The Aud Thread

[4_kidd_4]

@Seasons1992

 

Here’s a few pics I happened to have on my phone. Will add more from the vault later.

 

From several, ahem, “field trips” inside the shuttered Aud, ca. spring 2007;

 

 

[4_kidd_4]

[LewPort71]

Great pics.  Thanks for the memories.
 

[DD4Bills]

It looks just like I remember when I was last there in the early 70s.

[Marv's Neighbor]

Aud Lang Syne.

[Seasons1992]

@4_kidd_4

 

Thanks so much for these! Happy I have a pair of oranges for the rest of my life to remember the good times.

 

I don't advocate stealing, but I would have absolutely ransacked that place for mementos and items; as much as I could have held.

I miss the smell. 

[4_kidd_4]

8 minutes ago, Seasons1992 said:

@4_kidd_4

 

Thanks so much for these! Happy I have a pair of oranges for the rest of my life to remember the good times.

 

I don't advocate stealing, but I would have absolutely ransacked that place for mementos and items; as much as I could have held.

I miss the smell. 

 

The Aud dank. That’s  a smell ya never forget. 

 

From what I understand they literally locked the place up as-is in 1996. After that the floor was occasionally used to build large set pieces for Sheas. I think somewhere around 2001-02 they opened it up to the public for a fixture sale. Basically you could buy any equipment you could pull. I saw pics from around that time and it really looked like they could put some ice down and play hockey, it was in  pretty good shape.

 

Then from what I understand shortly thereafter they stopped powering & heating the building, which led to pipes bursting, water damage, and a swift decline of the interior. When I was in there it was freezing temps, and the upper concourses were iced over. Then I was in again about a week later, it had warmed a bit and water was literally flowing down the staircases in the seating bowl. The basement was also flooded with at least a foot or two of water. Lots of collapsed ceilings and exposed rebar.

 

I read somewhere they left a huge video library amongst other significant ‘artifacts’ that were eventually pillaged.  We found file cabinets full of event permits going back to the 40’s & 50’s. There were some floor panels from the basketball court , some visitor team nameplates from the scoreboard.

 

I wasn’t on a thievin’ mission but I did grab some papers including a pretty unintentionally funny marketing report from the early 80’s, an inter office memo initialed by Norty Knox & other execs, a stack of official Aud mailing envelopes, a program from the last Sabres game at The Aud, and a season ticket brochure for the last Sabres season there ($240 for a whole season in the oranges!!) which features some concept drawings of “Crossroads Arena”, remember that?!?

 

I can snap some pics of this stuff too.

[Seasons1992]

19 minutes ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

 

The Aud dank. That’s  a smell ya never forget. 

 

From what I understand they literally locked the place up as-is in 1996. After that the floor was occasionally used to build large set pieces for Sheas. I think somewhere around 2001-02 they opened it up to the public for a fixture sale. Basically you could buy any equipment you could pull. I saw pics from around that time and it really looked like they could put some ice down and play hockey, it was in  pretty good shape.

 

Then from what I understand shortly thereafter they stopped powering & heating the building, which led to pipes bursting, water damage, and a swift decline of the interior. When I was in there it was freezing temps, and the upper concourses were iced over. Then I was in again about a week later, it had warmed a bit and water was literally flowing down the staircases in the seating bowl. The basement was also flooded with at least a foot or two of water. Lots of collapsed ceilings and exposed rebar.

 

I read somewhere they left a huge video library amongst other significant ‘artifacts’ that were eventually pillaged.  We found file cabinets full of event permits going back to the 40’s & 50’s. There were some floor panels from the basketball court , some visitor team nameplates from the scoreboard.

 

I wasn’t on a thievin’ mission but I did grab some papers including a pretty unintentionally funny marketing report from the early 80’s, an inter office memo initialed by Norty Knox & other execs, a stack of official Aud mailing envelopes, a program from the last Sabres game at The Aud, and a season ticket brochure for the last Sabres season there ($240 for a whole season in the oranges!!) which features some concept drawings of “Crossroads Arena”, remember that?!?

 

I can snap some pics of this stuff too.

 

MORE. I want more!

 

I distinctly remember the "Crossroads" sign on the one end of the arena. 

I'll buy one envelope from you.

Edited February 16, 2021 by Seasons1992

[Beerball]

The oranges

[US Egg]

My father split seasons in '72-74, he'd get 8 pair. No playoffs, the guy whose name the seats were in kept them.

 

So I'd get to go 2-3 games. Entering the Aud seemed magical, a feeling of awe.

 

Like going to Crystal Beach, but more regal.    

 

   

[4_kidd_4]

[Augie]

50 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

My father split seasons in '72-74, he'd get 8 pair. No playoffs, the guy whose name the seats were in kept them.

