NFL Stadiums - Which ones have you been to?

[Ian]

I'm curious to hear which stadiums you've seen and what you liked/disliked about them.

Other than Gillette I've only been to see the Pats play the Arizona Cardinals at Sun Devil Stadium. It had metal bleacher seats just like the old Foxboro stadium, but the upper level was incredibly steep and the concessions were terrible (watered down beer..etc.) I guess it works for college, but a crappy place for a Pro team. Looks like the new stadium is pretty nice.

Ian

 

[Murphys95]

Ralph Wilson - Buffalo [like it a lot, old school stadium, lots of character]

Bank of America - Carolina [nothing necessarily notable other than it's in downtown Charlotte]

Reliant Stadium - Houston [it's blasphemy to say this, but kind of cool for a dome]

Super Dome - New Orleans [bad memories, was there for Super Bowls XX and XXXI]

Cleveland Browns Stadium - Cleveland [no frills, but I love the design, keeps the noise in well]

Fedex Field - Washington [fairly mundane stadium, loud though]

Pro Player Stadium - Miami [not too bad, tailgating in the grass lots makes it worth it]

Baltimore Memorial Stadium - Baltimore [it's defunct now, but was a fun place to watch a game, you were super close to the action there - saw Bledsoe's Pats beat Testeverde's Ravens there in '96]

All incarnations of the Patriots' stadium - Schaefer, Sullivan, Gillette

 

[taltos]

Pats stadiums: Fenway, Harvard, Alumni, Foxboro, Gillette
Jets stadiums: Shea, Giants Stadium
Giants stadiums: Yankee, Giants
Eagles stadiums: Veterans
Green Bay
New Orleans
Astrodome
Cowboys stadiums: Cotton Bowl, Cowboys Stadium
Best stadium to watch a game was Giants Stadium.

 

[Tunescribe]

Gillette Stadium (Patriots): My home away from home. It is what it is. Comfortable but not intimate enough.

Foxboro Stadium (Patriots): Trying to get to the restroom was a death-defying feat. But it was a fun place to watch a game and the noise level trumped Gillette.

Ralph Wilson Stadium (Bills): Pretty utilitarian place, nothing special to recommend it. Seems to lack character. Concourses are dark, concessions generic, only one big screen. The big plus is they let you hang around down close to the field while teams are warming up no matter where your seats are.

Soldier Field (Bears): I went there a bunch of times before the rehab; had more seats in the end zones than along the sidelines back then. The pillars on the east side were cool. Great fans.

Metropolitan Stadium (Vikings): Long gone ... A baseball park, but fun, intimate place to watch a football game.

Old sombrero (Buccaneers): Also defunct, nothing special.

Reliant Stadium (Texans): Was there for Super Bowl 38. Very impressive place, one of the best I've seen. Big roomy concourses, great eats and drinks, excellent sight lines.

FedEx Field (Redskins): I liked it. Stands seem close to the field and holds noise well.

Alltel Stadium (Jaguars): Was there for Super Bowl 39. Big, generic stadium. Concourses got jammed big-time, kind of uncomfortable place with little character.

Giants Stadium (Jets/Giants): Good place to see a game, great sight lines. For a big stadium it was kind of cozy. Concessions basic.

New Giants Stadium: big generic place.

Baltimore -- forget what it's called now (Ravens): Cool place, built for football only. Modern, comfortable, intimate, with big concourses and nice eats/drinks. Fans are really enthusiastic.

Heinz Field (Steelers): Good place to watch a game. Steelers fans are maniacs, and very loud. Stadium is kind of ugly with all those yellow seats.

Qualcomm (Chargers): crumbling relic, poor sightlines, nasty fans.

 

[Remix 6]

Gillette
Pro Player
Giants
FedEx
Alltel
Ray James

 

[Canada's #1 Pats Fan]

Husky Stadium in Seattle (when the Kingdome was blown up) Typical college stadium - loud and a great place to watch a game.
Q'West Field - lots of people love it out here on the west coast. It is nice, hate the field turf - loud, tonnes of amenities. Am so excited that the Pats are out here for an exhibition next summer. My first opportunity to see the Patriots live. I live approx. 2 hours to the north, just over the Cdn. border. The bottom bowl is super close to the action. The upper bowl has rows and rows of seats I believe 50 rows from the start of the upper bowl to the very top. Saw Bledsoe throw the Cowboys game away last year.

 

[PatsSteve1]

I don't remember all the names of the stadiums so I'll just say the teams:

Bucs(new and old)
Dolphins
Panthers
Titans
Texans
Cardinals(old)
Raiders
Chargers
Vikings(this year)
Falcons
Saints(2001 Super Bowl)
Patriots(new and old)

 

[BelichickFan]

Gillette Stadium - once, hoping for another next year.
Old Cleveland Stadium - dozens of times in the '80s in high school.
New Cleveland Stadium - for their return game in '99.
LA Coliseum - when the Raiders were there.
Jack Murphy Stadium in San Diego.

That's about it. With a 6 and 8 year old my wife and I don't get around as much as we'd like.

