The 76ers and the Flyers are entering historic seasons as occupants of the Wells Fargo Center.
File Photos
Say “So long” to adolescence, Wells Fargo Center. Come Saturday, Comcast-Spectacor, the overseer of the entertainment haven will mark the space’s 20th birthday with a 1–4 p.m. gathering.
“This is really an opportunity for us to say ‘Thank you’ to the community as well as our customers for their loyalty during these past 20 years,” John Page, president, Wells Fargo Complex, said of the open house celebration taking place at 3601 S. Broad St. “This will be a great year at the Wells Fargo Center as we look back and celebrate our history with some of the biggest names in sports and entertainment.”
With tickets available through wellsfargocenterphilly.com, the free occasion, including parking, promises to be a memorable means to commend the space that has yielded so much history in only two decades. Attractions, celebrity appearances, games, and party favors will definitely win favor, but chances to emulate the professionals by taking shots at the Flyers’ goal and at the 76ers’ basket figure to draw the most attention, as the business behemoth will configure the arena floor in a half-ice, half-court set-up for the first time. Commemorative championship banner photo opportunities, visits to the penalty box and locker rooms, and event ticket giveaways will likewise prove the regard in which the powers that be hold their loyal fan bases.
“I was looking for tickets to the (Oct. 13) Drake concert the other day, and I found an explanation of everything that’s happened at the center,” Derrick Thompson said when taking in Oct. 1’s Hero Thrill Show in the venue’s parking lot. “It’s really an impressive list, so I’ll definitely come to help it turn 20.”
The Point Breeze dweller is not engaging in hyperbole when he says the space, which opened Aug. 31, 1996, has seen ample action. Formerly the CoreStates, First Union, and Wachovia centers, the $210-million creation “has been one of the busiest arenas in the world,” according to Page, with its website’s major events roundup including such gems as the 1997 and 2010 Stanley Cup Finals; 1990’s WrestleMania XV; the 2000 NCAA Women’s Final Four and Republican National Convention; the ’01 NBA Finals; the ’02 NBA All-Star Weekend; the ’05 American Hockey League Calder Cup Finals; the ’08 U.S. Gymnastics Olympic Trials; the ’11 NCAA Wrestling Championships; the ’14 NCAA Frozen Four and NHL Entry Draft; and July’s Democratic National Convention.
Other memorable occasions at the space, which also hosts contests featuring the Philadelphia Soul and the Villanova University Men’s Basketball Team, who both emerged as champions in their respective sports this year, include 18 concerts by Billy Joel, a total that leads all artists’ tallies; American Idol Season 7 auditions that drew more than 40,000 hopefuls on Aug. 27, ’07; and tapings of “Wheel of Fortune” in ’04.
“Man, you could go on and on with what that building has seen,” Thompson said. “I read the part about the championships that have been determined there, and that was kind of sad because it had the (Los Angeles) Lakers beating the Sixers (in ’01) and the (Chicago) Blackhawks taking down the Flyers (in ’10.) Ten years from now, I want to go back on there and read something about the titles that we’ll have won.”
Along with the birthday extravaganza, the rest of this year and the beginning of 2017 promise to be fruitful times, as the Flyers are celebrating their 50th anniversary campaign, the Sixers are marking the 50th anniversary of their first championship, and musical acts such as Sia, Trans-Siberian Orchestra, and Eric Church will join with family-friendly events like the Kellogg’s Tour of Gymnastics Champions, Disney on Ice, and Cirque de Soleil to give non-sports fanatics chances to cheer, too.
“These experiences create excitement, turn heads, and make everlasting memories for millions of guests and visitors,” Page said. “When you look back at what we’ve been able to accomplish in only 20 years, it is remarkable.” SPR
Contact Staff Writer Joseph Myers at jmyers@southphillyreview.com.
The 76ers and the Flyers are entering historic seasons as occupants of the Wells Fargo Center.
File Photos
