October 15, 2025 • 28 mins
Shawn Flynn joins the show as Bo, Beth and WBT listeners share memories from Bojangles Coliseum and Ovens Auditorium as the BoPlex celebrates 70 years.
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Episode Transcript
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Speaker 1 (00:00):
Okay, well we'll take this home run through them with
a fine tooth comb, cross the t's and dot the
floor case chase.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
From these talk eleven, ten and ninety nine three double.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Bet come on, cut it out.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
He's on a special boy. This is Good Morning Beat
with Bo Thompson and Beth Trout.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
But all right, that was a lot of fun right there.
We're going for the whole buffet crab.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, it's kind of a metaphor for the whole show.
But but actually this hour and if you've been listening
today specifically, it's literal, as Brett Jensen would say, it's literal.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
We've been talking about the circus.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I made the passing comment about what about seven o'clock said, Hey,
coming up in the final hour of the show, we
have the director of corporate Communications for the Charlotte Regional
Visitors Authority, our good friend Sean Flynn, coming in and
we're going to talk about the seventieth anniversary of an
iconic set of buildings in Charlotte, North Carolina. That those
(01:05):
being the Bojangles Colisseum and Ovens Auditorium, now today known
as the Boplex. If you grew up here, it was
the original Charlotte Coliseum and ovens. But I said, let's
talk about memories. Let's talk about things you think of
when you think of those two buildings, and immediately Beth
and I talk about the circus.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
We believe, Sean, that we met first at the circus
because bo and I were both chosen from the audience
to ride in the little carriage behind the elephants in
the early eighties with at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum
and Bailey Circus. So we believe that that's actually the
first time we met was in a cart behind an
(01:45):
elephant behind.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Wow, it's a full circus moment.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Well pleased.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
So I am a little concerned that you guys brought
had that music coming on when introducing me. I'm like,
are you calling me a clown.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
At all?
Speaker 4 (02:00):
We're saying, welcome to the clown car join us, will you?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yes, Well, look it's good to see you. We've had
you in here over the years. You've been you worked
with Holy Angels for a while. You also, way back
in the day, we're a news anchor and reporter to yourself. Well,
now it's Spectrum and then it was time Warner Cable
News and originally it was it was News fourteen Carolina.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Wow, that's impressive that you can remember all that.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
You were one of the charter members close.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
To us, do it?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Yes to it?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I do call myself a survivor or recovering keeping news reporter.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
Well, and so you say that about myself, I'm a
recovering news anchor.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
And we all seem to wind up here.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
So you've been with the CRVA for a while now,
and like I said, director of Corporate Communications. So for
those who don't know, what does that title entail.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So I've been blessed to never have a job. I've
always been in great places where I've gotten paid to
do what I love to do, which is tell stories.
Interesting enough, I started back in college over at you see,
Santa Barbara, I started in radio. So coming in here
this full circus moment for me. I love radio radios
(03:08):
where it's at. I love the show. You guys are fantastic.
I mean you really bring it. Put a smile on
my face every morning. So it's fantastic love listening to
you all. So what I do at the CRVA is
I help tell their story. I am able to. I
do a lot of internal communications, But I do media relations,
so I get to hang out with folks like you.
(03:28):
Still I get to work on a lot of our
sustainability advocacy programs things like that. So most importantly, I
guess I'm a part of this big team that really
promotes Charlotte's not only to the millions of visitors who
come here every year, but also to the residents. And
talk about how important what it is that the tourism
industry does not only for those who come here, but
(03:50):
for those who live here, right.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
I mean it brings, of course money into our area,
but it also I mean you all remind us, the
folks who live here, of all the incredible things that
we can do and should be doing here in Charlotte,
celebrating our city. But there are so many fun opportunities,
and so many of them have happened at the Boplex.
You brought us a T shirt that has lists and
(04:13):
lists of things that have happened over the last seventy
years in that beautiful facility, and holy moly, I forgot
about half of these.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
It is amazing to think of the people, the performers,
the athletes who have been in those venues. It's I mean,
just think about who dedicated. You have Reverend Billy Graham.
Within the same week, you had Billy Graham and Elvis performing.
You know, when we held a celebration a couple of
weeks ago, you had a city councilman James Mitchell, who
(04:44):
was showing everybody this picture of him playing a high
school basketball game when he was at West Charlotte High
School and he was getting dunked on by James Worthy.
And you see a councilman Mitchell, the picture of him
is like, Wow, that guy's good.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
That guy's really good.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
He's going to be something something.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
James Worthy, I just dunked on Smudgie.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
That's pretty much it. And the thing about it is
that venue and what the CRVA does. We talk about
our whole mission is to make memories for our guests. Yeah,
and that's what the Bowplex is. There are so many
memories there, whether it's a show, a first show, whether
it is a basketball game, whether it's a high school graduation.
(05:25):
It's just I mean, I've only been in Charlotte for
twenty two years now, and I have so many lifetime
memories that were created in those venues.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, I mean, Sean reaches out to me. He says,
I'd like to come on and talk about the Boplex,
And I said, okay, the Boplex. I mean it must
be an incredible play.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
No, I was waiting for that.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Actually your segment in he got it in.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yeah, you know it was coming.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
It's like when I drive up to a bow Jangles
they say it's bow time.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I said, well, okay, then he says it sure is.
Speaker 7 (05:55):
It is.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
It's always bow time.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
But I want to talk about the history of the building.
You know, everybody who grew up here and even those
who've been here in recent years, you have your your
first thing you ever saw at the at the old
Charlotte Colisseum now the bow Jangles Coliseum, or ovens maybe
your favorite thing. But everybody's got a story and you
don't have to be an old timer to have one.
You could have been here in the last couple of
years and seen a really cool thing. And because you know,
(06:20):
it just recently became that the two buildings are now connected,
which is why we call it the bow Plex now.
But we're going to talk about the ongoing celebration for
the seventieth year and some memories, and you can chime
in on this too if you want to seven oh
four five, seven oh eleven ten. That's a text line.
That's the call in line driven by Liberty View at GMC.
(06:41):
I know Boomer's probably seen some stuff at the at
the bow Plex, a few.
Speaker 8 (06:45):
Shows and concerts and basketball games. Yes, in wrestling match.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
There we go in monster trucks and nice hockey graduation
roller Derby.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
What a place where I graduated high school?
Speaker 8 (06:57):
You know that site there, that a building that struck
are served as the architectural model for the Houston Astrodome.
They modeled the Astrodome after what we had.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
Was one of the first, really first.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
So you're saying that we're kind of a big deal
that the Bojangles Collis m is the Astrodome's mini me, right,
but yet the mini me came first.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Hey Houston, who's your dad?
Speaker 6 (07:21):
God?
