94-644: The Spectrum (later known as CoreStates Spectrum , First Union Spectrum and Wachovia Spectrum ) was an indoor arena in Philadelphia , Pennsylvania . The arena opened in September 1967 as part of what is now known as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex . After several expansions of its seating capacity , it accommodated 18,168 for basketball and 17,380 for ice hockey , arena football , indoor soccer , and box lacrosse . The final event at
188-528: A 39-year-old such as King, which Branch attributed to the stress of King's 13 years in the civil rights movement. Shortly after the shot was fired, witnesses saw a man, later believed to be James Earl Ray , fleeing from a rooming-house across the street from the Lorraine Motel. Ray had been renting a room in the rooming-house. Police found a package dumped close to the site that included a rifle and binoculars, both bearing Ray's fingerprints. Ray had purchased
282-516: A colleague from the Southern Christian Leadership Conference , first believed King was dead, but found he still had a pulse. King was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital , where doctors opened his chest and performed cardiopulmonary resuscitation . He never regained consciousness, and died at 7:05 p.m. According to Branch, King's autopsy revealed that his heart was in the condition of a 60-year-old man rather than that of
376-505: A concert titled "Last Call". Tickets were as low as $ 6.00. The remaining members of the Grateful Dead ; including Bob Weir, Phil Lesh, Mickey Hart, Bill Kreutzmann performed their final set of shows at the Spectrum on May 1 and 2, 2009; the show of May 2 was their 54th consecutive sell-out at the Spectrum. The Dead closed the show of May 2 with the song " Samson and Delilah ". The song contains
470-673: A conspiracy. In May 1977, Kershaw presented evidence to the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he believed exonerated his client, but tests did not prove conclusive. Kershaw also claimed that Ray was somewhere else when the shots were fired, but he could not find a witness to corroborate the claim. Ray and seven other convicts escaped from Brushy Mountain State Penitentiary in Petros, Tennessee on June 10, 1977. They were recaptured on June 13 and returned to prison. A year
564-551: A guilty plea to avoid a conviction and potential death penalty . Ray was sentenced to a 99-year prison term, but he recanted his confession three days later. Ray fired Foreman and claimed that a man whom he had met in Montreal by the alias of "Raoul" was involved, as was Ray's brother Johnny, but that Ray himself was not. He said through his new attorney Jack Kershaw that, although he did not "personally shoot King", he may have been "partially responsible without knowing it", hinting at
658-414: A large open space surrounded on most or all sides by tiered seating for spectators, and may be covered by a roof. The key feature of an arena is that the event space is the lowest point, allowing maximum visibility. Arenas are usually designed to accommodate a multitude of spectators. The word derives from Latin harena , a particularly fine-grained sand that covered the floor of ancient arenas such as
752-467: A location, often with the specific intent of comparing an idea to a sporting event. Such examples of these would be terms such as "the arena of war", "the arena of love" or "the political arena". Assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. City of Memphis City of Nashville Other localities Campaigns Death and memorial Martin Luther King Jr. , an American civil rights activist,
846-467: A nice building!'" Scheinfeld also said that a seat in the city's first superbox initially cost $ 1,000 a year: "For every Flyers game, Sixers game, circus, you name it, you got 250 events for $ 1,000." The Flyers won their first ever home game in this arena by defeating the Pittsburgh Penguins , 1–0. Bill Sutherland scored the arena's first goal. On March 1, 1968, wind blew part of the covering off
940-571: A poem by the Greek playwright Aeschylus : "Even in our sleep, pain which cannot forget falls drop by drop upon the heart until, in our own despair, against our will, comes wisdom through the awful grace of God." In conclusion, he said that the country needed and wanted unity between blacks and whites, and asked the audience members to pray for the King family and the country, again quoting the Greeks. Kennedy's speech
1034-602: A prism) was launched by Spectacor, carrying home games of the Flyers and 76ers (as well as the Phillies); PRISM's technical and studio operations were based out of the event level of the Spectrum (though PRISM's administrative offices were instead located in Bala Cynwyd ). PRISM's successor, NBC Sports Philadelphia , is based out of the present-day Wells Fargo Center in a similar arrangement. A plaque inside The Spectrum stated that it held
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#17328557989021128-635: A safe house before travelling to Memphis. King participated in a massive march in Memphis on March 28, 1968, which ended in violence. On April 3, King returned to Memphis to attempt a successful new march later that week. His airline flight to Memphis was delayed by a bomb threat, but he arrived in time to make a planned speech to a gathering at the Mason Temple (world headquarters of the Church of God in Christ ). At
