喝呵呵 真是神奇 自由隊下六場主場的比賽 暫時搬家了~~~ http://www.wnba.com/features/radiocitypreview_040723.html The Games at Radio City By Matt Wurst, WNBA.com July 23, 2004 -- Even though Radio City Music Hall is just up the road from Madison Square Garden, this is no ordinary road trip. After the Liberty’s win over the Sting at Madison Square Garden last Sunday, the team packed up their jerseys, their balls, their equipment, their baskets and even their 4,700-square-foot, 200-section floor and said goodbye to their home arena for the next two months. The Liberty will move about 20 blocks uptown and play their next six home games at Radio City Music Hall as the Garden begins preparations for next month's Republican National Convention. In doing so, the Liberty will become the first professional sports team to play at the world-renowned venue. They will not return to the Garden until September 19, the final regular-season game of the season. The World's Most Famous... Theater? The brainchild of John D. Rockefeller and the Radio Corporation of America, Radio City Music Hall first opened its doors in 1932. In the seven decades since, more than 300 million people have attended events to enjoy stage shows, movies, concerts and special events. "It's exciting, a lot of amazing people have performed there," Robinson said. "It's exciting to be a part of the first basketball games ever played there." Some of the historic names that have performed at Radio City Music Hall are Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Sammy Davis Jr. and Tony Bennett. It was even the site of the premiere of "King Kong." In 1999, a seven month, $70 million restoration was finally completed. From the famed marquee to the seats and the ceilings to the carpets, the restoration returned Radio City Music Hall to its famed glory. In the past decade, Radio City has also played host the Grammy's and the Tony's, The MTV Video Music Awards and the ESPY Awards. The only other sporting event to be contested at the venue was a sold-out January 2000 World Boxing Federation light heavyweight championship bout between Roy Jones Jr. and David Telesco. The theater is most famous, perhaps, for its annual Christmas Spectacular featuring the Rockettes. The Rockettes and the Christmas Spectacular are as big a part of the New York City holiday season as the big Christmas Tree in Rockefeller Center. They will perform at halftime and before the 7:30 p.m. tipoff this Saturday night. But Will It Fit? The same court that the Liberty play on in the Garden will be laid out on the stage with the sideline facing out to the audience. The 94-by-50-foot court fits on the 140-by-83-foot stage with room to spare. The court will be set back far enough so that players don't fall off the stage diving for loose balls. The design allows for about 11 1/2 feet between the front edge of the court and the dropoff into the orchestra pit. A select few fans will be sitting on the stage, along with game officials and members of the press. There is a wall behind the benches on the back of the stage, and bleacher seats behind both baskets will act as buffers. But that doesn't mean that everything has been completely thought out, as Liberty senior vice president and general manager Carol Blazejowski told USA Today. "Can the ball go flying off into the orchestra? Absolutely." Radio City Music Hall is the largest indoor theatre in the world. Its marquee is a full city-block long and the 140-foot stage may be the only theater in the country that could accommodate a basketball court. The Great Stage is framed by a huge proscenium arch that measures 60 feet high and 100 feet wide. The Hall contains more than 25,000 lights and its gold stage curtain is the largest in the world. A special scoreboard and additional video boards have been placed on and around the stage. "The sound in here is going to really add to the electricity of the whole experience," Radio City general manager John Urban said. "I think with the building full, the proximity (of spectators) to the court and the way this environment is going to look and feel to the fans and players and hopefully everybody watching on television as well, I think it will be an energy-packed feeling." There are 5,945, about one third the capacity of Madison Square Garden, but as a result of the building's impeccable acoustics, the smaller crowd sound will sound a lot bigger. There are no columns to obstruct views and the three shallow mezzanines provide a good view for all in the house. Don't Miss the Action The Liberty begins their slate of games at Radio City Music Hall on Saturday, July 24th against the defending champion Detroit Shock. New York Knicks guard Allan Houston will join the MSG telecast for the historic game. Other featured games will take place against the Connecticut Sun on Sat., July 31, the Charlotte Sting on Thurs., Sept. 2, the Sun again on Frid., Sept. 10, the San Antonio Silver Stars on Sun., Sept 12 and the Indiana Fever on Thurs, Sept. 16. Sandwiched in between the Liberty home games and the month-long hiatus for the Olympic Games, the WNBA will hold a unique event to serve as both an All-Star game and a sendoff for the prominent Olympians that play in the league. "WNBA vs. USA Basketball: The Game at Radio City" will feature the U.S. National Team against a team of WNBA rising stars on Aug. 5. "We are doing something that's never been done in the history of a pretty well-known building, and I think that adds a little extra spark," Urban said. "The historic nature of this -- not to be too dramatic about it -- isn't lost on anybody." --

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