the Ballparks/Stadiums/Arenas thread

[jmf1234]

Am i the only person who loves these things? Am I the only one here who likes to look at the stadium or arena where a game is being held? Dont ask me why but some thing i really like to do on the internet is go onto websites like www.ballparks.com or www.worldstadiums.com and look at stadiums not just here but in other parts of the world. Does anybody else really like stadiums?

My favourite sporting venues:

Ncaa football: Beaver Stadium (Nittany Lions), I really hate the lions, I really do. However can you take a look at their 106K seat stadium and tell me you would guess that it was built in the 60's: Beaver Stadium

Ncaa Basketball: Pitt's new Peterson Events Center: Peterson Events Center

NFL: Lambeau field. When i saw a game there a two seasons ago it was amazing for a couple of reasons: How such a small city can pack such a monster stadium, and how it is still called Lambeau (not Heinz or FEDEX). Lambeau Field

NBA: MSG. even though the Knicks suck know you can still feel the echoes of a better era. So much history is in that building. But dont be a sucker for those ticket prices. MSG

NHL: In my opinion to find a great arena that will always have a great atmosphere come game day you gotta go to Canada.
The Bell Center (Montreal Canadians)

MLB: Before i entered college (4 or 5 years ago) Me and my dad went to as many baseball parks as we could. These included Shea,Yankee,Wrigley,Turner,Camden Yards and Fenway of all of them Fenway is indeed the best. Nothing (Not Yankee stadium nor Wrigley) came close this park is in a leugue of it's own.Fenway

The three stadiums out side of North America that look the coolest to me (keep in mind i have not been to these stadiums i've just seen pictures of them) :

Old Trafford (Manchester United)

Camp Nou (FC Barcelona) this is the biggest stadium in Europe.

Telestra Stadium (National Stadium of Aussieland)

Have any of you guys been to a great stadium that i haven't mentioned? Have any of you guys had a memorable experience at a stadium?

Thank you

[grumpyolddude]

You should check out the Big House in Ann Arbor: Michigan stadium is great.
Too bad you MLB trek missed Tiger Stadium. Great bleachers, and the over-hang in right field was unique! Comerica is okay, I guess (who puts a ferris wheel in a baseball park?) The statues in left-center are cool, tho.

Sat on the steps in Olympia for a SRO playoff game between the Red Wings and Canadiens baack in the 60's. Amazing!

[Jadey]

I'm kind of the same way. I getting pretty excited becuase I going to Kansas City in a couple of weeks for a Royals-Cards interleague game and I never been there.

I could go on about some of the best arena/stadiums I've been to, but probably the worst is The New Comiskey in Chicago. Now it's even got a shitty corporate name to go with it. But I still go about once a year.

[BigGov]

Lambeau is great for another reason. There is not a bad seat anywhere in the stadium. If you found a bad seat you'd have to be a 2 foot tall midget in the second row sitting behind of a 10 foot tall 20,000 pound monstrosity.

[jmf1234]

GrumpyOldDude- I saw Tiger Stadium on that trip but i didn't like it. I just think Michigan is'nt really in to baseball and Comerica sounds like it sucks.

Jadey- Kauffman sounds like a very beautiful park, if only they could get more people to go see the Royals. However, it is against their in state rivals. The idea of fountains in the outfield instead of bleachers is the best part of the stadium. I went to the old Comiskey, It was cool, so much tradition in that park. But U.S. Cellular Field really blows hard.

Jimmy- I totally agree. Also, i find that green bayers are all born nice. It is a very cool city.

[Glory's Sun]

You're right Fenway is the best in the MLB by far

[FunHater]

I really haven't been to many stadiums, don't exactly have the money to make trips to see NFL/NBA games (I live in Alberta). But, from what I've heard and using my own experiences, I think Skyreach Centre in Edmonton is a great NHL venue.

[The_Dude]

memorial stadium @ UT (isnt that what they call it?)

it holds about 80k

[Justin]

I get goosebumps every time I go to Madison square garden. It doenst matter what event it is.

[Meridae'n]

Telstra Stadium is quite impressive, but if you want the best in Australia jmf1234, you can't go past the Melbourne Cricket Ground (MCG). It's had crowds of up to 125,000, hosted the Olympics, cricket World Cup final, AFL, NBL, State of Origin (huge over here), hockey, concerts, everything...

