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New Orleans Sun Belt Nets

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The New Orleans Sun Belt Nets were a charter franchise of World Team Tennis (WTT). The team first played as the Cleveland Nets in 1974 , and was known as the Cleveland–Pittsburgh Nets in 1977, when it played roughly half of its home matches in each city. The Nets moved to New Orleans for the 1978 season. Following the 1978 season, the Nets announced that the team would fold. The Nets played all five seasons in WTT from the league's inception in 1974, until its suspension of operations after the 1978 season. The team had losing records in each of its five seasons.

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112-459: The Nets were founded as WTT's charter franchise for Cincinnati , Ohio in 1973, by Bill DeWitt Jr. and Brian Heekin. Within weeks of being established, and before the team ever had a name in Cincinnati, DeWitt and Heekin sold it to Cleveland radio executive Joseph Zingale who paid them the same $ 50,000 as the franchise fee they had paid to WTT. Zingale relocated the team to Cleveland with

224-490: A river town for cargo shipping by steamboats , located at the crossroads of the Northern and Southern United States, with fewer immigrants and less influence from Europe than East Coast cities in the same period. However, it received a significant number of German-speaking immigrants , who founded many of the city's cultural institutions. It later developed an industrialized economy in manufacturing. Many structures in

336-567: A "civic theater" as early as February 8, 1953 after years of public pressure had built after CLO president, civic leader and owner of Kaufmann's department store Edgar J. Kaufmann announced his intention on December 1, 1948, to find a new home for the group. Funding was provided by a combination of public and private money, including grants from Allegheny County, the City of Pittsburgh, and Kaufmann. The arena's design incorporated 2,950 tons of stainless steel from Pittsburgh. To make room for

448-540: A campaign rally at the arena on October 28, 1968. Henry Kissinger , Frank Borman , and Li Choh-ming visited for the University of Pittsburgh commencement on April 27, 1969. Muhammad Ali KO'ed Charley Powell on January 24, 1963, to a global television audience from the Civic Arena. Sugar Ray Robinson , Sonny Liston and Floyd Patterson also participated in boxing matches at the arena. On November 6, 1981,

560-474: A century and a half, Cincinnati went unchallenged as the most prominent of Ohio's cities, a role that earned it the nickname of "chief city of Ohio" in the 1879 New American Cyclopædia . In addition to this book, countless other books have documented the social history of both the city and its frontier people. The city fathers, of Anglo-American families of prominence, were Episcopalian . Inspired by its earlier horseback circuit preachers , early Methodism

672-424: A crescent around the city: Mount Adams , Walnut Hills , Mount Auburn , Vine Street Hill , College Hill , Fairmont (now rendered Fairmount ), and Mount Harrison (now known as Price Hill ). The name refers to ancient Rome, reputed to be built on seven hills. "Queen City" is taken from an 1819 newspaper article and further immortalized by the 1854 poem "Catawba Wine". In it, Henry Wadsworth Longfellow wrote of

784-591: A keystone of civic history; and among Methodist institutions were The Christ Hospital as well as projects of the German Methodist Church . One of Cincinnati's biggest proponents of Methodism was the Irish immigrant James Gamble , who together with William Procter founded Procter & Gamble ; in addition to being a devout Methodist, Gamble and his estate donated money to construct Methodist churches throughout Greater Cincinnati. Cincinnati, being

896-584: A live album, entitled Download Series Volume 9 , as well as sparking a riot by "Dead Heads" on the final day of the concert, an event that was national news and featured by Kurt Loder on MTV News following the arrest of 500 by the Pittsburgh Police . The Rolling Stones performed three times in the arena: July 22, 1972; March 11, 1999; and January 10, 2003. Josh Groban performed here in August 2007 as part of his 'Awake' tour. The final event

1008-498: A local specialist engineering firm. The arena's capacity fluctuated depending on the event being hosted, but was increased due to additions between 1972 and 1991. The arena originally consisted only of lower bowl seating, but over time, upper decks were installed in the arena's "end zones" to increase capacity. In December 1999, Mellon Financial purchased the Arena's naming rights in a 10-year, $ 18 million agreement, which renamed

1120-510: A male householder with no wife present, and 53.3% were non-families. 43.4% of all households were made up of individuals, and 9.9% had someone living alone who was 65 years of age or older. The average household size was 2.09 and the average family size was 3.00. The median age in the city was 32.5 years. 21.6% of residents were under the age of 18; 14.6% were between the ages of 18 and 24; 28.4% were from 25 to 44; 24.1% were from 45 to 64; and 10.8% were 65 years of age or older. The gender makeup of

1232-704: A number of hills, bluffs, and low ridges overlooking the Ohio in the Bluegrass region of the country. The tristate is geographically located within the Midwest at the far northern extremity of the Upland South . Three municipalities are enveloped by the city: Norwood , Elmwood Place , and Saint Bernard . Norwood is a business and industrial city, while Elmwood Place and Saint Bernard are small, primarily residential, villages. Cincinnati does not have an exclave, but

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1344-521: A pair in the fourth round of the draft. No other WTT team objected to the Nets selecting two players with one draft choice. When Clark and Carole Graebner separated, Clark traded Carole to the Pittsburgh Triangles . The couple never divorced, and Carole Graebner died in 2008. Peaches Bartkowicz was a key women's doubles player for the 1974 Nets but quit the team during the season. Through all

1456-551: A plan to have it play its home matches at the Cleveland Public Hall starting with the league's inaugural 1974 season and name it the Cleveland Nets. Before the draft, Zingale spoke to Clark Graebner , a native of Cleveland, about playing for the team as well as to being its coach and general manager. Graebner insisted his wife, Carole , had to be drafted by the team as well. The Nets selected them both as

