Skate America! (But Do It In A Smaller Venue)
Posted in Alerts & Updates, Figure Skating, Men's & Women's Competitions, Professional Level Events, Team USA/Olympic Level Events, Tourneys, Matches, Meets & Races by Tim with 4 comments
Maybe it was a case of Sports Lag. After all, I was on the back end of a day-night doubleheader involving two different events in two different towns. Maybe it was the dark and rainy film noir-esque night outside. And maybe it was because I was inside a professional sports arena and there was no discernible buzz.
Whatever it was, it was all a bit odd…
I had come to the Rose Garden Arena, the centerpiece of Portland’s Rose Quarter entertainment district, to see Skate America, a stop on the ISU Grand Prix of Figure Skating tour. But as I made my way around an eerily quiet concourse it almost felt as if I’d wandered into the wrong building.
The concourse didn’t appear to be fully lit, and only a handful of concession stands were open. And in a horrific sight that I hope to never again encounter, all of the beer taps at all of the beer stands had been removed! I still shudder at the visual image.
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