I haven't got a link for you, but have a look somewhere and you'll be impressed with one of the world's great stadiums...

[jmf1234]

what the fuck is "state of origin"

[livingitup101]

FedEx field sucks.

Camden Yards is my favorite baseball stadium. It was one of the first 'new parks'. Followed by Texas, Cleveland, Atlanta, etc. I was able to walk the field while it was being built.

I've also walked Soldier Field. Nothing like being right on the grass where the pros play.

[Meridae'n]

Originally posted by jmf1234
what the fuck is "state of origin"

It's a 3 game Rugby League series between New South Wales & Queensland (the two most populous states over here).

It is an annual event and is easily the best 3 games on the planet. These two teams would beat any country team on earth (apart from Australia, of course).

These two states hate each other and it shows in these games. Game one for the 2003 series was on last Wednesday and 3 players got knocked out, and a further 3 got cut open. It's fucken rough and unreal to watch. Awesome.

It's on next Wednesday... look for it.

[Dr.Who]

I really miss the Forum on Montreal.

Since they moved, the team is not the same.

[ReggErving]

Conseco Fieldhouse is a great place to see a basketball game.

Victory Field which hosts the AAA Indians is a great field to watch baseball.

Norte Dame, all the nostaligia makes the hairs stand up on the back of your neck when you enter.

[Dooms]

Great thread! Jadey I hope you enjoy your trip to KC! I used to go to the games all the time. The fountains ARE incredible! I haven't been since I was a kid, but that was magical. General admission was as good as anywhere else, well the best spot was first base. I would love to see other stadiums. Arrowhead is a great stadium. One thing many don't know is that the field is NOT flat. Its a hill that runs the length of the field. Its designed that way so water runs off of it. The concrete under the turf is hard. I'd hate to take a bump on that field.

[jmf1234]

Verterans stadium was probably worse than arrowhead ever will be.

[AlphaFox830]

As for nice stadiums...

Wrigley
The Horshshoe at OSU
The Big House
Soldier Field
The Rose Bowl
UTEP Stadium (its carved into a friggin mountain!)

and i think thats it. However i must also point out that having a good stadium does not neccessairly mean a good team.

Fox

[nickt]

Originally posted by Meridae'n
It's a 3 game Rugby League series between New South Wales & Queensland (the two most populous states over here).

It is an annual event and is easily the best 3 games on the planet. These two teams would beat any country team on earth (apart from Australia, of course).

These two states hate each other and it shows in these games. Game one for the 2003 series was on last Wednesday and 3 players got knocked out, and a further 3 got cut open. It's fucken rough and unreal to watch. Awesome.

It's on next Wednesday... look for it.

Just to correct you, Victoria is the second most populous state in Australia and although the State of Origin is a spectacle for what it is (and that is some bloody rough shit going on with some rugby league thrown in somewhere), it is not what Australia is reknowned for and not what is played at Australia's best stadium, and for that matter, one of the best stadiums in the world, the MCG.

The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground) is currently being renovated and will eventually seat 100,000 and the thing is, it is used week in week out to host AFL football and is an absolute institution in itself. No matter who makes the AFL final, every year it has been played at the MCG since about 1896!!! Similarly, the naming rights to the MCG will never be sold off to FedEx or Starbucks etc, the Melbourne Cricket Club, who are the trustee of the ground, will never allow it. Cricket has been played there for over 150 years!!!

See the MCG at www.mcg.org.au

Also, check this out - this will be without doubt one of the greatest stadiums and may well be the final word:

http://www.wembleynationalstadium.co.uk/

You cannot go past Wembley...

[nickt]

Just in relation to the State of Origin:

Go Blues!

[nickt]

To jmf1234:

I have been to Telstra Stadium and although the place is absolutely huge it lacks the atmosphere of other stadiums due to its sheer size. It is currently being redeveloped and the capacity reduced to 80,000 to make it more user-friendly, but still a great stadium design-wise.

For all you Americans, the AFL is the Australian Football League and the most popular sport in Australia BY FAR! The AFL Grand Final has been played at the MCG every year for over 100 years, regardless of who the teams are, and it is an absolute institution.

It is in the heart of Melbourne and every weekend it hosts two or three games with crowds of up to 90,000 not being out of the ordinary.

The MCG is currently being redeveloped and will seat 100,000 when complete. The atmosphere is electric (and you should see the light towers!). Truly one of the world's best.