1568-458: A population growth, marking the first such increase since the 1950 census. On January 4, 2022, Aftab Pureval assumed office as the 70th mayor of Cincinnati. Cincinnati has many nicknames , including Cincy, The Queen City, The Queen of the West, The Blue Chip City, and The City of Seven Hills. These are more typically associated with professional, academic, and public relations references to

1680-933: A rivertown crossroads, depended on trade with the slave states south of the Ohio River at a time when thousands of black people were settling in the free state of Ohio. Most of them came after the American Civil War and were from Kentucky and Virginia with many of them fugitives who had sought freedom and work in the North. In the antebellum years, the majority of native-born whites in the city came from northern states, primarily Pennsylvania . Though 57 percent of whites migrated from free states, 26 percent were from southern states and they retained their cultural support for slavery. This quickly led to tensions between pro-slavery residents and abolitionists who sought lifting restrictions on free black people, as codified in

1792-495: A sellout on June 25 and 26, 1973. The arena has hosted other major concerts by every act from Frank Sinatra to Garth Brooks to Jimmy Page and Robert Plant . By the mid-1970s the arena was among the premier venues in the nation, with Billboard magazine naming it the 9th best in the U.S. on December 30, 1976. Sly and the Family Stone, The Steve Miller Band, Grand Funk Railroad, Boz Scaggs, and The Beach Boys all played

1904-469: A show in the arena during her Fearless Tour on October 1, 2009. The Doors recorded their May 2, 1970, concert at the Civic Arena. This would be released 38 years later as Live in Pittsburgh 1970 aka Pittsburgh Civic Arena . It is considered by most music critics to be The Doors very best live recording. The Grateful Dead 's performances, on April 2–3, 1989, were recorded and later released as

2016-414: A snowstorm and their Grammy win was announced onstage. Pop superstar Michael Jackson performed three concerts at Pittsburgh Civic Arena on September 26, 27 and 28, 1988 during his Bad World Tour . Pop singer Britney Spears performed at the arena once in 2001 on her Dream Within a Dream Tour and in 2009 to a sell-out crowd as a part of her Circus Tour . Then country singer Taylor Swift played

2128-573: A spot at the northern bank of the Ohio opposite the mouth of the Licking and decided to settle there. The original surveyor, John Filson , named it "Losantiville", a combination of syllables drawn from French and Latin words, intended to mean "town opposite the mouth of the Licking". On January 4, 1790, St. Clair changed the name of the settlement to honor the Society of the Cincinnati. In 1811,

2240-578: Is 79 feet 11 + 7 ⁄ 8  inches (24.381 m), having crested January 26, 1937. Various parts of Cincinnati flood at different points: Riverbend Music Center in the California neighborhood floods at 42 feet (13 m), while Sayler Park floods at 71 feet (22 m) and the Freeman Avenue flood gate closes at 75 feet (23 m). Frequent flooding has hampered the growth of Cincinnati's municipal airport at Lunken Field and

2352-476: Is $ 158,200, and the cost of living in Cincinnati is 8% below the national average. As of September 2022, the unemployment rate is 3.3%, below the national average. Several Fortune 500 companies are headquartered in Cincinnati, such as Kroger , Procter & Gamble , Western & Southern Financial Group , Fifth Third Bank , American Financial Group , and Cintas . General Electric has headquartered their Global Operations Center in Cincinnati; GE Aerospace

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2464-477: Is already complete and 100 percent occupied as of early 2013. Smale Riverfront Park is being developed along with The Banks, and is Cincinnati's newest park. Nearly $ 3.5 billion have been invested in the urban core of Cincinnati (including Northern Kentucky). Much of this development has been undertaken by 3CDC . The Cincinnati Bell Connector began in September 2016. Cincinnati is midway by river between

2576-525: Is among the largest, most intact urban historic districts in the United States. Most of Over-the-Rhine's ornate brick buildings were built by German immigrants from 1865 to the 1880s. The neighborhood has been intensely redeveloped in the 21st century, with a focus on fostering small businesses. Cincinnati is at the southern limit (considering the 0 °C or 32 °F isotherm ) of the humid continental climate zone ( Köppen : Dfa ), bordering

2688-619: Is based in Evendale . The Kroger Company employs over 20,000 people locally, making it the largest employer in the city; the other four largest employers are Cincinnati Children's Hospital , TriHealth , the University of Cincinnati , and St. Elizabeth Healthcare . Cincinnati is home to a branch office of the Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland . Cincinnati was platted and proliferated by American settlers , including Scotch Irish , frontiersmen , and keelboaters . For over

2800-690: Is home to numerous structures that are noteworthy due to their architectural characteristics or historic associations, including the aforementioned Carew Tower , the Scripps Center, the Ingalls Building , Cincinnati Union Terminal , and the Isaac M. Wise Temple . Queen City Square opened in January 2011. The building is the tallest in Cincinnati and the third tallest in Ohio, reaching a height of 665 feet (203 m). Since April 1, 1922,

2912-686: Is home to three professional sports teams: the Cincinnati Reds of Major League Baseball ; the Cincinnati Bengals of the National Football League ; and FC Cincinnati of Major League Soccer ; it is also home to the Cincinnati Cyclones , a minor league ice hockey team. The city's largest institution of higher education, the University of Cincinnati , was founded in 1819 as a municipal college and

3024-537: Is now ranked as one of the 50 largest in the United States. The Sixth Circuit Court of Appeals is based in the city. Two years after the founding of the settlement then known as "Losantiville", Arthur St. Clair , the governor of the Northwest Territory , changed its name to "Cincinnati", possibly at the suggestion of the surveyor Israel Ludlow , in honor of the Society of the Cincinnati . St. Clair

