Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
The Grand Old Lady
Location	3911 South Figueroa Street Los Angeles, California 90037
Broke ground	Dec 21, 1921
Opened	May 1, 1923
Owner	State of California
Operator	Los Angeles Coliseum Commission
Surface	Grass
Construction cost	$954,873 USD
Architect	John and Donald Parkinson
Tenants	USC Trojans (NCAA) (1923-present) UCLA Bruins (NCAA) (1928-1981) Summer Olympics (1932, 1984) Los Angeles Dons (AAFC) (1946-1949) Los Angeles Rams (NFL) (1946-1979) Los Angeles Dodgers (MLB) (1958-1961, 2008) Los Angeles Chargers (AFL) (1960) Los Angeles Wolves (USA) (1967) Los Angeles Aztecs (NASL) (1974-1981) Los Angeles Raiders (NFL) (1982-1994) Los Angeles Express (USFL) (1983-1985) Los Angeles Xtreme (XFL) (2001) Los Angeles Christmas Festival (NCAA) (1924) Mercy Bowl (NCAA) (1961,1971) Los Angeles Dragons (SFL) (2000)
Capacity	76,000 (1923) 101,574 (1932) 92,000 (1995-present) 115,300 (2008 Dodgers 50th anniversary Game)

The Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum is a large outdoor sports stadium in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles, California at Exposition Park that has hosted two Olympics and is home to the University of Southern California Trojans football team. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. The United States dollar ( sign: $; code: USD) is the unit of Currency of the United States; it has also been John and Donald Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural team operating in Los Angeles in the early 20th century The phrase "USC Trojans" also refers to the University of Southern California student body in general The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The UCLA Bruins are the sports teams for University of California Los Angeles (UCLA The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 - 1949 that played in the The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California. Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 Los Angeles Wolves are a former United States professional soccer team owned by Jack Kent Cooke, that played for two seasons during the 1960s The United Soccer Association is a former professional soccer league featuring teams from the United States and Canada. The Los Angeles Aztecs was a soccer team that competed in the North American Soccer League from 1974-81 North American Soccer League (NASL was a professional soccer League with teams in the United States of America (U The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The Los Angeles Express was a team in the United States Football League based in Los Angeles California. For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010. The Los Angeles Xtreme was a short-lived professional American football team based in Los Angeles California. The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001 The Los Angeles Christmas Festival was a post-season College football Bowl game played at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles California The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The first Mercy Bowl was played between Fresno State University and Bowling Green State University at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles California The National Collegiate Athletic Association ( NCAA, often pronounced "N-C-Double-A" is a voluntary association of about 1200 institutions conferences organizations The Los Angeles Dragons were a professional football team based in Los Angeles, California that played in the Spring Football League in 2000 The Spring Football League (SFL was a professional American football that existed for only part of one mini-season in 2000 The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 A modern stadium (plural stadiums or stadia in English is a place or venue for (mostly outdoor Sports Concerts or other events consisting University Park is a historic neighborhood in Los Angeles California, a few miles south of Downtown Los Angeles. Los Angeles (lɑˈsændʒələs los ˈaŋxeles in Spanish) is the largest City in the state of California and the American West Exposition Park is located in University Park Los Angeles California, across the street from the University of Southern California. The USC Trojans football program established in 1888, is a member of the National Collegiate Athletic Association (NCAA Division It is located next to the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena adjacent to the campus of the University of Southern California (USC). The Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena is a multipurpose sports Arena in the University Park neighborhood of Los Angeles California at Exposition The University of Southern California (commonly referred to as USC, SC, Southern California, and incorrectly The stadium is owned by the State of California and is currently being leased (and managed) by the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum Commission. ^[1]

The Coliseum was declared a National Historic Landmark on July 27, 1984, the day before the opening ceremony of the 1984 Summer Olympic Games. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Events 1214 - Battle of Bouvines: In France, Philip II of France defeats John of England. Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, ^[2]

The historic stadium has the distinction of being the only stadium in the world to host the Olympic games, World Series and the Super Bowl.

Present use

The Coliseum during a USC game

The Coliseum is now primarily the home of the USC Trojan football team. During the recent stretch of its success in football, most of USC's regular home games, especially the alternating games with rivals UCLA and Notre Dame, attract a capacity 92,000 person crowd, although they regularly drew far less during the 1990s. The University of California Los Angeles (generally known as UCLA) is a public research university located in Westwood Los Angeles, California, United The University of Notre Dame du Lac (or simply Notre Dame) (ˌnoʊtɚˈdeɪm is a private Roman Catholic Research university located in The current official capacity of the Coliseum is 92,516. The Coliseum Commission also rents the Coliseum to various events, including international soccer games, musical concerts and other large outdoor events. Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered Concurrently, the commission is negotiating a new lease with the state after the 48-year lease expired in December 2005. ^[1]

Celebrating their 50th anniversary in Los Angeles, the Los Angeles Dodgers and Boston Red Sox played an exhibition game at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum. On March 29th, 2008 a Los Angeles and MLB record for attendance was broken. 115,300 people attended the game.

