In 1960, plans were announced for a fourth Madison Square Garden Center. The new site above Pennsylvania Station was selected.
Garden IV opened on February 11, 1968, with a superstar-studded "Salute to the USO" concert with "Chicken Delight," otherwise known as Bob Hope "battling" former heavyweight champion Rocky Marciano. Others making guest appearances included New York City Mayor John V. Lindsay, Bing Crosby, Phyllis Diller, Pearl Bailey, Jack Dempsey, Gene Tunney and General of the Army Omar N. Bradley.
As Garden IV had its opening night event, Garden III remained open during that final February weekend. Jim Ryun ran the mile in 3:57.5; the Knicks defeated the Philadelphia 76ers; and according to David Rohlfing "The final score (at MSG III) was Detroit 3, Rangers 3 in an afternoon game which was preceded by a skatearound by dozens of hockey old timers. I was there. The USO show at the new Garden was held on that same evening, February 11, 1968." It was the only time in history that two Gardens were hosting fans in separate parts of the city.
Three days later the new Garden hosted its first sports event, with the home team Knicks beating San Diego, 114-102, in a National Basketball Association game.
Two years later 19,500 fans watched the Knicks defeat the Los Angeles Lakers, 113-99, in the seventh game of the championship series to win their first-ever NBA title.
The new sports and entertainment showplace was recognized as a magnificent complex representing a major achievement in modern construction with a circular cable-suspended roof above the arena facility and an adjacent 29 -story office building.
Madison Square Garden became a subsidiary of Gulf+Western Inc., now renamed Paramount Communications Inc., in 1977. It is part of Paramount's entertainment operations, which also include Paramount Pictures and theater operations in the U.S., Canada and overseas. Paramount Communications also has operations in publishing (Simon & Schuster Prentice Hall, Pocket Books and Silver Burdett & Ginn).
But, the Garden, which celebrated its centennial anniversary on May 31, 1979, is more than a building. It is the busiest arena in the country, and its worldwide reputation for excitement is built on the wide variety of headline attractions it hosts. Among the many highlights of the present Garden have been the 1976 and 1980 Democratic National Conventions, at which Jimmy Carter was nominated; the special Youth in Concert visit by Pope Paul II in 1979; the dramatic 1979 National Hockey League Stanley Cup playoff semifinal series won by the Rangers over their New York rivals, the Islanders; "The Fight" in 1971 in which Joe Frazier out-pointed Muhammad Ali; and soldout concerts by such diverse performers and artists as the Rolling Stones, Elton John, Elvis Presley, Frank Sinatra, Luciano Pavarotti, Celia Cruz, Billy Joel, Michael Jackson and Bruce Springsteen.
Today, following a multi-million dollar two-year renovation project, Madison Square Garden continues as "the world's most famous arena." The 20,000-seat arena has been completely refurbished with new seating, specialty food concession areas, waiter/waitress service direct to the seats of "Club" ticket holders, a new state-of-the-art center scoreboard complete with four jumbo video screens and 88 new luxury suites.
The renovation, which was completed in September of 1991, included the introduction of The Theater (formerly named The Paramount), a 5,600-seat multi-use theater and two new restaurants, the Play By Play Sports Bar and the Club Restaurant, all located directly within the facilities of Madison Square Garden itself.
The Theater, named for New York's famed mecca of entertainment from 1926 to 1964, combines the latest staging, sound and lighting techniques with the same lure of star performers that the former Paramount on Forty-third Street and Broadway had. Built on the site of the former Felt Forum, The Theater, in it's inaugural year, has played host to a wide variety of shows, from Harry Connick, Jr.'s fifteen sold-out engagements and the incomparable James Taylor to world championship prize fits, an HBO Comedy Special with George Carlin and a visit by the Dalai Lama.
Madison Square Garden is one of the loudest and proudest buildings in hockey, and the fans know how to generate excitement at Rangers games. Self-proclaimed "true" Rangers fans sit in the upper deck, where "Let's go, Rangers" chants spill over the rest of the crowd.
Rangers fans are loyal, unforgiving and proud. Now that the team has brought home the 1994 Stanley Cup after 54 years without winning one, expect even more excitement at the Garden.
Madison Square Garden is committed to continuing its rich, exciting 112 year tradition which has inspired press and performing people to proclaim it as "the center of the universe," "the world's most versatile stage," "a palace of pleasure" and "not just a building but a state of mind."
Perhaps it was the Pulitzer Prize-winning sports journalist, the late Red Smith, who best summed it up when he wrote, "Madison Square Garden is, very simply, the most famous and glamorous arena in creation."
