The Spectrum: Philadelphia's Beloved Home of Champions

In Philadelphia, they called it the Spectrum. And for 40 years, it was the house where champions were made.

The Arena

The Spectrum opened in 1967 on South Broad Street in South Philadelphia, part of the sports complex that also included Veterans Stadium. It was home to the Philadelphia Flyers and the Philadelphia 76ers — two franchises that, in the 1970s and 80s, would produce some of the most memorable teams in American sports history.

The building held about 17,000 for hockey and 18,000 for basketball. It was loud, intimate, and intensely Philadelphia — a building that reflected the city's blue-collar identity and its passionate, demanding fanbase.

The Broad Street Bullies

The Philadelphia Flyers of the mid-1970s were one of the most controversial and beloved teams in NHL history. The "Broad Street Bullies" — named for their physical, aggressive style of play — won back-to-back Stanley Cup championships in 1974 and 1975. Bobby Clarke, Bill Barber, Bernie Parent, and the rest of the Bullies played a brand of hockey that was simultaneously thrilling and terrifying, and the Spectrum crowd loved every minute of it.

The 76ers

The 76ers brought their own championship glory to the Spectrum, winning the NBA title in 1983 behind Moses Malone, Julius "Dr. J" Erving, and a roster that went 65-17 in the regular season. Malone's famous prediction — "Fo', fo', fo'" (meaning four-game sweeps in each playoff round) — became one of the most quoted lines in NBA history. They went fo', fo', fo' (with one exception), and the Spectrum erupted.

The End

The Spectrum closed in 2009 when the Wells Fargo Center took over as the primary venue. It was demolished in 2011. The site is now a parking lot — a fate that seems unworthy of a building that hosted so much history.

The Spectrum Arena Philadelphia Retro T-shirt is for Flyers fans, Sixers fans, and anyone who loves Philadelphia sports history. Find it in the Philadelphia collection.