Olympic Cauldron

The Olympic Cauldron (also known as the Olympic Torch) was built for the stadium's two Olympic games. It is still lit during the fourth quarter of USC football games, and other special occasions (e. g. , when the Olympics are being held in another city). In 2004, the cauldron was lit non-stop for seven days in tribute to Ronald Reagan, who had died; and it was lit again in April 2005 following the death of Pope John Paul II, who had celebrated Mass at the Coliseum during his visit to Los Angeles in 1987. Pope The torch was also lit for over a week following the September 11, 2001 attacks.

History

Structure

The Coliseum was commissioned in 1921 as a memorial to veterans of World War I (rededicated to veterans of all wars in 1968. World War I (abbreviated WWI; also known as the First World War, the Great War, and the War to End All ) The official ground breaking ceremony took place on December 21, 1921 with work being completed less than two years later, on May 1, 1923^[3]. Events 69 - The end of the Year of the four emperors: Following Galba, Otho and Vitellius, Vespasian Year 1921 ( MCMXXI) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link will display full 1921 calendar of the Gregorian calendar Events 305 - Diocletian and Maximian retire from the office of Roman Emperor. Year 1923 ( MCMXXIII) was a Common year starting on Monday (link will display the full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Designed by John and Donald Parkinson, the original bowl's initial construction costs were $954,873. John and Donald Parkinson were a father-and-son architectural team operating in Los Angeles in the early 20th century When the Coliseum opened in 1923, it was the largest stadium in Los Angeles with a capacity of 76,000. However, with the arrival of the Olympics only ten years later, the stadium was expanded to 101,574 and the now-signature torch was added. For a time it was known as Olympic Stadium. The Olympic cauldron torch which burned through both Games remains above the peristyle at the east end of the stadium as a reminder of this, as do the Olympic rings symbols over one of the main entrances. The football field runs east-west with the press box on the south side of the stadium. The scoreboard and video screen that tower over the peristyle date back to 1983; they replaced a smaller scoreboard installed in 1972, which in turn supplanted the 1937 model, one of the first electric scoreboards in the nation. Over the years new light towers have been placed along the north and south rims. The analog clock and thermometer over the office windows at either end of the peristyle were installed in 1956. Between the peristyle arches at the east end are plaques recognizing many of the memorable events and participants in Coliseum history, including a full list of 1932 and 1984 Olympic gold medalists.

A pair of life-sized bronze nude statues of male and female athletes atop a 20,000 pound (9,000 kg) post-and-lintel frame formed the Olympic Gateway created by Robert Graham for the 1984 games. Bronze is any of a broad range of Copper alloys, usually with Tin as the main additive but sometimes with other elements such as Phosphorus A statue is a Sculpture in the round representing a person or persons an animal or an event normally full-length as opposed to a bust, and at least close to life-size Robert Graham (born August 19, 1938, in Mexico City) is a Sculptor based in the state of California in the The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles, The statues, modeled on water polo player Terry Schroeder and long jumper from Guyana, Jennifer Innis, who participated in the games, were noted for their anatomical accuracy. Water polo is a team water sport A team consists of six field players and one Goalkeeper.

The Coliseum under construction in 1922

For many years the Coliseum was capable of seating over 100,000 spectators, and the capacity for the 1984 Olympics configuration was approximately 90,500. During the 1960s and 70s, it was common practice to shift the playing field to the closed end of the stadium and install end zone bleachers in front of the peristyle, reducing the capacity to 71,500. With the upcoming 1984 Summer Olympic Games, a new track was installed and the playing field permanently placed inside it. The large seating capacity made the venue problematic for the Raiders, as it meant that the vast majority of their home games could not be shown locally due to NFL "blackout" rules (league rules do not allow home games to be televised locally unless the game sells out at least 72 hours prior to its scheduled kickoff). In Broadcasting, a blackout is when certain programming usually Sports, cannot be televised in a certain Media market. Furthermore, the combination of the stadium's large, relatively shallow design, along with the presence of the track between the playing field and the stands, meant that some of the original end zone seats were essentially away from the field by the equivalent length of another football field. To address these and other problems, the Coliseum underwent a $15 million renovation before the 1993 football season which included the following^[4]:

• The field was lowered by 11 feet (3. 4 m) and fourteen new rows of seats replaced the running track, bringing the first row of seats closer to the playing field (a maximum distance of 54 feet (16 m) at the eastern 30 yard-line).
• A portable seating section was built between the eastern endline and the peristyle bleachers (the stands are removed for concerts and similar events).
• A modernization of the locker rooms and public restrooms.
• The bleachers were replaced with individual seating^[5].