Getting there
From New Jersey or the south, enter Manhattan through the Lincoln Tunnel and follow signs for downtown; turn left on 34th Street.
Madison Square Garden History
* First Stanley Cup finals game: May 4, 1972, 5-2 over the Boston Bruins
* May 4, 1972: The Rangers win their first Stanley Cup finals game at this Garden building, beating the Boston Bruins 5-2
* June 14, 1994: Mark Messier scores winning goal to give the Rangers a 3-2 Game 7 win over the Canucks as New York wins its first Stanley Cup since 1940
Screen Gem: MSG puts in HDTV scoreboard
October 9-15, 2000
By Steve Cameron
Street & Smith's SportsBusiness Journal Staff Writer
New York Rangers Fans may have trouble believing their eyes
Not because of action on the ice, but what they're seeing above it.
Madison Square Garden now boasts the first-ever High Definition (HDTV) scoreboard system, which includes four huge screens on its main center-hung structure and 150 smaller screens scattered throughtout the building.
"The visual images are unbelievable," said Michael Juiian, senior vice president and general manager at MSG. "You've got double the resolution, twice that of what you can see at any other arena.
"Fans want to see replays. Now you come to a game here, watch a replay and you can actually see the puck go into the net. Or at a basketball game, you can see the sweat on the center's face as he dunks the ball.
"It's as clear as watching on television at home."
In addition to adding the HDTV techology, the Garden also now has a state-of-the-art control room for operating the entire system. Backups - like five projectors for the four main screens - cover any foreseeable malfunction.
MSG officials would not comment on the cost of the system.
"This isn't being done anywhere else in the world," Juilian said.
MSG officials expect to unveil the entire package at the Rangers' regular-season opener.
THE ULTIMATE SPORTS ROAD TRIP
By: Andrew Kulyk & Peter Farrell
| Madison Square Garden Ranking by USRT |
| Architecture |  | 7 |
| Concessions | | 4 |
| Scoreboard | | 4.5 |
| Ushers | | 7 |
| Fan Support | | 8 |
| Location | | 9 |
| Banners/History | | 9 |
| Entertainment | | 5 |
| Concourses/Fan Comfort | | 6 |
| Total Score |  | 59.5 |
March 5, 2000 & March 17, 2002 - "Welcome to the magic world of Madison Square Garden, the world's most famous arena."
Sitting atop Penn Station in the heart of Midtown Manhattan just a few blocks south of Times Square. Madison Square Garden embodies the flashiness and electricity that defines the Big Apple.
Opened for business in 1968, this is the fourth arena to be named Madison Square Garden, the first opening in 1874. Along with being the home of the NBA Knicks and NHL Rangers, this arena is also home to such world renowned events as the Westminster Dog Show and the Millrose Indoor Track and Field Championships. Of couse being the Garden this place is also a hallowed boxing arena where many great bouts have taken place, most notably Ali-Frazier in 1971.
Getting to the Venue
Best advice ... take the subway or a train! Traffic is your typical Manhattan mess, and getting around this city is a chore. Parking can be had for $20-$25 right near the arena, and as cheap as $10 if you want to walk a few blocks. Free spaces are around but hard to find and you have to watch the restrictions on the free parking spots or you could find your car gone when you return.
Outside the Arena
Two major marquees dominate the exterior of the building with one overlooking 8th Avenue and one above the 7th Avenue entrance where one can access Penn Station. On the 8th Avenue side sits the entrance to the Madison Square Garden Theatre. Once known as the Felt Forum, this 4,000 seat auditorium is the site of many plays. The main entrance to the arena is at 7th Avenue where once inside you have the option of stepping inside one of many shops and places to eat before heading up to the arena entrance.
At the foot of the arena you will see an illustrious display of murals dedicated to the main tenants of the building while the floor is tiled with the names of many of the great performers who have graced the Garden floor. At the right is an escalator that takes people with preferred seating to their seat location. Get past the ticket windows and head to the many levels of escalators that will take you to your seating level. The Garden is unique in that the floor of the main arena is several stories above ground level, unlike other places where it is either at ground level or below.
The Concourses
Generally these are somewhat narrower than in most buildings we have seen, however this building contains more concourses than what we are used to seeing, so getting around the building is not really all that difficult and there are quite a few nooks to explore.. Concessions are grouped into two "Center Food Courts", where knishes are added to the pizzas burgers and other typical ballpark dreck. Yet at the same time unsurprising since New York seems to be a no-frills, traditional sports crowd. Also, two team stores can be found at opposite baselines with a great selections of Knicks, Rangers and Liberty (wheeee!) merchandise..