Speaker 4 (07:21):
This is me.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
We have had a wonderful and glorious week again here
in Charlotte. We've already finished a month of meetings, and
I wish you could have been here on Thursday night
when the invitation was given and more than a thousand
people came out of these stands to give themselves to
Jesus Christ as save you and Lord and Master. None
(07:54):
of us that were in that service will ever forget
the moving of the Holy Spirit that night, and night
after night we have seen the hand of God here
in this great colosseum. Now we have one mall week,
one mall week. The crusade definitely ends a week from tonight.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Nineteen fifty eight. That's Billy Graham at the Charlotte Coliseum
what is now known as the bo Jangles Colisseum, and
he would go on to appear there a few more times.
But nineteen fifty eight, that's the audio from Billy Graham,
the late Billy Graham, at a building we're talking about
today with our friend Sean Flynn from the CRVA, the
(08:37):
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, the old Charlotte Coliseum, the original
bo Jangles Coliseum is seventy years old, as is Oven's Auditorium.
But you know, we mentioned some of the iconic people
that have been there. There are a few that you
could mention that would rival that voice right there. And
I had that piece of audio back from when Reverend
(08:57):
Graham passed away several years ago, and we went through
all that old audio. But I got to learn about
all of the times that he had used that building
for his ministry.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, it is a special place. And he even talked
about during the when he was dedicating that building that
Charlotte has arrived as a big city now and apparently
we needed these facilities to be that big city. Interesting
sidebar note, I actually went to Billy Graham's final crusade
in New York City, so I definitely have a connection
to him and what he's done for this community.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And of course the Billy Graham Library and just one
of you can't talk about Charlotte, North Carolina and not
mention doctor.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
Graham and the BGEA.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
And we're talking about Boplex memories, the Boplex which is
now known as the Bojangles Coliseum, and the connected Ovens
Auditorium that was a few years back during the renovations.
But we're having people call in today with memories of
the buildings because seven decades of existence. Really quick, let's
go to Sam on line one. Sam wants to say
(10:02):
hello this morning. We've got Sean Flynn and Bowen Beth
here on WBT.
Speaker 7 (10:06):
Sam, Hey, good morning, thanks for doing this. This is awesome.
So my family owned Ernie's records, which you got to
talk about sometimes.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I thought, that's who this was Ernie's record, Sam, how
cool to hear from you.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Talk about Charlotte institutions.
Speaker 7 (10:21):
Well we're kind of old, so there you go, a
good time. So we sold Kaleidoscope tickets for the Convot
was who produced all the concerts in Charlotte at that time,
so we got to go to every concert. The only
person I think I never saw was probably Elvis Presley,
saw Jimmy Hendrix there Chicago. I mean, even Barry Manilow,
(10:42):
you know whatever, I mean, whatever, But I remember my
parents have a picture We went and saw Glenn Campbell.
He actually had a cast on his arm. He did
a concert at Ovens and then my parents had a
picture they went there in Saul Ronald Reagan. I don't
know what for, but he was there speaking. I guess maybe.
(11:05):
So many great memories. We lived near there on Commonwealth
when we were growing up, and the coolest thing was
we would go sledding on the parking lot of Bojangles
or Charlotte Coliseum at that time. Great sledding because of
the heel. Yeah, and it was just a cool place
to hang out. I mean that's like a different memory.
But it's just been there forever and I couldn't imagine
it not being a part of Charlotte.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, Well Sean was talking about how it was, you know,
the look of it is still to this day. I mean,
so many different arenas and and and huge. I mean
just think about all the different stadiums that we've seen
over the years that they've built these taj mahalls of gatherings.
But then the Charlotte Colisseum, the Bojanngles Coliseum still has
(11:46):
that unique look to it. And we were mentioning that
the astrodome was in part taken from a design that
was originally done for the smaller Charlotte Colosseum. So I
still drive by it and you can't you can't not look.
It's just a it's just a it's an impressive architectural building.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Well, and when you drive by it, and Sam, you
probably have this experience because you've been there so many times.
When you drive by it, I can smell it, I
can smell what it felt like to be inside.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yes, hopefully that's a.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Good yes, yes, but then you.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yes, it's gonna say it's probably it's probably like an
interesting combo of a lot of smells.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
Well, it's kind of It's got the It has the
smell of popcorn and the pretzels and the concession stands
and sweat and ice and all of the things that
have been there over the years. There's something really nostalgic
about the smell of it. They should make that into
a candle. You should have a Charlotte Collision one.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
I don't know about that.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
That sounds like a candle. You might have been able
to buy it Ernie's back.
Speaker 7 (12:49):
In the day, Yes, probably so, I would say some incense.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Uh huh, because you know you had some incense. You
had you had the tied diyes. I think for a while,
I mean, Ernie's was mostly music. But I've told people
before Ernie's was the only place in Charlotte that would
give me money for used cassette singles. Dan Phipps used
to give me a quarter for cassette singles. And I'm
telling you, man, I brought him like boxes and he's like,
(13:15):
oh it's you again.
Speaker 7 (13:15):
Yeah, it's funny. Well, yeah, we're still all together, except
for of course, I only passed away twenty years ago.
But it's we're still all hanging out together.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
My brothers tell them, we said tell everybody, we said hello,
We appreciate.
Speaker 7 (13:27):
You guy, thank you for sharing the memories of it. Yes, sir,
so the Coloseum today, it's awesome.
Speaker 9 (13:32):
So bo.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
It was back in two thousand and nine that the
Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission actually made that the exterior of
that building a historic landmark. So that's one of the
reasons why it stays that same historic icon iconic image.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Love it.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
I've always loved especially when there's an event going on
because there's so much glass, you can see the activity
that's going on inside, and it makes you wish that
you had tickets to whatever. I mean, it was a
brilliant design when they first put it up. Because of
that feature, you want to be inside of it.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
You know. And he also brought up Ronald Reagan speaking there.
If you think about all the past presidential recent presidential
all of the candidates have come there and been a
part of that. This venue is not just about sports,
it's not just about graduations. I mean they even during
COVID they opened up for testing for giving out vaccinations.
It's always just been a part of the community threat.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
You know, they built that huge twenty three thousand plus
seat New Charlotte Coliseum back in nineteen eighty eight, and
it was all spiffy ready to go for the first
exhibition Hornets game, and then it wasn't played there, and
people who were here know why. And it was played
at the old Colisseum because well, you had to have
(14:45):
a place.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
To go back to.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
We'll talk about that story and more with Sean Flynn
here celebrating seventy years of the iconic venues Oven's Auditorium
and what is now the Bojangles Colisseum.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Do you let the ladies play ice hockey with you?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I want to play ice hockey.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
There are a few girls that come out.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, that would be so much fun.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Think you just got a new one. Yes, after the show,
Beth goes out in the street shoot just gone what for?
Speaker 8 (15:10):
What?
Speaker 1 (15:10):
That's wild?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Speaking of cars check, we're playing hockey where we're doing
traffic reports.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
We're multitasking, which is what we do on this show.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
And we stay young by just you know, having fun conversations.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
And why do we do all these things at once?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Because we have short attentions fans, This is good morning beaty.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Hello out there, we're on the air.
Speaker 10 (15:36):
It's hockey night tonight. Tension goes, the whistle blows, and
the fuck.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Goes down the ice.