Additionally, for Raiders home games, tarpaulins were placed over seldom-sold sections, reducing seating capacity to approximately 65,000. The changes were anticipated to be the first of a multi-stage renovation designed by HNTB that would have turned the Coliseum into a split-bowl stadium with two levels of mezzanine suites (the peristyle end would have been left as is). HNTB Corporation (Formerly Howard Needles Tammen & Bergendoff is an architecture and engineering consulting firm headquartered in Kansas City Missouri that has designed many After the 1994 Northridge Earthquake, however, $93 million were required from government agencies (including FEMA) to repair earthquake damage, and the renovations demanded by the Raiders were put on hold indefinitely. The purpose of FEMA is to coordinate the response to a Disaster which has occurred in the United States and which overwhelms the resources of local and state authorities The Raiders then redirected their efforts toward a proposed stadium at Hollywood Park in Inglewood before electing to move back to the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum prior to the 1995 season. Inglewood is a city in southwestern Los Angeles County California, southwest of downtown Los Angeles. The last element of the Northridge Earthquake repairs was the replacement of the condemned press box with a new press box in 1995.

Events

Many events have been held at the Coliseum over the years; below are some of the more notable.

1920s

On October 6, 1923, Pomona College and USC played in the inaugural game at the Los Angeles Coliseum, with the Trojans prevailing 23-7. Pomona College is a private residential liberal arts college located in Claremont California. Located across the street from Exposition Park, USC's agreement to play all its home games at the Coliseum was a contributing factor to its original construction. From 1928 until their departure in 1982, the UCLA Bruins also played home games at the Coliseum. When USC and UCLA played each other, the "home" team fans sat on the North side of the stadium, and the "visiting" team fans sat on the South (press box) side of the stadium. For many years, both teams both wore their home football jerseys for the UCLA-USC rivalry football games. The UCLA-USC rivalry is the College rivalry between two universities located in Los Angeles California: the University of California Los Angeles

1930s-1940s

The front of the Olympic Stadium, including the two bronze statues.

In 1932, the Coliseum hosted the 1932 Summer Olympic Games; the first of two Olympiads hosted at the stadium. The 1932 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the X Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was celebrated in 1932 The Summer Olympic Games or the Games of the Olympiad are an International Multi-sport event, usually quadrennial organised by the International The Coliseum served as the site of primary track and field events as well as opening and closing ceremonies. The 1932 games marked the introduction of the Olympic Village as well as the victory podium. Frequently an Olympic Village is built within an Olympic Park or elsewhere in a host city ^[2]

The former Cleveland Rams of the National Football League relocated to the Coliseum in 1946, becoming the Los Angeles Rams; but the team later relocated again, first to Anaheim in 1980, then to St. Louis, Missouri in 1995. The St Louis Rams are a professional American football team based in St The National Football League ( NFL) is the largest professional American football league. The 1946 NFL season was the 27th Regular season of the National Football League. The 1980 NFL season was the 61st Regular season of the National Football League. The 1995 NFL season was the 76th Regular season of the National Football League. The Los Angeles Dons of the All-America Football Conference played in the Coliseum from 1946 to 1949, when the Dons franchise merged with its NFL cousins just before the two leagues merged. The Los Angeles Dons were an American football team in the now defunct All-America Football Conference from 1946 - 1949 that played in the The All-America Football Conference (AAFC was a professional American football league that challenged the established National Football League (NFL from 1946 ^[6] In 1960 the American Football League's Los Angeles Chargers played at the Coliseum before relocating to San Diego the next year. The following is a list of American Football League (AFL seasons since the inception of the league in 1960 to 1969 the year before it merged with the National Football Note There were three earlier and unrelated major American professional football leagues of the same name One in 1926, one in 1936-1937 and one in 1940-1941 The San Diego Chargers are a professional American football team based in San Diego California.

1950s-1960s

A Dodgers game at the Coliseum; note the shape of the field.

Among other sporting events held at the Coliseum over the years was Major League Baseball, which was held at the Coliseum when the former Brooklyn Dodgers of the National League relocated to Los Angeles in 1958. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball Champions Major League Baseball World Series: New York Yankees over Milwaukee Braves (4-3 Bob Turley, MVP The Dodgers played here until Dodger Stadium was completed in time for the 1962 season, despite the fact that the Coliseum's one-tier, oval bowl shape was extremely poorly suited to baseball. Dodger Stadium is a large outdoor ballpark in Los Angeles California at Chávez Ravine. The 1962 season is perhaps most notable for the dismal 40-120 record of the New York Mets, which has been a continuing source of humor among baseball fans as well as comedians such as Baseball is a Bat-and-ball Sport played between two teams of nine players each There was virtually no foul territory along the first base line, but a large amount along the third base line. Some seats were as far as 710 feet (220 m) from the plate.

