Katherine Harvey-Pinard
It was three years ago. I attended my first professional baseball game in my life in the oldest stadium in major league baseball … the legendary Fenway Park. That evening, I encountered the Green Monster. And Boston, too, which I had never seen. Nice day of premieres, right? We bought two tickets for the game the same day. The Red Sox won against the Atlanta Braves. We sang the Fenway Park anthem, Sweet Caroline, in the eighth round. “Good times never seemed so good! So good! So good! So good! Sublime, the stadium was classified as a historic monument in 2012 – 100 years after its construction – with good reason. I certainly haven’t seen as many stadiums as my colleagues, but this one really blew me away, largely due to my experience there. I also keep as a souvenir a late-night photo of the packed Fenway Park.
Mathias Brunet
PHOTO JUSTIN EDMONDS, FRANCE-PRESS AGENCY
Denver’s Coors Field Stadium, still beautiful
Construction of Coors Field Stadium in Denver was completed on April 26, 1995. Less than three months later, I was there to cover a three-game series between the Expos and the Rockies. I was used to the old mythical stadiums where the smells of popcorn, beer and … sewage mixed. Coors Field smelled new and was breathtakingly beautiful. You had to be there to appreciate all the charm of the place. It had been built in the old fashioned way and we had managed to recreate the atmosphere of yesteryear. The stands were crowded again that weekend and the crowd, as enthusiastic as possible, even reacted to false balls in the back net!
If the stadium itself impressed me, the view was also something. From the bleachers, you could see the Rockies in the distance. I was a little jealous of the people of Denver. They were welcoming a new ball club. They already had the John Elway Broncos in the NFL and the Nuggets in the NBA. And lo and behold, they tore up a hockey club in Quebec. We introduced a few new Avalanche players there before one of the games. They had been greeted with indifference. The house advertiser had even renamed Joe Sakic … Joe Kasic. Twenty-five years later, Sakic no longer needs introductions in Denver …
Simon drouin
PHOTO ROBERT MAILLOUX, ARCHIVES THE PRESS
Stéphan Lebeau and Vincent Damphousse of the Canadiens face Raymond Bourque and John Blue of the Boston Bruins at the Montreal Forum on February 17, 1993.
For hockey, the Montreal Forum or the old Boston Garden with its 191ft by 83ft rink. I had the chance to see two games there, including the very last, against the Canadiens. Normand Léveillé had stepped on the ice on Raymond Bourque’s arm, a magical moment. For baseball, Dodger Stadium, in Chavez Ravine at dusk, on his girlfriend’s arm, with a margarita and a bag of peanuts. For alpine skiing, Wengen before Kitzbühel, for the majesty of the place, the intimidating face of the Eiger, the cogwheel train, the dog jump and the Canadian Corner which follows. We end it with colleagues in front of a raclette and a bottle of white wine, to hear about the exploits of the Crazy Canucks.
Richard Labbé
PHOTO KIM KLEMENT, USA TODAY SPORTS
The Lightning Arena in Tampa
The arenas and cities of the National Hockey League are almost all newsworthy, and I even have colleagues who dream of spending several days in Buffalo (hi, William!). But for my money, I’d say it’s the Lightning arena in Tampa that comes closest to perfecting. First, because it is located in the city center, very close to hotels, and it is possible to get there very easily by walking, which is a big plus according to my criteria. Then because the place is friendly, and it is not uncommon for the media menu to be full of local delicacies, such as pudding with southern peaches, which you must have tasted at least once in your life. And then finally, after the match, we can go and discuss Eastern philosophy with colleagues around a good local beer near the water. In addition, if we are lucky, we will meet Jon Cooper, the coach Lightning, who is a nice guy in everyday life. Weather ? Always the same: sunny with risk of palm trees. We understand all the Quebec players for wanting to go play there.
Simon-Olivier Lorange
PHOTO FROM WIKIPEDIA
Madrid’s Vicente Calderón stadium … before it was demolished
On a personal level, I hesitate between two experiences on opposite sides of the spectrum. The Staples Center, home of the Los Angeles Kings, is beautiful, but when I went there in October 2014, it was boring to death. In return, the Vicente Calderón stadium in Madrid, now demolished, was not distinctive. But the soccer match I attended in the spring of 2016 remains my most memorable “face-to-face” sporting experience to this day. The meeting was unimportant in the La Liga standings, but local club Atlético said goodbye to their supporters before playing in the days following the Champions League final in Milan. The players circled the pitch for 20 minutes after the final whistle to the chants of their tireless supporters. Just writing these lines still gives me chills. Otherwise, on a professional level, impossible to remain frozen in front of the luxurious and brand new press gallery of Madison Square Garden. Note, when an arena is renovated at a cost exceeding a billion US, we expect a good result!
Alexandre Pratt
PHOTO KYLE TERADA, USA TODAY SPORTS
View of Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants
Oracle Park, home of the San Francisco Giants. Leave the seats behind the plate to the others, and buy tickets on the balcony on the third base side. The view over the San Francisco Bay is spectacular. You can walk the fence in the right field, board a streetcar, and, if you’re under 14, slip into a giant 14m-tall Coca-Cola bottle. And if you really fancy the ultimate experience, you can always remortgage your home and rent the McCovey Lodge, built into the Right Field Fence. Literally.
Jean-Francois Tremblay
PHOTO GUILLAUME LEFRANÇOIS, THE PRESS
The T-Mobile Arena in Vegas ahead of the Canadiens’ series opener between the Golden Knights, June 14, 2021
I have always greeted the idea of desert hockey with a smile. I saw the perpetual Coyote fiasco. I had the misfortune to attend a game on site in Sunrise, Florida, with the arena in the parking lot of the local Carrefour Laval. I had my apprehensions with the Vegas Golden Knights. But all of that was gone after just one visit to the T-Mobile Arena. There is none, and I mean no arena that thrills all of hockey so much. Montreal is good, Toronto is correct, Nashville, we are starting to talk. But Vegas? Nothing like that. The energy, the spectacle, the passionate and motley crowd, the travelers from all over the world. A Vegas Golden Knights game has become an event in the city of events. One of the hottest tickets in town. And what’s more, it’s a fun team to watch play, filled with friendly Quebecers since its inception, and with supportive support for journalists. Difficult to play against, as the other would say.
