Nuggets fans heading to the Pepsi Center for tonight’s game will be entering the stadium named the most fan-friendly in the nation by a USA Today sports writer this week.
Greg Boeck traveled as a fan for five months in a quest to find the best arena to watch a pro game. Between November and March, he visited 30 arenas from the Los Angeles Lakers’ home court at the Staples Center to the New York Knicks’ turf at Madison Square Garden. He scarfed down everything from New England clam chowder in Boston to Starbucks coffee in Seattle and Bojangles French fries in Charlotte. He didn’t mention any food highlights at the Pepsi Center, but he did like the in- your-seat food service.
After five months and more than 43,000 miles, he ranked the Pepsi Center better than 29 other sports arenas.
New Jersey’s Continental arena was last on the list.
Boeck said he liked everything at the Pepsi Center from the close, reasonably priced parking to the Nuggets mascot, Rocky, who entertains the crowd by sinking shots from midcourt with his back to the basket. He especially liked 10-year-old Austin Pawelka’s gravelly, growling voice on the public address system as he introduced the home team.
The $160 million Pepsi Center, built for the Nuggets and the Colorado Avalanche, opened in October 1999. It’s hosted both the NBA and NHL all-star games.
The ranking is just one sports writer’s opinion. Still, it’s good news for Pepsi Center owners, Kroenke Sports Enterprises, already riding high with the Nuggets’ dramatic turnaround under coach George Karl. The Nuggets cinched a playoff spot Monday night after a 122-106 victory over Golden State at the Pepsi Center and have been drawing healthy crowds to the arena, which saw plenty of empty seats for Nugs games in the team’s losing days.
Fans may have their own opinions about the Pepsi Center, but they know now that Denver’s in a national spotlight for more than its basketball team. Now if we could just get the Avalanche back on the ice.