1222-646: A score of 104–101 in the final NBA game in the Spectrum. The game was sold-out and attendance was 17,563. The Phantoms' last regular season game at the Spectrum was played April 10, 2009, against the Hershey Bears , as the Phantoms won the game, 5–2, while the last Kixx game was against the Massachusetts Twisters on March 22. The Kixx moved onto the Temple University campus and played the 2009–10 season at
1316-532: A segregationist, described the assassination as a "senseless, regrettable act". But Governor Lester Maddox of Georgia called King "an enemy of our country" and threatened to "personally raise" the state capitol flag back from half-staff. California Governor Ronald Reagan described the assassination as "a great tragedy that began when we began compromising with law and order and people started choosing which laws they'd break". South Carolina senator Strom Thurmond wrote to his constituents: "We are now witnessing
1410-508: A specially-written version of the song "Wrecking Ball" , which he had written in honor of the demolition of Giants Stadium , with revised lyrics to honor the Spectrum. A scheduled concert with Leonard Cohen on October 22 was moved to the Tower Theatre in Upper Darby , instead. On October 23, 2009, Philadelphia area musicians The Hooters , Todd Rundgren and Hall & Oates headlined
1504-441: A whole lot of black people today. There no longer needs to be intellectual discussions, black people know that they have to get guns. White America will live to cry that she killed Dr. King last night. It would have been better if she had killed Rap Brown and/or Stokely Carmichael, but when she killed Dr. King, she lost. Despite the urging for calm by many leaders, a nationwide wave of riots erupted in more than 100 cities. After
1598-476: Is also the sport of indoor American football (one variant of which is explicitly known as arena football), a variant of the outdoor game that is designed for the usual smaller playing surface of most arenas; variants of other traditionally outdoor sports, including box lacrosse as well as futsal and indoor soccer , also exist. The term "arena" is also used loosely to refer to any event or type of event which either literally or metaphorically takes place in such
1692-522: Is what is going to happen to me also. I keep telling you, this is a sick society." King traveled to Memphis, Tennessee , in support of striking African-American city sanitation workers. The workers had staged a walkout on February 11, 1968, to protest unequal wages and working conditions imposed by mayor Henry Loeb . At the time, Memphis paid black workers significantly lower wages than it did white workers. There were no city-issued uniforms, no restrooms, no recognized union, and no grievance procedure for
1786-619: The Colosseum in Rome , Italy, to absorb blood. The term arena is sometimes used as a synonym for a very large venue such as Pasadena's Rose Bowl , but such a facility is typically called a stadium . The use of one term over the other has mostly to do with the type of event. Football (be it association , rugby , gridiron , Australian rules , or Gaelic ) is typically played in a stadium, while basketball , volleyball , handball , and ice hockey are typically played in an arena, although many of
1880-675: The Liacouras Center . The Phantoms were sold to a Pittsburgh-based ownership group, and moved to Glens Falls, New York , for the 2009–10 season, and subsequently moved to Allentown , where they became the Flyers-affiliated Lehigh Valley Phantoms . "With this season being the final season of the Wachovia Spectrum, we will celebrate the history of the Spectrum with an exciting, year-long, celebration of events," Comcast Spectacor President Peter Luukko said. Phish
1974-594: The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena .) The statue was removed several times over the years to be used in the filming of sequels to the original film. In September 2006, it was given a new home in an area near the base of the steps of the Philadelphia Museum of Art not far from where a spot on the plaza at the top of the Museum's steps where it had appeared in the film Rocky III . Since the statue
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#17328557989022068-711: The Saint John Flames , 6–1. The only visitors to win the Stanley Cup and NBA championship at the Spectrum were the Montreal Canadiens (1976) and the Los Angeles Lakers (1980) respectively. The Spectrum is the only venue to host the NBA and NHL All-Star Games in the same season, doing so in 1976, when it also hosted that year's Final Four . It is also one of a handful of venues to host the Stanley Cup and NBA Finals at
2162-468: The Selma to Montgomery March (1965). As he neared the close, he prophetically referred to the bomb threat: And then I got to Memphis. And some began to say the threats ... or talk about the threats that were out. What would happen to me from some of our sick white brothers? Well, I don't know what will happen now. We've got some difficult days ahead. But it doesn't matter with me now. Because I've been to
