Arena Action

NFL playoffs have yet to start, and the final college bowl is still a few weeks away. But make no mistake -- arena season is well under way.

Arenas aren't just for professional and top NCAA teams -- they are the staple of youth tournaments and pro tours every winter. They take place all over the state, and draw regional -- even national -- competitors and audience.

And "arenas" aren't the only facilities hosting these events. Because many take place on courts, the convention centers get into the act. A few weeks ago, the Ocean City Convention Center hosted a regional youth wrestling tournament that brought about 800 grapplers into town during the resort's off season. In Baltimore, Christmas on the Chesapeake Gymnastics competition, held at the Convention Center Dec. 11- 13, brought over 1700 gymnasts of all ages and levels from all over the US and Burmuda to the area.

1st Mariner Arena has been around since my junior high school days (yes, I actually went to see the Beach Boys perform at the Civic Center and have the ticket stub to prove it.) While critics bemoan the facility as archaic and functionally obsolete, it is still a top performer. In fact, 1st Mariner is one of the most productive facilities its size in the country. People flock there on a regular basis to see acts as diverse as Ringling Brothers, Disney on Ice, WWE, and The Boss (who rocked the town a few weeks ago.)

The Baltimore Blast began their season before Christmas (special shout out to our friend, Kevin Healey, who has been such a big help in our World Cup bid) but their home appearances are woven seamlessly with other popular indoor sports.

January 2-3 will bring the Professional Bull Riding Tour (and the Buckle Bunnies who follow them) back to Baltimore. While the BB's cheer for the cowboys, I favor the bucking bovines. Look for a dynamic performance by my favorites, Booger Butt and Blueberry Buckle. Those beefburgers are BAD.

Two weeks later, action sports enthusiasts (a highly caffeinated crowd) will visit 1st Mariner for AMA Arenacross, a motocross tour competition that gives Baltimore a traditional early stop on the annual circuit.

Both of these events are televised, and both bring an economic bump to the state during a bleak time of the year.

For high energy, though, it's hard to top the dance/cheerleading teams who have their competitions during the winter season. They are in arenas, gyms, and community centers all over Maryland. Again, it's an example of what Terry says about youth sports -- they are a major part of the economic impact because of the travel and parental involvement they represent. Hosting a major national competition over several days represents a sizable out of state presence in local hotels. You can see a schedule here:

Also ongoing in sportsplexes throughout Maryland are gymnastics meets. These highly disciplined athletes compete from a very young age, so tournaments include toddlers to teenagers (with family and friends.) Maryland has a number of successful clubs with teams. I'll have to put that on the to-do list for the winter, even though watching those agile contortionists makes my bones creak. (The much more supple Tweety may have to cover instead.)

So when the weather outside is frightful, remember there's always some competition heating up the arenas of Maryland.  Check our calender and get in on the action.