Some cool National League East images:
Philadelphia: The Spectrum
Image by wallyg
The Spectrum, since known as the CoreStates Spectrum (1994-1998), the First Union Spectrum (1998-2003) and the Wachovia Spectrum (2004-present), as opened in the fall of 1967 as Philadelphia’s first modern indoor sports arena to house the expansion Philadelphia Flyers of the National Hockey League (NHL) and the Philadlephia 76ers of the National Basketball Assocation (NBA). It has a seating capacity of 18.169 for basketball and 17,380 for ice hockey, arena American football, indoor soccer, and indoor lacrosse.
After both the Flyers and 76ers moved across the parking lot to the new and larger Wachovia Center in 1996, the arena has remained in place as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex. Over the years, other tenants have include the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL (1996-present), Philadelphia KiXX of the MISL (1996-present), Philadelphia Soul of the AFL (2004-present), Philadelphia Wings of the NLL (1987-1996) and Philadelphia Bulldogs of the RHI (1994-1996).
It has hosted many basketball tournaments including Big Five games, eight Atlantic Ten Conference tournaments (1977, 1983, 1997-2002), the 1992 NCAA East Regional (site of the famous last-second shot by Christian Laettner of Duke to beat Kentucky), and the 1976 and 1981 Final Fours (both won by Bobby Knight’s Indiana Hoosiers). It is also a popular concert venue, hosting the Grateful Dead a record 53 times.