2256-573: The South . David Halberstam , who reported on King's funeral, recounted a comment heard at an affluent white dinner party: One of the wives—station wagon, three children, forty-five-thousand-dollar house—leaned over and said, "I wish you had spit in his face for me." It was a stunning moment; I wondered for a long time afterwards what King could possibly have done to her, in what conceivable way he could have threatened her, why this passionate hate. Reporters recounted that many whites were also grief-stricken at
2350-652: The U.S. Navy Yard bounded by 10th Street, Packer Ave., 23rd Street, and Terminal Avenue. The Spectrum itself occupied the portion of the Exposition's grounds on the south side of Pattison Avenue between Broad and 11th Streets that in 1926 served as the fair's main trolley terminal operated by the Philadelphia Rapid Transit Company . For its first 25 years, the Spectrum overlooked the 102,000-seat John F. Kennedy Stadium , known prior to 1964 as "Municipal Stadium", located roughly 600 feet (180 m) south of
2444-637: The Xfinity Live! project, the first portion of which opened in April 2012, at the southwest corner of 11th Street and Pattison Avenue. A statue of Sylvester Stallone , depicted in his role of Philadelphia boxer Rocky Balboa , stood for many years in front of the main Pattison Avenue entrance of the Spectrum, which had been represented in the movie as the site of Rocky's first and second fights with Apollo Creed . (The fight sequences were actually filmed at
2538-606: The pre-game ceremony were Lou Angotti , Ed Van Impe , Bob Clarke , Mel Bridgman , Bill Barber , Dave Poulin , Ron Sutter , Kevin Dineen , Éric Desjardins , Keith Primeau and Derian Hatcher . The last NCAA basketball game the Spectrum hosted saw the Villanova Wildcats defeat the Pittsburgh Panthers on January 28, 2009. The Sixers played one regular season game against Chicago Bulls on March 13, 2009, winning by
2632-715: The violent backlash beginning to emerge across the country. The next day, Kennedy gave a prepared response, " On the Mindless Menace of Violence ", in Cleveland , Ohio . Although still considered significant, it is given much less historical attention than his Indianapolis speech. President Lyndon B. Johnson was in the Oval Office that evening, planning a meeting in Hawaii with Vietnam War military commanders. After press secretary George Christian informed him at 8:20 p.m. of
2726-533: The "CoreStates Center" (1996–1998), the "First Union Center" (1998–2003), and the "Wachovia Center" (July 2003 – June 2010), the 20,000-plus-seat indoor arena replaced the Spectrum as the home of the Flyers, 76ers, and Philadelphia Wings of the National Lacrosse League beginning with each club's 1996–97 season. With the demolition of the Spectrum, the Wells Fargo Center has now become the oldest of
2820-476: The 1976 and 1981 Final Fours (both won by Bob Knight 's Indiana Hoosiers ). Smaller conferences preferred holding tournament games at this venue over the larger Center nearby. In 2003 and 2004, the PBR brought their Built Ford Tough Series tour to the Spectrum. Many concerts were staged at the Spectrum, often praised for its acoustic properties, beginning in the 1960s. In the 1970s, Electric Factory Concerts became
2914-537: The Eagles moved to Lincoln Financial Field , a purpose-built football/soccer stadium located SE of the Spectrum site directly across 11th Street from the Wells Fargo Center. The following year, the Phillies relocated to Citizens Bank Park , a dedicated baseball stadium completed in 2004 and located diagonally across from the Spectrum site at the northeast corner of Pattison Ave and Citizens Bank Way (11th St.), immediately east of
Spectrum (arena) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3008-816: The Flyers and 76ers moved across the parking lot to the new and larger Wells Fargo Center (then CoreStates Center), the arena remained in place and was used by the Philadelphia Phantoms of the AHL , the Philadelphia KiXX of the NISL , the Philadelphia Soul of the Arena Football League for Saturday home games, and a variety of other sporting events and concerts. The Spectrum had relatively few luxury suites or other amenities common in newer arenas. Additionally,
3102-524: The Flyers played a day game against the Los Angeles Kings during a blizzard. A piece of flying debris smashed out one of the concourse windows, cancelling the game just after the first period. In the 1970s, the venue's location near Broad Street and the reputation for fisticuffs that the Flyers had developed led to the nickname "Broad Street Bullies". In 1976, the local pay television service PRISM (so-named in part as you could see "the spectrum" via
3196-689: The Mason Temple, King delivered his famous " I've Been to the Mountaintop " speech. In it, he recalled his 1958 attempted assassination, noting that the doctor who treated him had said that because the knife used to stab him was so close to his aorta, any sudden movement, even a sneeze, might have killed him. He referred to a letter written by a young girl who told him that she was happy that he had not sneezed. He used that reference to say: I, too, am happy that I didn't sneeze. Because if I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1960, when students all over
