From the Detroit News... 8/5/2006. LINK I don't know how to feel about this. Is there anything wrong with The Joe? Anyone been there? I've only been once, and it was a long time ago. Or is moving just a way to make more money? I hear players around the league say that they enjoy playing there. The fans are close and the atmosphere is great. But really, I don't know much about the situation. Anyone have some info to discuss here?
I just know that that the arena was built in 1979 and seats 19,983. Building a new arena would allow more seating. And if they built a new one, they could continue to let the college teams play at the Joe (michigan vs. michigan state rivalry)
The Wings have a dedicated fan base, but the Pistons profited tremendously from moving out of Detroit during the reign of Coleman Young. The decision to build the Palace was probably the most significant business move in Detroit Sports. Illitch is building a nice real-estate empire in Detroit City. I wonder if years from now he will get credit for helping to ressucitate downtown when City Council failed for so many years.
The Joe is one of the oldest arenas around. The newer arena's offer more technology advantages and comfort features. Also lets not forget those high priced luxury boxes. The Joe's future has also been more in the spotlight since the push for expanding Cobo Hall has been centered around expanding to the Joe to provide more space for the Auto Show. This would be the cheapest alternative to building a new convention center from the ground up.
