Goodbye, Fleet,
     HELLO GARDEN!
The return of the Garden sparks a wave of nostalgia
by Diana Aramburu

DID YOU KNOW? As Delaware North Companies, owner and operator of Boston’s FleetCenter, looked to negotiate a deal for a permanent naming rights partner, they auctioned off single-day naming rights to the venue on eBay. Bostonians cringed on March 1, 2005 when one jokester attempted to rename the FleetCenter the DerekJeterCenter. Calls of protest from locals poured in, and eventually a friend of the bidder ponied up extra dough to instead name it The Jimmy Fund Center, in honor of the Boston Red Sox's favorite charity.

It was probably the least fancy of all NHL arenas and the most unconventional NBA court, but the old Boston Garden still holds a special place in the hearts of Celtics and Bruins fans—even those who never set foot in the place. The Garden, much like the fans it housed for decades, wasn’t pretentious—it was full of rats, quirks and warped floorboards, but in its 70 years, it housed stars like Larry Bird, Bobby Orr and Gerry Cheevers. Considered one of the most revered landmarks of 20th century New England, the Boston Garden on Causeway Street was more than just a sports arena, until its dismantling in September 1995. It drew crowds to watch everyone from The Beatles to Disney on Ice, and served as a forum for political events and speakers such as FDR, Churchill and Kennedy.

A recently-signed 20-year deal has returned the Garden name to the home of the Celtics and Bruins. The arena we knew as the FleetCenter for the last decade will now be the TD Banknorth Garden until 2025.

While most New England sports fans would agree that the current 19,600-seat arena is flashier and shinier, the arena lacks some of the old Garden’s trademark charms. In the Garden's heyday, for example, Celtics legends like Bob Cousy were said to have used the wooden parquet floor’s warped boards to steal dribbles and passes from opposing teams. (The parquet—perhaps the only legendary floor in history—was moved to the FleetCenter in 1995, and later retired in December 1999.) Even today, though, fans have the opportunity to purchase pieces of the parquet, which can range from a minimal $25 to $150 for framed and autographed pieces. The continued market for such souvenirs suggests that the old Garden’s popularity has hardly faded, and that the return of the Garden name should be a slam dunk success.