3136-716: The 1997 NHL Entry Draft , as well as games of the 1991 , 1992 , 2008 , and 2009 Stanley Cup Finals . The 2008 Finals marked the only occasion that the Stanley Cup was presented on Mellon Arena ice, after the Penguins were defeated by the Detroit Red Wings in six games. The Penguins originally planned to wear a jersey patch to commemorate their final season in the Igloo, but it was later scrapped. The Pittsburgh Penguins played their final regular season game at

3248-696: The Civic Auditorium and later Mellon Arena , was an arena located in Downtown Pittsburgh , Pennsylvania . The Civic Arena primarily served as the home to the Pittsburgh Penguins , the city's National Hockey League (NHL) franchise, from 1967 to 2010. Constructed in 1961 for use by the Pittsburgh Civic Light Opera (CLO), it was the brainchild of department store owner Edgar J. Kaufmann . It

3360-592: The Coney Island amusement park. Downtown Cincinnati is protected from flooding by the Serpentine Wall at Yeatman's Cove and another flood wall built into Fort Washington Way . Parts of Cincinnati also experience flooding from the Little Miami River and Mill Creek . Cincinnati consists of fifty-two neighborhoods. Many of these neighborhoods were once villages that have been annexed by

3472-561: The Indiana counties of Dearborn , Franklin , Union , and Ohio . Metropolitan Cincinnati has the twenty-eighth largest economy in the United States and the fifth largest in the Midwest , after Chicago , Minneapolis–St. Paul , Detroit , and St. Louis . In 2016, it had the fastest-growing Midwestern economic capital. The gross domestic product for the region was $ 127 billion (~$ 160 billion in 2023) in 2015. The median home price

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3584-675: The Miami and Erie Canal began on July 21, 1825, when it was called the Miami Canal, related to its origin at the Great Miami River . The first section of the canal was opened for business in 1827. In 1827, the canal connected Cincinnati to nearby Middletown ; by 1840, it had reached Toledo . Railroads were the next major form of commercial transportation to come to Cincinnati. In 1836, the Little Miami Railroad

3696-960: The Vatican . It was very unique." — Gene Ubriaco , former Forward with the Pittsburgh Penguins and the Pittsburgh Hornets , recalling his playing days at the Arena The Pittsburgh Hornets , members of the American Hockey League (AHL) played home games at the Duquesne Gardens , located in the Oakland section of Pittsburgh. The team played 20 seasons in the Gardens prior to its demolition, which made room for an apartment building. The Arena opened on September 17, 1961. With

3808-602: The humid subtropical climate zone ( Cfa ). Summers are hot and humid, with significant rainfall in each month and highs reaching 90 °F (32 °C) or above on 21 days per year, often with high dew points and humidity. July is the warmest month, with a daily average temperature of 75.9 °F (24.4 °C). Winters tend to be cold and moderately snowy, with January, the coldest month, averaging at 30.8 °F (−0.7 °C). Lows reach 0 °F (−18 °C) on an average 2.6 nights yearly. An average winter will see around 22.1 inches (56 cm) of snowfall, contributing to

3920-419: The "Black Code" of 1804. In the pre-Civil War period, Cincinnati had been called "a Southern city on free soil". Volatile social conditions saw riots in 1829 , when many black people lost their homes and property. As the Irish entered the city in the late 1840s, they competed with black people at the lower levels of the economy. White-led riots against black people occurred in 1836 , when an abolitionist press

4032-504: The "Tour of Champions" event on November 2, 1990. The first rock concert at the arena was emceed by Porky Chedwick on May 11, 1962, as a DiCesare Engler production and featured Jackie Wilson , The Drifters , The Coasters , The Castelles , Jerry Butler , The Flamingos , The Angels , The Blue-Belles , and The Skyliners . On September 14, 1964, the Beatles played the arena during their first United States tour. Opening acts were

4144-449: The 1978 season was Cincinnati Cincinnati ( / ˌ s ɪ n s ɪ ˈ n æ t i / SIN -si- NAT -ee ; nicknamed Cincy ) is a city in and the county seat of Hamilton County, Ohio , United States. Settled by Europeans in 1788, the city is located on the northern side of the confluence of the Licking and Ohio rivers, the latter of which marks the state line with Kentucky . The population of Cincinnati

4256-481: The 49- story Carew Tower , which was the city's tallest building upon its completion. Cincinnati weathered the Great Depression better than most American cities of its size, largely due to a resurgence in river trade, which was less expensive than transporting goods by rail. The Ohio River flood of 1937 was one of the worst in the nation's history and destroyed many areas along the Ohio valley. Afterward

4368-563: The Arena available, the Hornets resumed play in the 1961–62 season and went on to win the Calder Cup in the 1966–67 season . As part of the 1967 NHL expansion , the city of Pittsburgh was selected to host one of six new franchises. With a hockey seating capacity of 12,508, Pittsburgh's Mellon Arena was eight seats over the NHL's minimum seating benchmark. Due to its outward appearance,

4480-524: The Arena on October 21, when they became the first expansion team to beat an original NHL franchise—besting the Chicago Black Hawks 4–2. On January 21, 1990, the Civic Arena hosted the 41st National Hockey League All-Star Game . Pittsburgh's Mario Lemieux scored three goals on his first three shots—the first coming 21 seconds into the game. He later scored a fourth goal and was named the game's Most Valuable Player. The arena also hosted

