Rank Stadiums

Stadiums/arenas/ballparks/etc.....

Which are your favorite and why?

For me:

Baseball:

Just went to three different baseball games in three different ballparks in the last 2 weeks, and I go to Petco all the time so I've only been to 4 ballparks.

1) Petco Park- I like it because it's very open- you can walk around and see the game going on. The seats are large with good leg room. Love that it's directly in the middle of the city, right in the gaslamp district, and you can see San Diego all around. Good seats are everywhere, as it's not a huge park. Inexpensive tickets (for the most part). Easy to get to by public transportation or by car. Beautiful.

2) Camden Yards- VERY close second. Totally different park so it's hard to compare it to Petco. I like the history of Camden, the whole look of the park can't be beat. I grew up with the O's. Pickles Pub. Cheap beer. Small seats.

3) Citi Field- Beautiful. In an ugly area, though. Nothing around it. But the park itself is gorgeous. Good food and selections (Nathan's hotdogs, onion rings, crinkle fries, etc.). Decent prices for food. Expensive tickets. Great big screen and secondary screen. More "upscale" feel- they don't do the whole "Make Noise!" stuff that most teams do to rouse up their crowd. Or, they didn't when I was there. Cool Big Apple when HRs are hit. Large seats.

4) Nationals Park- Very similar to Petco, but no history or character. Kinda flashy. Do you really need a Playstation Zone at a baseball game? Great scoreboard/big screen and audio. Love the Presidents Race. Nothing around the area. SMALL ass seats with NO leg room.

Football:

1) FedEx- yeah, I like it. I never went to a game in RFK (only when the Nats played there), so I have nothing to compare it to.

2) Candlestick Park- would've rated it higher than FedEx but don't really like the tailgating atmosphere as much

3) University of Phoenix Stadium- really nice, don't really like the dome...and I HATE the Cardinals and their fans so this moves the stadium down for me.

4) M&T Bank Stadium- Eh. Nothing special. Better than Qualcomm, though.

5) Qualcomm Stadium- old, ugly, small....really hard to get in and out of.... I hate it.

For bball...all I've been to is the MCI Center (before they changed it to Verizon)

I've only been to two.

Coors Field in Denver and FedEx. They're about the same, IMO.

I like Verizon Center :1stplace:

Patriot Center will always have a place in my heart.

for baseball, I've been to Rangers ballpark (of course), along with old Busch Stadium in St. Louis (not the new one), Comiskey/US Cellular and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Miller Park in Milwaukee, and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. I visited the last five in the summer of 2003 as my HS grad present. All of them have their positives, but of course my biased opinion is that our park is my favorite of those. Miller Park is underrated, and Wrigley is of course legendary. I've also been to Turner Field in Atlanta several times. Gotta show some love for the Braves.

As for NHL, I have only been at the AAC, unless of course you count Reunion, our old arena. It's the same for the NBA, except I have also been to Verizon in DC one time. It was back when it was still the MCI Center back in early January 2003. We were on a family vacation before going back for school. I remember that trip very clearly because it was Michael Jordan's 2nd and final year with the Wizards. Since we knew we were gonna be in DC, we got tickets for a Wizards game. It was against the Pacers on January 4th. The night before was that classic Miami-OSU Fiesta Bowl game. MJ scored 41 points and the Wizards won in 2OT. Great game to attend. Don't really remember too much about the arena though. I do remember our seats being a little cramped from where we were sitting (somewhere on the 2nd level), but I didn't really have enough to build an opinion.

NFL...well I've only been to Texas Stadium, and on Friday, Cowboys Stadium...but I'm hoping in the near future I will find out what a road game is like. I have my eyes on Dec. 19 in New Orleans since that is reasonably close. Next year, I will definitely try to go to the Cowboys game in Houston, since they will play the Texans. I HAVE been to games in Reliant Stadium and the Superdome before, but for college games, not NFL.

I've only been to two NFL stadiums: Fedex field - hate it. RFK - loved it.

I loved how you could walk around the whole stadium at RFK and still watch the game. Unlike Fedex, that only has the outer loop where you can't see the game. You could have seats in the last row of the stadium at RFK and just walk around the inner loop and watch the game at a closer distance.

As for baseball.....I've been to Camden Yards and Jacobs field and really liked both. I also saw a game at RFK (when the nats played there)

College football - The swamp at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium.....nothing like it, the experience is phenomenal!!!!

Of the three NFL stadiums I have been to, I would rank them like this.\

The Linc - Not a bad sight line in the place, crowd participation is amazing.

M&T - Same thing, you feel close to the field, everyone is into the game and there isn't a bad seat in the house.

