well over 40 games a season.