4592-646: The Arena was nicknamed "The Igloo " which led to the naming of the Penguins. (The connection is somewhat inaccurate, since igloos are found in the Northern Hemisphere, while penguins are indigenous to Antarctica.) The Penguins debuted at the Civic Arena on October 11, 1967, in a 2–1 loss to the Montreal Canadiens . Andy Bathgate scored the Penguins's first goal in the arena. It was the first NHL game played between an expansion team and an "Original Six" team. The Penguins won their first game at

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4704-485: The Bill Black Combo, The Exciters, Clarence "Frogman" Henry, and Jackie DeShannon. A sell-out crowd of over 12,000 paid $ 5.90 to attend Motown came to the arena on March 6, 1969, with a Temptations concert. On July 11, 1971, the world's first "authorized" production of Jesus Christ Superstar opened at the Civic Arena. Black Sabbath played the arena on February 1, 1974. Circus reported, "They broke

4816-612: The Lobsters won, ending the Nets' season. Following the 1978 season, between October 27 and November 9, the New York Apples , Boston Lobsters, Los Angeles Strings , San Diego Friars and Indiana Loves all announced that they were folding, cutting the size of WTT from 10 teams to five. On the following day, the Nets, Anaheim Oranges and Seattle Cascades announced that they were folding as well. The following table shows regular season records, playoff results and titles won by

4928-691: The Mellon Arena on April 8, 2010, when they defeated the New York Islanders 7–3. More than 50 former Penguins were in attendance for a pre-game ceremony and "team picture". The Pittsburgh Penguins played their last game in Mellon Arena on May 12, 2010; a 5–2 defeat at the hands of the Montreal Canadiens to eliminate them from the 2010 Stanley Cup playoffs in Game 7 of the Eastern Conference Semifinals. This means

5040-478: The Nets for the 1975 season as a player and the team's new coach. Although Graebner was relieved of coaching duties, he remained with the team as a player. Riessen had been drafted by the Chicago Aces in 1974, but he decided not to sign with the team. The Aces lost the rights to him when they folded after the 1974 season. In addition to their new coach, the Nets also got a new home for 1975, as they moved into

5152-625: The Nets in 1978. Starting about a quarter of the way through the season, she and two-sport athlete John Lucas were successful as the Nets' regular mixed-doubles team. The Nets finished with 20 wins and 24 losses, fourth place in the Eastern Division, losing out on third place by a standings tiebreaker. Their finish sent the Nets to a rematch with the Boston Lobsters in the Eastern Division Semifinals which

5264-604: The Nets played some home matches in various cities including Nashville , Oklahoma City , El Paso , Biloxi and Hollywood, Florida . The following table shows individual honors bestowed upon players and coaches of the New Orleans Sun Belt Nets franchise. The following players who are enshrined in the International Tennis Hall of Fame played for the New Orleans Sun Belt Nets franchise: The New Orleans Sun Belt Nets final roster for

5376-481: The New Orleans Sun Belt Nets franchise since its founding in 1974. The following table shows the primary home venues used by the New Orleans Sun Belt Nets franchise. The Coliseum at Richfield and the Civic Arena both served as primary home venues in 1977, with nearly half the Nets' matches being played in each arena. The Nets also played one 1977 home match at the Louisiana Superdome. In 1977 and 1978,

5488-509: The Ohio flood stage at Cincinnati has officially been set at 52 feet (16 m), as measured from the John A. Roebling Suspension Bridge . At this depth, the pumping station at the mouth of Mill Creek is activated. From 1873 to 1898, the flood stage was 45 feet (14 m). From 1899 to March 31, 1922, it was 50 feet (15 m). The Ohio reached its lowest level, less than 2 feet (0.61 m), in 1881; conversely, its all-time high water mark

5600-400: The Penguins and all other events moved across the street to the new Consol Energy Center (now PPG Paints Arena). After various groups declined historic status for the venue, it was demolished between September 2011 and March 2012. In its place, existing public parking lots in the area were expanded over the entire site. Two of the many streets stricken from the city's street plan when the arena

5712-757: The Superdome and a few in other cities in the southern United States . In addition to being called the New Orleans Sun Belt Nets, the team was sometimes referred to simply as the New Orleans Nets, often when they were playing home matches in New Orleans, and sometimes referred to as the Sun Belt Nets or the Sunbelt Nets, often when they were playing home matches outside New Orleans. Renée Richards finally made her long-awaited WTT debut with

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5824-585: The United States until its sale to Norfolk Southern in March 2024. In 1884, outrage over a manslaughter verdict in what many observers thought was a clear case of murder triggered the Courthouse riots , one of the most destructive riots in American history. Over the course of three days, 56 people were killed and over 300 were injured. The riots ended the regime of Republican boss Thomas C. Campbell . At

5936-489: The arena Mellon Arena. The original center scoreboard was an electromechanical Nissen scoreboard with digital clock display, which appears in the 1979 movie The Fish That Saved Pittsburgh . That board was replaced during the 1986 renovations by an American Sign and Indicator scoreboard with a black-and-white three-line matrix animation/messageboard on each side, which appears in Sudden Death . White Way Sign created

6048-552: The arena for select games against popular opponents. The Philadelphia 76ers , Pittsburgh Pipers , Pittsburgh Condors , Pittsburgh Rens , Pittsburgh Piranhas , and the Harlem Globetrotters hosted regular-season basketball games at the Arena. The first and second-round games of both the 1997 and 2002 NCAA Division I men's basketball tournaments were held at the Arena. The Pittsburgh Triangles of World TeamTennis hosted three Eastern Division Championships at