Fed Ex - Sucks, fan participation is horrible in comparison to M&T or the Linc, we all know about the limited view seats, the bathrooms suck, overall it is pretty rotten, and the parking, whoa.

Visiting another stadium puts it all into perspective.

RFK was awesome but a dump - the best ever because of the winning years. Winning tends to make a place that much better.

FedEx: dont get all the crying about it. It's the home to the greatest team ever. Dont like it? Dont go. This is my cathedral. The biggest problem? They havent won much there. A few winning seasons and the bellyaching would cease.

Memorial Stadium Baltimore- another dump that was so fun to go to... felt like I was watching a game in the 1940's. Plus all the cool baltimore bars afterwards.

Riverfront Stadium, Cincinnati.

I grew up in Maryland but cincy is my hometown. The home of the Big Red Machine was a heck of a place to see a game. For $25 you could get tickets, a dog or 2 and 4 large beers. The Bengals played there too but who cares?

Best baseball -

Camden Yards - The smell of Boog's.......the seats seem a bit more spacious than other parks. What all other stadiums should be judged by.

Old Yankee Stadium - One could feel the history in the building. Not great from an amenity perspective but that's not why one attended a game there.

PNC Park - They followed the Orioles model the right way. Bonus points for a Primanti Brothers in the stadium.

New Yankee Stadium - Luxury that has never been seen at a sporting venue. It does miss the ghosts and the prices are a bit out of whack.

Kaufmann Stadium - A great place to watch a game

Worst baseball

Dodger Stadium - Hard to watch a game there when everyone's up and down or talking about everything but baseball. Crowd ruins the venue.

Veterans/Three Rivers/Riverfront - The old cookie cutters had terrible sightlines.

Jacobs Field - How not to build a retro stadium. No character at all. The only redeeming quality is a Build-a-Bear for children. Still better than the dump that was Municipal Stadium.

Tropicana - There's an odd musty smell as soon as you walk in the building.

The Astrodome - I would have loved to have seen it in its heyday rather than when it was on its last legs but it was a dump when I was there.

Baseball:

1. Yankee Stadium- I was at the old Yankee Stadium one summer when I was around 10 years old. We took a vacation to NY and decided to see a game too. As much as I hate the Yankees, I respect history and that place was awesome. I wish I could've made a trip last year before it closed, but that place is all about history

2. Camden Yards- Awesome ballpark. I've spent alot of time there recently since I live in Baltimore lately. That place never gets old to me. From the smell of Boogs and beer, to the great scenery. I love Camden Yards!

3. Memorial Stadium- I saw my first baseball game here. It was the 2nd to baseball game ever played there. Much different than Camden Yards. Wasn't directly in the city, but it was still a cool place. Hopefully CY can get some of its history.

4. Riverfront Stadium- Went here one summer with my family when we decided to take a baseball summer. It wasn't anything special, I just remember it being super hot.

5. The Vet- That place was a dump. Gotta love a stadium with a jail in it.

Football:

1. RFK- This is where I saw my first ever football game! The best part was watching the bleachers bounce up and down when everyone started cheering WE WANT DALLAS! Wasn't the nicest stadium to look at, but we won there and that's all that matter!

2. M&T Bank- I was just there Thursday for the preseason game. Its a really nice stadium. Not many bad seats and the jumbotrons are amazing! If it wasn't for the Ravens playing there, I might go more often.

3. FedEx- Its nothing special. Yeah its big and can fit alot of people, but it just doesn't feel like it gives us an advantage like RFK did. For having almost 100k fans in there, it doesn't really get as loud as you would think. Maybe a few winning seasons can change things.

College, pretty much any stadium that has a typical top 25 team.

I'll of course be partial to Neyland. It's a giant bowl like FedEx, but it has more character and nicer design work on it. They just put in new gateways and a new scoreboard I believe, which make the stadium look really nice on the outside. The inside has a bunch of brick that makes it look more traditional as well. Again, lots of college stadiums just have some really nice character to them. Notre Dame Stadium comes to mind, as does The Big House and the Rose Bowl.

I've also been to the UNC Football stadium really nice stadium there as well. I've been to the Swamp and have to say the stadium looks pretty new/cold inside, but looks nice from the outside.

Most of the newer NFL stadiums are too cold/sterile, no real character to them. I guess the Seattle stadium would come close due to it's interesting design.

I don't know much about baseball stadiums or basketball arenas.

I think Wrigley Field is the best but I'm a Cubs fan so I'm sure I'm biased. I like the atmosphere for the Caps game, the Verizon Center folks know how to generate energy. Bristol is an awesome place to watch a NASCAR race, again, incredible atmosphere.

