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| MARKETING:
BUSINESS PROFILE San Diego Sports Arena ---------------------------- The official attendance was 11,692 on November 17, 1966, when the San Diego Gulls of the Western Hockey League won their home opener, four goals to one. Their victims were the Seattle Totems and the result was particularly nice since, locally, professional hockey had been absent for 16 years. However, in deference tot he old sports clichés, winning wasn’t “everything” nor was it “the only thing.” That night, beyond the box score, the people of San Diego realized a greater, more enduring sports achievement: the birth of the 14,500-seat San Diego International Sports Arena. The $6.4 million, state-of-the-art facility rested on 38 acres of the underdeveloped Midway-Frontier area. Five acres were devoted to the structure itself, while the remaining 33 housed the 4,500-car parking lot. The visionary behind the Sports Arena was local native Robert Breitbard, a football hero at Hoover High School and San Diego State University, who cemented his legend by founding the popular Hall of Champions in Balboa Park in 1961. Breitbard’s mission and purpose was to bring professional sports and entertainment to an innovative, multi-use venue. This plan proved successful as the Gulls, the original (and current) tenant of the Sports Arena, later shared the facility with the Rockets of the National Basketball Association (who relocated to Houston), the San Diego Clippers, the San Diego Soccers and teams in the old American Basketball Association. All of these franchises provided memorable sports moments at the building, but none topped the individual accomplishment of local boxer Ken Norton. In 1973, before a capacity crowd, the underdog Norton defeated Muhammad Ali by split-decision to become the heavyweight champion. It was an upset for the ages, made shocking by the rare sight of Ali’s swollen face and broken jaw. Each year the building relies on its reputation for excellent sight lines, flexible configurations and its central location in San Diego to attract an average of more than 170 events. Additionally, a 1997 interior and exterior renovation, along with plans to add retail development to the site, make the arena an attractive destination for promoters, teams and performers. San Diegans have attended a range of shows and concerts including the musical brilliance of Luciano Pavarotti, Andrea Bocelli and Garth Brooks; the family fun of the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus and the Harlem Globetrotters; and the brash outrageousness of monster truck rallies and professional wrestling. Amphitheater-type concerts and Kobey’s Swap Meets are also major attractions that management added to keep the facility visible and active. Staying an active and vital part of the community is strength of the Sports Arena. Evolution has been kind, as it has gone from a one-tenant venue to “San Diego’s Place for Entertainment.” Though the word “international” is gone from its signage, the Sports Arena is San Diego County’s pre-eminent large scale, all-purpose facility. Originally published the book San Diego: Perfecting Paradise (Heritage Media), 1999. |
