Renovated MSG To Bring Sports Arenas Into (A Six-Year-Old's View Of) The Future

The first thing that jumps out at you in the renderings of the new-and-improved Madison Square Garden are two "sky bridges" that hang over the floor. Gimmicky? Yep. Sure to be ridiculously-priced for something higher than the highest nosebleeds? You betcha.

First of all, if you don't think "from the rafters" is the best place to watch a hockey game, then clearly you've never seen Sudden Death. ("Action goes into overtime!")

The iconic but decrepit Garden is going to start a four-year renovation, in which they'll address the deficiencies common to older arenas.

After conducting focus groups with fans, MSG officials found that the biggest complaints were over the arena's lobby, its narrow concourses, the limited food choices, the lack of bathrooms and the poor sightlines at the higher levels, Ratner said.

Notice how no one listed "fucking sky bridges." But they'll be there — "a signature element," they say — and they'll be expensive. MSG plans to treat them as premium seats, even though they'll be higher than the JumboTron. And, from the renderings, it looks like the action on your half of the floor will play out beneath your feet, out of sight.

But at least you'll be able to throw peanuts at Spike Lee from above.

MSG going above & beyond [NY Post]