All of the "new" baseball stadiums all have the same look and feel. There's not much difference between Camden Yards, Turner Field, Coors Field, Nationals Park...

I've only seen NFL games in the Astro Dome, Georgia Dome, and Fed Ex. Nothing special about any of them.

Baseball -

1) Camden Yards - bar none the best park I've been to, the location, the look at the skyline, light rail access and great atmosphere. Dave, Camden Yards is NOTHING like Nationals Park, can't believe you'd say that.

2) Yankee Stadium - The old Yankee Stadium, went in 2000 via subway; legendary...nuff said

3) This is tough but Nationals Park in a tie with Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Nationals Park has Metro access, an amazing scoreboard and is nice but lacks character. Jacobs field has light rail access, is very nice and had a streak over 400 consecutive sellouts, that's dedication.

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Football

1) RFK - I'll never forget the one game I went to in 1996 during its last season. Rockin' bleachers, the walk from Stadium-Armory, the win, the loudness, atmosphere and character. And it is historic.

2) FedEx - Decent, I mean it is home to our Skins but a joke of a jumbotron, obstructed seats and 20,000 too many seats; once we actually win, it'll have a better reputation; still annoying as it's in the middle of nowhere and a mile from the Metro

Basketball/Hockey

1) Verizon Center - the best D.C. sports venue, great atmosphere outside before games, great inside for Caps games, Wiz fans are pretty good but leave alot to be desired when I go to games (nowhere near as loud as Cleveland sad to say), the drummers alongside the street, directly above the Metro and a contending team along with, barring injuries, a perennial playoff team. What else to say, the NHL MVP plays here, what's not to like?

Baseball -

1) Camden Yards - bar none the best park I've been to, the location, the look at the skyline, light rail access and great atmosphere. Dave, Camden Yards is NOTHING like Nationals Park, can't believe you'd say that.

2) Yankee Stadium - The old Yankee Stadium, went in 2000 via subway; legendary...nuff said

3) This is tough but Nationals Park in a tie with Jacobs Field in Cleveland. Nationals Park has Metro access, an amazing scoreboard and is nice but lacks character. Jacobs field has light rail access, is very nice and had a streak over 400 consecutive sellouts, that's dedication.

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Football

1) RFK - I'll never forget the one game I went to in 1996 during its last season. Rockin' bleachers, the walk from Stadium-Armory, the win, the loudness, atmosphere and character. And it is historic.

2) FedEx - Decent, I mean it is home to our Skins but a joke of a jumbotron, obstructed seats and 20,000 too many seats; once we actually win, it'll have a better reputation; still annoying as it's in the middle of nowhere and a mile from the Metro

Basketball/Hockey

1) Verizon Center - the best D.C. sports venue, great atmosphere outside before games, great inside for Caps games, Wiz fans are pretty good but leave alot to be desired when I go to games (nowhere near as loud as Cleveland sad to say), the drummers alongside the street, directly above the Metro and a contending team along with, barring injuries, a perennial playoff team. What else to say, the NHL MVP plays here, what's not to like?

Love the results that come out of the arena but the actual arena is not suited for hockey at all. One leaner in the 400s can ruin it for a whole section.

I do love how close it is (metro accessible and easy to drive into) but they could do better (especially better ice).

As for Football. Can only compare RFK and FedEx.

I hate FedEx, it just doesn't feel right. Maybe its a combination of the results that come out of that stadium. But you see tons of other arenas cater to their fans with nice big HD jumbo-trons and we get a big graphic defenseman smashing the letters de-fence .. wow awesome.

FedEx: dont get all the crying about it. It's the home to the greatest team ever. Dont like it? Dont go. This is my cathedral. The biggest problem? They havent won much there. A few winning seasons and the bellyaching would cease.

I think there are three reasons for the dislike of FedEx.

1) We aren't the loudest stadium in the NFL anymore. The Seahawks built a stadium out of The Who's amplifier stacks, and we're bitter about it. Most of our screaming goes in to the night sky.

2) Like you said, we aren't winning. How soon we forget about the Cowboys coming here in 2005. The stadium was absolutely electric. It was so packed that it looked beyond capacity. If we ever get a white-hot team on the field, Fed Ex Field will make you proud.

3) No jumbotron, way too many advertisements. It's gotten to the point of embarassing. The television set we have in our stadium looks like it should have dials and antennas. You'd think one of those 200 ads we hear a game could help go towards a new jumbotron. Where do we put it?

Easy, right in front of a part of the club section. Get those mamby pambies out of their bourjois cells so they can get their toy poodles to bark while we're on defense.

