The Pistons have moved into their new home at Little Caesars Arena, "even though it's sometimes, at least at first glance or even the second, pretty hard to tell" that they share the venue with the Red Wings, according to Tony Paul of the DETROIT NEWS. Olympia Entertainment President & CEO Tom Wilson said, "It was a hockey arena for a long time, in our minds. ... That'll change over time." While there is "Pistons gear and photos throughout the arena, there is much more Red Wings memorabilia and artifacts." Wilson, who previously served as Palace Sports & Entertainment President & CEO, said, "We're still working with them (the Pistons), actually, on some things to put on on the concourse. And one of those things, we put a lot of time and a lot of thought into everything that we've done here, and all the artifacts and everything else that's here." The Pistons' regular-season home opener is Oct. 18, and Wilson "acknowledged it'll take longer than that to get LCA feeling like a basketball arena as much as a hockey arena." But the "game-day atmosphere should go a long way in changing perceptions" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/7).
LET THERE BE LIGHT: In Detroit, Mike Isenberg wrote the offices at FS Detroit are "buzzing" ahead of the RSN's first regular-season telecasts from the new arena -- Lightning-Red Wings on Oct. 16 and Hornets-Pistons Oct. 18. FS Detroit Exec Producer Jeff Byle said, "The lighting is remarkable. It's the best lighting of any arena we'll go into. The LED lighting is without glare. You can really light a place up but it will have glare. This doesn't have glare. For the viewer at home, it will come across better for the lighting alone." Wilson said that his Olympia team has "worked hard with the NHL and NBA for the best viewing result possible." Red Wings broadcaster Mickey Redmond: "The colors are absolutely vibrant. The seats -- they're a different kind of red, but the lighting is just over the top. It's the latest in technology” (DETROIT FREE PRESS, 10/8).
TAKING IT ALL IN: The DETROIT NEWS' Paul noted there were "many empty seats" for the Red Wings' regular-season opener on Thursday against the Wild, despite the fact that the game was sold out and "almost every ticket sold was accounted for at the gates." During the game, fans "flocked to the concourse" to "check out the new digs." That made for some "poor optics on TV, as at times it seemed like less than half the seats were occupied." Wilson said, "It was really interesting, because everybody was in their seats when we dropped the puck, and you just expect that's going to happen. Now, we do have clubs here, and people sometimes go back in the clubs to have something to eat and everything like that, then they come out when the period starts. But, boy, people really, really disappeared last night" (DETROIT NEWS, 10/7).
BIG-PICTURE VISION: SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL's Don Muret notes the arena has played a "key role in rebuilding the inner city and creating a vibrant downtown scene, a major emphasis after a long-term downturn for the Motor City." Originally, the Red Wings "planned to develop a more traditional arena similar to United Center" until Ilitch Holdings President & CEO Chris Ilitch "challenged the organization to think bigger." The arena concourse’s "indoor streetscape theme was inspired by the outdoor shopping districts in Italy and France." The Via, a "portion of the main concourse at street level, has a pronounced European feel with distinctly Detroit details such as decorative manhole covers celebrating Red Wings and Pistons greats" (SPORTSBUSINESS JOURNAL, 10/9 issue).
