Reunion Arena

This article was in the Fort Worth Star-Telegram on Sunday.

Reunion Arena says goodbye after 28 years

By Mitch Mitchell

It opened to much fanfare and awe back in 1980, fast becoming an icon -- along with its accompanying tower -- on the downtown Dallas skyline.

But a new, spiffier building, with more suites and expensive seats, replaced it in our hearts a long time ago.

On Saturday night, Reunion Arena said farewell.

After 28 years of hosting entertainment events, including Dallas Mavericks and Dallas Stars games, Reunion hosted its last event -- Una Voz Profectica, a Spanish-language Christian rally.

Officials expect the building to be razed to make way for future development.

"I've been here for 23 of its 28 years, so it's a little sad for us," said Wil Caudell, Reunion Arena general manager. "Millions of people came through these doors, and we have a lot of good memories about the things we were able to do here."

Goodbye, old friend.

It makes me a little sad; however, at the same time it was time for it to go. I have a lot of memories in that building. The first NBA game I attended was there when the Mavs took on the Utah Jazz. I witnessed many more games as well as some of the NBA's best players, the likes of Jordan, Stockton, Malone, Barkley, and Shaq just to name a few. I was a ball-boy for the Mavs back in the 1995-96 season. As a ball-boy, I spent a lot of time down in the bowels of the arena (all the areas people normally don't go). At the end of the season, all the ball-boys got together and we played a tournament on the court. I had a lot of fun at Reunion Arena. Just before I left on my mission, Bryon and I went early, early, early one morning and waited in line to get WCW Monday Nitro tickets. When I returned from my mission in 2001 the Mavs were relevant again and in the playoffs. We (Matt, Bryon and I) went to what would end up being the last game ever played by the Mavs at Reunion Arena. The American Airlines Center was being finished and the Mavs would start playing there the next year. The Mavs were playing the Spurs in the second round and we went to game four (the Mavs were down 3 games to none.) The Mavs won that game but then went on to lose game five in San Antonio. That final game at Reunion was probably the loudest most exciting game I have ever been to. I also went to my first Hockey game there when the Stars moved from Minnesota (which was funny because it happened while Matt was serving his mission in Minnesota) I went to a game against the Anaheim Mighty Ducks (now they are just the Ducks). That was a blast and I have loved hockey ever since. While I was on my mission, the Stars won the Stanley Cup there. Like I said it will make me sad to see that arena get torn down, but it was old and out dated compared to the AAC. The memories, however, will never be torn down.