Nicknamed “The Sleeping Giant” (among other names!), the Nansen Ski Jump was the pride and joy of Milan in New Hampshire. No no, not Milan in Italy, the fashion capital of the wold! Milan, which is a town of around 1,000 residents located in the US is really, a speck on the map! At the time when it was constructed (and we’re going back to 1936), Milan was the talk of the town (not to mention entire region), and was the largest ski jump in the eastern United States.
It attracted all East Coast Olympians who would train at Nansen. But as quickly as it was elevated to high status, it quickly came down a er… slippery slope and straight into disregard. By 1988, the jump was out of use and left as a gigantic concrete structure. More recently, there have been some efforts to restore the jump to its former glory, but it seems that it’s going to remain idle for a while – that is until the state gets funding to make Nansen great again!
Green Point Stadium (Cape Town, South Africa)
Cape Town is arguably one of the most beautiful cities in the world and has hosted large-scale international events. Just like the FIFA World Cup back in 2010! Built for the World Cup, it also became the home of Premier Soccer League clubs Ajax Cape Town and Cape Town City. But that stadium is known as the Cape Town Stadium. We’re going back a little further, to when it was known as Green Point Stadium. The 18,000-seater stadium replaced part of the Metropolitan Golf Club.
The multi-purpose stadium was used for soccer, (football for you fans!) as well as concerts. And big concerts at that, with stars such as: Michael Jackson, Whitney Houston, Def Leppard, U2, and many more gracing the stage! Just before the World Cup, the stadium was demolished to make room for the stadium which sits there proudly today: the Cape Town Stadium. Out with the old and in with the new!
Pontiac Silverdome (Pontiac, Michigan, USA)
Situated on a massive 127 acres, the Pontiac Silverdome was a shining beacon for sports and entertainment when it opened in 1975. When it was built, its fiberglass fabric roof was held up by air pressure – the first use of this particular architectural technique in a major stadium! Seating 82,000 + fans, it was the largest stadium in the NFL (and it held this title for over 20 years until thee FedExField opened in D.C. in 1997! Famously known as the home of the NFL’s Detroit Lions, it also housed the Detroit Pistons. As well as hosting numerous sporting events, the Silverdome was a regular concert venue, hosting Elvis Presley, Elton John, Led Zeppelin, KISS, The Rolling Stones, The Jacksons, Bruce Springsteen, and the E Street band, U2, Madonna and Metallica among many others.
Stone Mountain Tennis Center (Atlanta, USA)
Ba-bum. Another one to Google’s red “permanently closed” stamp. RIP Stone Mountain Tennis Center. Now a “big empty field” as described by the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, the Stone Mountain Tennis Center was where Gwinnett County hosted events during Atlanta’s 1996 Olympics. Built specifically for the Olympics, the tennis center had both the capacity and quality construction fit for any venue – it was designed to stand the test of time.
The problem? It was built smack bang in the middle of football heartland. At a cost of $22 million, the state-of-the-art facility, which made its debut in 1996, languished in disrepair in the years after the Games. Pretty sad eh? After 11 years, the county obtained the property and cleared it for demolition in 2007. Apparently it’s going to developers to dream up some big project – so guess we’ll have to just wait and see what happens!
Baltimore Memorial Stadium
Imagine this: it’s Summer 1970. You’re in Baltimore and an Orioles fan. You’re sitting with your hotdog at Memorial Stadium. Now that’s a pretty picture, isn’t it? The only thing wrong with this picture is that well, that’s a distant memory, seeing as the Baltimore Memorial Stadium has been gone a long time, being demolished in 2001. The home of the Baltimore Colts between 1953 and 1983, it was decided that the stadium was better for watching baseball… football not so much! During football season, the field was laid out in such a way that quality seats were missing and the “horseshoe” shape didn’t lend itself to the game.
It continued to host the Orioles until 1991, at which time they moved to Camden Yards. The Baltimore Ravens moved in but shortly moved their business to Camden Yards also. Memorial Stadium sadly was left vacant until 2001. It has since been replaced by the Cal Ripken Senior Youth Development Field, with numerous apartment blocks surrounding the field. C’est la vie, eh?