 

[Fanfrom1960]

Pats stadiums: Fenway, Harvard, Alumni, Foxboro, Gillette
Jets stadiums: Shea, Giants Stadium
Giants stadiums: Yankee, Giants
Eagles stadiums: Veterans
Green Bay
New Orleans
Astrodome
Cowboys stadiums: Cotton Bowl, Cowboys Stadium
Best stadium to watch a game was Giants Stadium.

I was also at a game at Fenway Park years ago. What a psycho place for a football game with all its weird angles and dimensions! I could swear a punt almost caromed off the Green Monster. ROFL

Also, Candlestick Park and Stanford Stadium (49ers).

 

[ironwasp]

Sadly I've only been to ones that no longer exist: Three Rivers in Pittsburgh, Memorial Stadium in Baltimore and Sullivan.

The best thing about all of them, frankly, is that they've been replaced.

 

[mikiemo83]

buffalo (4 times), philly, pitts(2), giants(3), houston (superbowl), miami (2), cleveland (last game old browns), N.O (2) and there are more but I can't remember the others

edit

add Denver

and of course Foxboro - Season ticket holder

 

[Crowpointer]

Patriots (Sullivan,Gillette) Dolphins (old and new), Alltel (Jacksonville), Reliant (Houston) , Superdome, Kingdome, Invesco (Denver) and I am really looking forward to my trip to Lambeau next week

 

[tdw777]

1. Old Sullivan Stadium back in 70's. Brutal fans..got in one fight too many so quit going.

2. 3 Rivers Stadium, Pittsburgh. Good place to watch a game. Saw 96 playoff game with Pats Pet Carroll and Bledsoe.

3. Heinz Field. Wicked loud!! Saw two Pat games..Hollaween massacre and 2005 regular season.

4. Ralph Wilson. No frills..like the "Ford Escort" of football stadiums but really good place to watch a game. Been there twice and enjoyed both times. Would recommend going.

 

[Keegs]

Foxboro (season tickets, long time ago)
Soldier's Field (a couple pats/bears games)
U of I football stadium (Bears/Pats 02' game)
49ers stadium (04')
Raiders stadium (04')
Lambeau (02' preseason game against Browns, both teams scored 40+)

and that's it i think.

 

[PatsDeb]

I've been to:

Old Foxboro - benches were crappy and cold (and a problem for a woman smushed between a bunch of guys bundled up for the winter), but being close the to field was great.

Gillette - seats are more comfortable, but fans are too far away from the field, affecting crowd noise and ability to see the game; also even though it looks good on tv, it's not really that nice a stadium; still a dim concrete block without enough bathrooms underneath.

Superdome, NO - old stadium that was falling down in 2001, but site lines were still good even from up in the rafters (we sat 3 rows from the top on the goal line where Ty Law ran it in for the TD).

Reliant Stadium, Houston - the best NFL stadium I have been to; bright, plenty of bathrooms and concessions; even sold wine and mixed drinks (these things are important to us girls). Got stuffy when they closed the roof because of the threat of rain.

Giants Stadium/Meadowlands - another old stadium, but they have seats and crowd is close to the field. They let the kids come right up to the field/players before the game.

RCA Dome/Colts Stadium - old with metal benches in the upper deck where I sat. Got incredibly loud. The thing I liked about it was its location. Picture putting Gillette in the middle of Fanueil Hall - lots of bars and restaurants; no need to tailgate outside (unless you wanted to).

Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo - again an old stadium (metal benches w/ backs were I sat); most like the old Foxboro Stadium; liked the "feel" of the game here.

My overall impression of these stadiums is, although the newer ones offer you a more comfortable seat, you give up being close to the action. There is nothing like a good football game in an old stadium where the crowd is sitting (or screaming) close. Too bad they couldn't just add a row of corporate boxes to the top of the old places so they could get their revenues and we fans could get our football experiences!

Edit - Went to Alltel too; not equipped to handle a full capacity crowd; bathrooms didn't work on one side of stadium and concessions ran out of food

 

[TomBradyWoot]

FedEx field in Washington- I hate it. Been 3 times

Bank of America Stadium- Beautiful stadium. The two big Panthers at the entrance are amazing. Been twice

Alltel Stadium (2002 Gator Bowl) It was okay, nothing special. Been once.

Gillette-Of course my favorite. Going for my 4th time December 3rd.

 

[chris_in_sunnyvale]

Sullivan Stadium: Caught a regular season game in 86 (31-7 Bengals...boo!), a handful of preseason games in 87 & 88, then one last regular season game in 91 (10-3? Seahawks...boo!) before moving to CA. The metal benches sucked and drunkards from the upper deck would meet their buddies in the lower sections and simply squeeze in. Intimate didn't begin to describe the feeling.

The Big A in Anaheim: Saw the Pats open (1 week late thanks to Hurricane Andrew) the 92 season with a 14-0 loss to the Rams. Crappy multi-purpose stadium, crappy seats, crappy game. Tickets easy to get and great weather, though.

The Murph: Now called Qualcomm, Jack Murphy Stadium was where I saw Bledsoe's first preseason game. I also went back there in 02 to catch the Pats first loss of the year. Another multi-purpose stadium, but not as bad as the one in Anaheim.

