Best/Worst Stadium Experiences

Piss smell aside - loved my trip to the old Yankee Stadium knowing that it was the same field where so many remarkable things happened. Now outside of Lambeau, Fenway and Wrigley, it's pretty much just college football stadiums that have that same allure. Shoot, just watching the Raiders in the Coliseum last week took me back realizing I saw Stabler play there, Reggie Jackson, Rickey Henderson, Vida Blue. The connections to previous generations of fans is something no sound system, video board or suite can compete with.

 

I think the appeal of history and nostalgia varies from venue to venue. Nobody in Philly was sad when the Vet came down. It had tradition galore, but the old Boston Garden was a pesthole. Took a Cub Scout pack on a guided tour in one of its last years. They had us wait in the lobby due to some photo shoot. A rat the size of Secretariat wandered by as we stood there.

 

Two of my favorite stadium experiences ever were Fenway last year and Lambeau this year. Part of it was the knowledge that those are about the only places left with that lasting history.

 

One of the worst was Busch II when it still had turf. Ungodly hot and humid — but the beers were $4 then, so it was a push. Busch III premium seats around home plate are fantastic.

Any Fenway seat down the lines sucks because you have to shift in your seat to see the action, and the seats are so small they seem designed for little people.

I've seen some of the most stunningly sexy women while watching a Cards-Cubs game in Wrigley's bleachers. My girlfriend at the time was pretty damn hot, too, so we were in good company. Well, she was.

I damn near got vertigo climbing down from my upper level seat in whatever it's called where the White Sox play.

At a Rockies-Cards game in Denver, I got a girl to take topless pictures of herself with my disposable camera.

Anaheim stadium was pretty. Sort of.

Kauffman Stadium's fountains are great.

Saw a Giants-A’s game in whatever the Giants stadium is called now. Beautiful views of the water and just a beautiful park all around. It was cold in July.

Seattle was cold in July, and being in the nosebleed seats — hi, Moddy! — didn't help.

The Frontier League Evansville Otters stadium was nice. Tickets and beer were plentiful and cheap, so it wasn't a bad way to spend a sultry summer night.

 

Chicago Stadium for a Black Hawks game. The national anthem was chilling.

Arrowhead for the reasons mentioned in the first post: tons of real estate for parking and tailgating. The party truly starts right there.

Always loved Old Comiskey Park. For me, had that old time feel the others of that era didn't. In a Field of Dreams kind of way, it almost felt like Ruth and Gehrig were going to pop out of the dugout and step to the plate.

 

Best: Lambeau Field and PNC Park. The best venues in their respective sports.
Worst: Citi Field. That place has zero redeeming qualities.

Related: There is a stadium rankings chapter in my Home Run On Wheels book and proceeds benefit foster care organizations.

 

Old Mac Court in Eugene fits both categories. An absolute firetrap and dump, no parking, the people behind you had their knees in your back and there were several thousand bad seats, especially in the balconies. But when it was packed and jumping there was no better place in the world to watch a college basketball game.

Their new arena has all the bells and whistles possible but has the atmosphere of a Costco.

 

I loved Buffalo’s Memorial Auditorium. Great sightlines and super loud. Very similar to the old Boston Garden.

Also enjoyed Tiger Stadium back in the day.

Now, I think Foxboro is a great place to spend a game day. FedEx and the Meadowlands can eat my poo.

 

PNC Park really is great in spite of the franchise that calls it home. It is a disgrace to see how the Pirates have wasted that facility. There really isn't a bad seat in the place, with the possible exception of the press box, from which it is difficult to see the home plate umpire. Being a Pittsburgh guy, I really do love the view of the city as you look toward the outfield. It is also relatively easy access and parking.

Heinz Field is good, too, though tougher to get in and out just because Steelers games draw a lot more people. It's a great atmosphere, though the facility lacks PNC's charm.