/cdn.vox-cdn.com/uploads/chorus_image/image/34018753/20140425_ajl_ag9_221.jpg.0.jpg)
In two short years, the Barclays Center has been home to many major events, including the 2013 and upcoming 2014 NBA Drafts, along with the 2015 NBA All-Star Weekend and the Jordan Brand Classic, to name a few sporty ones. Now, it is being proposed as the possible home for the 2016 Democratic National Convention.
From the New York Times:
In a formal bid, the de Blasio administration proposed the Barclays Center, the rust-glazed sports and entertainment arena in Brooklyn’s bustling downtown, as the anchor venue for the quadrennial gathering, with accommodations and other events to be spread across the city’s other four boroughs.
Of course, this would be another big get for the Barclays Center, despite what your political leanings may be, as it puts the home of the Brooklyn Nets on the national stage once again. It also marks another shift of venue from Madison Square Garden in Manhattan, where four past Democratic National Conventions and one Republican National Convention was held, to Brooklyn.
There could be some obstacles. Would the Dems want to be seen giving "homecourt advantage" to Hillary Clinton, currently the front-runner for the nomination ... and how would it appear for the Dems to nominate their president in a hall 45 percent owned by a Russian oligarch?
Is it too soon to put in a request for keynote speaker Oculus? Or maybe Kevin Durant can speak when he signs with the Nets in 2016. (Good one, Lorenzo).
- Brooklyn Will Vie to Host the 2016 Democratic National Convention, de Blasio Says - Michael Grynbaum - New York Times
- Mayor de Blasio submits official bid to hold the 2016 Democratic National Convention in his beloved Brooklyn - Corinne Letsch - New York Daily News
- Party on - Editorial - New York Daily News
- Mayor de Blasio proposes Barclays Center as site of 2016 Democratic convention; questions about logistics, strategy and symbolism - Norman Oder - Atlantic Yards Report
- Could Barclays Center host the Democratic National Convention? - Devin Kharpertian - The Brooklyn Game