Stanford Stadium: Saw the Pats take on the newly-returned Raiders in the last game of the 95 preseason. Glorified high-school stadium...all benches. Had great seats on the 40 yard line about 25 rows up. Parking lot is the woods next door. Attendants make sure you don't hit trees on the way in. The stadium underwent a huge renovation this spring so now it has chairs (and a lot smaller capacity).

Candlestick Park: Saw the Pats take on the 49ers in the 98 preseason. Awfully effing hot in the endzone facing the sun all afternoon. Another freaking multi-purpose stadium. No wonder they're threatening to move to Santa Clara. Got my car keyed thanks to the Patriots license plate border. I thought that only happened in Oakland. Wine and cheese crowd my arse.

Oakland Coliseum: Saw the Tuck Rule Revenge game in 02. For multi-purpose stadiums (what, another?!?), Oakland isn't bad...I catch plenty of A's games every year, especially when the Sox are in town and the football configuration is decent. Aside from some kids sitting behind me calling me every name in the book in spanish (my wife translated for me), the fans were fine. Of course that's easy to say since Oakland won the game. I might have been in trouble if the Pats won (as some vocal Sox fans were after game 5 of the 2003 ALDS). Easy to get to: There's a train stop at the stadium...like taking the T to Gillette.

Gillette Stadium: Caught the New Years Day game vs. Miami last season in a luxury box (pics at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chris_in_sunnyvale/my_photos). Beautiful stadium. By far the best football stadium I've been to. Took the T to the game - awesome, since I'm not a big tailgater. Hope to go back.

Regards,
Chris

 

[Patsfanin Philly]

Sullivan/Schaeffer/Foxboro....multiple times....
Gillette for the Pats Jags playoff game this past January
Meadowlands.....
Philadelphia...Vet but not the Linc...
Qaalcomm...back when it was Jack Murphy
Edward Jones in St. Louis..This past weekend for Chiefs-Rams. First time I saw a game in a dome and it was very different. Low key crowd and family-friendly.
Rich Stadium in Buffalo....back in the 70's when it was an hour plus drive from college

 

[TomBradyWoot]

Sullivan Stadium: Caught a regular season game in 86 (31-7 Bengals...boo!), a handful of preseason games in 87 & 88, then one last regular season game in 91 (10-3? Seahawks...boo!) before moving to CA. The metal benches sucked and drunkards from the upper deck would meet their buddies in the lower sections and simply squeeze in. Intimate didn't begin to describe the feeling.

The Big A in Anaheim: Saw the Pats open (1 week late thanks to Hurricane Andrew) the 92 season with a 14-0 loss to the Rams. Crappy multi-purpose stadium, crappy seats, crappy game. Tickets easy to get and great weather, though.

The Murph: Now called Qualcomm, Jack Murphy Stadium was where I saw Bledsoe's first preseason game. I also went back there in 02 to catch the Pats first loss of the year. Another multi-purpose stadium, but not as bad as the one in Anaheim.

Stanford Stadium: Saw the Pats take on the newly-returned Raiders in the last game of the 95 preseason. Glorified high-school stadium...all benches. Had great seats on the 40 yard line about 25 rows up. Parking lot is the woods next door. Attendants make sure you don't hit trees on the way in. The stadium underwent a huge renovation this spring so now it has chairs (and a lot smaller capacity).

Candlestick Park: Saw the Pats take on the 49ers in the 98 preseason. Awfully effing hot in the endzone facing the sun all afternoon. Another freaking multi-purpose stadium. No wonder they're threatening to move to Santa Clara. Got my car keyed thanks to the Patriots license plate border. I thought that only happened in Oakland. Wine and cheese crowd my arse.

Oakland Coliseum: Saw the Tuck Rule Revenge game in 02. For multi-purpose stadiums (what, another?!?), Oakland isn't bad...I catch plenty of A's games every year, especially when the Sox are in town and the football configuration is decent. Aside from some kids sitting behind me calling me every name in the book in spanish (my wife translated for me), the fans were fine. Of course that's easy to say since Oakland won the game. I might have been in trouble if the Pats won (as some vocal Sox fans were after game 5 of the 2003 ALDS). Easy to get to: There's a train stop at the stadium...like taking the T to Gillette.

Gillette Stadium: Caught the New Years Day game vs. Miami last season in a luxury box (pics at http://pg.photos.yahoo.com/ph/chris_in_sunnyvale/my_photos). Beautiful stadium. By far the best football stadium I've been to. Took the T to the game - awesome, since I'm not a big tailgater. Hope to go back.

Regards,
Chris

seems like you've caught a lot of patriot losses. whats your gameday record?

 

[Patti37]

Patriots: Harvard, Alumni, Foxboro and Gillette...I sometimes get downright nostaglic about Foxboro. The seats were uncomfortable (I know that is an understatement). If it rained, it would leak down below. And Deb, I understand the smushed between a bunch of guys...the other problem we had was that 3 very large (and I mean large) gentlemen had the seats next to us. So of course my father put me at seat 1. I ended up with one cheek on and one off.

Miami: the new stadium...whatever it is called.

And that is it.