WATCH: The End of the Vet: 20 Years Later

[@michaelhession2105]

As a Baltimore native, the same things that were said about the Vet were said about Memorial Stadium. It was a dump that no one outside of the city admired, but what made it so great was that it was home to many of the fans. Not to mention both stadiums had so many iconic memories and legendary players walking through those doors.

[@Ed-sq7jm7]

As a Phila native, I’ve seen a few games at Memorial Stadium. Love how it was tucked in the surrounding row home neighborhood. Always had a great time there seeing the Oriole greats.

[@michaelhession2105]

@@Ed-sq7jm7 Two of the greatest home-field advantages of all time in any sport.

[@bryantmoore2696]

Memorial stadium was in the neighborhood. I think that gets lost if you gonna compare to the vet. Our sports complex was and is on the city outskirts. Unlike Connie Mack Stadium which was actually in a real neighborhood.

[@michaelhession2105]

@@bryantmoore2696 You're correct about that. The reason I'm comparing the two is because those were two dumps that everyone out of those cities hated, but everyone in Baltimore and Philly loved them.

[@LeftyStegman]

I feel the exact same way with shea stadium

[@KayFabe87]

Growing up in South Philly, I had the privilege of spending a lot of time at The Vet watching Phillies games and a few Eagles games including the 20-7 victory over the Cowboys in 1980, but I was too young to appreciate the significance of the game at that time. I probably spent most of the game complaining that it was too cold😅. I moved out of the city in the mid 90’s, but I was working in Philly in 2004 when the implosion happened. I remember watching it from a south facing window on one of the upper floors of a building on 21st & Market where I worked at the time on the one weekend per month when we had to go to the office. Great memories of Veterans Stadium.

[@oldschooleddie2057]

I loved that piece of sh*t so much. Saw my first game there with my Dad. Threw up violently in the 700 level concourse during a Phils game with my college buddies. Got to go to there a few weeks before they shut it down for good with my Dad and both my brothers. The Vet was Philadelphia at its core. Love you Phillies, love you Eagles. Love you Tugger, love you Pope. Love you Philadelphia.

[@jimmyhall4453]

JFK Stadium I saw Live Aid in Philly!!!What a blast!!! A few days later we went to see the Phillies & Mets play at the Vet!!! Being from Atlanta, I’ve never witnessed more passionate fans than the ones in Philly…

[@everythingJawn215]

😢god I miss those times

[@MartinMaxiepada]

Beautiful video.

[@MarcCarriage121]

1970s 700 level right field was the place for us kids to go on summer nights. Always something going on there . We had fun . I lived only 6 blocks away and my school was only 3 away from it on 10th Street. It was a great time to grow up in that area.

[@Ed-sq7jm7]

Nice!!

[@pauls9011]

There was a movie called stealing home where the characters played by Mark Harmon and Harold Ramis broke into the Vet and if I remember the character played by Harmon placed on ehrn on home plate

[@larryd9549]

I went to the Vet mid 70's to early '80's watching The Phillies & Temple football

[@GuitarNoize111]

A lot of memories. Was there for so many Phillies and Eagles games.

[@jimkon5767]

... don't forget Shea Stadium. That was a hellhole=bonfires in the stands ....

[@bryantmoore2696]

I wish they'd do a retrospective on Connie Mack like that. I mean with detail

[@jimcharles9705]

It's amazing how little usable material (video & still photographs) exists regarding Connie Mack Stadium. Very sad. In those days, people weren't really thinking about saving things for the archives. And while CMS was the current stadium, people weren't thinking about it as a historical treasure. They were thinking of it as difficult to get to, no parking, in a run down, unsafe part of the city. It was a place only missed after it was gone. I know a guy who saw games there. He also saw games at the Vet and CBP. His favorite? The Vet.

[@stanmagdon6277]

I got to take fielding practice once before a Phillies game back in the late 70’s.

[@HipsterDoofus100]

Congratulations

[@Rockhound6165]

I can still smell the stale beer and piss just looking at this place but it was glorious. I was lucky enough to sit in every level. I also had a chance to (almost) go to every venue in 1 night one year. I saw a late afternoon Phillies game then caught WWF wrestling at the Spectrum then after sat in the parking lot listening to the Jackson's concert from JFK stadium. Those were the days.