Premium Seating
Skyboxes ring the roof of the building, while a three level of suite configuration can be found in one end zone. Being an older building, there is no club level per se, but seat levels are clearly delineated by an aisle which rings the top of each level. It is the lowest level of seats that are most expensive. For premium seat holders there is a private facility called the Play by Play Sports Restaurant, offering a continental menu, games such as bubble hockey and foul shot and HDTV monitors to watch the games,
Seating Area
This is a single level bowl with red seats in lower sections and blue seats up high as fans enter into the bowl from four different levels. Above it, all suites ring most of the arena and in some spots they are double decked. An eight sided jumbotron hangs above center court and dot matrix boards sit atop the seating area at each baseline showing out of town scores, ads, and being New York the occasional stock ticker. With New York being the center of the world, one can ignore the game and watch the celebs that sit courtside here. Our personal favorite being Spike Lee, the only one who dresses and behaves as if he is sitting next to Joe Sixpack with his unbridled enthusiasm for his(and Peter's) beloved Knicks.
Retired Numbers and Banners
With the Knicks dating back to 1946 and the Rangers celebrating their 75th anniversary season these are two of the storied franchises in sports. Hanging proudly for the Knicks are banners for their two NBA titles in 1970 and 73 along with Division and Conference title banners. Seven Knick players have their number raised to the roof here as well as the number 613 for Coach Red Holzman. Opposite these banners are the Ranger Stanley Cup, Conference, Division, and President's Trophy banners as well as the names of Rod Gilbert and Ed Giacomin. With the Rangers most recent Stanley Cup, no longer will they hear the chant of "1940" when they hit the road. We don't mean to sound sexist, but we could really do without the Liberty banners...
Extra Points
This was Peter's first time ever at the Garden to see his beloved Knicks and on this day they went down to defeat at the hands of the Jazz...the multiple concourses reminded us of Buffalo's old Memorial Auditorium...Knicks seating capacity is 19,763 and every ticket has been sold since February 1993...Post Office building sits opposite the Garden at 8th Avenue(Peter's other hallowed ground)....
March 17, 2002 update...Ultimate Sports Road Trip karma??? Try jinx instead! We are now 0 for 3 in 2002 as the Detroit Red Wings scored a late goal and added an empty netter to beat the Rangers, 5-3. Pavel Bure, the Rangers need you fast!!! (hahahah). Maybe we'll have better luck on our next trip in the midwest.
Summary
Yes, this building has aged and it is not complete with every last new amenity found in newer facilities. However, let's face it this is THE Garden, a place someone with the initials MJ referred to as "The Mecca of Basketball", where Willis limped onto the court in game 7, one of the famous moments in NBA history. This is one of the oldest NBA and NHL arenas in North America, yet retains an aura and elegance that is unmatched and can not be duplicated, and here you are in the center of the greatest city on the planet. There is nothing shabby, dog-eared or negative one can find here - it is truly one of sports' hallowed grounds and a venue to be experienced again and again.
MADISON SQUARE GARDEN RENOVATION DELAYED
June 4, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
New York - A planned $500 million upgrade to Madison Square Garden has been delayed until
2012 by owner Cablevision to allow more time for planning and to see how fans react to new
venues built for the Giants Mets and Yankees.
Plans call for the lower bowl of the Garden to be fully renovated with 20 new event-level suites
and 58 new lower-level suites in time for the 2011-12 Rangers and Knicks seasons. The upper bowl
will be completed prior to the 2012-13 season. Last year, Garden executives had said the entire
project, which will be done during the offseasons of the Knicks and Rangers, would be completed
in time for the 2011-12 season.
The project will include a 300-person super luxury suite. No decisions have been made on
pricing the 5,000-square-foot space. The Garden abandoned plans for 19 "ledge suites" on the
higher levels and combined 10 luxury suites to create the one supersuite since it introduced the
plans a year ago.
CABLEVISION TO SPIN OFF MADISON SQUARE GARDEN
July 30, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
New York - Madison Square Garden, the NHL Rangers and NBA Knicks will move into a
separate company under a plan approved by the Cablevision Systems Corp. board of directors. The
new firm will be owned by existing shareholders and the action will take place before the end of
the year.
The new company will be called Madison Square Garden and will include Radio City Music
Hall, Investors will get one share of the new firm for every share they hold in Cablevision.
Splitting off Madison Square Garden will allow Cablevision to focus on its more profitable
cable- television business and could lure potential buyers for the company, such as Time Warner
Cable or Comcast, Bloomberg News reported, citing comments made by Pali Capital analyst Rich
Greenfield earlier this month.