Speaker 10 (15:42):
Good morning, The goalie jumps and the players bumping the
fans all go insane. Someone roars Bunny Stores at the
good old hockey game. Oh, the good hockey game is
the best game.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
First time I heard this last game.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
You can name.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Hockey games that a Checkers game. So I know Sean
would love this song. And we can't talk about seventy
years of the Bojangles Coliseum without talking about.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
The Charlotte Checkers.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
And by the way, in studio with us, if you're
just joining us from the CRVA, the Charlotte Regional Visitors
Authority is the director of corporate communications. Longtime friend of
the show, Sean Flynn talking about seventy years of the
two iconic buildings, the Bojangles Coliseum and of course Ovens Auditorium,
together they make the Bowplex. But you gota, you really
(16:35):
kind of got to start with the Charlotte Checkers if
you're going to talk about that building, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
The Checkers their primary tenant over there, and they are
such a important part of this community. My first interactions
with them were they they helped me out with a
nonprofit fundraiser I was trying to do, and they did
this with so many different organizations. Love the Checkers, Love
the family that they have over there. Tara just you know,
retired after leading that organization for a couple decades, and
(17:01):
Sean and Paul just a great group of people. I
personally have so many memories there. During the break, we
were chatting that my first real date with my now
wife was at a Charlotte Checkers game. I think Beth
has a similar story.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
Yes, one of my most memorable, one of the very
first dates my husband and I had with each other
was at a Checkers game.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Who knew so many people thought that was a romantic
night out to watch men fight each other.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Well, it was for me.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
It was the nachos we were sharing at the ka nachos.
I have to read since we're talking about hockey, I
have to read this text from one of our listeners.
She said, my family moved to Charlotte in the fifties
from Saint Catherine's, Ontario, Canada. My father, Jim McNulty, played
hockey for the Charlotte Clippers, which was the original name
of the team. We have so many lifetime memories from
(17:54):
hockey games, concerts, circuses, the Globe Trotters, everything playing there too.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, and it's such a great organization. I will tell you.
One of my most impactful moments was, you know, I've
been on the show a couple of times talking about
a couple of different things, but you know, you're all there.
When my youngest son was going through cancer treatment and
the Checkers found out about that by visiting him in
the hospital. Chubby was there. It was great. This is
(18:20):
seven some odd years ago, and so they reached out
and they knew my older son at the time, who
was nine, was playing hockey, and so they asked him
to come out on the ice and skate with the
team for the national anthem. And I was being really
strong supporting my family there in the hospital and watching
my son out there. The national anthem comes and I
was just waterworks. It just I lost it. But those
(18:43):
are the types of memories that everyone makes. I mean
the text line you were talking about, how many people
are just texting in talking about how many amazing memories
they have. And by the way, congratulations, I'm finally getting
a text link. Welcome to the you.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
That's so excited first century. And speaking of that, listen
to this. So speaking of meeting wives and husbands or
dates at the Charlotte Coliseum, this texture didn't leave a
name with us, but they said they moved to Charlotte
in nineteen fifty five. He met his wife on stage
at Oven's Auditorium at the sixty fourth anniversary of eleven ten.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
WBT sixty four. Yeah, there you go, yes, Ovens.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
And you also you mentioned Harlem Globetrotters. So the Globetrotters
next year are going to be celebrating their one hundredth year.
Speaker 7 (19:32):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
And they performed, Yeah, sure, they played, performed at Bojingle's
Coliseum that first year in nineteen fifty five.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Well they've played. There's so many. I mean, my parents
took us to see the Globetrotters there when I was
a kid and had to explain to me that it
wasn't a real game. They were like, this was like wrestling.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Speaking of speaking of we have to go down that
road too. And you know, I saw David Copperfield there. Yes, actually,
wait a minute, wait a minut minute, I saw Copperfield
at Ovens.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Yes, now that I think about it, I was there too.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I saw that I see you together before he knew
each other. It's it actually is.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
It is ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
We might have sat beside each other.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
We could have because that was when, you know, David
Copperfield used to do his big TV special and then
he'd go and do it at various cities across the country.
And I remember I was sitting in fear in the
crowd there at Ovens because David Copperfield would choose people
yes to be in the he do like the he'd
do the big disappearing act things that was the main
part of the show. But in the beginning he'd almost
(20:38):
do like a comedy act where he'd go and he'd
bring people on stage and and I did not want
to go on stage.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Oh I did.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
I didn't get up there, but I totally because he
hypnotized people or something at the at the top of
the show.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
So I remember being at Ovens and being, oh my gosh,
please don't like it, like almost ducking down.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Because I didn't want to go up. I was jumping
up and down with you wanted to be sold in half.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Yeah, that doesn't surpris me.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
No, not at all.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
So we're talking about the seventieth anniversary of the Bojangles
Colisseum and Ovens Auditorium, the Boplex as they call it.
I mentioned a story that I was half right about
a few minutes ago about the new Colisseum and the
old Colisseum. It's funny how we did a show one
day about the Mandela effect.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Is that what it's called.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yeah, where people tell stories and then overtime the stories
take different shapes and then they so you, even as
a storyteller, you you make yourself believe that's how it happened.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Or it could be that we've been bumped onto a
different quantum timeline.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
That's right, there's no access for you on this squadron. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
And by the way, you know one of our famous
taglines here at the station, WBT brand new text line,
but the phone line is as old as the Charlotte Coliseum.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
That's so true.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Good morning, this is good morning beat.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Ah see. I hear this music and I'm taking back
to my my days as a young man pro wrestling fan.
When people who are around here know that Jim Crockett
and Francis Crockett ran the Charlotte Knights and what then
was the National Wrestling Alliance and what later became Ted
(22:17):
Turner's WCW. But back in those days, names like Rick
Flair and Dusty Roads and Totally Blanchard and the Andersons
and all these guys used to Basically Charlotte was the
hub for pro wrestling in the Southeast, and so so
many shows pro wrestling shows over the years were at
the then Charlotte Coliseum. I know the first time I
(22:37):
ever saw a pro wrestling card, it was at that building,
and I probably saw I don't know, at least six
or seven, and then several more at the new Coliseum.
But you can't talk about that building, Sean Flynn from
the CRVA and not talk about pro wrestling.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yeah, definitely a part of the fabric of not only
the community but the Boplex. Just so so many amazing memories.
I know, bestman over here during the breaks talking about
all the people who've been texting in. Even got an
old time wrestling fan.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
Oh well, this one is from Chris, Yes, he said,
good morning. Some of my fondest memories setting up the
wrestling room at the wrestling ring at the Coliseum with
his grandfather, Klondike Bill.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
What's funny. What's funny is Beth and I were like, oh,
let's look up Clondike Bill. Bo's like, yeah, of course
Clondike Oil.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Now never saw him, but I've definitely heard of him.
My era was Flair and Dusty and the Legion of
Doom and all those guys. But good times, great oldies.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
So what else we go?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
We got to call her real quick, Ken, real quick,
Kid's get Ken on here line one. Ken, You're on WBT.