3290-951: The Philadelphia Spectrum on August 4, 1988; August 5, 1988; June 13, 1991; December 16, 1991; and December 17, 1991. The Spectrum Theater was a venue for acts not big enough to fill the entire Spectrum arena. The stage was placed in the middle of the Spectrum floor, and the other half of the arena behind the stage was closed off with curtains, creating a theater-like environment. Some of the acts that played in this configuration included Frank Zappa in 1973, 1976 and 1977; David Bowie's Diamond Dogs Tour in 1974; The Kinks ' Soap Opera Tour in May 1975, Bob Marley 's Natty Dread Tour in 1975 and Kaya Tour in 1978; Bruce Springsteen in 1976; The Bee Gees in 1979; Peter Gabriel 's tour in 1982; Howard Jones in 1985 and Julian Lennon with Chris Bliss on June 20, 1986. The 1995–96 NHL and NBA seasons were
3384-778: The Philadelphia area. The Flyers hurriedly moved their next home game against the Oakland Seals to Madison Square Garden in New York followed by a meeting with the Boston Bruins played at Maple Leaf Gardens in Toronto before establishing a base at Le Colisée in Quebec City , home of their top minor league team, the AHL Quebec Aces , for the remainder of their regular season, marking
3478-467: The South end of Broad Street since 1926. The complex's total area expanded with the addition of each new facility and now takes up the entire southeast quadrant of the grounds occupied in 1926 by Philadelphia's Sesqui-Centennial International Exposition , a massive 184-day World's fair built on 700+ acres of until then largely undeveloped city-owned swamp and park land, including League Island Park adjacent to
3572-550: The South started sitting-in at lunch counters. If I had sneezed, I wouldn't have been around here in 1961, when we decided to take a ride for freedom and ended segregation in interstate travel. King repeated the phrase "If I had sneezed" several more times, recalling numerous other events and acts of civil disobedience from the previous several years: the Albany Movement (1962), the March on Washington for Jobs and Freedom in 1963, and
3666-515: The Spectrum was a Pearl Jam concert on October 31, 2009. The arena was demolished between November 2010 and May 2011. Opened as the Spectrum in September 1967, Philadelphia's first modern indoor sports arena was built to be the home of the expansion Philadelphia Flyers of the NHL , and also to accommodate the existing Philadelphia 76ers of the NBA . The building was the second major sports facility built at
3760-423: The Spectrum would be shuttered and torn down to make way for Philly Live! , a proposed retail, dining and entertainment hub. "This has been one of the hardest decisions I've ever had to make," said Snider. "The Spectrum is my baby. It's one of the greatest things that has ever happened to me." The Phantoms commemorated the final season of the Spectrum by wearing a special patch on their uniforms, as illustrated on
3854-553: The Spectrum's roof during a performance of the Ice Capades , forcing the building to close for a month while Mayor Tate fought with then-Philadelphia County District Attorney Arlen Specter over responsibility for the construction of the roof, and the damage was repaired. The 76ers moved their home games to Convention Hall and to the Palestra , but neither of those arenas had ice rinks at the time, and there were no other NHL-quality sites in
Spectrum (arena) - Misplaced Pages Continue
3948-526: The Spectrum. The Flyers competed in the Stanley Cup Finals in 1974 , 1975 , 1976 , 1980 , 1985 , and 1987 . The 76ers played in the NBA Finals in 1977 , 1980 , 1982 , and 1983 . The 1976 and 1992 NHL , and 1970 and 1976 NBA All-Star Games were also held here. The AHL Phantoms also won their first Calder Cup title on Spectrum ice before a sellout crowd of 17,380 on June 10, 1998, by defeating
4042-567: The arena was an October 17, 1967 boxing match featuring Joe Frazier vs. Tony Doyle. From 1967 through 1972, fifteen fight cards were held at the Spectrum. The NBA's 76ers also moved there from Convention Hall as a second major league sports tenant. Lou Scheinfeld, former President of the Spectrum, explained that the name "Spectrum" was selected to evoke the broad range of events to be held there: "The 'SP' for 'sports' and ' South Philadelphia ', 'E' for 'entertainment', 'C' for 'circuses', 'T' for 'theatricals', 'R' for 'recreation', and 'UM' as 'um, what
4136-422: The arena's sight lines were cited as a concern. Some seats in both the hockey and basketball configurations (especially those added in the upper level over the years) had badly obstructed views. There was only one concourse for all three levels, making for somewhat cramped conditions whenever attendance was anywhere near capacity. On July 14, 2008, Comcast Spectacor Chairman Ed Snider officially announced that
4230-425: The assassination to honor his most deeply held beliefs. James Farmer Jr. said: Dr. King would be greatly distressed to find that his blood had triggered off bloodshed and disorder. I think instead the nation should be quiet; black and white, and we should be in a prayerful mood, which would be in keeping with his life. We should make that kind of dedication and commitment to the goals which his life served to solving
4324-399: The assassination was the result of a conspiracy involving the U.S. government, the mafia , and Memphis police , as alleged by Loyd Jowers in 1993. They believe that Ray was a scapegoat . In 1999, the family filed a wrongful death lawsuit against Jowers for the sum of $ 10 million. During closing arguments, their attorney asked the jury to award damages of $ 100, to make the point that "it
