Best NFL Stadiums on ESPN

[Jimmy229]

http://sports.espn.go.com/travel/news/story?OSC=E1GsACW1iY!-1722032949!183182655!7001!-1&id=2569521

1. LAMBEAU FIELD, GREEN BAY (Overall score: 78.5)
Peter: It's the most unique sporting place in North America, really. Where else do you have such a small town that can support a pro franchise and do it well, with a season-ticket waiting list of 30 years? They were able to successfully take an older venue, modernize it, and the field still remains the way it looked.


2. HEINZ FIELD, PITTSBURGH (73)
Andrew: I liked the Steel Town tradition. Those people really understand their football. It's really the primary team; it's a Steelers town. You couldn't have asked for a better location, on the site of the old Three Rivers Stadium. It's got that downtown synergy. The Great Hall is the best concourse in the NFL. The tailgating is superb and the overall package works, and they support the team rabidly.


3. RELIANT STADIUM, HOUSTON (72)
Peter: The retractable dome. That was a first, and it follows the tradition of the old Astrodome, the first to have a roof over the place. Also, I like how they improved on the tailigating. A modern, spectacular first-rate stadium. Some of the friendliest welcoming fans in the NFL.


4. GILLETTE STADIUM, NEW ENGLAND (71.5)
Andrew: The fact that they had such a wretched stadium for such a long time, toilets that would barely flush, it would barely serve as a college stadium. To think they would build such a great temple to football is awesome. There are signature elements that are indigenous to the area, which we always like to see. You've got the lighthouse, the arched bridge, the rock formation in the end zone is very cool. The game presentation -- with the Minutemen firing off the muskets is awesome, and the technology enhances the fan experience. Plug in the tailgate scene, and it's a very fan-friendly owner in the form of Bob Kraft. A magnificent football experience with one negative, expect to spend a lot of time in the parking lot getting out.


5. M&T BANK STADIUM, BALTIMORE (71)
Peter: What makes Baltimore so great is that it's a downtown stadium that still gives people the ability to tailgate. They probably do that better than any other downtown stadium in America. They don't forget the city's football history. Some places with a previous franchise don't mention it. In Baltimore, the main plaza has a statue of Johnny Unitas. I like that they didn't forget that when they built the new stadium.


6. LINCOLN FINANCIAL FIELD, PHILADELPHIA (70)
Andrew: Its technology and the architecture are absolutely splendid. The sports complex is a unique thing, where the four sports are housed in a central complex. Also, the new generation of stadiums have very wide concourses and every amenity a fan could ask for. It's a tough ticket, fans are extremely rabid, and after Oakland, I'd say it's the second-most intimidating place to visit if you're a visiting fan.


7. SOLDIER FIELD, CHICAGO (67.5)
Peter: It kind of broke the mold. Soldier Field went in a different direction. It does have an assymetrical design. I like the Grand Concourse in Chicago. It's a place to be reverent to soldiers in the American military who have come before us. Also, a lot of respect is paid to the history of the Bears. I like how they kept the columns from the old facility for the most part. If I were taking anything away from it, I would have expected more diverse concessions, a bigger team store... stuff like that. All in all, a very unique place.


8. INVESCO FIELD AT MILE HIGH, DENVER (67)
Andrew: The uniqueness of the architecture. A very futuristic place. Interestingly enough, there's not two, but three video boards. They do a lot with the technology to entertain the fans. There's a lot of variety in the concessions. The other venues in Denver -- Coors Field and the Pepsi Center -- are also gastric theme parks. It's hard to find hot dogs and nachos amidst the specialty foods. Fans are very rabid about their team.


9(t). CLEVELAND BROWNS STADIUM, CLEVELAND (63.5)
Peter: I'll always be biased toward a place where fans fought city hall and won. A great fan base, great tailgating for downtown. I also like that the building didn't forget the previous Browns history, and they kept a section for the Dawg Pound.


9(t). RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM, TAMPA BAY (63.5)
Andrew: They've given it a Disneyesque feel with the pirate ship and the little Caribbean village. There's nothing quite like it anywhere. The whole pirate theme makes it a unique football experience. They play the yo-ho music, they raise flags when the home team gets in the red zone, they shoot off the cannons for a touchdown. The weather doesn't hurt, and it's

[bucshomer]

Great article. fits in with the other thread about stadiums.

[Cold Buc Fan]

WTF???? 1. LAMBEAU FIELD, GREEN BAY (Overall score: 78.5)
The place is an armpit, and the stadium is no reflection of the community that surrounds it unless you count outdated and uncomfortable for big bonus points. Even after the renovation it is far from impressive.

