The fences will be down around the arena periphery, the flagpole (that may or may not have been at Ebbets Field) will be up at the far end of the entrance plaza. The subways will be running underneath and news choppers will be hovering above. Finally, Barclays Center will be open. It's not Opening Night, but the official opening and first look inside.

Already, in anticipation of the ribbon-cutting, there's stories about the food at the concession stands and the first art to be shown inside the oculus. By Friday morning at 9:30 a.m., the invitation-only event will hear speeches by dignitaries --including Bruce Ratner and Mikhail Prokhorov-- and then not long after the last accolade, the media will be allowed inside the first billion dollar arena in the NBA...and it's all ours.