The left field fence was only 251 feet (77 m) from the plate because the field was just barely large enough to fit a baseball diamond. Baseball Commissioner Ford Frick ordered the Dodgers to erect a screen in left field to prevent pop flies from becoming home runs. The Commissioner of Baseball is the chief executive of Major League Baseball. Ford Christopher Frick ( December 19, 1894 – April 8, 1978) was an American Sportswriter and executive who served At its highest point at the foul pole, the fence was 42 feet (13 m) high. [1] The cables, towers, girders and wires were in play. Frick originally wanted the Dodgers to build a second screen in the stands, 333 feet (101 m) from the plate. A ball hit to left would have to clear both screens to be a home run; if it cleared the first screen, it would be a ground-rule double. However, the state's earthquake laws barred construction of a second screen. ^[7]

Unable to compel the Dodgers to fix the situation, the major leagues passed a note to Rule 1. 04 stating that any ball field constructed after June 1, 1958, must provide a minimum distance of 325 feet (99 m) down each foul line. Events 193 - Roman Emperor Didius Julianus is Assassinated 987 - Hugh Capet is elected Year 1958 ( MCMLVIII) was a Common year starting on Wednesday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Also, when the expansion Los Angeles Angels joined the American League for 1961, Frick rejected their original request to use the Coliseum. The Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim are a professional baseball team based in Anaheim, California. The American League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the American League ( AL) is one of two leagues that make up Major League Baseball in Headline Event of the Year Roger Maris hits 61 home runs breaking Babe Ruth 's record

In 1959, the screen figured in the National League pennant race. Champions Major League Baseball World Series: Los Angeles Dodgers over Chicago White Sox (4-2 Larry Sherry, MVP The National League of Professional Baseball Clubs, or simply the National League ( NL) is the older of two leagues constituting Major League Baseball A pennant is a commemorative flag typically used to show support for a particular athletic Team. The Milwaukee Braves were playing the Dodgers in the Coliseum on September 15, 1959, and Joe Adcock hit a ball that cleared the screen but hit a steel girder behind it and got stuck in the mesh. Events 668 - Eastern Roman Emperor Constans II is assassinated in his bath at Syracuse Italy. The year 1959 ( MCMLIX) was a Common year starting on Thursday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Joseph Wilbur "Billy Joe" Adcock ( October 30 1927 - May 3 1999) was an American First baseman and right-handed According to the ground rules, this should have been a home run. However, the umpires ruled it a ground-rule double. Then the fans shook the screen, causing the ball to fall into the seats. The umpires changed the call to a homer, only to change their minds again and rule it a ground-rule double. ^[7] Adcock was left stranded on second. The game was tied at the end of nine innings and the Dodgers won it in the tenth inning. [2] At the end of the regular season, the Dodgers and Braves finished in a tie. The Dodgers won the ensuing playoff and went on to win the World Series. The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, If Adcock's hit had been ruled a home run, the Braves may have won the game and could have gone on to win the pennant by one game.

Although ill-suited as a Major League Baseball field, with its left field line at 251 feet (mentioned above) and power alley at 320 feet (98 m), it was ideally suited for large paying crowds. Each of the three games of the 1959 World Series played there drew over 92,706 fans, a record unlikely to be seriously threatened anytime soon, given the smaller seating capacities of today's baseball parks. Highest season home totals by team Top-ten highest home attendance totals Progression of the home field attendance record Largest A May 1959 exhibition game between the Dodgers and the New York Yankees in honor of legendary catcher Roy Campanella drew 93,103, the largest crowd ever to see a baseball game in the Western Hemisphere until an exhibition game in 2008 between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the Boston Red Sox to mark the Golden Jubilee of Major League Baseball in Los Angeles. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Roy Campanella ( November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993) nicknamed " Campy " was an American Baseball Calendar Major League Baseball See also 2008 Major League Baseball season Postseason October 1 – ALDS and The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. A Golden Jubilee is a celebration held to mark a 50th anniversary of a monarch's reign The Coliseum also hosted the second 1959 MLB All-Star Game. The Major League Baseball All-Star Game, also popularly known as the "Midsummer Classic" is an annual Baseball game between players from the National League Also, from baseball's point of view, the locker rooms were huge, because they were designed for football (not baseball) teams. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with

The Coliseum was also the site of John F. Kennedy's memorable acceptance speech at the 1960 Democratic National Convention. It was during that speech that Kennedy first used the term "the New Frontier. The term New Frontier was used by John F Kennedy in his acceptance speech in the 1960 United States presidential election to the Democratic National Convention at "

The Rams hosted the 1949, 1951 and the 1955 NFL championship games at the Coliseum. The 1949 National Football League championship game was the 17th annual title game for the NFL In the 1951 National Football League Championship Game, the Los Angeles Rams defeated the Cleveland Browns, 24&ndash17 at Los Angeles The 1955 National Football League Championship Game was held at the Los Angeles Coliseum between the Eastern Conference champion Cleveland Browns The Coliseum was the site of the very first NFL-AFL Championship Game in January 1967, an event since renamed the Super Bowl. The first AFL-NFL World Championship Game in professional American football, later to be known as Super Bowl I, was played on January 15, 1967 Year 1967 ( MCMLXVII) was a Common year starting on Sunday (link will display full calendar of the 1967 Gregorian calendar. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL It also hosted the Super Bowl in 1973. Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles California The venue was also the site of the NFL Pro Bowl from 1951-1972 and again in 1979. In professional American football, the Pro Bowl is the All-star game of the National Football League (NFL The 1951 NFL season was the 32nd Regular season of the National Football League. The 1972 NFL season was the 53rd Regular season of the National Football League. The 1979 NFL season was the 60th Regular season of the National Football League.

