 |  |  |  |  |  |
The Orange Bowl - now this is one stadium steeped in history, both at the collegiate
and professional level. Here was the site of five different Super Bowls. Here was the
home of the Orange Bowl classic until the event was moved to Pro Player Stadium in
1996. On eleven occasions the college football national title was decided on this field.
And although this stadium will never again host a Super Bowl or an Orange Bowl, this
stately venue still serves as the home of the University of Miami Hurricanes, one of the
elite football programs in the country.
Opened in 1936, Orange Bowl stadium was expanded and modified numerous times
throughout the years, bringing the original size of 22,000 seats to its current capacity of
just over 72,000. The stadium is horseshoe shaped, with one end zone closed in and
the opposite one open. It is the closed end zone where visiting teams have the most
problems on the field, as the noise level gets very intense and wreaks havocs with the
play calling.
Dare we say it, but this venue almost has the look and feel of a neighborhood ballpark,
a la Wrigley and Fenway. Located in a residential neighborhood just northwest of
downtown Miami, streets around here are narrow and congested. Parking is very
scarce, with just a few small lots around the stadium, and that means that every
square foot of open soil - front lawns, gas stations, vacant lots, are sold for parking. A
good strategy is to ride the Light Rail to the stadium... exit at the Culmer Station, and
from there you can either hop a shuttle bus for a buck or walk the 1/2 mile or so to the
stadium.
The neighborhood is awesome! Orange Bowl Stadium isn't situated on the UM
campus, but in a heavy Cuban and Hispanic district, so all stores have signage in
Spanish first and English second. Tailgaters do their thing wherever they can find
room, and plenty of revelers on the streets as well, lots of food vendors, scalpers and
a party atmosphere. And the stadium looks massive and imposing - with its trellace
steel ramps and walkways, it almost feels like you're in a time warp to the past.
Along the balcony in the seating bowl is a marquee bearing the message "The City of
Miami Welcomes You To The Orange Bowl". We mention this because this message
has graced the sideline rim for decades, but it looks to us like the sign was recently
replaced with a white backed sign which looks gimpy and fake compared to what used
to be there. Another sign of note... the 'Canes had a 58 game winning streak in this
building spanning many seasons, and this streak is heralded with a sign right near
the team's entrance tunnel. Just one scoreboard, in the open end zone, and a color dot
matrix board. No video board here, or any other 21st century electronic amenities. For
now all is definitely old school.
The game we attended had huge implications - the Virginia Tech Hokies were in town
to play the Hurricanes, with the winner getting the ACC conference title, a berth in the
Sugar Bowl and a huge BCS payout. Destiny was on the side of the Hurricanes, but
their anemic offensive performance, a day when QB Brock Berlin played as if he were
in a fog, and some costly turnovers resulted in a Hokies 16-10 win. It was a quiet and
subdued crowd leaving the building, but not the visiting VT fans dressed in red, who
partied it up in the stands well after the game.
Plans are in the works for a huge renovation and facelift for this venerable old building.
And, they are awaiting plans to move forward for a new stadium for the Florida Marlins,
which is slated to be built in this area. (Where??? dare we ask!). But our
recommendation is to come here and see this place in its current form, for now is
when you can see and feel the ghosts - Griese to Warfield, the '72 undefeated
Dolphins, Joe Namath promising a win for the Jets in Super Bowl III, the 'Canes
winning the national title three time before their jubilant home fans. Just some of the
many many great memories that all happened here!
and professional level. Here was the site of five different Super Bowls. Here was the
home of the Orange Bowl classic until the event was moved to Pro Player Stadium in
1996. On eleven occasions the college football national title was decided on this field.
And although this stadium will never again host a Super Bowl or an Orange Bowl, this
stately venue still serves as the home of the University of Miami Hurricanes, one of the
elite football programs in the country.
Opened in 1936, Orange Bowl stadium was expanded and modified numerous times
throughout the years, bringing the original size of 22,000 seats to its current capacity of
just over 72,000. The stadium is horseshoe shaped, with one end zone closed in and
the opposite one open. It is the closed end zone where visiting teams have the most
problems on the field, as the noise level gets very intense and wreaks havocs with the
play calling.
Dare we say it, but this venue almost has the look and feel of a neighborhood ballpark,
a la Wrigley and Fenway. Located in a residential neighborhood just northwest of
downtown Miami, streets around here are narrow and congested. Parking is very
scarce, with just a few small lots around the stadium, and that means that every
square foot of open soil - front lawns, gas stations, vacant lots, are sold for parking. A
good strategy is to ride the Light Rail to the stadium... exit at the Culmer Station, and
from there you can either hop a shuttle bus for a buck or walk the 1/2 mile or so to the
stadium.
The neighborhood is awesome! Orange Bowl Stadium isn't situated on the UM
campus, but in a heavy Cuban and Hispanic district, so all stores have signage in
Spanish first and English second. Tailgaters do their thing wherever they can find
room, and plenty of revelers on the streets as well, lots of food vendors, scalpers and
a party atmosphere. And the stadium looks massive and imposing - with its trellace
steel ramps and walkways, it almost feels like you're in a time warp to the past.
Along the balcony in the seating bowl is a marquee bearing the message "The City of
Miami Welcomes You To The Orange Bowl". We mention this because this message
has graced the sideline rim for decades, but it looks to us like the sign was recently
replaced with a white backed sign which looks gimpy and fake compared to what used
to be there. Another sign of note... the 'Canes had a 58 game winning streak in this
building spanning many seasons, and this streak is heralded with a sign right near
the team's entrance tunnel. Just one scoreboard, in the open end zone, and a color dot
matrix board. No video board here, or any other 21st century electronic amenities. For
now all is definitely old school.
The game we attended had huge implications - the Virginia Tech Hokies were in town
to play the Hurricanes, with the winner getting the ACC conference title, a berth in the
Sugar Bowl and a huge BCS payout. Destiny was on the side of the Hurricanes, but
their anemic offensive performance, a day when QB Brock Berlin played as if he were
in a fog, and some costly turnovers resulted in a Hokies 16-10 win. It was a quiet and
subdued crowd leaving the building, but not the visiting VT fans dressed in red, who
partied it up in the stands well after the game.
Plans are in the works for a huge renovation and facelift for this venerable old building.
And, they are awaiting plans to move forward for a new stadium for the Florida Marlins,
which is slated to be built in this area. (Where??? dare we ask!). But our
recommendation is to come here and see this place in its current form, for now is
when you can see and feel the ghosts - Griese to Warfield, the '72 undefeated
Dolphins, Joe Namath promising a win for the Jets in Super Bowl III, the 'Canes
winning the national title three time before their jubilant home fans. Just some of the
many many great memories that all happened here!
| Miami, Florida |
Miami,
Florida
December
4,
2004
Virginia
Tech
Hokies
at
Miami
Hurricanes
Orange Bowl