6160-405: The arena from 1974 through 1976 and the Bancroft Cup finals in 1975, winning the title on August 25, 1975, with paid attendance of 6,882. The Pittsburgh Spirit Major Indoor Soccer League team also hosted matches at the Arena. Roller Derby featuring the hosting New York Chiefs took place at the Arena as well. Olympic Gold Medal winner Mary Lou Retton performed at the Arena as part of

6272-416: The arena in 1974. The Bee Gees performed two concerts here on September 4–5, 1979 during their Spirits Having Flown Tour . The Jacksons performed at Pittsburgh Civic Arena on August 13, 1981, during their Triumph Tour . Guitarist Randy Rhoads played one of his final shows here with Ozzy Osbourne on February 2, 1982. He would die 45 days later. Duran Duran performed February 28, 1984, during

6384-481: The arena's final center scoreboard, this one with a Sony JumboTron videoboard on each side, which remained for the arena's final sixteen years of use. On September 17, 1961, the Ice Capades hosted the arena's first event. Globally televised figure skating was hosted by the arena three times: The 1983 United States Figure Skating Championships , 1994 and 2004 editions of Skate America all having nearly week-long competitions. Major political rallies were part of

6496-442: The arena, the city used eminent domain to displace 8,000 residents and 400 businesses from the lower Hill District , the cultural center of black life in Pittsburgh. Demolition began in 1955 and was finished by 1960. The last structure to be demolished was Bethel African Methodist Episcopal (AME) Church, built in 1908. The city charter prohibited using eminent domain on churches, but the Urban Redevelopment Authority of Pittsburgh

6608-424: The beginning of the 20th century, Cincinnati had a population of 325,902. The city completed many ambitious projects in the 20th century starting with the Ingalls Building which was completed in 1903. An early rejuvenation of downtown began into the 1920s and continued into the next decade with the construction of Cincinnati Union Terminal , the United States Courthouse and Post Office , the Cincinnati Subway , and

6720-430: The best regular-season record in the league and were led by WTT Most Valuable Player Billie Jean King . As the higher seed, the Freedoms had the choice to play either the first or the second match at home. Despite playing two tight matches, the Nets lost them both, 26–22 at home and 23–22 in Philadelphia , and saw their season come to an end. Clark Graebner's Northwestern Wildcats college teammate Marty Riessen joined

6832-408: The brand-new Coliseum at Richfield in Richfield Township, Summit County, Ohio . Riessen was a big success between the lines. He was named Male All-Star Match Most Valuable Player, led the WTT in game-winning percentage in men's singles and was named Male Rookie of the Year. Despite Riessen's excellent play, the Nets finished with 16 wins and 28 losses, last place in the Eastern Division and missed

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6944-468: The cities of Pittsburgh, Pennsylvania , and Cairo, Illinois . The downtown lies near the mouth of the Licking , a confluence where the first settlement occurred. Metro Cincinnati spans southern Ohio, southeastern Indiana, and northern Kentucky; the census bureau has measured the city proper at 79.54 square miles (206.01 km ), of which 77.94 square miles (201.86 km ) are land and 1.60 square miles (4.14 km ) are water. The city spreads over

7056-410: The city as the Queen City. Cincinnati's location, on the border between the free state of Ohio and the slave state of Kentucky , made it a prominent location for slaves to escape the slave-owning south. Many prominent abolitionists also called Cincinnati their home during this period, and made it a popular stop on the Underground Railroad . In 2004, the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center

7168-415: The city built protective flood walls . After World War II , Cincinnati unveiled a master plan for urban renewal that resulted in modernization of the inner city. During the 1950s, Cincinnati's population peaked at 509,998. Since the 1950s, $ 250 million has been spent on improving neighborhoods, building clean and safe low- and moderate-income housing, providing jobs and stimulating economic growth. At

7280-493: The city government does own several properties outside the corporation limits: French Park in Amberley Village and the disused runway at the former Blue Ash Airport in Blue Ash . Cincinnati has many landmarks across its area. Some of these landmarks are recognized nationwide, others are more recognized among locals. These landmarks include: Union Terminal , Carew Tower , Great American Tower , Fountain Square , Washington Park , and Great American Ballpark . Cincinnati

7392-441: The city itself. Subsequently, substantial transformations unfolded, particularly in the process of gentrification within the Over-the-Rhine neighborhood. In 2018, MLS announced the inclusion of FC Cincinnati , becoming the city's third professional sports team. TQL Stadium , located on Cincinnati's west end, was subsequently constructed and opened its doors in 2021. Notably, the 2020 census revealed that Cincinnati had witnessed

7504-445: The city was 48.4% male and 51.6% female. As of the 2022 census estimates , the Cincinnati metropolitan area had a population of 2,265,051, making it the 30th-largest metropolitan statistical area in the country. It includes the Ohio counties of Hamilton , Butler , Warren , Clermont , Clinton , and Brown , as well as the Kentucky counties of Boone , Bracken , Campbell , Gallatin , Grant , Kenton , and Pendleton , and

7616-446: The city was 50.3% White , 41.4% African American , 0.1% Native American , 2.2% Asian , 0.1% Pacific Islander , 1.2% from other races , and 4.6% from two or more races. Hispanic or Latino of any race were 4.2% of the population. There were 138,696 households, of which 25.4% had children under the age of 18 living with them, 23.2% were married couples living together, 19.1% had a female householder with no husband present, 4.4% had

7728-415: The city's NCAA Division I institutions, the University of Pittsburgh and Duquesne University , frequently used it either as a primary or secondary home court, and the last basketball game played at the arena was the two schools' annual rivalry game in 2009. Among the two schools, Duquesne made the most extensive use of the arena, using it as their home from 1964 until 1988. From 1984 to 2002, Pitt used