NEW MSG GETS KICK FROM CHRISTMAS SHOW, CABLEVISION
August 13, 2009
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
New York - New filings with the federal Securities and Exchange Commission show that the
new Madison Square Garden LLC will start life with a $190 million payment from previous owner
Cablevision to add to its $62 million in cash.
The filings also reportedly show that 12 percent of the firm's revenue last year - $120 million -
came from the Radio City Christmas Spectacular at Radio City Music Hall.
Also this week, the firm acknowledged that it is scouting the Washington, D.C. area for a place
to build a 6,000-seat concert venue. The company is in the preliminary stages of exploring where a venue might be located. No deadlines have been announced.
The firm's financial filing shows that MSG is a wildly volatile business that's highly dependent
on the economy and the fortunes of its sports teams.
In the last six years, the unit has swung between being highly profitable to getting deeply in
red ink. In 2004, for example, MSG posted a profit of $50 million, but is on track to record a loss this year, if the $5.8 million in losses for the first six months of this year is any indication.
Known primarily for the New York Knicks and New York Rangers sports franchises, the biggest
economic driver for MSG is its media segment, which houses the MSG and Fuse cable networks. It accounts for around 40 percent of the company's overall revenue. The balance is split between its
sports and entertainment divisions.
The media operation is also the only division posting growth, with revenue through June 30
growing by $18 million to $232 million. By contrast, the entertainment segment saw revenue fall by $11 million to $79 million during the period, and the sports segment slipped $1.6 million to $210 million.
The decline in sports-segment revenue stems in part from a charge of $23.5 million "associated
with transactions relating to players on our sports teams for career-ending injuries and for waivers and termination of players and other team personnel, including team executives."
The filing also outlines the company's view on the planned renovation of Madison Square
Garden.
"The renovation is an example of our strategic commitment to invest in our core assets and
continue to provide the kind of historic, unforgettable experiences that have long been a key
component of our business. ... The current renovation plan, which is designed to ensure that
attending an event at The Garden is unlike anywhere else, will be specifically highlighted by:
* A dramatically redesigned Seventh Avenue entrance
* New, more comfortable seats, with better sightlines that put patrons closer to the action
New, wider and more spacious public concourses with spectacular views of the city
* Unique "bridges" suspended above each side of The Garden, providing seating for fans
that doesn't exist in any arena today
* State-of-the-art lighting, sound and LED video systems in HDTV
* New food, beverage and bar options
* A new suite configuration that includes: 58 new lower-level suites that are 50 percent
larger than our current suites and half the distance to events Ð 20 new event level
suites, which include the best seats in the house Ð One super suite, which is the size of
10 traditional suites.
* Improved dressing rooms, locker rooms, star dressing rooms and production offices for
athletes and performers
* A new upper level with a party deck with bars and buffets
* Additional new restrooms
* Restoration of The Garden's famous ceiling
"We continue to review all aspects of this complex project with our consultants in order to
improve the renovation plans, mitigate project risks and identify efficiencies in all aspects of costs, planning and project-phasing. We also continue to develop our cost and capital investment
estimates to ensure that the planned renovation meets our overall expectations and objectives.
"While the pre-construction planning and cost estimates of this renovation are not yet final, we
currently expect that the project's cost will be materially higher than our original estimate of $500 million. We expect that the estimated costs associated with the project will be met from cash on hand, receipt of repayments of advances made to a subsidiary of Cablevision and cash flow from our operations.
"To the extent that management determines that outside financing is required or desirable, we
intend to raise that financing. In order to most efficiently and effectively complete the renovation, it will be a year-round project. Our goal into minimize disruption to current operations and to achieve this, The Garden will remain open for the New York Knicks' and New York Rangers' seasons while we sequence the construction to ensure that we maximize our construction efforts when we close the arena during summer months. Our current expectation is that the renovated lower bowl will be open for the 2011-12 seasons and that the renovated upper bowl will be open for the 2012-13 seasons."
January 14, 2010
Copyright 2009 MediaVentures
Cablevision Systems Corp. said its board has approved the spinoff of its Madison Square Garden Group. The unit, which has been a drag on Cablevision earnings, includes the famous sports arena, Radio City Music Hall and the New York Knicks and Rangers. On Feb. 9, Cablevision plans to distribute one Madison Square Garden Class A share for every four shares of Cablevision Class A stock held as of Jan. 25. Cablevision's Class B shareholders will get the same distribution in Madison Square Garden Class B shares.