4418-406: The assassination, he canceled the trip to focus on the nation. He assigned Attorney General Ramsey Clark to investigate the assassination in Memphis. He made a personal call to King's wife, Coretta Scott King , and declared April 7 a national day of mourning on which the U.S. flag would be flown at half-staff . Colleagues of King in the civil rights movement called for a nonviolent response to
4512-469: The assassination, the city of Memphis quickly settled the strike on favorable terms to the sanitation workers. On April 8, King's widow Coretta Scott King and her four young children led a crowd estimated at 40,000 in a silent march through the streets of Memphis to honor King and support the cause of the city's black sanitation workers. The next day, funeral rites were held in King's hometown of Atlanta, Georgia . The service at Ebenezer Baptist Church
4606-419: The athletes who made the building famous such as Hockey Hall of Famers Bernie Parent and Bob Clarke of the Flyers and Hall of Famer Julius Erving of the 76ers, was held in the adjacent parking lot "H" on November 23, 2010, to formally begin its external demolition. However, unlike Veterans Stadium, its one-time neighbor, which had been located immediately across Pattison Avenue from the Spectrum before it
4700-435: The audience to pray for the King family and to follow King's practice of nonviolence. Mankiewicz and speechwriter Adam Walinsky drafted notes for Kennedy's use, but he refused them, using some that he had likely written during the ride to the site of the speech. The Indianapolis chief of police advised Kennedy that he could not provide him protection and was worried that he would be at risk when talking about King's death before
4794-466: The complex's three current venues. The Spectrum's closest sports complex neighbor was Veterans Stadium (opened 1971, closed 2003, demolished 2004), which was located north of the arena directly across Pattison Avenue. The 60,000-plus-seat "Vet" accommodated MLB 's Philadelphia Phillies and the NFL 's Philadelphia Eagles for just over three decades before it was itself replaced by two new facilities. In 2003
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#17328557989024888-597: The day of the assassination while on the campaign trail for the Democratic presidential nomination in Indiana , Senator Robert F. Kennedy learned of the shooting before boarding a plane to Indianapolis . Kennedy was scheduled to make a speech there in a predominantly black neighborhood. Kennedy did not learn that King had died until he landed in Indianapolis. Kennedy's press secretary, Frank Mankiewicz , suggested that he ask
4982-417: The domestic problems. That's the memorial, that's the kind of memorial we should build for him. It's just not appropriate for there to be violent retaliations, and that kind of demonstration in the wake of the murder of this pacifist and man of peace. However, the more militant Stokely Carmichael called for forceful action, saying: White America killed Dr. King last night. She made it a whole lot easier for
5076-524: The final ones for the Flyers and the 76ers at the Spectrum. The 76ers' last game was a 112–92 loss to the Orlando Magic on April 19; on May 12, Eric Lindros scored the arena's final Flyers goal in the 2nd period, and Mike Hough of the Florida Panthers scored the arena's final official NHL goal in the 2nd overtime of Game 5 of the 1996 Eastern Conference semifinals , a 2–1 Flyers loss. Although both
5170-615: The finding of the Memphis jury were later disputed by the United States Department of Justice in 2000 due to perceived lack of evidence. The assassination was one of four major assassinations of the 1960s in the United States , coming several years after the assassination of John F. Kennedy in 1963 and the assassination of Malcolm X in 1965, and two months before the assassination of Robert F. Kennedy in June 1968. As early as
5264-671: The first NHL games in Quebec City in over four decades, and years before the Quebec Nordiques joined the NHL. The roof was repaired in time to permit the Flyers to return to the Spectrum to open their first Stanley Cup playoffs against the St. Louis Blues on April 4, 1968; the opening faceoff came just as the assassination of Martin Luther King Jr. was transpiring in Memphis, Tennessee . Similarly, in 1993,
5358-493: The fitting refrain "If I had my way, I would tear this old building down." The lyric was changed by the band's singer Bob Weir to say "I wouldn't tear this old building down." With the demolition of The Spectrum, all venues at which The Grateful Dead played through their career within the City of Philadelphia, except for the Irvine Auditorium, have succumbed to the wrecking ball. On October 27, 28, 30, and 31, American rock band Pearl Jam played over one hundred unique songs across
5452-400: The former Veterans Stadium site which now serves as a parking lot for the entire complex. In 2017, the Phillies' spring training complex in Clearwater, Florida was renamed Spectrum Field after Bright House Networks was purchased by Charter Communications . While named for Charter's residential service, the name invoked memories of the Spectrum arena. Another NBA arena ( Spectrum Center ,