7840-427: The city, including restaurant names such as Blue Chip Cookies , and are not commonly used by locals in casual conversation, with the exception of Cincy, which is often used to refer to the city in absentia. "The City of Seven Hills" stems from the June 1853 edition of the West American Review , "Article III—Cincinnati: Its Relations to the West and South", which described and named seven specific hills. The hills form

7952-522: The city, with many retaining their former names, such as Walnut Hills and Mount Auburn . Westwood is the city's most populous neighborhood, with other significant neighborhoods including CUF (home to the University of Cincinnati ) and Price Hill . Downtown Cincinnati is the city's central business district and contains a number of neighborhoods in the flat land between the Ohio River and uptown. These neighborhoods include Over-the-Rhine , Pendleton , Queensgate , and West End . Over-the-Rhine

8064-611: The city: And this Song of the Vine, This greeting of mine, The winds and the birds shall deliver, To the Queen of the West, In her garlands dressed, On the banks of the Beautiful River. For many years, Cincinnati was also known as "Porkopolis"; this nickname came from the city's large pork interests. Newer nicknames such as "The 'Nati" are emerging and are attempted to be used in different cultural contexts. For example,

8176-541: The dawn of the 2000s, Cincinnati's population stood at 331,285. The construction of Paul Brown Stadium (currently known as Paycor Stadium) in the year 2000 resulted from a sales tax increase in Hamilton County , as did the commencement of construction for Great American Ball Park , which later opened its doors in 2003. The city experienced the 2001 Cincinnati riots , causing an estimated $ 3.6 million in damage to businesses and $ 1.5–2 million in damage to

8288-561: The drama, the Nets finished with 21 wins and 23 losses, third in the Atlantic Section and snuck into the playoffs. WTT division semifinals and division championship series in 1974, were played over two legs, one match on the home court of each team. The team with the best aggregate score over the two matches was the winner. The Nets met the Philadelphia Freedoms in the Eastern Division Semifinals. The Freedoms had

8400-468: The early history of the arena. Former President Dwight Eisenhower appeared at a Republican rally on October 12, 1962. President Lyndon B. Johnson delivered a campaign address on October 27, 1964, and Sen. Barry Goldwater on October 29, 1964. On April 26, 1964, the 2-week long International Conference and Debate of the Methodist Church opened at the Arena. Vice President Nixon visited for

8512-507: The existing box office record by grossing $ 76,000." On August 14, 1974, Canadian rock band Rush played the first show on their debut US tour with new drummer Neil Peart at the Civic Arena. They were opening for Uriah Heep at this show. Pink Floyd was at the Civic Arena for The Dark Side of the Moon Tour on June 19, 1973. Elvis Presley played his final New Year's Eve show at the Civic Arena on December 31, 1976, and played to

8624-582: The globally televised World Heavyweight Title was fought at the arena between Larry Holmes and Renaldo Snipes with an undercard bout between Buster Douglas and David Bey . King of the Ring in 1998 is remembered for the Hell in a Cell match between Mick Foley and the Undertaker , where Foley would fall from the top of the cell, suffering multiple injuries. Journalist Michael Landsberg called it "maybe

8736-647: The inaugural WTT draft in 1973, expressed interest in playing in WTT, the team seized the opportunity to sign him for the 1977 season. Unable to afford the salaries of both Borg and Martina Navratilova, the Nets traded Navratilova to the Boston Lobsters for Wendy Turnbull . Borg was a big contributor to the Nets in 1977. He was the Male All-Star Match Most Valuable Player, led WTT in game-winning percentage in men's singles and

8848-438: The introduction of steamboats on the Ohio River opened up the city's trade to more rapid shipping, and the city established commercial ties with St. Louis, Missouri , and New Orleans downriver. Cincinnati was incorporated as a city on March 1, 1819. Exporting pork products and hay, it became a center of pork processing in the region. From 1810 to 1830, the city's population nearly tripled, from 9,642 to 24,831. Construction on

8960-474: The local Keep America Beautiful affiliate, Keep Cincinnati Beautiful, introduced the catchphrase "Don't Trash the 'Nati" in 1998 as part of a litter -prevention campaign. The city is undergoing significant changes due to new development and private investment. This includes buildings of the long-stalled Banks project that includes apartments, retail, restaurants, and offices, which will stretch from Great American Ball Park to Paycor Stadium . Phase 1A

9072-437: The match. Prior to the third and deciding playoff match, Richards had expressed uncertainty about jumping into the team while the Nets were in the midst of a playoff series. Nets coach Riessen said that he planned to watch Richards warming up with the team before making the decision about having her play. Richards did not play in the match, and the Nets lost, 21–20, despite Turnbull taking the women's singles set from Navratilova,

9184-492: The most famous match ever." In 2011, this incident was named as the number one " OMG !" incident in the WWE history. The final WWE event was a Monday Night Raw episode on May 10, 2010. The future events would now be taking place at PPG Paints Arena . America's first high school basketball All-Star game, The Dapper Dan Roundball Classic was held at the arena annually between 1965 and 1992. The men's basketball programs of both of

9296-644: The opening match in Boston, 30–26, on August 16. The following day, the New York State Supreme Court ruled in favor of Richards in her case against the USTA stating in its opinion that requiring Richards to take the test was "grossly unfair, discriminatory and inequitable and violative of her rights" and added, "it seems clear defendants [USTA] knowingly instituted this test for the sole purpose of preventing plaintiff [Richards] from participating in

9408-402: The opportunity to play professional tennis at the level that I have tried to play, but which has been met with so much frustration that I have been unable to do." When he was asked about whether WTT had approved Richards as a female player, Zingale said, "I didn't ask them. That's not the way I work. There's a lot of politics involved when you try to get approval from everybody for such a move." At