Maybe right about the ice, but:

-NHL MVP

-LOUD as hell

-GREAT location

-near a McDonald's

-HD screen :notworthy

-Pollin didn't need to extort the city, instead funding it himself

FedEx isn't TERRIBLE, but needs a Metro near it

I've been to all of the Detroit stadiums, and they are all nice except Joe Louis Arena. That arena is showing its age. The Palace and the Joe don't have an upper deck like the Verizon Center. All of the seats share the same concourse. COmerica Park is just as nice as Camden Yards, and both trump Nationals Park. Ford Field is very nice for an indoor stadium.

Baseball -

1) Dave, Camden Yards is NOTHING like Nationals Park, can't believe you'd say that.

Yeah, that made me shake my head, too.... that's why I said I can't really pick a favorite b/w Camden and Petco- they are so different.

If someone likes Nats Park, I urge them to come see Petco. Petco is so much better than Nats Park.

for baseball, I've been to Rangers ballpark (of course), along with old Busch Stadium in St. Louis (not the new one), Comiskey/US Cellular and Wrigley Field in Chicago, Miller Park in Milwaukee, and Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City. I visited the last five in the summer of 2003 as my HS grad present. All of them have their positives, but of course my biased opinion is that our park is my favorite of those. Miller Park is underrated, and Wrigley is of course legendary. I've also been to Turner Field in Atlanta several times. Gotta show some love for the Braves.

WTF?? I totally forgot I went to Yankee Stadium and Fenway Park last August. My dad and I made a trip to Boston to visit my sister, and we couldn't pass up the chance to go to a game at Yankee Stadium before they moved to the new one. It was my last chance to see it. We went to that ridiculous 19-17 game at Fenway when the Rangers were there, then saw the Yankees lose some random game to the crap Royals after a few hour rain delay...it was a torrential downpour.

Nationals Park- Very similar to Petco, but no history or character. Kinda flashy. Do you really need a Playstation Zone at a baseball game? Great scoreboard/big screen and audio. Love the Presidents Race. Nothing around the area. SMALL ass seats with NO leg room.

The area that Camden Yards was built on was a ****hole, and took years to get that "character". In 5 years, Nationals Park will be surrounded by hotels, restaurants and bars in a completely revitalized waterfront area - just like the area surrounding the Verizon Center. And have a successful team to attract fans. Seats seem plenty wide enough.

Football:

1a) Lambeau Field (how the hell do you forget this trip?!?:doh::mad::doh:)

1b) RFK (RIP)

2) FedEx Field

3) Lincoln Financial Field

4) M & T Bank Stadium

5) Candlestick Park

6) The Meadowlands

7) Texas Stadium (biggest dump EVER)

Baseball:

1) Camden Yards

2) Fenway Park

3) Yankee Stadium (RIP)

4) Memorial Stadium (RIP)

5) Jacobs Field (talk about stealing a design)

6) Nationals Park

7) RFK (RIP)

NASCAR:

1) Bristol

2) Richmond

3) Martinsville

4) Charlotte

5) Indianapolis

NBA:

1) ARCO Arena (Sacramento)

2) Verizon Center

Hockey:

1)Verizon Center (not much to compare it to)

NCAA Football:

1) Lane Stadium

2) Mountaineer Field

3) Byrd Stadium

4) Richmond Spiders' stadium (name?)

5) James Madison's stadium (name?)

6) Liberty Flames' stadium (name?)

NCAA Basketball:

1) Cole Field House

2) Comcast Center

NFL

Lambeau... every football fan should go once. I love how it is just in the middle of the neighborhood.

LP Field (Titans)... not so good, maybe because of crappy seats.

Lucas Oil Stadium (Colts)... really liked this one. I went last year when it was new and its very nice and can get really loud when the roof is closed.

Paul Brown Stadium (Bengals)... Not a Bengals fan, even though I live in Cincy, but the stadium isnt bad. Except when the Skins lose to the Bungs there like last year

MLB

Riverfront (Reds' old stadium)... loved it. Marge Schott (love her or hate her) knew how to keep fans happy. $1 hot dogs always... $1 beer days

Great American Ballpark (Reds' current).. arguably the best company name to have your stadium named after (Great American Insurance) because it doesnt sound corporate. I usually sit in the club seats with free food from work, so I like it alot. But if I go on my own, you can still buy $5 seats and sit anywhere... one of the benefits of them sucking again

NCAA

Notre Dame... went when I was 10 outside of football season with my dad. The guy (I swear it was the groundskeeper from Rudy) opened it up and let me on the field which was really cool.