1. Welcome to SportsJournalists.com, a friendly forum for discussing all things sports and journalism.

    Your voice is missing! You will need to register for a free account to get access to the following site features:
    • Reply to discussions and create your own threads.
    • Access to private conversations with other members.
    • Fewer ads.

    We hope to see you as a part of our community soon!

Best stadium to watch an NFL game (not including Lambeau and JerryWorld)

Discussion in 'Sports and News' started by DanOregon, Sep 12, 2010.

  1. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Anywhere the Bears are playing.
     
  2. HanSenSE

    HanSenSE Well-Known Member

    Isn't Lambeau older? Doesn't change the fact that Candlestick still blows ... although the weather is better in the fall than in the summer, when the Giants played there.

    (Yeah, terrible sentence construction. Like the Giants affected the weather.)
     
  3. MileHigh

    MileHigh Moderator Staff Member

    Invesco is very good. Lots of parking, but also very easy/cheap mass transit. Close to downtown. Fantastic sight lines. Food is OK. New Belgium galore.
     
  4. franticscribe

    franticscribe Well-Known Member

    I've only been to a few, but here's how I would rate them:

    Absolutely love:
    Lucas Oil Stadium in Indy
    M&T (or whatever bank of the month) Stadium in Baltimore

    Kind of Blah:
    Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte
    Georgia Dome

    Absolutely hate(d):
    FedEx Field
    Hoosier Dome
     
  5. DanOregon

    DanOregon Well-Known Member

    I've got to think the Superdome is pretty good. Mainly for the availability of bars and restaurants near the stadium.
    My favorite thing about stadiums is "the walk." If you can find a cheap place to park within a mile of the place and slowly walk to the game, stop in for a beer here and there, food, maybe check what is going on in the early games, as you get closer you get a little more buzzed, the crowd of fans gets thicker and by the time you enter the stadium you are really fired up. I actually prefer it to tailgaiting.
    Seattle has a number of decent joints nearby the stadium.
     
  6. JimmyOlson

    JimmyOlson Member

    When the Bills were good (or even respectable), Rich/The Ralph was an epic place to watch a game. When the Bills stink, the second half of games can be just torture. Although Parking Lot E is among the best tailgate spots around.
     
  7. Huggy

    Huggy Well-Known Member

    Have been to many games there and I gotta agree with this. Great atmosphere during the Super Bowl days, tremendous tailgating. Loved going when the weather was bad. Dealing with the cold, wind and snow was half the fun!
     
  8. PeterGibbons

    PeterGibbons Member

    I'll second (third?) the Georgia Dome, the sad thing is Atlanta/Fulton Country Stadium was worse

    Jerry World is a pretty amazing place, the only problem is the only fans that can afford to get in there are the wine and cheese crowd, so atmosphere-wise it's so-so at best
     
  9. Armchair_QB

    Armchair_QB Well-Known Member

    Technically yes. But technically Soldier Field is older too.

    Given how much it's been renovated & expanded I'm not sure there is a part of the current Lambeau Field that is older than Candlestick Park (or whatever they call it now).

    What are the next two oldest stadiums?

    Arrowhead?
    San Diego?

    The Metrodome would have to be in the top 5 if Lambeau & Soldier Field are excluded.
     
  10. Bubbler

    Bubbler Well-Known Member

    Not sure I get this as far as Indy is concerned.

    The Hoosier Dome defined spartan as far as bells and whistles, but for sight lines, it wasn't bad at all and it was intimate for a dome.

    Lucas Oil is the opposite. All kinds of bells and whistles, but sight lines suck unless you're in the lower deck.
     
  11. Michael_ Gee

    Michael_ Gee Well-Known Member

    What I remember most about Rich/Ralph Wilson Stadium was going to a playoff game in the late 80s there that was on New Year's Day, and passing a group of fans who were tailgating wearing their tuxedos from the night before and ski masks for the cold. Major style points. Horrible place to work a game, though.
     
  12. franticscribe

    franticscribe Well-Known Member

    Well, I'm sure my experience is partially colored by the time frames I was going to games there.

    From the mid-80s through the late 90s my dad was a season ticket holder in the upper deck. We almost always had an entire row to ourselves. The place was cavernous, quiet and just blah. The highlight of the stadium was getting pushed out the door by the air as you were leaving. And the atmosphere outside the games wasn't exciting either.

    I also hated playing in there when I was in high school, which we did a couple of times. That surface was awful.

    I left Indianapolis in 1998 and only went to a few games at the Dome during the Peyton-era. It was definitely better with an excited crowd, but I still didn't think it was as good as other stadiums I'd been to by then.

    On the other hand, my only Lucas Oil experience was in the lower bowl. As a former rafter dweller in the Dome, I admit the sight lines up there were pretty good, and I have no idea how bad they are in the upper deck of Lucas.
     
Draft saved Draft deleted

Share This Page