What is "grandstand"

"main seating for spectators at an outdoor event," 1834, from grand (adj.)+ stand. The verb meaning "to show off" is student slang from 1895, from grandstand player, attested in baseball slang from 1888.It's little things of this sort which makes the 'grand stand player.' They make impossible catches, and when they get the ball they roll all over the field. [M.J. Kelly, "Play Ball," 1888]\nCompare British gallery hit (1882) "showy play by a batsman in cricket, 'intended to gain applause from uncritical spectators'" [OED]. Related: grandstanding.

n. 1 The seating area at a stadium or arena; the bleachers. 2 The audience at a public event. vb. (context intransitive English) To behave dramatically or showily to impress an audience or observers; to pander to a crowd.

1. n. the audience at a stadium or racetrack

2. a stand at a racecourse or stadium consisting of tiers with rows of individual seats that are under a protective roof [syn: covered stand]

3. v. perform ostentatiously in order to impress the audience and with an eye to the applause; "She never misses a chance to grandstand"

Grandstand was a British television sport programme. Broadcast between 1958 and 2007, it was one of the BBC's longest running sports shows, alongside BBC Sports Personality of the Year.

Its first presenter was Peter Dimmock. There were only four main presenters of the programme during its long history: David Coleman (who took over from Dimmock after just three programmes), Frank Bough, Des Lynam and Steve Rider. Changes in the structure of the programme during its last few years, however, meant it did not have a regular main presenter during this time.

Among the more occasional hosts were Alan Weeks, David Icke, Clare Balding, Hazel Irvine, Bob Wilson, David Vine, Barry Davies, Dougie Donnelly, Harry Carpenter, Harry Gration, John Inverdale, Tony Gubba, Helen Rollason, Ray Stubbs and Sue Barker.

The last editions of Grandstand were broadcast over the weekend of 27–28 January 2007.

A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators, most often at a racetrack. This includes both auto racing and horse racing. The grandstand is in essence like a single section of a stadium, but differs from a stadium in that it does not wrap all or most of the way around. Grandstands may have basic bench seating, but usually have individual chairs like a stadium. Grandstands are also usually covered with a roof, but are open on the front. They are often multi-tiered.

Grandstands are found at places like Epsom Downs Racecourse and Atlanta Motor Speedway. They may also be found at fairgrounds, circuses, and outdoor arenas used for rodeos.

In the United States, smaller stands are called bleachers, and are usually far more basic and typically single-tiered (hence the difference from a "grand stand"). Early baseball games were often staged at fairgrounds, and the term "grandstand" came along when standalone baseball parks began to be built. A covered bleacher may be called a " pavilion," also to distinguish from the main "grandstand".

Grandstand (also known as Grandstand Leisure Products) was a video game console and electronic game manufacturer and distributor. It was based in the United Kingdom and New Zealand and was active in the 1970s and 1980s.

A grandstand is a large and normally permanent structure for seating spectators.

Grandstand may also refer to:

• Grandstand (TV series), the British television sports show that broadcast between 1958 and 2007.
• Grandstand (game show), a short-lived American TV game show about sports trivia.
• Grandstand (game manufacturer), a video game console and electronic game manufacturer that was based in the United Kingdom and New Zealand.
• ABC Radio Grandstand, an Australian radio sports show.
• Grandstand, the former name of the American NFL on NBC pregame show that was used from 1975 to 1976.
• Grandstand Stadium, a stadium in the USTA Billie Jean King National Tennis Center in New York City, hosting venuing of the US Open.