Associated Press: NEW YORK -- The Madison Square Garden Co. says it bought the Forum in Inglewood, Calif., for $23.5 million.
The historic arena opened in 1967 and was home to both the NBA's Lakers and NHL's Kings until they left for the Staples Center in 1999.
The venue also hosted generations of pop music acts, including Elvis Presley, Jimi Hendrix, Aerosmith and Nirvana. It's currently owned by the Faithful Central Bible Church, which uses it for services as well as concerts.
Madison Square Garden, which owns the namesake New York arena, along with the NBA's Knicks and the NHL's Rangers, says it plans to start renovating the Forum later this year.
Shares of Madison Square Garden rose 54 cents, or 1.5 percent, to $37.65 in morning trading, approaching their 52-week high of $38.90.
For all of you older fans.. Could Hockey return there?
still say they should play the Legends games there. wouldn't be surprised to see MSG make some move for a minor league team that would play there full time.
If AEG didn't own the Staples Center, I guess it would be possible. But because of that, no.
Well, there's that.
And the Forum is a dump.
Any remodel short of a complete teardown can't fix anywhere near the problems with the Forum. I miss NOTHING about the Forum.
Speaking of local arenas - have you heard that Honda Center is getting a make-over? They have torn off the south face for a remodel / addition. I heard they were adding a rooftop courtyard(s) and ??? ...
The biggest thing with any sports being played there is that the Church took out the scoreboard. I know the Lakers played a preseason game there a couple seasons back and they had to bring in a temporary screen to act as a scoreboard.
With MSG Co. returning the Forum back into a regular venue (which I assume was the point of them purchasing it), as opposed to a Church, I wonder if this may spell the end of the LA Sports Arena? I'd assume that MSG Co. intends to refurbish the Forum, which likely would make it a viable venue for whatever still uses the LA Sports Arena. Though, other than UCLA basketball this past winter (which was prompted by renos to Pauley Pavilion), are there any permanent tenants of the LA Sports Arena?
I wonder if the boards from Staples Center are easily transportable? I assume the Lakers took their floor and baskets from Staples Center to the Forum. If they aren't easy enough to transport that likely would prevent them from playing at the Forum. I doubt the boards from 1998 (if they are even still in the Forum's possession) would meet NHL safety standards and the glass certainly wouldn't. For that matter does the Forum even have a Zamboni? Seems like it would be a huge logistical problem to have all that brought down to the Forum for one game.
They should move the Sparks there. maybe they'll move a minor league ten there but it won't be the reign since I believe aeg owns then and citizens.
Aren't the Sparks owned at least in part by AEG? The only thing I could see MSG Co. possibly bringing to the Forum (as a permanent tenant anyhow) is Arena Football or Indoor Lacrosse. Though, I'm not sure the National Lacrosse League is looking to expand and the Arena Football League is barely staying alive with the labour problems and other bad PR it is receiving.
Are there any teams in LA that could play at the Forum, that aren't owned by AEG? Even the D-League LA D-Fenders are owned in part by AEG, but few follow them which is why they play at the Toyota Sports Center on the Lakers practice court.
A long shot and if it were to happen, I'd think AEG would have bought the Forum if they intended it, would be to move the Manchester Monarchs to LA.
They bought the wrong arena. Inglewood is a crime-infested ****hole. They should've bought the LA Sports Arena. I know, I know, South LA isn't any better, but at least the Arena is adjacent to the Coliseum and it's in a more civilized area.
They bought the wrong arena. Inglewood is a crime-infested ****hole. They should've bought the LA Sports Arena. I know, I know, South LA isn't any better, but at least the Arena is adjacent to the Coliseum and it's in a more civilized area.
Inglewood is hardly any worse than the area around Staples.
From what I heard, MSG bought the Forum to be used primarily as a concert venue and is going to spend a bunch of $$ to renovate it for that purpose. I doubt there will be much sports there.
Maybe MSG co should spend some $$$ on improving MSG's lighting. During the playoffs it looked like the Rangers were playing in the Nassau Veterans Memorial Coliseum
I was last there for a Metallica concert at the end of 2009, and the acoustics were still pretty good.
I attended another Metallica concert at Honda a year later, and that was absolutely ****ing awful. Horrible acoustics and I think some of the speakers were blown out on our side.
I had heard that the Forum was being used as a church recently.
I had heard that the Forum was being used as a church recently.
It was purchased by a church, and being managed by them (IIRC) and used for Sunday services, but from the LA Time Article:
Quote:
Leaders of Faithful Central Bible Church had hoped to use the Forum for its services and to build a family entertainment center that would generate jobs, but the operation became a financial albatross. Senior pastor Kenneth C. Ulmer said MSG had assured the church about "having a positive impact on our community."
I still remember going to the last game the Kings ever played there -- the 7-0 preseason shellacking they laid down on the Ucks before they went on the road, then played their regular-season home opener at TSC. For a few years, I actually had an armrest from the seat I was in -- it ripped off when I leapt up to celebrate one of the goals in that game
The only thing I miss is being able to bang on the ceiling from the nose bleeds. I saw Maiden there a few years ago and the place was a dump. I forgot how bad the lines for the bathrooms were and how annoying it was that you couldnt walk around the whole arena. Parking sucked too.
Aren't the Sparks owned at least in part by AEG? The only thing I could see MSG Co. possibly bringing to the Forum (as a permanent tenant anyhow) is Arena Football or Indoor Lacrosse. Though, I'm not sure the National Lacrosse League is looking to expand and the Arena Football League is barely staying alive with the labour problems and other bad PR it is receiving.
Are there any teams in LA that could play at the Forum, that aren't owned by AEG? Even the D-League LA D-Fenders are owned in part by AEG, but few follow them which is why they play at the Toyota Sports Center on the Lakers practice court.
A long shot and if it were to happen, I'd think AEG would have bought the Forum if they intended it, would be to move the Manchester Monarchs to LA.
I was kidding about the Sparks. Talk about useless.. I didn't realize until a summer or two ago that they actually have day games for the Sparks. That is how meaningless they are. WHo is going to watch women's basketball on a weekday afternoon? Well, nobody is paying for it. They must've had the whole parking lot filled with school children going to watch the game. Poor kids! They also tarp off the 300 level.
As far as Lacrosse and Arena football go, they tried both here. Anaheim had a Lacorsse franchise that went under and Staples had the Avengers and not sure exactly what happened to them but they aren't in LA anymore. I don't think much has changed since then so I doubt either of those ever make it to the Forum. Aside from the area it is, it is just hard to get to for a lot of the greater LA area.
Inglewood is hardly any worse than the area around Staples.