1970s-1980s

In July 1972, the Coliseum hosted the Super Bowl of Motocross. Year 1972 ( MCMLXXII) was a Leap year starting on Saturday (link will display full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Motocross is a form of Motorcycle sport or All-terrain vehicle racing held on enclosed Off road circuits The event was the first motocross race held inside a stadium. It has evolved into the AMA Supercross championship held in stadiums across the United States and Canada. The American Motorcyclist Association is an American not-for-profit organization of more than 280000 motorcyclists that organizes numerous motorcycling activities and campaigns Supercross is a cycle racing sport involving Racing specialized high performance off-road Motorcycles on an artificially made dirt tracks consisting of steep jumps

The Coliseum was also home to the USFL's Los Angeles Express between 1983 and 1985. For the proposed "New USFL" see United States Football League (2010. The Los Angeles Express was a team in the United States Football League based in Los Angeles California. In this capacity, the stadium also is the site of the longest professional American football game in history; a triple-overtime game on June 30, 1984 (a few weeks before the start of the 1984 Summer Olympics) between the Express and the Michigan Panthers, which was decided on a 24-yard game winning touchdown by Mel Gray of the Express, 3:33 into the third overtime to give Los Angeles a 27-21 win. American football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, is a competitive Team sport known for mixing strategy with Events 350 - Roman usurper Nepotianus, of the Constantinian dynasty, is defeated and killed by troops of the Usurper Year 1984 ( MCMLXXXIV) was a Leap year starting on Sunday (link displays the 1984 Gregorian calendar) The Michigan Panthers were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s [3]

In 1982 the former Oakland Raiders moved in. The 1982 NFL season was the 63rd Regular season of the National Football League. The Oakland Raiders are a professional American football team based in the city of Oakland California. The same year, UCLA decided to move out, relocating its home games to the Rose Bowl in Pasadena. The Rose Bowl is an outdoor football Stadium in Pasadena California, near Los Angeles. Pasadena ( is a city in Los Angeles County, California, United States.

Also in 1982, the Individual World Speedway Final was held for the first and, to this day, only time in the USA. Speedway World Championship Competitions The World Championship of Speedway is an international competition between the highest ranked speedway riders of the world The event saw American Bruce Penhall retain his title in a meeting that involved one of the most controversial incidents in the history of World Speedway, when Penhall and Englishman Kenny Carter collided. Bruce Penhall (born May 10, 1957 in Balboa, California, US) is an American Speedway racer who also starred Kenneth 'Kenny' Malcolm Carter (born 28 March 1961 - died May 1986 in Halifax, Yorkshire) was a world class speedway rider

Los Angeles hosted the 1984 Summer Olympics, and the Coliseum became the first stadium to host the Olympics twice; again serving as the primary track and field venue and site of the opening and closing ceremonies. The 1984 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XXIII Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event held in Los Angeles,

Black Sabbath played a historical sellout show at the Coliseum on July 26, 1980. Black Sabbath are an Van Halen also soldout the Coliseum during their 1988 OU812 tour better known as the 1988 Monsters of Rock Tour. Van Halen is a Hard rock band formed in in 1972 They enjoyed success from the release of their self titled debut album in 1978 Other notable concerts include Bruce Springsteen (four sold out nights on Born In The USA Tour), The Rolling Stones, The Who, Pink Floyd and The Grateful Dead.

1990s-2000s

In 1995, the Raiders left Los Angeles and returned to Oakland, leaving the Coliseum without a professional football tenant for the first time since the close of World War II. The 1995 NFL season was the 76th Regular season of the National Football League. World War II, or the Second World War, (often abbreviated WWII) was a global military conflict which involved a majority of the world's nations, including

The most recent pro football tenant has been the short-lived Los Angeles Xtreme, the first and only champion of the XFL. The Los Angeles Xtreme was a short-lived professional American football team based in Los Angeles California. The XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001