[ThePaperChamp]

Well, you have to read the article. They are judging the overall event, rather than just the stadium. Two pretty lucky guys, if you ask me. I could think of worse projects...

[Digital_Damage]

LAMBEAU FIELD, GREEN BAY?!!! these guys are idiots!

[SCBucFanTX]

Espn Sucks

[ThePaperChamp]

Originally Posted by SCBucFanTX

Espn Sucks

ESPN didn't write the review. It is two guys that have traveled to every NFL, MLB, and NBA stadium/arena. ESPN simply reported the story.

Thank you though, for your wonderful insight.

[Saintlyone]

Best stadiums, worst stadiums, power rankings........you guys are putting way to much stock into other peoples opinions.

Originally Posted by Saintlyone

Best stadiums, worst stadiums, power rankings........you guys are putting way to much stock into other peoples opinions.

Bingo. They mean less than preseason games.

[Cardiac Kids]

Originally Posted by Jimmy229

9(t). RAYMOND JAMES STADIUM, TAMPA BAY (63.5)
Andrew: They've given it a Disneyesque feel with the pirate ship and the little Caribbean village. There's nothing quite like it anywhere. The whole pirate theme makes it a unique football experience. They play the yo-ho music, they raise flags when the home team gets in the red zone, they shoot off the cannons for a touchdown. The weather doesn't hurt, and it's

it's.. it's...... what, what???!!!!! What am i missing, i can't take it anymore....


Ugghhh, the pain...the agony.......

[DAFIF]

i went to the opening of the new vet in philly (where joe caught the two most awesome passes) and that stadium was not that great.

the cleveland stadium had an awesome club level, better than tampa's but higher up.

[bucshomer]

Originally Posted by Cardiac Kids

it's.. it's...... what, what???!!!!! What am i missing, i can't take it anymore....


Ugghhh, the pain...the agony.......

The weather doesn't hurt, and it's a good tailgating destination.

[Cardiac Kids]

Originally Posted by bucshomer

The weather doesn't hurt, and it's a good tailgating destination.

Oh, thank you... the swelling will start to go down now i hope.

[XTrenTX]

Ummm, am I the only one wondering where Qwest Field is on this list?

Hey, just because they left Redskins' stadium out of their list,
"which you had Redskins' #1 or 2 in your own AWSOME list in your BEST STADIUM thread"
doesnt mean you have to be offensive..
These guys were paid to make a poll, and Bucs made that list.
I'm not yelling, or calling you out, but you did have RJS in that list of yours as well.
You down played this thread really hard, when you created one just like it yourself.

Originally Posted by ST's Fist

Bingo. They mean less than preseason games.

[bucshomer]

Originally Posted by XTrenTX

Ummm, am I the only one wondering where Qwest Field is on this list?

Yep. Qwest field is nice and i like the view of the skyline but I think it is behind the other stadiums mentioned in tailgate and experience department.

[FEDCOP]

Originally Posted by Digital_Damage

LAMBEAU FIELD, GREEN BAY?!!! these guys are idiots!

Did they go there in December for there piece??

[InsaneBucFan]

whys everyone dissin on the packers stadium??? If i could go to a diff stadium other than ray jay id go to green bay, now i know the team sucks, but that stadium is just classic

Originally Posted by WILLBLEE

Hey, just because they left Redskins' stadium out of their list,
"which you had Redskins' #1 or 2 in your own AWSOME list in your BEST STADIUM thread"
doesnt mean you have to be offensive..
These guys were paid to make a poll, and Bucs made that list.
I'm not yelling, or calling you out, but you did have RJS in that list of yours as well.
You down played this thread really hard, when you created one just like it yourself.

All I said was they mean less than preseason games. Don't know what's wrong with you or what made you react the way you did, but obviously you need to calm down.

Feel free to show me the thread I started where somebody ranked stadiums. Id like to see it...because I haven't ever seen it.

And how come Im the only one you got your panties in a bunch about? Other people have made comments similar to mine on this thread and every other 'power ranking, best stadium' thread. Why would you attack a Redskins fan...I think I have an idea.

[XTrenTX]

Ok, I just found their review on Qwest Field...it was done from a visit in 2002, they gave "fan support" a 4 out of 10...which makes sense for 2002...but if the review were done in 2005, fans would have got a 9 or 10.

darryl tapp is the man.

[XTrenTX]

Originally Posted by ST's Fist

darryl tapp is the man.

I would have to agree with that.

[bucshomer]

Originally Posted by XTrenTX

Ok, I just found their review on Qwest Field...it was done from a visit in 2002, they gave "fan support" a 4 out of 10...which makes sense for 2002...but if the review were done in 2005, fans would have got a 9 or 10.