Speaker 9 (23:45):
Morning Bow and Beth, good to talk to you again. Hey, Ken,
Nothing gets me excited. And it says more about Charlotte
than the coliseum. And my wife used to work at
Duke Power and one of the original designers brought in
the blueprints to let her and two other people see
them one day, and he said it's the only time
(24:07):
he ever brought them in to show them the original
blueprints of the Colisseum, and that was a big deal.
Well yeah, and one other thing, I have a Charlotte
Clipper program from the seventh hockey game ever played. That's coliseum.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Holy moly, good Clippers.
Speaker 9 (24:24):
Yeah, that's that's one of my pros possessions.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
And and Sean.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You should know that Ken from time to time will
bring some of this memorabilia that he has by and
leave it for us. And we've seen some of it
up close. So when he says he's got something, he's
got something he might need to show that to you.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Yeah, we'd love to see that. And this is exactly
what I'm talking about. This venue has. Everybody has a
menu a memory there. Yeah, and that's what it's all about,
and making more memories in the years to come.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Hey, Ken, thanks for calling man. Good to hear from you,
have a good day. Let's give Let's.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Give ovens At a little love here Ovens Auditorium, how
about this. I'm gonna play some audio from two thousand
and four.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (25:03):
I had lots of requests this evening from the Charlatians.
Speaker 10 (25:09):
And I'm gonna play as many as we can until
they turned the power off on us this evening.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
This was two thousand and four. Bruce Horns me, I
was gonna say it is this Larry Buckthorn at.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
That Ovens Auditorium. I think I've seen him there twice.
But you know, Ovens great venue for concerts.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Yeah, Charlatians love yeah, they are Charlatiantes. Yeah. No, I've
seen River Dance there. The Singing Christmas Tree, yes, wicked.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Wicked, wicked.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
I saw the Ley Miz there when I was in
eighth grade.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
I saw George Carlin there.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
Probably it must have been like the summer of two thousand,
maybe the summer of ninety nine, somewhere in that, in
that range. But the Singing Christmas Tree, Oh my gosh,
that was such a big deal in the Charlotte area
around the holiday time.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Here's the story that I mentioned earlier. I got it
partly right, but it's still it's still connected to the
old Charlotte Coliseum. So the new Charlotte Coliseum opened on
Tybola Road back in nineteen eighty eight. The forty pounds
scoreboard at the New Charlotte Coliseum collapsed to the floor
on August twelfth, nineteen eighty eight. They were getting set
for the preseason of the Charlotte Hornets brand new franchise
(26:18):
back then, and so it destroyed the floor. Now, luckily
didn't hit anybody. Nobody was there when it happened. But
it was a big deal because this was the new
building and the new scoreboard fell and was destroyed, had
to have a new one brought in. But come to
the rescue, or the original Charlotte Coliseum came to the
rescue and brought their old floor to the New Colisseum
(26:39):
so they could play that first game. It was an
exhibition game, and if I remember correctly, it was for
like a pre Olympic deal because that was the nineteen
eighty eight Olympics were coming up. And then after that
the Charlotte Hornets. But they had to use the first
basketball game that's ever played at the new Colisseum. They
had to borrow the old floor from the original Colisseum
because the scoreboard crashed.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I love that we call the new Colisseum the new
Colisseum that's no longer there, and the old Colum is
the old Colisseum still standing.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
Its still standing.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
You know what I like to say about like the
Bowflex and the Bojangles Coliseum is it's kind of like
new cars. I enjoy all the features of a new car,
but there's something about getting in an old classic and
hearing that engine roar and feeling the steering wheel and
the tire. There's something special about driving. And that's the
way I feel when I'm in the Colisseum there. Yeah,
(27:28):
there's something really special.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
Well, you guys have done that. It really now that
it has been connected, that little connector space, what has
been built there, that's a really spectacular space now for
people to go and attend an event.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Well, it's really opened up a lot of different options.
There's a lot of community events there. It's also increased
overall net promoter scores there, so fans enjoy coming there
because part of that was they renovated, it expanded the bathrooms,
there's a new entry point, things like that, so it's
it's definitely enhanced the overall facility. Now. One thing we
(28:01):
haven't talked about the Marquee. The old Marquee okay two
years ago and it was sad when it got taken
down for the view, but it now lives on the
other side and there's we're putting up messaging there specialized
for each of the concerts and things like that. So
it's moved but it's not gone. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Did they ever show Dumbo at Evans Auditorium?
Speaker 4 (28:28):
Probably you had to be here for that one. Yeah, Well, Sean,
it's been great to have you here.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
So much more to learn about the seventieth anniversary of
the Boplex and you of course with the CRBA.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Always good to have you in studio.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Thank you so much for having me here. Enjoy your plex.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
That's right,
Okay, well we'll take this home run through them with
a fine tooth comb, cross the t's and dot the
floor case chase.
Speaker 2 (00:07):
From these talk eleven, ten and ninety nine three double.
Speaker 3 (00:11):
Bet come on, cut it out.
Speaker 4 (00:13):
He's on a special boy. This is Good Morning Beat
with Bo Thompson and Beth Trout.
Speaker 3 (00:19):
But all right, that was a lot of fun right there.
We're going for the whole buffet crab.
Speaker 2 (00:29):
Yeah, it's kind of a metaphor for the whole show.
But but actually this hour and if you've been listening
today specifically, it's literal, as Brett Jensen would say, it's literal.
Speaker 4 (00:43):
We've been talking about the circus.
Speaker 2 (00:45):
I made the passing comment about what about seven o'clock said, Hey,
coming up in the final hour of the show, we
have the director of corporate Communications for the Charlotte Regional
Visitors Authority, our good friend Sean Flynn, coming in and
we're going to talk about the seventieth anniversary of an
iconic set of buildings in Charlotte, North Carolina. That those
(01:05):
being the Bojangles Colisseum and Ovens Auditorium, now today known
as the Boplex. If you grew up here, it was
the original Charlotte Coliseum and ovens. But I said, let's
talk about memories. Let's talk about things you think of
when you think of those two buildings, and immediately Beth
and I talk about the circus.
Speaker 5 (01:25):
We believe, Sean, that we met first at the circus
because bo and I were both chosen from the audience
to ride in the little carriage behind the elephants in
the early eighties with at the Ringling Brothers and Barnum
and Bailey Circus. So we believe that that's actually the
first time we met was in a cart behind an
(01:45):
elephant behind.
Speaker 3 (01:46):
Wow, it's a full circus moment.
Speaker 5 (01:50):
Well pleased.
Speaker 3 (01:51):
So I am a little concerned that you guys brought
had that music coming on when introducing me. I'm like,
are you calling me a clown.
Speaker 5 (02:00):
At all?
Speaker 4 (02:00):
We're saying, welcome to the clown car join us, will you?
Speaker 2 (02:05):
Yes, Well, look it's good to see you. We've had
you in here over the years. You've been you worked
with Holy Angels for a while. You also, way back
in the day, we're a news anchor and reporter to yourself. Well,
now it's Spectrum and then it was time Warner Cable
News and originally it was it was News fourteen Carolina.
