By Dan Klepal and Jim Knippenberg
The Cincinnati Enquirer
Sunday's implosion of Cinergy Field had all the makings of a great party - crowds of people, good food, plenty to drink and lots of emotion.
A series of brilliant bursts of explosives traveled from the north end of the outfield counterclockwise with crashing concrete and steel on its heels as the clock struck 8 a.m..
It was, said Claudius Walker, "an image of a lifetime."
Thousands of people lined the Northern Kentucky riverfront and Cincinnati city streets, crowded into high-rise riverfront apartments and offices, boarded riverboats and sat eating biscuits and gravy inside Paul Brown Stadium to watch Cinergy Field's quick demise. Many of them were in place well before 6 a.m.
The views were different - north and south of the river - but the reactions were the same: spectacular.
Sandi Griffith called it "awesome." The Northern Kentucky woman said, "It came down like a set of dominoes."
Mr. Walker, 41, of Dayton, said Cinergy Field is a part of his family history.
"So many people take such great pride in that building," Mr. Walker said. "It was just amazing to watch it fall."
Hamilton County Commissioner Tom Neyer waxed profound Sunday.
"I've been coming to Opening Days and games in that ballpark since I was 4 years old," Mr. Neyer said as he inhaled Cinergy's dust from the plaza of Paul Brown Stadium. "This morning you can see the future emerging from the dust. It's almost poetic. But it's also sad.
"It's certainly the most instant change in this community's history."
Marc Holland, of Columbus, said "You see stuff like this on TV, but you don't get an appreciation until you see it in person (and) feel the ground rumble under your feet."
With military precision, police closed streets and highways along the Ohio side of the river before dawn, and demolition experts double-checked the safety perimeter of the blast site.
It was too early for a traditional ballpark brat, so Cold Iron Concessions offered bacon and egg sandwiches, hot chocolate and coffee for those watching riverside in Newport.
T-shirts and sweatshirts proclaiming "I Survived the Implosion" were being sold.
Among the crowd watching from Paul Brown Stadium was Lloyd Bone Jr., who was celebrating his 30th birthday with his wife, Susan.
"(Cinergy) is the first place I ever saw a professional football or baseball game," Mr. Bone said. "People who say they won't miss it, I just don't get that. A lot of people take it for granted."
Ms. Griffith and friends Brenda Singleton and Juil Gray, also of Northern Kentucky, watched from the Western-Southern parking garage with special drinks in plastic cups. Called "Exploding Cinergy," the recipe included vodka, two kinds of rum, pineapple and Red Bull energy drink.
"It's sad," said former Reds' managing general partner Marge Schott of Indian Hill. "I had a lot of good years down there. I always thought in a city of this size, it was better to have football and baseball in the same stadium."
Ten-year-old Alex Bjorling traveled from New Jersey for the event, which his family paired with a family reunion. The reason? His grandfather was a construction manager who helped build Cinergy, and his uncle manages Paul Brown Stadium.
Alex was hoping for an encore.
"Do it again," he shouted to no one in particular after the stadium fell. "That was great! I loved it."
Dozens of riverfront residents marked the morning with private parties spiked with cheesy egg casseroles and Bloody Marys.
"No one should have to watch a building blow up without a Bloody Mary," said party host David Herriman, who had 25 guests watching from the deck of his Riverside Drive condo in Covington.
Another party host, Cincinnati Symphony Orchestra violinist David Moore, saw poetry in it. He and partner Mark Kallick had about 25 guests in their new Wiedemann Hill home in Newport.
"I didn't expect the domino effect to be so rhythmic," he said. "It was almost like a visual version of `Rite of Spring.'"
Hostess Karen Bishop and husband, Mark, were up half the night cooking and entertaining. The Bishops had a family friendly party, with 45 people by 7 a.m., most of them huddled around a backyard bonfire, drinking beer and chowing down on potatoes, ham and egg dishes.
"The coolest thing watching from here," said Mark Bishop, "was seeing the charges go off in a circle, then seeing it fall in such perfect order."
E-mail: dklepal@enquirer.com and jknippenberg@enquirer.com
Jim Hannah, Kevin Aldridge, Patrick Crowley, Kristina Goetz, Howard Wilkinson and Cindi Andrews contributed to this report.
SEE CINERGY IMPLOSION
Animation from Enquirer photos
Video from WCPO 
Galleries: Implosion | Crowd | Aerial shots |
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