9520-591: The other half in Pittsburgh. The team was called the Cleveland–Pittsburgh Nets. After the Nets announced they would play half their matches in Pittsburgh, the league had planned to have the Keystones play in Philadelphia. The team of Soviet players did compete in WTT in 1977, but it did not have a permanent home and played its "home" matches in several different cities. The name Pennsylvania Keystones

9632-470: The player for whom she was traded, 7–6. Nets owner Joe Zingale was disappointed with the attendance in both Richfield and Pittsburgh. Since the Nets had played one of their 1977 home matches at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans and drawn a fairly large crowd, he decided to move the team there and rename it the New Orleans Sun Belt Nets with the plan of playing most of the home matches in

9744-402: The playoffs. Prior to the 1976 season, the Nets signed 19-year-old Martina Navratilova to a $ 150,000 contract and gave her a large diamond pendant in the shape of a "#1." Navratilova had defected from Czechoslovakia the previous year. Despite the presence of Navratilova, the Nets endured another losing season finishing with 20 wins and 24 losses, third place in the Eastern Division and missed

9856-672: The playoffs. The Pittsburgh Triangles folded following the 1976 season. With Pittsburgh and Philadelphia both lacking franchises, the league had considered fielding a team called the Pennsylvania Keystones in 1977, composed of players from the Soviet Union . However, with the Nets struggling to draw fans in Richfield, owner Joseph Zingale decided to fill the WTT void in nearby Pittsburgh and have his team play approximately half of its home matches in Richfield and

9968-569: The population has begun recovering: the 2020 census reports a population of 309,317, representing a 4.2% increase from 296,943 in 2010. This marked the first increase in population recorded since the 1950 Census, reversing a 60-year trend of population decline. At the 2020 census, there were 309,317 people, 138,696 households, and 62,319 families residing in the city. The population density was 3,809.9 inhabitants per square mile (1,471.0/km ). There were 161,095 housing units at an average density of 2,066.9 per square mile (798.0/km ). The racial makeup of

10080-488: The roof stayed permanently closed after 2001. The first roof opening was during a July 4, 1962, Carol Burnett show to which she exclaimed "Ladies and Gentlemen ... I present the sky!" The Civic Arena hosted numerous concerts, the circus, political and religious rallies, roller derbies as well as contests in hockey, basketball, fish tournament weigh-ins, pro tennis, boxing, wrestling, lacrosse, football, ice skating championships, kennel shows, and soccer. The structure

10192-659: The time of the signing, Richards was embroiled in litigation with the United States Tennis Association (USTA) which had denied her entry into the United States Open Tennis Championships as a female player, because she refused to take the Barr body test of her chromosomes as required by USTA rules. Not wanting to lock horns with the USTA, WTT ruled Richards not eligible to play as a female player until her court case

10304-674: The top of Mount Auburn that year.   In 1889, the Cincinnati streetcar system began converting its horse-drawn cars to electric streetcars . The Second Annual Meeting of the Woman's Christian Temperance Union was held in Cincinnati in November 1875. In 1880, the city government completed the Cincinnati Southern Railway to Chattanooga, Tennessee . It was the only municipally-owned interstate railway in

10416-426: The tournament." The USTA immediately placed Richards in the main draw of the 1977 US Open bypassing qualification. WTT commissioner Butch Buchholz immediately sent the Nets a telegram confirming that Richard was now eligible to play as a female. While there was much anticipation that Richards might make her WTT debut in the second match of the playoff series against the Lobsters a day after her victory in court, she

10528-536: The urban core have remained intact for 200 years; in the late 1800s, Cincinnati was commonly referred to as the " Paris of America" due mainly to ambitious architectural projects such as the Music Hall , Cincinnatian Hotel , and Roebling Bridge . Cincinnati has the twenty-eighth largest economy in the United States and the fifth largest in the Midwest , home to several Fortune 500 companies including Kroger , Procter & Gamble , and Fifth Third Bank . It

10640-494: The warmer months, and tornadoes , while infrequent, are not unknown, with such events striking the Metro Cincinnati area most recently in 1974, 1999, 2012, and 2017. See or edit raw graph data . In 1950, Cincinnati reached its peak population of 503,998; thereafter, it lost population in every census count from 1960 to 2010. In the late 20th century, industrial restructuring caused a loss of jobs. More recently,

10752-633: The yearly 42.5 inches (1,080 mm) of precipitation, with rainfall peaking in spring. Extremes range from −25 °F (−32 °C) on January 18, 1977, up to 108 °F (42 °C) on July 21 and 22, 1934. While snow in Cincinnati is not as intense as many of the cities located closer to the Great Lakes, there have been notable cases of severe snowfall, including the Great Blizzard of 1978 , and more notable snowstorms in 1994, 1999 , 2007 , and 2021 . Severe thunderstorms are common in

10864-497: Was 309,317 in 2020, making it the third-most populous city in Ohio after Columbus and Cleveland and 64th in the United States . The city is the economic and cultural hub of the Cincinnati metropolitan area , Ohio's most populous metro area, and the nation's 30th-largest , with over 2.265 million residents. Throughout much of the 19th century, Cincinnati was among the top 10 U.S. cities by population . The city developed as

10976-473: Was able to do so because it was not a city entity. On July 21, 1959, a steel strike halted work on the arena and delayed its opening date. The Arena was designed for the CLO, which previously held productions at Pitt Stadium . The roof, which was supported by a 260-foot (79 m) arch, was free of internal support leaving no obstruction for the seats within. The roof, which had a diameter of 415 feet (126 m),