Speaker 3 (02:22):
Wow, that's impressive that you can remember all that.
Speaker 4 (02:24):
You were one of the charter members close.
Speaker 3 (02:26):
To us, do it?
Speaker 4 (02:27):
Yes to it?
Speaker 3 (02:27):
I do call myself a survivor or recovering keeping news reporter.
Speaker 5 (02:31):
Well, and so you say that about myself, I'm a
recovering news anchor.
Speaker 6 (02:34):
Yes.
Speaker 4 (02:34):
And we all seem to wind up here.
Speaker 2 (02:38):
So you've been with the CRVA for a while now,
and like I said, director of Corporate Communications. So for
those who don't know, what does that title entail.
Speaker 3 (02:48):
So I've been blessed to never have a job. I've
always been in great places where I've gotten paid to
do what I love to do, which is tell stories.
Interesting enough, I started back in college over at you see,
Santa Barbara, I started in radio. So coming in here
this full circus moment for me. I love radio radios
(03:08):
where it's at. I love the show. You guys are fantastic.
I mean you really bring it. Put a smile on
my face every morning. So it's fantastic love listening to
you all. So what I do at the CRVA is
I help tell their story. I am able to. I
do a lot of internal communications, But I do media relations,
so I get to hang out with folks like you.
(03:28):
Still I get to work on a lot of our
sustainability advocacy programs things like that. So most importantly, I
guess I'm a part of this big team that really
promotes Charlotte's not only to the millions of visitors who
come here every year, but also to the residents. And
talk about how important what it is that the tourism
industry does not only for those who come here, but
(03:50):
for those who live here, right.
Speaker 5 (03:51):
I mean it brings, of course money into our area,
but it also I mean you all remind us, the
folks who live here, of all the incredible things that
we can do and should be doing here in Charlotte,
celebrating our city. But there are so many fun opportunities,
and so many of them have happened at the Boplex.
You brought us a T shirt that has lists and
(04:13):
lists of things that have happened over the last seventy
years in that beautiful facility, and holy moly, I forgot
about half of these.
Speaker 3 (04:21):
It is amazing to think of the people, the performers,
the athletes who have been in those venues. It's I mean,
just think about who dedicated. You have Reverend Billy Graham.
Within the same week, you had Billy Graham and Elvis performing.
You know, when we held a celebration a couple of
weeks ago, you had a city councilman James Mitchell, who
(04:44):
was showing everybody this picture of him playing a high
school basketball game when he was at West Charlotte High
School and he was getting dunked on by James Worthy.
And you see a councilman Mitchell, the picture of him
is like, Wow, that guy's good.
Speaker 4 (04:59):
That guy's really good.
Speaker 5 (05:00):
He's going to be something something.
Speaker 4 (05:01):
James Worthy, I just dunked on Smudgie.
Speaker 3 (05:04):
That's pretty much it. And the thing about it is
that venue and what the CRVA does. We talk about
our whole mission is to make memories for our guests. Yeah,
and that's what the Bowplex is. There are so many
memories there, whether it's a show, a first show, whether
it is a basketball game, whether it's a high school graduation.
(05:25):
It's just I mean, I've only been in Charlotte for
twenty two years now, and I have so many lifetime
memories that were created in those venues.
Speaker 2 (05:34):
Well, I mean, Sean reaches out to me. He says,
I'd like to come on and talk about the Boplex,
And I said, okay, the Boplex. I mean it must
be an incredible play.
Speaker 3 (05:43):
No, I was waiting for that.
Speaker 4 (05:45):
Actually your segment in he got it in.
Speaker 3 (05:49):
Yeah, you know it was coming.
Speaker 2 (05:50):
It's like when I drive up to a bow Jangles
they say it's bow time.
Speaker 4 (05:53):
I said, well, okay, then he says it sure is.
Speaker 7 (05:55):
It is.
Speaker 3 (05:56):
It's always bow time.
Speaker 2 (05:57):
But I want to talk about the history of the building.
You know, everybody who grew up here and even those
who've been here in recent years, you have your your
first thing you ever saw at the at the old
Charlotte Colisseum now the bow Jangles Coliseum, or ovens maybe
your favorite thing. But everybody's got a story and you
don't have to be an old timer to have one.
You could have been here in the last couple of
years and seen a really cool thing. And because you know,
(06:20):
it just recently became that the two buildings are now connected,
which is why we call it the bow Plex now.
But we're going to talk about the ongoing celebration for
the seventieth year and some memories, and you can chime
in on this too if you want to seven oh
four five, seven oh eleven ten. That's a text line.
That's the call in line driven by Liberty View at GMC.
(06:41):
I know Boomer's probably seen some stuff at the at
the bow Plex, a few.
Speaker 8 (06:45):
Shows and concerts and basketball games. Yes, in wrestling match.
Speaker 1 (06:49):
There we go in monster trucks and nice hockey graduation
roller Derby.
Speaker 4 (06:55):
What a place where I graduated high school?
Speaker 8 (06:57):
You know that site there, that a building that struck
are served as the architectural model for the Houston Astrodome.
They modeled the Astrodome after what we had.
Speaker 5 (07:06):
Was one of the first, really first.
Speaker 2 (07:10):
So you're saying that we're kind of a big deal
that the Bojangles Collis m is the Astrodome's mini me, right,
but yet the mini me came first.
Speaker 4 (07:19):
Hey Houston, who's your dad?
Speaker 6 (07:21):
God?
Speaker 4 (07:21):
This is me.
Speaker 6 (07:30):
We have had a wonderful and glorious week again here
in Charlotte. We've already finished a month of meetings, and
I wish you could have been here on Thursday night
when the invitation was given and more than a thousand
people came out of these stands to give themselves to
Jesus Christ as save you and Lord and Master. None
(07:54):
of us that were in that service will ever forget
the moving of the Holy Spirit that night, and night
after night we have seen the hand of God here
in this great colosseum. Now we have one mall week,
one mall week. The crusade definitely ends a week from tonight.
Speaker 2 (08:16):
Nineteen fifty eight. That's Billy Graham at the Charlotte Coliseum
what is now known as the bo Jangles Colisseum, and
he would go on to appear there a few more times.
But nineteen fifty eight, that's the audio from Billy Graham,
the late Billy Graham, at a building we're talking about
today with our friend Sean Flynn from the CRVA, the
(08:37):
Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority, the old Charlotte Coliseum, the original
bo Jangles Coliseum is seventy years old, as is Oven's Auditorium.
But you know, we mentioned some of the iconic people
that have been there. There are a few that you
could mention that would rival that voice right there. And
I had that piece of audio back from when Reverend
(08:57):
Graham passed away several years ago, and we went through
all that old audio. But I got to learn about
all of the times that he had used that building
for his ministry.
Speaker 3 (09:09):
Yeah, it is a special place. And he even talked
about during the when he was dedicating that building that
Charlotte has arrived as a big city now and apparently
we needed these facilities to be that big city. Interesting
sidebar note, I actually went to Billy Graham's final crusade
in New York City, so I definitely have a connection
to him and what he's done for this community.
