Remembering Cobo Arena (w/ Videos)

Photo courtesy stadiumpostcards.com

I visited Cobo Arena when the National Baptist Congress of Christian Education came to Detroit in 2003. The convention took up much of Cobo Hall, with the big speaking engagements and services taking place in the Arena.

Upon stepping in the arena, I was enamored. It was different than any venue I had been in up to that point. It looked like a major arena with its two decks, but there were only seats on three sides. On the fourth side was a big, intriguingly designed wall. This place was so cool to me, unlike any place I had ever seen. So it's particularly interesting that while many notable concerts and speakers have come through the arena Cobo is an arena that the basketball world forgot.

It hosted the Pistons from 1961 to 1978, the University of Detroit Mercy Titans from 1988 to 1993, and ABA2000's Detroit Dogs for their 2000-2001 season. I also remember it being a destination on the AND 1 Mixtape Tour when they had their own show on ESPN. But good luck finding any videos from any of these eras.

Dave Bing played 9 seasons for the Detroit Pistons, all of which were during the team's tenancy in Cobo Arena

However, I recently came across one. The video - a Bucks/Pistons game from the 1969-70 season - was posted over a year ago by Hal15Greer and is the first extensive video I've seen from inside the arena. The only other time I've seen Cobo on YouTube in game form was for a few seconds in this DePaul Blue Demons video yearbook from 1992.

As I said above, the basketball world seemed to just forget about Cobo Arena. The Pistons bolted for Pontiac in 1978 then moved to Auburn Hills in 1988. When they needed an alternate venue in the city, they used the bigger Joe Louis Arena next door. The Shock would use either Joe Louis Arena or Eastern Michigan's Conovocation Center. Cobo Arena was torn down in 2009 and renovated into a grand ballroom with a view overlooking the Detroit River. While Cobo the sporting venue no longer stands, it will always leave an impression on me.