Capital Centre

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Capital Centre
Location	1 Harry S Truman Dr Landover, MD 20785
Opened	1973
Closed	1997
Demolished	2002
Owner	Abe Pollin
Former names
US Airways Arena (1993-1997)
Tenants
Washington Bullets (1973-97) Washington Capitals (1974-97) Georgetown Hoyas (1980-97)
Capacity
18,756 (basketball) 18,130 (hockey)

The Capital Centre (also briefly known as US Airways Arena and also known as the USAir Arena) was an indoor arena located in Landover, Maryland in the suburbs of Washington, DC. Completed in 1973, the arena sat 18,756 for basketball and 18,130 for hockey. It was renamed in the early 1990s for corporate sponsor US Airways but reverted back to its original name of Capital Centre after the airline dropped naming rights.

The arena was the home of the Washington Bullets of the NBA from 1973-97 (known as the "Capital Bullets" for the first season), the Washington Capitals of the NHL from 1974-97 and the Georgetown Hoyas men's basketball team from 1980-97. All three teams departed for the MCI Center (now Verizon Center) just north of The Mall in D.C. when it opened on December 2, 1997. The Capital Centre hosted its first NBA game exactly 24 years earlier on December 2, 1973, with the home team defeating the same visiting team, the Seattle Supersonics. During November 1973, the Capital Bullets held their home games at nearby Cole Field House on the campus of the University of Maryland in College Park.

The ACC men's basketball tournament was held there in 1976, 1981, and 1987. The 1980 NBA All-Star Game and 1982 NHL All-Star Game were held there, as was the 1995 WWF Survivor Series.

The Washington/Maryland Commandos of the Arena Football League also called the arena home from 1987 to 1990. The Maryland Arrows and Washington Power lacrosse teams used the arena, as did The Washington Warthogs professional indoor soccer team.

The video documentary Heavy Metal Parking Lot was created by Jeff Krulik and John Heyn in 1986 in the parking lot outside this venue. It documents the heavy metal fans waiting on May 31 1986 for a Judas Priest concert (with special guests Dokken). When the documentary was filmed, the venue was named the Capital Centre.

The Capital Centre was home to several Toys For Tots concerts in the late 1970s and early 1980s.

The arena was imploded on December 15, 2002 to make way for The Boulevard at the Capital Centre, a town center-style shopping mall.

[edit] Legacy

The Capital Centre was the first indoor arena to have a video screen on its center-hung scoreboard. The video screen was known as the "Telscreen" and predated the DiamondVision video screen at Dodger Stadium by seven years.

The Centre also had one of the NBA's most notorious fans, Robin Ficker, who for twelve seasons sat behind the visiting team's bench and heckled opposing players.

[edit] External Links

• Sports Illustrated First game in MCI Arena - 02-Dec-1997

Preceded by Baltimore Civic Center 1963–1973

Home of the Washington Bullets 1973–1997

Succeeded by Verizon Center 1997–present

Preceded by first arena

Home of the Washington Capitals 1974–1997

Succeeded by Verizon Center 1997–present

Preceded by '

Home of the Georgetown Hoyas 1980–1997

Succeeded by Verizon Center 1997–present