Speaker 2 (09:31):
And of course the Billy Graham Library and just one
of you can't talk about Charlotte, North Carolina and not
mention doctor.
Speaker 4 (09:39):
Graham and the BGEA.
Speaker 2 (09:41):
And we're talking about Boplex memories, the Boplex which is
now known as the Bojangles Coliseum, and the connected Ovens
Auditorium that was a few years back during the renovations.
But we're having people call in today with memories of
the buildings because seven decades of existence. Really quick, let's
go to Sam on line one. Sam wants to say
(10:02):
hello this morning. We've got Sean Flynn and Bowen Beth
here on WBT.
Speaker 7 (10:06):
Sam, Hey, good morning, thanks for doing this. This is awesome.
So my family owned Ernie's records, which you got to
talk about sometimes.
Speaker 1 (10:14):
I thought, that's who this was Ernie's record, Sam, how
cool to hear from you.
Speaker 4 (10:19):
Talk about Charlotte institutions.
Speaker 7 (10:21):
Well we're kind of old, so there you go, a
good time. So we sold Kaleidoscope tickets for the Convot
was who produced all the concerts in Charlotte at that time,
so we got to go to every concert. The only
person I think I never saw was probably Elvis Presley,
saw Jimmy Hendrix there Chicago. I mean, even Barry Manilow,
(10:42):
you know whatever, I mean, whatever, But I remember my
parents have a picture We went and saw Glenn Campbell.
He actually had a cast on his arm. He did
a concert at Ovens and then my parents had a
picture they went there in Saul Ronald Reagan. I don't
know what for, but he was there speaking. I guess maybe.
(11:05):
So many great memories. We lived near there on Commonwealth
when we were growing up, and the coolest thing was
we would go sledding on the parking lot of Bojangles
or Charlotte Coliseum at that time. Great sledding because of
the heel. Yeah, and it was just a cool place
to hang out. I mean that's like a different memory.
But it's just been there forever and I couldn't imagine
it not being a part of Charlotte.
Speaker 4 (11:25):
Yeah.
Speaker 2 (11:25):
Yeah, Well Sean was talking about how it was, you know,
the look of it is still to this day. I mean,
so many different arenas and and and huge. I mean
just think about all the different stadiums that we've seen
over the years that they've built these taj mahalls of gatherings.
But then the Charlotte Colisseum, the Bojanngles Coliseum still has
(11:46):
that unique look to it. And we were mentioning that
the astrodome was in part taken from a design that
was originally done for the smaller Charlotte Colosseum. So I
still drive by it and you can't you can't not look.
It's just a it's just a it's an impressive architectural building.
Speaker 5 (12:04):
Well, and when you drive by it, and Sam, you
probably have this experience because you've been there so many times.
When you drive by it, I can smell it, I
can smell what it felt like to be inside.
Speaker 3 (12:14):
Yes, hopefully that's a.
Speaker 1 (12:16):
Good yes, yes, but then you.
Speaker 2 (12:21):
Yes, it's gonna say it's probably it's probably like an
interesting combo of a lot of smells.
Speaker 5 (12:28):
Well, it's kind of It's got the It has the
smell of popcorn and the pretzels and the concession stands
and sweat and ice and all of the things that
have been there over the years. There's something really nostalgic
about the smell of it. They should make that into
a candle. You should have a Charlotte Collision one.
Speaker 3 (12:45):
I don't know about that.
Speaker 4 (12:46):
That sounds like a candle. You might have been able
to buy it Ernie's back.
Speaker 7 (12:49):
In the day, Yes, probably so, I would say some incense.
Speaker 2 (12:54):
Uh huh, because you know you had some incense. You
had you had the tied diyes. I think for a while,
I mean, Ernie's was mostly music. But I've told people
before Ernie's was the only place in Charlotte that would
give me money for used cassette singles. Dan Phipps used
to give me a quarter for cassette singles. And I'm
telling you, man, I brought him like boxes and he's like,
(13:15):
oh it's you again.
Speaker 7 (13:15):
Yeah, it's funny. Well, yeah, we're still all together, except
for of course, I only passed away twenty years ago.
But it's we're still all hanging out together.
Speaker 4 (13:24):
My brothers tell them, we said tell everybody, we said hello,
We appreciate.
Speaker 7 (13:27):
You guy, thank you for sharing the memories of it. Yes, sir,
so the Coloseum today, it's awesome.
Speaker 9 (13:32):
So bo.
Speaker 3 (13:33):
It was back in two thousand and nine that the
Charlotte Historic Landmarks Commission actually made that the exterior of
that building a historic landmark. So that's one of the
reasons why it stays that same historic icon iconic image.
Speaker 2 (13:46):
Love it.
Speaker 5 (13:46):
I've always loved especially when there's an event going on
because there's so much glass, you can see the activity
that's going on inside, and it makes you wish that
you had tickets to whatever. I mean, it was a
brilliant design when they first put it up. Because of
that feature, you want to be inside of it.
Speaker 3 (14:02):
You know. And he also brought up Ronald Reagan speaking there.
If you think about all the past presidential recent presidential
all of the candidates have come there and been a
part of that. This venue is not just about sports,
it's not just about graduations. I mean they even during
COVID they opened up for testing for giving out vaccinations.
It's always just been a part of the community threat.
Speaker 2 (14:25):
You know, they built that huge twenty three thousand plus
seat New Charlotte Coliseum back in nineteen eighty eight, and
it was all spiffy ready to go for the first
exhibition Hornets game, and then it wasn't played there, and
people who were here know why. And it was played
at the old Colisseum because well, you had to have
(14:45):
a place.
Speaker 4 (14:45):
To go back to.
Speaker 2 (14:46):
We'll talk about that story and more with Sean Flynn
here celebrating seventy years of the iconic venues Oven's Auditorium
and what is now the Bojangles Colisseum.
Speaker 5 (14:56):
Do you let the ladies play ice hockey with you?
Speaker 3 (14:58):
I want to play ice hockey.
Speaker 7 (15:00):
There are a few girls that come out.
Speaker 3 (15:01):
Yeah, that would be so much fun.
Speaker 4 (15:03):
Think you just got a new one. Yes, after the show,
Beth goes out in the street shoot just gone what for?
Speaker 8 (15:10):
What?
Speaker 1 (15:10):
That's wild?
Speaker 2 (15:13):
Speaking of cars check, we're playing hockey where we're doing
traffic reports.
Speaker 4 (15:17):
We're multitasking, which is what we do on this show.
Speaker 5 (15:20):
And we stay young by just you know, having fun conversations.
Speaker 4 (15:24):
And why do we do all these things at once?
Speaker 2 (15:27):
Because we have short attentions fans, This is good morning beaty.
Speaker 4 (15:34):
Hello out there, we're on the air.
Speaker 10 (15:36):
It's hockey night tonight. Tension goes, the whistle blows, and
the fuck.