The stadium hosted several matches, including the semi-finals and final, of the 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup soccer tournament. The 1991 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the first edition of the Gold Cup, the Soccer championship of North and Central America ( CONCACAF) Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a Team sport played between two teams of eleven players and is widely considered The United States national team beat Honduras in the final. The United States men's national soccer team is the national Soccer team of the United States for men and is controlled by the United States Soccer Records versus other nations As of 10 September, 2008 Percentages Win = 159/374 (42 The Coliseum also staged the final match of the Gold Cup in the 1996, 1998, and 2000 tournaments. The 1996 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the third edition of the Gold Cup, the Soccer championship of North and Central America ( CONCACAF) The 1998 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fourth edition of the Gold Cup, the Soccer championship of North and Central America ( CONCACAF) The 2000 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the fifth edition of the Gold Cup, the football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean

The stadium hosted the K-1 Dynamite!! USA mixed martial arts event. SoftBank presents Dynamite!! USA was a Mixed martial arts (MMA event co-promoted by FEG, the promoters of K-1 kickboxing and HERO'S Mixed martial arts (MMA is a full contact Combat sport that allows a wide variety of fighting techniques from a mixture of Martial arts traditions and The promoters claimed that 54,000 people attended the event, which would have set a new attendance record for a mixed martial arts event in the United States, however other officials estimated the crowd between 20,000 and 30,000. ^[8]

In May of 1959, the Dodgers had hosted an exhibition game against the reigning World Series champion New York Yankees at the Coliseum, a game which drew over 93,000 people. The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. The Yankees won that game 6-2. As part of their west coast 50th anniversary celebration in 2008, the Dodgers again hosted an exhibition game against the reigning World Champions, the Boston Red Sox. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. ^[9] The middle game of a three-game set in Los Angeles, held on March 29, 2008, was also won by the visitors, by the relatively low score of 7-4, given the layout of the field - Red Sox catcher Jason Varitek had joked that he expected scores in the 80s. Events 1461 - Wars of the Roses: Battle of Towton - Edward of York defeats Queen Margaret to become King The 2008 Major League Baseball season began on March 25 2008 in Tokyo Japan with the 2007 World Series champion Boston Red Sox defeating Jason Andrew Varitek (ˈvɛɹɨˌtɛk born April 11 1972 in) is an American Baseball player

As previously mentioned in the 1950s-1960s section, during 1958-1961, the distance from home plate to the left field foul pole was 251 feet (77 m) with a 42-foot (13 m) screen running across the close part of left field. Due to the intervening addition of another section of seating rimming the field, the 2008 grounds crew had much less space to work with, and the result was a left field foul line only 201 feet (61 m) long, with a 60-foot (18 m) screen which one Boston writer dubbed the "Screen Monster". [4] Even at that distance, 201 feet is also 49 feet (15 m) short of the minimum legal home run distance. This being an exhibition game, balls hit over the 60 feet (18 m) temporary screen were still counted as home runs. There were only a couple of homers over the screen, as pitchers adjusted (and Manny Ramirez did not play). Manuel "Manny" Aristides Ramírez Onelcida (born May 30 1972 in Santo Domingo, Dominican Republic) is a Dominican-American professional [5] Net proceeds from the game, estimated to be at $1 million (US) were to go to the ThinkCure charity. [6]

This diagram ([7]) illustrates the differences in the dimensions between 1959 and 2008:

2008 - LF 201 feet (61 m) - LCF 280 feet (85 m) - CF 380 feet (120 m) - RCF 352 feet (107 m) - RF 300 feet (91 m)

1959 - LF 251 feet (77 m) - LCF 320 feet (98 m) - CF 417 feet (127 m) - RCF 375 feet (114 m) - RF 300 feet (91 m)

A sellout crowd of 115,300 was announced, [8] which set a Guiness World Record for attendance at a baseball game, breaking the record set at a 1956 Summer Olympics baseball demonstation game between teams from the USA and Australia at the Melbourne Cricket Ground. Guinness World Records, known until 2000 as The Guinness Book of Records (and in previous U The 1956 Summer Olympics, officially known as the Games of the XVI Olympiad, were an International Multi-sport event which was held in Melbourne

Beginning in June 2007, Insomniac Events has begun hosting their annual Electronic Dance Music Festival known as Electric Daisy Carnival on the Coliseum grounds, also using nearby Exposition Park. 2007's show brought in 30,000+ attendees and 2008's event is projected to bring in over 50,000 attendees. ^[10][11]

The Coliseum and the NFL today

See also: NFL in Los Angeles

Model of a proposed renovation to the Coliseum. The National Football League had different professional American football teams in Los Angeles California between 1946 through 1994