 

So I'd get to go 2-3 games. Entering the Aud seemed magical, a feeling of awe.

 

Like going to Crystal Beach, but more regal.    

 

   

 

We split seasons to the Braves. Even if money were no object, that was perfect. TOO many games and it would stop being so special, and that never happened. We were 15-20 rows up in the corner, great seats! I can still hear the squeaking of the shoes on the floor. It was intimate, and they actually tried (which you don’t always get with today’s NBA). My sister also used to babysit Bob Kauffman’s kid, so it was that much more cool. 

 

We would also spend our summers at some little cottage at Crystal Beach. It was so small I slept on the front screened porch and thought it was a special treat for me. Nope, they just didn't have room inside! As an adult living in Florida I used to spend nights on a hammock on the screened lanai. Love it to this day, and I think Crystal Beach is part of that. 

 

Those are two great memories! 

[4_kidd_4]

[US Egg]

4 minutes ago, Augie said:

I can still hear the squeaking of the shoes on the floor.

Was a member of the Buffalo Braves Jr. booster club.

 

A "perk" was getting discounted orange tickets at J.C. Penny. Slid down to lower blues and upper reds behind seats behind the basket, which were often empty in the early years.

 

Hearing sneakers squeaking was initially surprising.    

[Augie]

18 minutes ago, I am the egg man said:

Was a member of the Buffalo Braves Jr. booster club.

 

A "perk" was getting discounted orange tickets at J.C. Penny. Slid down to lower blues and upper reds behind seats behind the basket, which were often empty in the early years.

 

Hearing sneakers squeaking was initially surprising.    

 

Yeah, that didn’t happen with my friends on the blacktop by my home. Bob Kaufman used to come over and spend a lot of time playing with us. What a great guy to give so much time to a bunch of middle school kids. His wife was also tall, and they had bronze baby shoes at the house that just might have fit ME!  Haha 

[T&C]

I never went to a Braves game but did make it to 3 Sabres games and we lost every damn time lol. Last one was hosting the Blackhawks in 1977. Saw a few concerts there too, last one was Rush in either 76 or 77... still have the stub, think it was 76 come to think of it.

 

Crystal Beach was purely magical to me... we used to go once a year but we drove, never took the boat. The Peace bridge was always cool to go over and my Dad liked to drive anyways. First time I was tall enough to ride the Comet was like later on in life getting laid for the first time... one hell of a thrill. Laff in the Dark or The Carpet ride, can't remember which, introduced me to ladies in underwear... no tbacks or bikini's back then, just the "big old ugly cotton jobs" as was referenced in a song. 

 

I checked out this video quite awhile back, maybe in June... its kind of long and some of the footage isn't so good so just skip through it a bit at a time I would suggest. :57 mark is pretty funny, don't think anything like that would happen these days.

 

Thanks to the OP for the pics... some of them are shown in this vid. Enjoy.

 

 

Edited February 16, 2021 by T&C

[4_kidd_4]

@T&C

 

That video looks fantastic!! Just skimmed thru it real quick, I’ve seen parts of it before but never all compiled like that, I look forward to watching the entire thing.

[T&C]

13 minutes ago, 4_kidd_4 said:

@T&C

 

That video looks fantastic!! Just skimmed thru it real quick, I’ve seen parts of it before but never all compiled like that, I look forward to watching the entire thing.

Good deal. Its been so long since I last went I can't remember any of it lol... I just know I was there.

[Augie]

58 minutes ago, T&C said:

I never went to a Braves game but did make it to 3 Sabres games and we lost every damn time lol. Last one was hosting the Blackhawks in 1977. Saw a few concerts there too, last one was Rush in either 76 or 77... still have the stub, think it was 76 come to think of it.

 

Crystal Beach was purely magical to me... we used to go once a year but we drove, never took the boat. The Peace bridge was always cool to go over and my Dad liked to drive anyways. First time I was tall enough to ride the Comet was like later on in life getting laid for the first time... one hell of a thrill. Laff in the Dark or The Carpet ride, can't remember which, introduced me to ladies in underwear... no tbacks or bikini's back then, just the "big old ugly cotton jobs" as was referenced in a song. 

 

I checked out this video quite awhile back, maybe in June... its kind of long and some of the footage isn't so good so just skip through it a bit at a time I would suggest. :57 mark is pretty funny, don't think anything like that would happen these days.

 

Thanks to the OP for the pics... some of them are shown in this vid. Enjoy.

 

 

 

Ha! We drove over for a couple months every summer and my dad drove back for work every day. I didn’t even know there WAS a boat! 

Edited February 16, 2021 by Augie

[T&C]

5 minutes ago, Augie said:

 

Ha! We drove over for a couple months every summer and my dad drove back for work every day. I didn’t even know there WAS a boat! 

Did you bathe at the beach?