Its easy to support your team when they are winning but those other teams fans support them no matter what.

[BucsMAN3K]

I think he screwed that ranking up big time.

[XTrenTX]

Originally Posted by bucshomer

Its easy to support your team when they are winning but those other teams fans support them no matter what.

In Seattle, the fans basically support either the Mariners or Seahawks, whichever team is playing better. Lately, the Mariners have sucked and their ticket sales have suffered, the Seahawks fan support has gone up (and we're talking more like since 2003, after a 7-9 season, not just 2005 after a playoff trip.)

So it has a little more to do with people only being willing to pay for 1 team at a time, not just winning.

[bucshomer]

Originally Posted by XTrenTX

In Seattle, the fans basically support either the Mariners or Seahawks, whichever team is playing better. Lately, the Mariners have sucked and their ticket sales have suffered, the Seahawks fan support has gone up (and we're talking more like since 2003, after a 7-9 season, not just 2005 after a playoff trip.)

So it has a little more to do with people only being willing to pay for 1 team at a time, not just winning.

Since Holmgren took over in 1999, the Seahawks have only had 2 losing seasons. I think the interest was slowly building. A new stadium helps and so does moving into a division with the rams, 49ers, and cardinals as well as making the playoffs 3 out of the past 4 years. But you still cant compare the Seahawks fans to many of those other teams fans.

You are correct, I owe you an appology.
Sorry, I mistook you for SkinsD, another REDSKINS fan.
But you know the thread I mentioned, you posted in it.
Your Top 10 Stadiums... And 3 Worst.

Originally Posted by ST's Fist

All I said was they mean less than preseason games. Don't know what's wrong with you or what made you react the way you did, but obviously you need to calm down.

Feel free to show me the thread I started where somebody ranked stadiums. Id like to see it...because I haven't ever seen it.

[XTrenTX]

Originally Posted by bucshomer

Since Holmgren took over in 1999, the Seahawks have only had 2 losing seasons. I think the interest was slowly building. A new stadium helps and so does moving into a division with the rams, 49ers, and cardinals as well as making the playoffs 3 out of the past 4 years. But you still cant compare the Seahawks fans to many of those other teams fans.

It's tough to compare the Seahawks to those other teams. We're talking about an organization that built up a little bit of history during the 80's, with a couple great seasons and then some average seasons...and then the team got sold to Ken Behring, (and Bucs fans can relate to this) who didn't care about winning and didn't care about the fans. So you have a team that has barely any history, and then they start losing and ignoring the fans for a decade, and there's really no hope because the ownership doesn't care. Why buy tickets to a show like that?

Finally Paul Allen bought the team, after Behring attempted to ship the team to L.A., which alieanted the fans even more. Even then the fan relations weren't all that great, but atleast there was an owner that actually wanted to win. And it didn't take much winning to bring that fans back, two 9-7 seasons with 1 playoff appearance in 4 seasons before they finally started to sell games out.

We're comparing this to cities that are rich in football history, except for you guys in Tampa who suffered through a lot of the stuff that Seattle did (And I'm pretty sure there was a period there when the fans weren't exactly flocking to the stadium.) But the other cities have built up a fan base over the years, and it's hard to kill that with a few bad seasons.

[bucshomer]

Originally Posted by XTrenTX

It's tough to compare the Seahawks to those other teams. We're talking about an organization that built up a little bit of history during the 80's, with a couple great seasons and then some average seasons...and then the team got sold to Ken Behring, (and Bucs fans can relate to this) who didn't care about winning and didn't care about the fans. So you have a team that has barely any history, and then they start losing and ignoring the fans for a decade, and there's really no hope because the ownership doesn't care. Why buy tickets to a show like that?

Finally Paul Allen bought the team, after Behring attempted to ship the team to L.A., which alieanted the fans even more. Even then the fan relations weren't all that great, but atleast there was an owner that actually wanted to win. And it didn't take much winning to bring that fans back, two 9-7 seasons with 1 playoff appearance in 4 seasons before they finally started to sell games out.

We're comparing this to cities that are rich in football history, except for you guys in Tampa who suffered through a lot of the stuff that Seattle did (And I'm pretty sure there was a period there when the fans weren't exactly flocking to the stadium.) But the other cities have built up a fan base over the years, and it's hard to kill that with a few bad seasons.

I understand what you are saying completely and I dont disagree. I am just simply stating that while Qwest field may be on par with some of the better stadiums in the league, the event or total experience takes a hit because they dont have the tradition and years in as say teams like the Packers, Browns, and Steelers. I know it doesnt make sense because the Texans are ranked 3rd but I ma sure that is why Seattle takes a hit.