11088-423: Was also important. The first established Methodist class in the Northwest Territory came 1797 to nearby Milford . By 1879, there were 162 documented church edifices in the city. For this reason, from the beginning, Protestantism has played a formative role in the Cincinnati ethos. Christ Church Cathedral continues the legacy of the early Anglican leaders of Cincinnati, noted by historical associations as being

11200-526: Was at the time president of the Society, made up of Continental Army officers of the Revolutionary War. The club was named for Lucius Quinctius Cincinnatus , a dictator in the early Roman Republic who saved Rome from a crisis and then retired to farming because he did not want to remain in power, becoming a symbol of Roman civic virtue . Cincinnati began in 1788 when Mathias Denman, Colonel Robert Patterson , and Israel Ludlow landed at

11312-666: Was chartered. Construction began soon after, to connect Cincinnati with the Mad River and Lake Erie Railroad, and provide access to the ports of the Sandusky Bay on Lake Erie . During the time, employers struggled to hire enough people to fill positions. The city had a labor shortage until large waves of immigration by Irish and Germans in the late 1840s. The city grew rapidly over the next two decades, reaching 115,000 people by 1850. During this period of rapid expansion and prominence, residents of Cincinnati began referring to

11424-584: Was completed along Freedom Way in Downtown, honoring the city's involvement in the Underground Railroad. In 1859, Cincinnati laid out six streetcar lines; the cars were pulled by horses and the lines made it easier for people to get around the city. By 1872, Cincinnatians could travel on the streetcars within the city and transfer to rail cars for travel to the hill communities. The Cincinnati Inclined Plane Company began transporting people to

11536-577: Was decided. The Nets' home match against the San Diego Friars in South Florida on July 17, featuring Borg against Rod Laver in men's singles drew 8,470 fans. Despite the stellar play of Borg, the Nets finished with 16 wins and 28 losses, fourth in the Eastern Division. This was good enough to earn them a berth in the Eastern Division Semifinals against the Lobsters who were led by Navratilova, their former teammate. The Lobsters won

11648-459: Was divided into eight sections. Six of the sections could fold underneath two—in 2½ minutes—making the Civic Arena the world's first major indoor sports stadium with a retractable roof. A total of 42 trucks mounted on 78 wheels, 30 of which were individually driven, supported and moved the six moveable sections. The trucks, gear motors and 480-volt AC motor drive that moved the roof sections were designed and manufactured by Heyl & Patterson Inc. ,

11760-480: Was not on the bench when the match started. Nevertheless, the Nets staved off elimination in Richfield with a 21–20 victory. Marty Riessen and Turnbull opened the match with a 6–2 set win over Mike Estep and Greer Stevens in mixed doubles. Borg followed with a set win over Tony Roche by the same score to give the Nets an early 12–4 lead. The Lobsters fought back and took a 16–15 lead to the final set, men's doubles. Riessen and Borg topped Roche and Estep, 6–4, to take

11872-405: Was originally built were subsequently re-extended back through the site: Wylie Avenue and Fullerton Street. The Penguins have the rights to redevelop the property and a preliminary plan exists for residential units, retail space and office space. The $ 22 million ($ 227 million in 2023 dollars ) arena was completed for the CLO in 1961. Mayor David L. Lawrence had publicly announced plans for

11984-720: Was scrapped, and the team was officially called the Soviet National Team or the Soviets. As for the Nets, they played approximately half their 1977 home matches at the Coliseum at Richfield and the other half at the Civic Arena in Pittsburgh. The Nets also played some "home" matches in Nashville , New Orleans , St. Louis and Hollywood, Florida . When Björn Borg , whom had been the Nets top draft choice in

12096-550: Was the Male Rookie of the Year. But despite all the fanfare surrounding the big-money contract the Nets gave Borg and the presence of one of the world's top male players on the team, Nets owner Joe Zingale found a way to shine the spotlight even brighter on his team when he signed transsexual Renée Richards to a contract on June 2. At the press conference announcing her signing, Richards said, "I am thankful that I'm being given

12208-431: Was the first retractable roof major-sports venue in the world, covering 170,000 square feet (16,000 m ), constructed with nearly 3,000 tons of Pittsburgh steel and supported solely by a massive 260-foot-long (79 m) cantilevered arm on the exterior. Even though it was designed and engineered as a retractable-roof dome, the operating cost and repairs to the hydraulic jacks halted all full retractions after 1995, and

12320-446: Was to be a Maxwell concert on July 10, 2010. However, the show was canceled. On June 8, 2010, the arena's management group, SMG , announced that James Taylor and Carole King 's Troubadour Reunion Tour concert stop would be the final event at Mellon Arena on June 26, 2010. "It was beautiful, I can remember because the roof was round and white and pristine. It was like playing in a cloud. Imagine, it's almost like you're playing in

12432-503: Was twice destroyed; and in 1842. More than 1,000 black people abandoned the city after the 1829 riots. Black people in Philadelphia and other major cities raised money to help the refugees recover from the destruction. By 1842 black people had become better established in the city; they defended themselves and their property in the riot, and worked politically as well. Civic Arena (Pittsburgh) The Civic Arena , formerly

12544-586: Was used as the backdrop for several major Hollywood films, most prominently Sudden Death in 1995. Prior to its demise, it was known as Mellon Arena, named for Mellon Financial , specifically American businessman and 49th Secretary of the Treasury Andrew W. Mellon , which purchased the naming rights in 1999. Their naming rights expired on August 1, 2010, and the arena once again adopted the name of Civic Arena. The Civic Arena closed on June 26, 2010. The former Mellon naming rights expired soon after, and

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