[@poss4757]

As a Cowboys fan from North Carolina, i was at the body bag When Michael Irvin got hurt and the crowd was Chanteen body bag, body bag, body bag. Cowboys lost but ran the opening kickoff back for a touchdown. Good times, Good times

[@jimcharles9705]

I wish the host hadn't been so negative about The Vet. In its early years, it was as good a ballpark as there was at the MLB/NFL level. In my opinion, in its later years, the teams and/or the city made a conscious decision to let the stadium fall apart so they could build completely new ones. Letting the stadium deteriorate would steadily turn the ticketholders off to The Vet. And that's what happened. But from '71 to '90, perhaps even a little later, it was a fun place to see a game.

[@andrewpadaetz5549]

Tugger was one of the few players that could bring Phillies and Mets fans together as he won a WS with both teams.

[@MartinMaxiepada]

I miss the vet!!!

[@clarkgardiner6795]

Miss the Vet. Seen it from the inside backin the 70s

[@MarkEgan-l4q]

January 1981 froze my ass off eagles cowgirls nfc championship game

[@checkerchamp8030]

How can you be so cold and callous, Mr. Frank. Do you know how many memories people have from The Vet? Good memories. This is a tribute to OUR Vet. If you want to dump on it, go make a video yourself with that negativity. See how many views that gets. Geez, there is always one in the crowd.

[@chrisgardiner2215]

The Vet was the venue where I'd seen the best music concert, PINK FLOYD Division Bell (Pulse Tour)

[@gmanhirt8818]

Saw the New York Football Giants play there when Strahan intercepted the balll And ran it back for a touchdown Being a Giants fan the stadium was great and The tailgating was outstanding

[@rtlthemusician5598]

Yeah baby let’s go big blue!!!

[@MarkEgan-l4q]

I remember two miracles in the Meadowlands herm Edward's scoop and score d jack punt return.

[@gmanhirt8818]

@@MarkEgan-l4q so you were lucky to be at Giants Stadium both of those times That’s awesome

[@brianwi1683]

It was a dump, but it was our dump

[@TheodoreRizzo]

I’m not a Philly fan but I love Philly history and passion in sports fans wear their passion on their sleeve I’m the same way in my town and teams that sometimes I hate my own fan base bunch soufflé balls that never complain that go home all happy after loses not Philly fans. lol 😆 I’m with you Philly fans!! Btw throwing batteries at players at Veterans stadium didn’t bothered me one bit!!!

[@ThePhenomm]

Good Riddance

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

Two broads got into a fight at the vet.The sports section showed a pic with the caption cat fight at the vet 🐱

[@dansmith5730]

700 level a place that will live in infamy

[@areguapiri]

There was no reason for that concrete turf. They could have always put down natural grass.

[@jimcharles9705]

There WERE reasons, as ownership saw it, for astroturf. Low maintenance. It needs no water, no mowing, and it's always green. In the 70s, Zambonis (trucks that would scrape rainwater off the turf after a storm) could get the field in playing shape in about a half hour after a heavy rain. In later years, they did away with the Zambonis and came up with better drainage systems. Same result. You could play on it relatively soon after a storm. The drawbacks were higher injury rates and, in summer, heat retention. A grass field won't get to 130 degrees. Astroturf will. Not a problem if all your games are at night.

[@bryantmoore2696]

To be honest i dont see where the home field advantage was? It was a ton of losing by both teams at the vet. In baseball the late 70s division titles the world series in 1980 was alot of champagne tossing but it was offset by the orioles in 83 winning here. The Eagles had just as ssketchy moments too. Panthers abd Bucs winning the nfc here to go the superbowl was just huerful. I dunno. I think we lead the all time in regular season memories.

[@MarkEgan-l4q]

Eagles nfc Champs beat the cowboys. January 1981

[@daved1535]

The Panthers game was at the Linc.

[@jhill590]

It was a dump but it’s was our dump still remember general admission tickets for the Phillies 700 level as the game wore on got down to the lower level and eagles game freezing it had a intimating factor for opponents

[@chrisgardiner2215]

OH MAN I MISS THIS DUMPSTER 😢. Are there any my fellow 700 level scumbags here????

[@christophercoll3843]

It was certainly a cookie cutter stadium but the environment was unlike anywhere else

[@Marcuswelby-nx2te]

Boo!!!

[@CongressSux1776]

Ronde Barber!