There is great debate about the Coliseum's potential as a modern NFL stadium. Although the Coliseum is an important historical sports venue, it is regarded by some as no longer adequate to be the home of a major professional sports organization. Since it was designed and built long before the age of club seats, luxury boxes, and many of the other money-generating amenities that modern football stadiums possess, any professional team moving to the Coliseum will likely have to do extensive renovations. Also, its status as a National Historic Landmark means any renovations would have to be complementary to the most identifiable parts of the building, something that was not followed during Soldier Field's renovations in 2002 and ended up being stripped of its landmark status as a result. A National Historic Landmark (NHL is a Building, site, Structure, Object, or District, that is officially recognized by the Soldier Field (formerly Municipal Grant Park Stadium) is located on Lake Shore Drive in Chicago Illinois, and is currently home to the NFL Los Angeles County voters are generally uninterested in appropriating tax revenues toward a new stadium, which would put the costs of renovation on any future tenant. Another factor is its location at the edge of South Los Angeles, which is perceived by many potential fans as a somewhat unsafe part of the city. South Los Angeles, often abbreviated as South LA, is the official name for a large geographic and cultural portion lying to the southwest and southeast of downtown Because of the difficulties that the NFL has had with trying to finance a renovated Coliseum, Rose Bowl or brand new stadium, it has been absent from the second-largest media market in the United States, remarkably, for over a decade. A media market, broadcast market, media region, designated market area, DMA or simply market is a region where the Population (The NFL was to award a franchise to Los Angeles in 2002, but debate over a stadium, coupled with Houston's aggressiveness, led the NFL to award the franchise to Houston instead. The Houston Texans is a professional American football team based in Houston, Texas. )

On November 10, 2005 then-NFL commissioner Paul Tagliabue announced that the NFL and city officials have reached a preliminary agreement on bringing an NFL team back to the Coliseum. Events 1444 - Battle of Varna: The crusading forces of King Vladislaus III of Varna (aka Ulaszlo I of Hungary and Wladyslaw Year 2005 ( MMV) was a Common year starting on Saturday (link displays full calendar of the Gregorian calendar. Paul John Tagliabue (born November 24 1940 in Jersey City New Jersey) was the Commissioner of the National Football League However, no details have been decided.

An article in the Wednesday, May 24, 2006 issue of the Los Angeles Times made light of a proposition to spend tens of millions of dollars of city funds to heavily renovate the stadium, and indicated that the city may make more than $100 million dollars in added funds available in the future toward further renovation. Events 1218 - The Fifth Crusade leaves Acre for Egypt. 1276 - Magnus Ladulås is crowned Year 2006 ( MMVI) was a Common year starting on Sunday of the Gregorian calendar. The Los Angeles Times (also known as the LA Times) is a daily Newspaper published in Los Angeles California and distributed City leaders who support the spending despite significant disapproval from the local population cite that the renovations are necessary to help attract a new NFL team to the city, and that the tax revenue generated by the presence of a new franchise team would eventually pay back the investment many times over. Supporters further claim that the addition of a new NFL team will increase employment in the area adjacent to the stadium, a major concern because the area's population is largely of low and middle income, that these people will themselves help repay the expenditure by paying income taxes, that the presence of a new team will stimulate the local economy by making the area more attractive to new businesses (which themselves could theoretically employ hundreds of tax payers) and that the overall impact on the area will help to raise the area's real estate values.

While a proposal to bring pro football back to the southland is still in the works, there has been little action taken in recent times and doubts of bringing an NFL team to the coliseum or any other venue in the region have risen. The Los Angeles Coliseum Commission is currently in talks with USC to see if a long-term master lease can be arranged with the university managing the facility; however the university has stated it does not want an opening for the NFL to come in later in such an agreement. ^[1] In recent years, USC has had a series of mostly one- and two-year leases with the commission. ^[1] In November 2007, Los Angeles Mayor Antonio Villaraigosa declared that the policy of requiring the NFL to relocate to the Coliseum will change and other options will be explored. Antonio Ramon Villaraigosa (born Antonio Ramon Villar Jr on January 23 1953 or Tony Villar, is the mayor of Los Angeles California. ^[12]

Attendance records

Football (college)

Records differ between the 2006 USC football media guide and 2006 UCLA football media guide. A media guide is a sports-related Press kit, distributed as a book or binder and published by American sporting teams before the start of the sporting season (This may be due to only keeping records for "home" games until the 1950s. ) The USC Media guide lists the top five record crowds as:

• 1. 104,953 — 1947 vs. Notre Dame (Highest attendance for a football game in the Coliseum)
• 2. 103,303 — 1939 vs. UCLA
• 3. 103,000 — 1945 vs. UCLA
• 4. 102,548 — 1954 vs. UCLA
• 5. 102,050 — 1947 vs. UCLA

The UCLA Media guide does not list the 1939 game against USC, and only lists attendance for the second game in 1945 for Coliseum attendance records. These are the top three listed UCLA record Coliseum crowds:

• 1. 102,548 — vs. USC 1954
• 2. 102,050 — vs. USC 1947
• 3. 100,333 — vs. USC (2nd game) 1945

Football (NFL)

