Best/Worst Stadium Experiences

I went to a couple of games at old Comiskey in 1990. The new one was under construction. It was cool to be there.

 

This falls more under the category of funny stadium experiences:
My wife and I were at Turner Field once on her birthday. Through me being a general bullshitter and likable guy, I talked us into one of the luxury boxes with some folks.
I went to a race a Richmond once. Folks were being parked in a big grass field. I kept telling the parking guy I wasn't going to park in that field because it was going to pour the rain by the end of the day. I wouldn't move until he gave me an alternative. The dude finally relented and led me down a side road where I parked inside a big barn. Sure enough, it came a deluge. As cars were stuck and spinning in ankle-deep mud, I pulled right out onto the road and headed home.

 

Back when I covered an FCS team, I got locked in more than my share of stadiums. They weren't used to a beat writer having a lot of stories to do postgame, I guess. It was kind of funny the first time it happened.

I've never covered a game at the Big House but I was there a few summers ago to see Real Madrid-Chelsea and I loved every bit of the experience.

 

I’m mostly in it for the history. So old Yankee Stadium and Lambeau are up there for me. The Big House is the best college football venue I’ve been to (limited mostly to Big Ten).

The new Yankee Stadium is sterile and corporate. Citi Field isn’t great but wins the NY contest by a mile.

Wrigley is fun once you learn to ignore Cubs fans.

The Garden has its reputation ... but the Knicks have sucked for 20 years. I find it underwhelming.

New Meadowlands is awful. Also, the Giants and Jets are awful.

Trying to think of the worst. I love the old college hoops barns, but as a reporter once upon a time, the old Wisconsin Fieldhouse was a fucking nightmare.

 

Yes, the Aud was great, even after they put the balcony in in 1971-72. Saw many an AHL Bisons/NHL Sabres and college basketball doubleheaders there. The old-fashioned lobby and the ramps up to grey seats were great.

Sahlen Field (Bisons baseball) is great too, not a bad seat. It was the first downtown ballpark built by HOK (now Populous) and predates Camden Yards by 3-4 years.

 

Can't believe I didn't mention Camden Yards. The shit team notwithstanding, that stadium is still a great place to watch a game.

 

There's nothing wrong with the new Garden (nothing much memorable either) but the best indoor venues in our fair city are Conte Forum at BC and Agganis Arena at BU. Both are terrific for both hockey and basketball.

 

Best: Sitting in the Crows Nest at Hinkle Fieldhouse. Bonus if it's an afternoon game with the sun beaming through the windows.

 

Can't believe we haven't mentioned the Palestra yet. All the history you could want and still a great venue.

 

I agree on Assembly Hall. And even when I sat in the very back row I still enjoyed the experience. Because I was sitting between the baselines I felt closer than when I sat behind a basketball in a dual purpose hockey/basketball areana.

And it has been almost 50 years since I went to see my grandmother in Billings, Montana but Dehler Park was and probably still is a great place to watch a minor league game. I would sit in the south bleachers. The north side of Billings is bordered by a gigantic cliff and the weather in Billings is not that hot or humid. You can sit and watch the game with the sun setting and the red rock cliffs in the background.

 

Lavell Edwards Stadium was surprisingly amazing. Good traffic for gameday, close parking, good food and concessions for non-drinkers and the mountain view.

 

I wish football stadiums could "mark" spots on the field where historic plays took place like you saw with Aaron's HR at Fulton. And while I wouldn't expect a zig-zag diagram of The Play at Memoral Stadium in Berkeley - a small trombone in the endzone would be a nice touch.