Stadiumjourney.com is a site dedicated to sports venues of all shapes and sizes, and in particular, reviews of said venues.
They recently sent us a note here at the HQ, as the home of our beloved Raptors, the Air Canada Centre, was one of their more recently reviewed stadiums.
How did the ACC fare, not so bad actually.
A 3.7 out of 5 score was given based on various attributes like food and beverage, atmosphere, neighborhood and fans. "Food" and "neighborhood" in fact scored top marks, and perhaps to no surprise, categories like "return on investment" and "fans" dragged down the overall mark.
Personally, I'd give the venue a 3 out of 5 because it lacks a certain nostalgic element that many other venues possess. Sure, the fact the Raptors have been around for less than two decades doesn't help, but neither does the amount of Leafs paraphernalia compared to that of the Dinos, something Stadiumjourney.com does call out.
Their final thoughts on the venue?
The Raptors are at a crossroads in their existence. The inferiority complex felt by fans has led to some serious apathy, and that is a bit scary for the basketball scene in Canada. Many believe that the answer is waiting in free-agent to be, Kid Canada, Steve Nash. However, it is clear that the Raptors need some sort of drawing card to bring the fans back to The Hangar.
No pressure if you come here Steve, no pressure.