ESPN
TAYLOR SWIFT HAS COMPANY: BETTE MIDLER, MILEY CYRUS, LADY GAGA ALSO HAVE BEEN BUMPED
ESPN Arash Markazi
Monday, July 27, 2015 09:23PM
It seemed like more of a joke than a scheduling reminder at the time. When the Houston Astros tweeted seven months agothat Taylor Swift’s 1989 World Tour would be making a stop at Minute Maid Park on Oct. 13, it followed it up with a tweet that the date of the show was subject to change to if it conflicted with an Astros postseason home game.
Of course, that tweet got more reaction than the one about the concert itself, considering that the Astros had not made it to the postseason since 2005 and prior to last season’s 70-92 finish had lost over 105 games in three consecutive seasons. Jokes were madeabout the Astros’ optimism, but the team got the last laugh. On Monday, it was announced that the Swift concert was being rescheduled for Sept. 9 in case the wild-card-leading Astros have a home playoff game on Oct. 13.
It’s not the first time a concert or show has been forced to change dates because of a possible playoff conflict. As was the case with Swift and the Astros, most of the times the conflicts are resolved amicably. Other times, well, they’ve been best settled in the squared circle.
Vince McMahon vs. Stan Kroenke: In 2009, World Wrestling Entertainment had booked “Monday Night Raw” for Denver’s Pepsi Center but found out a week before that the facility wouldn’t be available because the Denver Nuggets would be playing Game 4 of the Western Conference finals against the Los Angeles Lakers that night. Since Raw can’t move to any other day of the week, WWE chairman and CEO Vince McMahon didn’t take the news lightly and took it out on Stan Kroenke, the owner of the arena and the Nuggets. He ended up moving Raw to Staples Center in Los Angeles and challenging Kroenke to a steel cage match. The real Kroenke declined, but that didn’t stop McMahon from hiring a Kroenke impersonator to berate and push around in the ring. The main event on Raw that night featured five-man tag teams wearing Nuggets and Lakers jerseys. The Lakers won the match and also eventually won their real-life playoff series with the Nuggets in six games.
Angry Little Monsters: In 2014, Lady Gaga’s concert at Washington’s Verizon Center was moved up three days from May 15 to May 12 to accommodate Game 6 of the Washington Wizards’ Eastern Conference Semifinals series against the Indiana Pacers. It was only the second time Washington had made it out of the first round since 1982, but Lady Gaga’s fans, who are known as Little Monsters, didn’t take the news well. Some who had made travel arrangements and booked hotels for the show weren’t able to change their reservations, and they took to Twitter to curse the Wizards. Washington would end up losing the game, eliminating them from the playoffs.
No friends in Tampa: Garth Brooks canceled all three of his scheduled shows in Tampa earlier this year because they conflicted with the Lightning’s run into the 2015 Stanley Cup finals. The NHL scheduled Game 2 between the Lightning and Chicago Blackhawks on June 6, the same Saturday that Brooks had booked the Amalie Arena for two shows. Brooks also had a show planned for the previous day, but he canceled all three. Many of the country-music star’s fans who had made travel arrangements for the show complained and vented on Twitter. Maybe they should have blamed the Anaheim Ducks. If the Ducks had beaten the Blackhawks to reach the finals, the schedule would have been different and there wouldn’t have been a conflict in Tampa. The Lightning ended up losing the series to Chicago in six games.
Nets run this town: When the Brooklyn Nets forced a Game 7 in their first-round series against the Chicago Bulls in 2013, it forced Rihanna to reschedule a concert that had been booked for Barclays Center on the same night. It wasn’t a bad deal for Rihanna, who got courtside tickets for the game to watch Chicago eliminate Brooklyn and was able to perform in the arena three days later.
Romeo and the Kings: Latin-music superstar Romeo Santos sold out two shows at Staples Center in 2014, but he had to cancel the second one when it conflicted with Game 3 of the Western Conference finals between the Los Angeles Kings and Blackhawks. The Kings not only would win that game, but they went on to win the Stanley Cup. Santos returned to make up the show a month later.
No satisfaction: Not even the Rolling Stones are immune to being forced to change their plans. The band’s 50th anniversary tour kicked off a day later than originally scheduled because of the 2013 NBA playoffs. The tour-opening date at Staples Center was moved from May 2 to May 3 to accommodate the possibility of a Game 6 between the Lakers and the San Antonio Spurs. It wouldn’t have mattered, however, as the Spurs swept the Lakers in four games.
Hold on to those sunglasses: Corey Hart’s 2014 farewell concert in Montreal, hometown of the “Sunglasses at Night” singer, was pushed back three days because the Bell Centre was needed for a potential Game 7 of the Eastern Conference finals between the Montreal Canadiens and New York Rangers. There would be no need for a Game 7, however, as New York beat Montreal in six games.
Down and out in Atlanta: Bette Midler’s “Divine Intervention” tour stop at Atlanta’s Philips Arena was moved back a day in May to accommodate the Hawks’ playing the Wizards in Game 2 of their 2015 Eastern Conference semifinal series. Atlanta would win that game and the series before losing to the Cleveland Cavaliers in the Eastern Conference finals.
Happy (belated) birthday: Eric Clapton’s 70th birthday concert celebration was originally scheduled to take place at Madison Square Garden on May 1 and 2 of this year. The second show was pushed back one day to let the Rangers face the Washington Capitals in the Game 2 of their Eastern Conference semifinal series. The Rangers would win the game and series before losing to Tampa Bay in the Eastern Conference finals. Don’t feel too badly for the birthday boy, because Clapton actually had turned 70 on March 30.
Can’t stop, won’t stop: Miley Cyrus had to move her Philadelphia concert up one day in 2014 to accommodate Game 3 of the Flyers’ first-round series against the Rangers. Philadelphia would lose the game and the series.