5546-421: The four days. On the final night, the band played 34 songs over nearly four hours before ending with their hit " Yellow Ledbetter ". Opened in 1967 as the first of the five modern facilities to be built at the South Philadelphia Sports Complex between 1967 and 2004, by the time it closed in 2009 the Spectrum was the oldest of the four venues still standing of the two indoor arenas and four outdoor stadiums built at
5640-403: The glory of the coming of the Lord! On Thursday, April 4, 1968, King was staying in room 306 at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis. The motel was owned by a businessman, Walter Bailey, and was named after his wife. The Rev. Ralph Abernathy , a colleague and friend, later told the House Select Committee on Assassinations that he and King had stayed in Room 306 at the Lorraine Motel so often that it
5734-412: The height of the Cold War on January 11, 1976, when the Flyers became the first NHL team to defeat (by 4–1) the vaunted hockey team of the Soviet Central Red Army (ЦСКА). [1] Two games in the inaugural Canada Cup hockey tournament were also held at the Spectrum in September of that year, as the U.S. took on Czechoslovakia and the USSR . Ten NHL or NBA playoff championship series were hosted at
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#17328557989025828-435: The home of the Charlotte Hornets ) currently includes "Spectrum" in its name, although again it refers to the Charter residential service whose naming rights are attached to that building. Although the Spectrum formally closed on October 31, 2009, demolition of the structure did not begin for more than a year with internal work commencing on November 8, 2010. Two weeks later a public "wrecking ball ceremony" attended by some of
5922-433: The hungry", "clothe the naked", "be right on the [Vietnam] war question", and "love and serve humanity". The FBI investigation found fingerprints on various objects left in the bathroom from which the gunfire had come. Evidence included a Remington Gamemaster rifle from which at least one shot had been fired. The fingerprints were traced to an escaped convict named James Earl Ray . Two months after assassinating King, Ray
6016-431: The indoor arena. Opened on April 15, 1926, the stadium was also the Sesqui-Centennial Exposition's only intentionally permanent facility. The site of 42 Army–Navy Games between 1936 and 1979, JFK Stadium eventually fell into disuse in favor of the newer nearby Veterans Stadium, was condemned in 1989, and demolished in 1992 to make way for the Wells Fargo Center which opened four years later in August 1996. Known earlier as
6110-414: The injustice of such an act, against all white people, I would only say that I can also feel in my own heart the same kind of feeling. I had a member of my family killed, but he was killed by a white man ." These remarks surprised his aides, who had never heard him speak publicly of his brother's death. Kennedy said that the country had to make an effort to "go beyond these rather difficult times" and quoted
6204-442: The investigation remain classified and are slated to remain secret until 2027. In 2010, as in earlier years, some argued for passage of a proposed Records Collection Act , similar to a 1992 law concerning the Kennedy assassination , to require the immediate release of the records. The measure did not pass. A crowd of 300,000 attended King's funeral on April 9. Vice President Hubert Humphrey attended on behalf of Johnson, who
6298-461: The larger arenas hold more spectators than do the stadiums of smaller colleges or high schools. There are exceptions. The home of the Duke University men's and women's basketball teams would qualify as an arena, but the facility is called Cameron Indoor Stadium . Domed stadiums, which, like arenas, are enclosed but have the larger playing surfaces and seating capacities found in stadiums, are generally not referred to as arenas in North America. There
6392-473: The leader's death. In some cases, the shock of events altered opinions. A survey later sent to a group of college trustees revealed that their opinions of King had risen after his assassination. The New York Times praised King in an editorial, calling his murder a "national disaster" and his cause "just". Public figures generally praised King in the days following his death. Others expressed political ideology. Governor George Wallace of Alabama, known as
6486-425: The mid-1950s, Martin Luther King Jr. had received death threats because of his prominence in the civil rights movement. He had confronted the risk of death, including a nearly fatal stabbing in 1958, and made its recognition part of his philosophy. He taught that murder could not stop the struggle for equal rights. After the assassination of President Kennedy in 1963, King told his wife, Coretta Scott King , "This
6580-495: The mountaintop. And I don't mind. Like anybody, I would like to live a long life. Longevity has its place. But I'm not concerned about that now. I just want to do God's will. And He's allowed me to go up to the mountain. And I've looked over. And I've seen the promised land. I may not get there with you. But I want you to know tonight, that we, as a people, will get to the promised land! And so I'm happy, tonight. I'm not worried about anything. I'm not fearing any man. My eyes have seen