Speaker 3 (15:41):
Goes down the ice.
Speaker 10 (15:42):
Good morning, The goalie jumps and the players bumping the
fans all go insane. Someone roars Bunny Stores at the
good old hockey game. Oh, the good hockey game is
the best game.
Speaker 4 (15:56):
First time I heard this last game.
Speaker 6 (15:58):
You can name.
Speaker 2 (16:00):
Hockey games that a Checkers game. So I know Sean
would love this song. And we can't talk about seventy
years of the Bojangles Coliseum without talking about.
Speaker 4 (16:11):
The Charlotte Checkers.
Speaker 2 (16:13):
And by the way, in studio with us, if you're
just joining us from the CRVA, the Charlotte Regional Visitors
Authority is the director of corporate communications. Longtime friend of
the show, Sean Flynn talking about seventy years of the
two iconic buildings, the Bojangles Coliseum and of course Ovens Auditorium,
together they make the Bowplex. But you gota, you really
(16:35):
kind of got to start with the Charlotte Checkers if
you're going to talk about that building, right, Yeah.
Speaker 3 (16:39):
The Checkers their primary tenant over there, and they are
such a important part of this community. My first interactions
with them were they they helped me out with a
nonprofit fundraiser I was trying to do, and they did
this with so many different organizations. Love the Checkers, Love
the family that they have over there. Tara just you know,
retired after leading that organization for a couple decades, and
(17:01):
Sean and Paul just a great group of people. I
personally have so many memories there. During the break, we
were chatting that my first real date with my now
wife was at a Charlotte Checkers game. I think Beth
has a similar story.
Speaker 5 (17:17):
Yes, one of my most memorable, one of the very
first dates my husband and I had with each other
was at a Checkers game.
Speaker 3 (17:25):
Who knew so many people thought that was a romantic
night out to watch men fight each other.
Speaker 5 (17:31):
Well, it was for me.
Speaker 1 (17:32):
It was the nachos we were sharing at the ka nachos.
I have to read since we're talking about hockey, I
have to read this text from one of our listeners.
She said, my family moved to Charlotte in the fifties
from Saint Catherine's, Ontario, Canada. My father, Jim McNulty, played
hockey for the Charlotte Clippers, which was the original name
of the team. We have so many lifetime memories from
(17:54):
hockey games, concerts, circuses, the Globe Trotters, everything playing there too.
Speaker 3 (17:59):
Yeah, and it's such a great organization. I will tell you.
One of my most impactful moments was, you know, I've
been on the show a couple of times talking about
a couple of different things, but you know, you're all there.
When my youngest son was going through cancer treatment and
the Checkers found out about that by visiting him in
the hospital. Chubby was there. It was great. This is
(18:20):
seven some odd years ago, and so they reached out
and they knew my older son at the time, who
was nine, was playing hockey, and so they asked him
to come out on the ice and skate with the
team for the national anthem. And I was being really
strong supporting my family there in the hospital and watching
my son out there. The national anthem comes and I
was just waterworks. It just I lost it. But those
(18:43):
are the types of memories that everyone makes. I mean
the text line you were talking about, how many people
are just texting in talking about how many amazing memories
they have. And by the way, congratulations, I'm finally getting
a text link. Welcome to the you.
Speaker 5 (19:00):
That's so excited first century. And speaking of that, listen
to this. So speaking of meeting wives and husbands or
dates at the Charlotte Coliseum, this texture didn't leave a
name with us, but they said they moved to Charlotte
in nineteen fifty five. He met his wife on stage
at Oven's Auditorium at the sixty fourth anniversary of eleven ten.
Speaker 4 (19:21):
WBT sixty four. Yeah, there you go, yes, Ovens.
Speaker 3 (19:26):
And you also you mentioned Harlem Globetrotters. So the Globetrotters
next year are going to be celebrating their one hundredth year.
Speaker 7 (19:32):
Wow.
Speaker 3 (19:33):
And they performed, Yeah, sure, they played, performed at Bojingle's
Coliseum that first year in nineteen fifty five.
Speaker 5 (19:41):
Well they've played. There's so many. I mean, my parents
took us to see the Globetrotters there when I was
a kid and had to explain to me that it
wasn't a real game. They were like, this was like wrestling.
Speaker 2 (19:51):
Speaking of speaking of we have to go down that
road too. And you know, I saw David Copperfield there. Yes, actually,
wait a minute, wait a minut minute, I saw Copperfield
at Ovens.
Speaker 4 (20:03):
Yes, now that I think about it, I was there too.
Speaker 3 (20:06):
I saw that I see you together before he knew
each other. It's it actually is.
Speaker 5 (20:14):
It is ridiculous.
Speaker 1 (20:15):
We might have sat beside each other.
Speaker 2 (20:16):
We could have because that was when, you know, David
Copperfield used to do his big TV special and then
he'd go and do it at various cities across the country.
And I remember I was sitting in fear in the
crowd there at Ovens because David Copperfield would choose people
yes to be in the he do like the he'd
do the big disappearing act things that was the main
part of the show. But in the beginning he'd almost
(20:38):
do like a comedy act where he'd go and he'd
bring people on stage and and I did not want
to go on stage.
Speaker 4 (20:43):
Oh I did.
Speaker 5 (20:44):
I didn't get up there, but I totally because he
hypnotized people or something at the at the top of
the show.
Speaker 2 (20:50):
So I remember being at Ovens and being, oh my gosh,
please don't like it, like almost ducking down.
Speaker 4 (20:54):
Because I didn't want to go up. I was jumping
up and down with you wanted to be sold in half.
Speaker 3 (20:57):
Yeah, that doesn't surpris me.
Speaker 4 (20:58):
No, not at all.
Speaker 2 (21:00):
So we're talking about the seventieth anniversary of the Bojangles
Colisseum and Ovens Auditorium, the Boplex as they call it.
I mentioned a story that I was half right about
a few minutes ago about the new Colisseum and the
old Colisseum. It's funny how we did a show one
day about the Mandela effect.
Speaker 4 (21:16):
Is that what it's called.
Speaker 2 (21:17):
Yeah, where people tell stories and then overtime the stories
take different shapes and then they so you, even as
a storyteller, you you make yourself believe that's how it happened.
Speaker 5 (21:27):
Or it could be that we've been bumped onto a
different quantum timeline.
Speaker 4 (21:31):
That's right, there's no access for you on this squadron. Yeah.
Speaker 2 (21:36):
And by the way, you know one of our famous
taglines here at the station, WBT brand new text line,
but the phone line is as old as the Charlotte Coliseum.
Speaker 1 (21:44):
That's so true.
Speaker 4 (21:45):
Good morning, this is good morning beat.
Speaker 2 (21:53):
Ah see. I hear this music and I'm taking back
to my my days as a young man pro wrestling fan.
