It's hard to believe, but there was a time not long ago when we did not have instant access to all forms of entertainment and media. The World Heavyweight Championship was so big that hundreds of people paid $15 to $20 each to watch the fight--live--on closed circuit TV. And it wasn't piped into their living rooms. No, sir, not in this market. People got in their cars and drove to the Erie County Fieldhouse, stood in line, took their seats and waited for the game to begin. (The same fight that you can now watch for free on YouTube.)
The big fight was highly anticipated and there was a lot of trash-talking between the two camps. Neither fighter had lost a match yet. Larry Holmes had a 39-0 record; Gerry Cooney was 25-0. Promoter Don King never missed a chance to hype the match. The fans ate it up. It was time to put up or shut up.
The fight took place at Caesars Palace in Las Vegas and it was broadcast via satellite to venues around the world. The spectators at the Fieldhouse watched every punch, hoping their guy would knock out his opponent. Near the end of the fight it was lights out for Cooney...and Holmes...and everyone watching the bout, when the signal was lost and the screen went dark. After what seemed like eternity, an image appeared on the screen. Cooney, it seemed, was the victor. Or was he?
As it turned out, Cooney was the loser. Holmes won the match in the 13th round.
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: Old Time Erie
The Erie County Fieldhouse was home to professional and youth hockey in Erie, PA for many years. This event schedule gives you an idea of the number of games played during December of 1982.
There were six Atlantic Coast Hockey League hockey games played at the Fieldhouse. The Erie Blades (or was it the Golden Blades?) played Hampton on Dec. 8th, Virginia on Dec. 10th and 11th and Mohawk Valley on Dec. 15th, 18th and 22nd.
There was one college hockey game on Dec. 12th, when Gannon University played Wheeling, WV.
High school games included Cathedral Prep vs. Pittsburg Baldwin on Dec. 11th and 12th; and Prep vs. Cleveland St. Edward's on Dec. 21st. McDowell High School played Upper St. Clair on December 11th and and Pittsburgh Baldwin on Dec. 12th.
Erie Youth Hockey played a tournament at the Erie County Fieldhouse from Dec. 27th through Dec. 30th.
Other events included an Erepa Grotto Variety Show on December 1st, and a concert by Nazareth and Toronto on December 7th.
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com
I remember the first concert that I saw at the Erie County Field House. It was loud and there were no seats on the floor, just lots of people sitting on blankets or standing up front. I could barely see the band on stage through the haze. I was hooked!
The Erie County Fieldhouse was located at 5750 Wattsburg Road in Erie, PA, off of Route 8 near I-90. The Erie Lions played hockey there, as did the Erie Blades. When concerts came to town during hockey season, they covered the floor with sheets of wood. It was a little chilly, but no one complained. Some shows had an open floor plan and some had rows of metal chairs on the floor.
I saw a ton of shows at the Field House. Off the top of my head, the ones I remember include Mahogany Rush, Head East, Sammy Hagar, Boston, Blue Oyster Cult, Nazareth, Shakin' Street, April Wine, Triumph, Blackfoot and Fastway. I'll add more when I find my ticket stubs.
I worked at a record store, and we would take unsold tickets and money up to the Field House before the show. It was fun to watch them put piles of money in a counting machine. It was also fun to get free concert tickets, even if they only cost $7.75 each. We sold a lot of tickets to closed-circuit boxing matches. This was in the days before satellite TV and the Internet. We had a seating diagram that showed which tickets we had for sale, and would then cross off the seat numbers as they were sold. This was the days before Ticketron and Ticketmaster.
There was always a handful of scalpers selling bootleg t-shirts in the parking lot before and after a concert. The shirts were cheap. When you washed them a few times, they shrunk or became deformed.
Enjoy more historic facts and photos of Erie, PA at: oldtimeerie.blogspot.com
