It has been almost two decades since someone entered Cinergy Field.
Tuesday marks 18 years since Cincinnati’s Cinergy Field imploded to make way for new and better things. It opened as the Riverfront Stadium, was home to the Cincinnati Reds and Cincinnati Bengals, and went down in 37 seconds.
“And this one is gone!” Read the title on the cover of the December 30, 2002 issue of The Enquirer.
“Thirty-two years of Cincinnati history collapsed like a sandcastle in 37 seconds on Sunday morning as a ring of detonations toppled Cinergy Field and two generations of athletic memories,” wrote James Pilcher of The Enquirer.
With 1,400 pounds of explosives, the home of Cincinnati’s many sporting achievements has been reduced to a pile of concrete and twisted metal. All that was left was 95,000 tons of structural steel, 70 miles of reinforced concrete, and 600,000 square feet of masonry in a riverside location.
“It came in third and went home upside down,” said the late Joe Nuxhall at the time.
More:Riverfront Stadium started the best era of sport in Cincinnati
Construction of the Riverfront Stadium began in 1968 and, according to Enquirer, took less than two years and cost less than $ 50 million. It was renamed Cinergy Field in 1996.
On June 30, 1970, the Cincinnati Reds played the Atlanta Braves for the first game at Riverfront Stadium. On September 20, 1970, the Cincinnati Bengals played on the field for the first time.
For its 32 years, the Riverfront Stadium / Cinergy Field has been the home of Cincinnati sports fans.
The Reds held their first World Series in the stadium in 1970, followed by 1972, 1975, 1976 and 1990. The infamous Freezer Bowl in Bengal took place on the riverbank in 1982.
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