Four officials!
As I let the hockey game atmosphere roll over me this past weekend in downtown Syracuse, first off changes since our last visit sank in.
The arena has a new name. This good, old building I’m so accustomed to calling The War Memorial now officially goes by Upstate Medical Arena at The Oncenter War Memorial. Quite a mouthful, but that’s how Onondaga County, the City of Syracuse and team owners pay the bills in this day and age, for sure. The big sign on the outside of the building proves it. It was too cold while we walked in for me to take off my gloves to take a photo of it, I will say here.
As I looked out at the ice just before the teams came out, I noticed four officials, including two with red stripes on their sleeves, marking them as referees. This Old Guy remembers one of three officials being the leader-of-the-pack referee. Oh, well, the good old days.
I still, ahem, voiced my displeasure when a ref whistled a penalty against the home team and pointed a Crunch player to the penalty box.
Mark Bialczak 
Yes indeed the ole let’s give it a new name game.
In Cleveland, I can’t tell you how many times they have changed the name of the Basketball Stadium. I have no idea what it is called today. And this stadium is pretty new.
The “old” Cleveland Coliseum was half way to Akron so it’s been leveled and is now a bird sanctuary in a meadow.
I think the football stadium has a new name too. Lol!
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I bird sanctuary sounds pretty darn good to me, Nance!
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my favorite outdoor concert venue that I grew up with was called pine knob. suddenly it became dte energy theater, but most people still called it pine knob who were of my era. after a few years they changed it back due to public uproar and the nostalgia thing. I was shocked.
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Pine Knob is a great name, Beth, so glad they went back to the familiar. I was a big shock around here when they scrubbed the Carrier Dome name after decades for the new sponsoring company JMA Wireless Dome, which is quite a mouthful in comparison.
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yes, and it does not seem quite as local
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My Thoughts: Each person attending the game sees it from a different perspective depending on how much they know/like hockey. If I went I would only see players rushing back and forth making me dizzy and probably getting a neck pain. I wouldn’t have any idea about penalties etc but trust the referees. I would leave with a happy feeling that a friend invited me to tag along. The best part of the evening would be going out to eat with my friend to one of those fancy eating places he goes to and enjoying a bottle or two of wine. 😉
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You are right, ladysighs. It’s an individual experience for all.
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