Arena #16 - Wells Fargo Center

My mission is to see the Flames play in all 30 NHL arenas, a mission that began in October of 2005 while at a local pub watching the Flames take on the Oilers. With the previous season’s work stoppage, and the season before’s run to the Stanley Cup Finals, Flames tickets had become a very hard item to come by. I was then struck with the idea of combining two of my favourite activities; watching hockey and travelling. You can follow my quest to visit all 30 arenas right here…

Wells Fargo Center in Philadelphia, PA

November 26, 2010 – Philadelphia, PA

Philadelphia was an interesting experience, but not at all what I was expecting.  After hearing all the stories, I have to admit, I was ready to have things thrown at me as I walked the concourse, but instead, all I heard throughout the entire game was two "you sucks", one "Iginla sucks" and one "Canada sucks."  It seems that like New Jersey fans, 'sucks' is a big word.  Like at the Devils game, the fans yelled 'sucks!' after each name was read for the Flames starting line up, and the refs were told they suck and, well, you get the idea.

In the spirit of that expression, I'd like to say, afternoon games suck.  I really don't like them, and for this holiday season, that is what I am thankful for...very few afternoon games in Calgary. To make afternoon games even worse, this trip features two of them back to back, which means we were unable to spend another night in Philadelphia, and were forced to hit the road right after the game.  There's nothing worse than having to drive for several hours after a hockey game. I first did it in Columbus, and vowed never again, but this schedule has made it a choice between staying in Philly or going to the Penguins game.

While the average afternoon game is strange enough, yesterday's game in Philadelphia was simply baffling.  As it wasn't a holiday in Calgary, Flames' fans were at work for the game, and not able to watch on television.  Why would you schedule a team to play on a weekday at eleven in the morning?  Just another symptom of everything that is wrong with the NHL.

We arrived at Philadelphia's Sports and Entertainment Complex via the subway, which really seems to be the easiest way to get to the game from downtown.  The complex not only houses the Wells Fargo Center, but also Lincoln Field, home of the NFL's Eagles, and Citizen's Bank Ballpark, home of baseball's Phillies.  While it's great that all three venues are right next to each other and that they have good transit access, there isn't really anything else nearby.  All three venues are surrounded by a sea of parking lots and there aren't any restaurants, hotels, shops or bars.  It could be a really great area, with a few amenities.

Hat Trick Display

Again, the Wells Fargo Center is very similar to other arenas from the same era.  The seating bowl is almost identical to the Honda Center in Anaheim, or even the Prudential Center I visited on Wednesday.  The concourses do offer a few unique items worth noting however.  Right beside our section was a 'Hat Trick' display; a glass case filled with the hats collected from the ice after a hat trick.  Each shelf was labelled with who scored, who it was against and when it happened.  Basically, it's a shelf full of stinky, dirty hats, but still pretty neat.

For concessions, it should come as no surprise, that Philly cheese steak sandwiches are readily available.  Of course, they just call them cheese steak sandwiches!  To be honest, I would have been very disappointed if these weren't available.  Not only are they one of my favorite sandwiches, they're also necessary in Philadelphia, like perogies in Edmonton or poutine in Montreal.  For quicker service, you order your sandwich by stating what kind of cheese you would like (American, provolone or Whiz) and then with or without onions.  "Provolone steak with, please."

Despite not really directing anything towards Flames fans, the fans in Philadelphia still lived up to their name, when it comes to cheering and yelling.  The entire game featured a constant barrage of comments and insults directed at the players and refs, mostly of the 'you suck' variety.  But when the Flyers' goal was disallowed in overtime, fans took their yelling and booing to a new level.  Not only was the booing as loud as any I've ever heard, but it was also steady, sustained booing for over ten minutes, lasting the rest of the overtime and through the shootout.

Speaking of the shootout, this was the first time I'd ever seen the Flames win a shootout on the road, and it made for a weird ending to the game.  When Bourque scored the game winner, I didn't see the puck go into the net, there wasn't anybody cheering and the horn wasn't sounding.  There really wasn't any way of telling the game was over.  Nor was I alone, as even the Philly fans were giving a smattering of applause, not doubt waiting for the next shooter to come up.  Of course suddenly the Flames came out onto the ice and the Flyers bee-lined for the tunnel, and everybody realized the game was over.  The booing started anew, and the crowds began filling out.  I've never not realized whether a game was over or not.


Wells Fargo Center Fast Facts

Seats: Section 122; $95 (face value $140), Stubhub
Score: Flames 3, Flyers 2
Arena Rating: 7.2
Unique Concession: Philly cheese steak
Souvenir Stick: Flyers, orange, wood
Public Transit: Subway adjacent to arena
Unique Arena Trait: Hat Trick display
Swag: none

That's sixteen arenas down, fourteen to go...

-TheRev

twitter.com/TheRevBW
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