6674-406: The numerous occasions on which they were underpaid. During Loeb's tenure as mayor, conditions did not significantly improve, and the gruesome February 1968 deaths of two workers in a garbage-compacting truck turned mounting tensions into a strike. In March 1968, after speaking in Greensboro, Alabama , King was hunted by Ku Klux Klan members and used a local home, now the Safe House Museum , as
6768-542: The one that had touched her the most. For some, King's assassination meant the end of the strategy of nonviolence . Others in the movement reaffirmed the need to carry on King's and the movement's work. Leaders within the SCLC confirmed that they would carry on the Poor People's Campaign that year despite the loss of King. Some black leaders argued the need to continue King's and the movement's tradition of nonviolence. During
6862-544: The predominantly black crowd. However, Kennedy decided to proceed. Standing on a flatbed truck, he spoke for four minutes and 57 seconds. Kennedy was the first to tell the audience that King had died. Some of the attendees screamed and wailed in grief. Several of Kennedy's aides were worried that the delivery of this information would result in a riot. When the audience quieted, Kennedy acknowledged that many would be filled with anger. He said: "For those of you who are black and are tempted to be filled with hatred and mistrust of
6956-411: The prominent concert promoter for the facility. Philadelphia soul groups that performed at the Spectrum include LaBelle in '71 and Hall & Oates in '83. The O'Jays (they were signed to Philadelphia International ) performed there in '73, and Lou Rawls (also signed to Philly International) performed there in '69. Boyz II Men from Philly performed there in '95. Guns N' Roses performed at
7050-521: The rifle under an alias six days earlier. A worldwide manhunt was triggered that culminated in Ray's arrest at Heathrow Airport , London, two months later. On March 10, 1969, he pleaded guilty to the first degree murder of Martin Luther King Jr.; he later recanted. King's widow, Coretta, had difficulty informing her children that their father was dead. She received a large number of telegrams, including one from Lee Harvey Oswald 's mother that she regarded as
7144-495: The right. The team also celebrated some of the building's memorable moments throughout the season. The Flyers marked the last season by playing two pre-season games at the Spectrum. They played the Carolina Hurricanes in an NHL pre-season game on September 27, 2008, and the Phantoms on October 7 of that same year. Before the game against Carolina, the Flyers honored the team captains in the franchise's history. Those honored in
7238-431: The same time, doing so in 1980 (all four major Philadelphia teams would reach the championship round of their respective sport in 1980). The Spectrum was used for many basketball tournaments, including Big Five games, eight Atlantic 10 Conference tournaments (1977, 1983, 1997–2002), the 1975, 1980 and 1992 NCAA East Regional (site of the famous last-second shot by Christian Laettner of Duke to beat Kentucky ), and
7332-490: The shot ripped King's necktie off. King fell backward onto the balcony, unconscious. Abernathy heard the shot from inside the motel room and ran to the balcony to find King on the deck, bleeding profusely from the wound in his cheek. Jesse Jackson stated after the shooting that he cradled King's head as King lay on the balcony, but this account was disputed by other colleagues of King; Jackson later changed his statement to say that he had "reached out" for King. Andrew Young ,
7426-533: The south end of Broad Street in an area previously known as East League Island Park and now referred to simply as the South Philadelphia Sports Complex . Ground was broken on the arena on June 1, 1966, by Jerry Wolman and then-Philadelphia Mayor James Tate as the home of the NHL's expansion Philadelphia Flyers . The first event at the arena was the Quaker City Jazz Festival on September 30, 1967, produced by Larry Magid. The first sporting event at
7520-615: The top and a four-sided American Sign and Indicator scoreboard at the bottom. Inside the videoscreens were General Electric projectors located 15 feet (4.6 m) away from each screen. The Flyers won their first Stanley Cup at the Spectrum on May 19, 1974, defeating the Boston Bruins , 1–0, in Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals in front of a then-capacity crowd of 17,007. Perhaps the most important and emotional hockey game—or sporting event of any kind—ever held there, however, came at
7614-417: The whirlwind sowed years ago when some preachers and teachers began telling people that each man could be his own judge in his own case." The Federal Bureau of Investigation was assigned the lead to investigate King's death. J. Edgar Hoover , who had previously made efforts to undermine King's reputation, told President Johnson that his agency would attempt to find the culprit(s). Many documents related to
7708-578: The world record for the fastest conversion from Hockey to Basketball. The Spectrum, along with the Met Center and The Forum , was one of the first sports arenas to have a scoreboard with a messageboard. Furthermore, the messageboards on the Spectrum scoreboard were the first dot matrix screens in pro hockey or basketball, capable of photos, animation, and replays as well as messages. This was replaced in 1986 with ArenaVision, which consisted of six 9-by-12-foot (2.7 by 3.7 m) rear-projection videoscreens at
