Quote:
Originally Posted by Groundhog
I hope not. I think having all of the stadiums in one place makes perfect sense and is really one of the things that my friends from out of town who've gone to any sporting event here have been really impressed with (especailly New Yorkers who rarely wish to dole out any complements for our great city as a rival fan). I know people think basketball can spur development, but I'm a skeptic. We have a great space for all four major teams that allows for tailgating, shared parking and just a better sports atmosphere. Public transit is already there and great highway access. It's smart and it ain't broke.
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I'd prefer to keep the Sixers in Philly as opposed to Camden but I've always said that the Sixers are the one pro team in Philly where considering a location outside of the Sports Complex could be beneficial. Sixers have by far the smallest tailgating culture of the 4 teams meaning moving away from the expansive parking lots wouldn't be a big deal as long as the arena is close to transit. Basketball Arenas are also capable of being much smaller than venues for the other sports, making them easier to incorporate into downtown areas. Plus, the general design of the Basketball Arenas means it's not very hard to incorporate street facing restaurants and bars and retail into them so they're not deadspots, and basketball games are fairly frequent, and basketball arenas are easily used as concert venues.
So I wouldn't mind seeing a basketball arena in Center City, but Camden wouldn't be terrible either if done right. I certainly see no issue with them leaving the Sports Complex though, as unlike the other teams I don't really see how they derive much of a benefit from being down there and locating them elsewhere works much better for the sixers than any of the other pro teams.