When people who are around here know that Jim Crockett
and Francis Crockett ran the Charlotte Knights and what then
was the National Wrestling Alliance and what later became Ted
(22:17):
Turner's WCW. But back in those days, names like Rick
Flair and Dusty Roads and Totally Blanchard and the Andersons
and all these guys used to Basically Charlotte was the
hub for pro wrestling in the Southeast, and so so
many shows pro wrestling shows over the years were at
the then Charlotte Coliseum. I know the first time I
(22:37):
ever saw a pro wrestling card, it was at that building,
and I probably saw I don't know, at least six
or seven, and then several more at the new Coliseum.
But you can't talk about that building, Sean Flynn from
the CRVA and not talk about pro wrestling.
Speaker 3 (22:51):
Yeah, definitely a part of the fabric of not only
the community but the Boplex. Just so so many amazing memories.
I know, bestman over here during the breaks talking about
all the people who've been texting in. Even got an
old time wrestling fan.
Speaker 5 (23:07):
Oh well, this one is from Chris, Yes, he said,
good morning. Some of my fondest memories setting up the
wrestling room at the wrestling ring at the Coliseum with
his grandfather, Klondike Bill.
Speaker 3 (23:21):
What's funny. What's funny is Beth and I were like, oh,
let's look up Clondike Bill. Bo's like, yeah, of course
Clondike Oil.
Speaker 2 (23:28):
Now never saw him, but I've definitely heard of him.
My era was Flair and Dusty and the Legion of
Doom and all those guys. But good times, great oldies.
Speaker 4 (23:39):
So what else we go?
Speaker 2 (23:40):
We got to call her real quick, Ken, real quick,
Kid's get Ken on here line one. Ken, You're on WBT.
Speaker 9 (23:45):
Morning Bow and Beth, good to talk to you again. Hey, Ken,
Nothing gets me excited. And it says more about Charlotte
than the coliseum. And my wife used to work at
Duke Power and one of the original designers brought in
the blueprints to let her and two other people see
them one day, and he said it's the only time
(24:07):
he ever brought them in to show them the original
blueprints of the Colisseum, and that was a big deal.
Well yeah, and one other thing, I have a Charlotte
Clipper program from the seventh hockey game ever played. That's coliseum.
Speaker 4 (24:22):
Holy moly, good Clippers.
Speaker 9 (24:24):
Yeah, that's that's one of my pros possessions.
Speaker 4 (24:28):
And and Sean.
Speaker 2 (24:29):
You should know that Ken from time to time will
bring some of this memorabilia that he has by and
leave it for us. And we've seen some of it
up close. So when he says he's got something, he's
got something he might need to show that to you.
Speaker 3 (24:39):
Yeah, we'd love to see that. And this is exactly
what I'm talking about. This venue has. Everybody has a
menu a memory there. Yeah, and that's what it's all about,
and making more memories in the years to come.
Speaker 4 (24:50):
Hey, Ken, thanks for calling man. Good to hear from you,
have a good day. Let's give Let's.
Speaker 2 (24:53):
Give ovens At a little love here Ovens Auditorium, how
about this. I'm gonna play some audio from two thousand
and four.
Speaker 4 (25:02):
Thank you very much.
Speaker 6 (25:03):
I had lots of requests this evening from the Charlatians.
Speaker 10 (25:09):
And I'm gonna play as many as we can until
they turned the power off on us this evening.
Speaker 4 (25:16):
This was two thousand and four. Bruce Horns me, I
was gonna say it is this Larry Buckthorn at.
Speaker 2 (25:20):
That Ovens Auditorium. I think I've seen him there twice.
But you know, Ovens great venue for concerts.
Speaker 3 (25:25):
Yeah, Charlatians love yeah, they are Charlatiantes. Yeah. No, I've
seen River Dance there. The Singing Christmas Tree, yes, wicked.
Speaker 4 (25:35):
Wicked, wicked.
Speaker 5 (25:36):
I saw the Ley Miz there when I was in
eighth grade.
Speaker 4 (25:39):
I saw George Carlin there.
Speaker 5 (25:41):
Probably it must have been like the summer of two thousand,
maybe the summer of ninety nine, somewhere in that, in
that range. But the Singing Christmas Tree, Oh my gosh,
that was such a big deal in the Charlotte area
around the holiday time.
Speaker 2 (25:56):
Here's the story that I mentioned earlier. I got it
partly right, but it's still it's still connected to the
old Charlotte Coliseum. So the new Charlotte Coliseum opened on
Tybola Road back in nineteen eighty eight. The forty pounds
scoreboard at the New Charlotte Coliseum collapsed to the floor
on August twelfth, nineteen eighty eight. They were getting set
for the preseason of the Charlotte Hornets brand new franchise
(26:18):
back then, and so it destroyed the floor. Now, luckily
didn't hit anybody. Nobody was there when it happened. But
it was a big deal because this was the new
building and the new scoreboard fell and was destroyed, had
to have a new one brought in. But come to
the rescue, or the original Charlotte Coliseum came to the
rescue and brought their old floor to the New Colisseum
(26:39):
so they could play that first game. It was an
exhibition game, and if I remember correctly, it was for
like a pre Olympic deal because that was the nineteen
eighty eight Olympics were coming up. And then after that
the Charlotte Hornets. But they had to use the first
basketball game that's ever played at the new Colisseum. They
had to borrow the old floor from the original Colisseum
because the scoreboard crashed.
Speaker 3 (27:00):
I love that we call the new Colisseum the new
Colisseum that's no longer there, and the old Colum is
the old Colisseum still standing.
Speaker 5 (27:06):
Its still standing.
Speaker 3 (27:08):
You know what I like to say about like the
Bowflex and the Bojangles Coliseum is it's kind of like
new cars. I enjoy all the features of a new car,
but there's something about getting in an old classic and
hearing that engine roar and feeling the steering wheel and
the tire. There's something special about driving. And that's the
way I feel when I'm in the Colisseum there. Yeah,
(27:28):
there's something really special.
Speaker 5 (27:29):
Well, you guys have done that. It really now that
it has been connected, that little connector space, what has
been built there, that's a really spectacular space now for
people to go and attend an event.
Speaker 3 (27:41):
Well, it's really opened up a lot of different options.
There's a lot of community events there. It's also increased
overall net promoter scores there, so fans enjoy coming there
because part of that was they renovated, it expanded the bathrooms,
there's a new entry point, things like that, so it's
it's definitely enhanced the overall facility. Now. One thing we
(28:01):
haven't talked about the Marquee. The old Marquee okay two
years ago and it was sad when it got taken
down for the view, but it now lives on the
other side and there's we're putting up messaging there specialized
for each of the concerts and things like that. So
it's moved but it's not gone. That's awesome.
Speaker 2 (28:20):
Did they ever show Dumbo at Evans Auditorium?
Speaker 4 (28:28):
Probably you had to be here for that one. Yeah, Well, Sean,
it's been great to have you here.
Speaker 2 (28:33):
So much more to learn about the seventieth anniversary of
the Boplex and you of course with the CRBA.
Speaker 4 (28:39):
Always good to have you in studio.
Speaker 3 (28:40):
Thank you so much for having me here. Enjoy your plex.
Speaker 4 (28:43):
That's right,
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