7802-474: Was arrested on June 8, 1968, at London's Heathrow Airport , extradited to the United States and charged with the crime. On March 10, 1969, he pleaded guilty and was sentenced to 99 years in the Tennessee State Penitentiary . He later made many attempts to withdraw his guilty plea and to be tried by a jury, but was unsuccessful. Ray died in prison in 1998. The King family and others believe that
7896-514: Was at a meeting on the Vietnam War at Camp David ; there were fears that Johnson might be hit with protests and abuse over the war if he attended the funeral. At his widow's request, King's last sermon at Ebenezer Baptist Church was played at the funeral; it was a recording of his "Drum Major" sermon given on February 4, 1968. In that sermon, he asked that, at his funeral, no mention of his awards and honors be made, but that it be said he tried to "feed
7990-469: Was captured at London 's Heathrow Airport while he was trying to depart the United Kingdom for Angola , Rhodesia (today Zimbabwe ) or South Africa on a false Canadian passport in the name of Ramon George Sneyd. Ray was quickly extradited to Tennessee and charged with King's murder. Ray confessed to the assassination on March 10, 1969. On the advice of his attorney Percy Foreman , Ray took
8084-477: Was credited with assisting in the prevention of post-assassination rioting in Indianapolis on a night when such events broke out in major cities across the country. It is widely considered one of the greatest speeches in American history. Kennedy canceled all of his scheduled campaign appearances and withdrew to his hotel room. Several phone conversations with black community leaders convinced him to speak out against
8178-549: Was fatally shot at the Lorraine Motel in Memphis, Tennessee , on April 4, 1968, at 6:01 p.m. CST . He was rushed to St. Joseph's Hospital , where he died at 7:05 p.m at age 39. He was a prominent leader of the civil rights movement and a Nobel Peace Prize laureate who was known for his use of nonviolence and civil disobedience . James Earl Ray , a fugitive from the Missouri State Penitentiary ,
8272-422: Was imploded on March 21, 2004, the almost half-year process of demolishing the then-44-year-old arena, done without the use of explosives, was completed in May 2011. This was done to protect its other sports facilities from dust. Water was used to prevent dust from spreading. A 300-room hotel is planned to eventually be built on the demolished Spectrum's site, which is now occupied by a parking lot, as an adjunct to
8366-454: Was known as the "King–Abernathy Suite". King's last words were to musician Ben Branch , who was scheduled to perform that night at a planned event. King said, "Ben, make sure you play ' Take My Hand, Precious Lord ' in the meeting tonight. Play it real pretty." According to the Rev. Samuel Kyles, who was standing several feet away, King was leaning over the balcony railing in front of Room 306 and
8460-460: Was nationally televised, as were other events. A funeral procession transported King's body for 3 + 1 ⁄ 2 miles (5.6 km) through the streets of Atlanta, followed by more than 100,000 mourners, from the church to his alma mater , Morehouse College . A second service was held there before the burial. In the wake of King's assassination, journalists reported some callous or hostile reactions from parts of white America, particularly in
8554-417: Was not about the money". During the trial, both sides presented evidence alleging a government conspiracy. The accused government agencies could not defend themselves or respond because they were not named as defendants. Based on the evidence, the jury concluded that Jowers and others were "part of a conspiracy to kill King" and awarded the family the symbolic $ 100 they requested in damages. The allegations and
8648-407: Was not deemed "art," it was moved around the corner of the museum on Kelly Drive. Other statues that stood in the arena area included: The statues have been incorporated into the design of Xfinity Live! . Indoor arena An arena is a large enclosed platform, often circular or oval-shaped, designed to showcase theatre , musical performances , and/or sporting events . It is composed of
8742-437: Was rumored to be among the acts to commemorate the closing of the arena. "It is our hope and intent to bring back many of the musical acts and entertainers who have made the Spectrum 'America's Showplace. ' " Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band played two shows at The Spectrum on April 28 and 29 as part of their Working on a Dream Tour , and returned on October 13–14 and 19–20 for their Spectrum swan song. Springsteen debuted
8836-403: Was speaking with the Rev. Jesse Jackson when the shot rang out. King was struck in the face at 6:01 p.m. by a single .30-06 bullet , fired from a Remington Model 760 rifle. The bullet entered through King's right cheek, breaking his jaw and several vertebrae as it traveled down his spinal cord, severing his jugular vein and major arteries, before lodging in his shoulder. The force of
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