The Los Angeles Rams played the San Francisco 49ers before an NFL record 102,368 on November 10, 1957. This stood as an overall NFL regular season record until broken by a 2005 regular season game played at Azteca Stadium in Mexico City. Estadio Azteca is a Stadium in Mexico City Mexico. It is the official home stadium of the Mexico national football team and the Mexican team ^[13][14] This record still stands as the largest regular-season crowd to watch an NFL game in the United States. The Coliseum hosted the first AFL-NFL World Championship Game, later called the Super Bowl. professional American football, the Super Bowl is the Championship game of the National Football League (NFL The first game had an attendance of 61,946. For Super Bowl VII in 1973, the attendance was 90,182, a record that would stand until Super Bowl XI at the Rose Bowl Stadium. Super Bowl VII was an American football game played on January 14, 1973 at the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum in Los Angeles California Super Bowl XI was an American football game played on January 9, 1977 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena California to decide the The Rose Bowl is an outdoor football Stadium in Pasadena California, near Los Angeles.

Baseball (MLB)

Contemporary baseball guides listed the theoretical baseball seating capacity as 92,500. Thousands of east-end seats were very far from home plate, and were not sold unless needed. The largest regular season attendance was 78,672, the Dodgers' home debut in the Coliseum, against the San Francisco Giants on April 18, 1958. The San Francisco Giants are a Major League Baseball team based in, that currently play in the National League West Division.

The May 7, 1959, exhibition game between the Los Angeles Dodgers and the 1958 World Series Champion New York Yankees, in honor of crippled former Dodgers catcher Roy Campanella, drew 93,103, which was a Major League Baseball record prior to 2008. The 1958 World Series was a rematch of the 1957 Series, with the New York Yankees beating the defending champion Milwaukee Braves in seven games for The New York Yankees are a professional baseball team based in the borough of The Bronx, in New York City, New York. Roy Campanella ( November 19, 1921 – June 26, 1993) nicknamed " Campy " was an American Baseball

All three Dodgers home games in the 1959 World Series with the Chicago White Sox exceeded 90,000 attendance. The 1959 World Series featured the National League champion Los Angeles Dodgers beating the American League champion Chicago White Sox, The Chicago White Sox are a professional Baseball team based in Chicago, Illinois. Game 5 drew 92,706 fans, a major league record for a non-exhibition game.

The attendance for the exhibition game on March 29, 2008, between the Boston Red Sox and the Los Angeles Dodgers, was reported to be 115,300. The Boston Red Sox are a Professional baseball team based in Boston Massachusetts, and are the reigning (2007 World Series Champions. The Los Angeles Dodgers are a Major League Baseball team based in Los Angeles California, USA ^[15]

Popular culture

Due to its location near Hollywood, the Coliseum has been used in hundreds of commercials and movies over the years. Recently, a computer-generated version of the Coliseum was used for Budweiser beer TV commercials during the 2006 FIFA World Cup and then the 2006 NFL playoffs, the only change being that football players were on the field in the NFL playoffs version, whereas soccer players were on the field in the World Cup version. Budweiser is an American-style lager and is one of the most popular beers in the United States. The stadium was shown filled to capacity, with each spectator participating in a classic card stunt. Card stunts are a pre-planned coordinated sequence of actions performed by an audience whose members raise cards that in the aggregate create a recognizable image The imagery turned out to be a gigantic beer bottle on one sideline, pouring into a gigantic beer mug on the other sideline, whose contents were then shown being drained by an invisible consumer. It was also used in the filming of the last episode of the second season of the television show 24. Season Two of 24 (aka Day 2) was first broadcast from October 28 2002 to May 20 2003 24 is an Emmy and Golden Globe award-winning American action Drama Television series. ^[16]. A 2007-08 season episode of Shark was filmed at the Coliseum. Shark is an American Legal drama that originally ran on CBS from September 21 2006 to May 20 2008 The Third episode of Alias used the Coliseum as a Berlin location. Alias is an American " Spy-fi " television series created by J

The final scene of the film Money Talks was shot in the Coliseum. Money Talks is a 1997 Comedy film directed by Brett Ratner and starring Chris Tucker and Charlie Sheen.

Coliseum Court of Honor Plaques

"Commemorating outstanding persons or events, athletic or otherwise, that have had a definite impact upon the history, glory, and growth of the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum":

• Walter O. Malley, 2008
• Vin Scully, 2008
• John R. Wooden, 2008
• Jackie Robinson, 2005
• Jim Murray, 1999
• John McKay, 2001
• Pete Rozelle, 1998
• Pope John Paul II, 1987
• James Cleveland Jesse Owens, 1984
• Kenneth Washington, 1972
• Billy Graham Crusade, 1965
• Knute Rockne, 1955
• President John F. Kennedy, 1964

See also

• Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena
• Los Angeles 2016 Olympic bid
• NFL in Los Angeles

References

External links

• L.A. Coliseum.com - official site
• Los Angeles Sports Council
• USC Trojans.com - L. A. Memorial Coliseum
• Terraserver.microsoft.com - satellite photo - includes USC campus