[Sen]

For Major League baseball, Wrigley is an awesome experience. Also Kauffman in KC and Camden in Baltimore are beautiful venues.

[jmf1234]

Nickt- you guys in australia have a very well done website dedicated to the stadiums in your country and New Zealand. it's Called austadiums

[nickt]

Good find jmf1234!!!

Makes for some interesting reading.

Anything similar for the US?

[warrrreagl]

Just the phsyical sight of a stadium doesn't do it for me, and that's why The Big House never makes my list. I've been to two games there, and I'd never heard 100,000 people sitting on their hands until that. It was like a 3-hour funeral.

Adding atmosphere, I'd have to vote for Tennessee's stadium as the best. Huge place, you can park your boat at the stadium, and your ears ring for days afterward.

[jmf1234]

Originally posted by nickt

Anything similar for the US?

besides what you can find at worldstadiums.com

there's ballparks.com

warrreagle- yeah, i really love how you can park your boat at Neyland Stadium that's pretty cool. I went there once in '99 when they faced Mississippi State. It's huge.

[jmf1234]

this webpage, part of the ballparks.com website, is really cool it features aerial views of stadiums it is very cool so go check it out: Aerial views

[jwoody]

My favourite stadium in the world. 52,000 fans every home game. The best atmosphere in the world.

http://www.worldstadiums.com/stadium...mes_park.shtml

That's me 24 rows from the back. Just to the right of the director's box.

[jmf1234]

jwoody- it looks very modern built in 2000 right? what are the fans like at that stadium?

[losfp]

Another vote for the MCG. It has to be experienced during a big aussie rules game (saaaay.... the grand final, or Carlton/Collingwood, or Essendon/Richmond etc). Ain't too shabby on Boxing Day too. Years and years of tradition - it's magnificent.

Stadium Australia (the olympic stadium, now Telstra Stadium) is nice, but IMHO is too sterile and atmosphere-free unless you pack it to the rafters.

Can't speak for stadiums outside Australia.

[bluearmy]

The Millenium stadium home of the Welsh national rugby and football teams is the best stadium for me, the place just generates a wonderful atmosphere. The stadium holds 75 thousand seated and has a sliding roof.
The place was built as the name suggests in the last few years and was constructed for less than four-hundred million pounds, which is quite remarkable given that the English football association must have spent that knocking down the old Wembley stadium.

[Andrew]

What Michigan game did you go to? Whenever I went, the students in there went nuts?

I like Ford Field and the Tiger's field. Pity their teams suck.

Joe Lous (Red Wings) is cramped as hell, but it gets really loud.

Adndrew.

[tntenson]

Another vote for Michigan Stadium. I liked the old Tiger Stadium also, lots of character.
One of the main reason Michigan Stadium is kinda of quiet is the acoustics. The open oval shape lets the sound escape into the sky, where as the stadium with decks, alot of the sound reflects back on the field.

[The Bolshevist]

One interesting place for baseball is the TokyoDome, or as it is called locally, "The Big Egg." It looks like BC Place Stadium, only slightly tilted so it purely for baseball. The outfield is THE place for true fans to sit...one side for home, one for the guest. These people sing, have HUGE flags, and bring brass bands INTO THE STANDS!!! Behind home plate is like a death zone. Only the rich and gaijin (foreign devils!) sit there. One really cool part is the beer babes...they walk around with refrigerated bladders of beer on their backs, and serve you a frosty draft beer right at your seat...for about $1.50 a big cup. Plus the fact they do this in bikinis... The place has TWO home teams...the Yomiuri (Tokyo) Giants and the Nippon Ham Fighters (also Tokyo)

Don't know what BC Place stadium looks like? It is the giant inflated dome in Vancouver where the opening and closing ceremonies of the 2010 Winter Olympics will be held.

I know, indoor baseball sucks...(remember the Kingdome?) but
beer babes...I could live with it...

[a_divine_martyr]

Network Associates Colliseum is my personal favorite.

Just love the whole look of it.

And not to mention the SkyDome for those Blue Jays.

[Loup]

[IMG]http://groups.msn.com/_Secure/0QgDPAkkSpTyHKAc7xzWzKXtI1nSy4uJxyY9NhWTHSTF!YPQ2*BH7qKinbMkXNFlJka6txDtHcGVc4LVw0VIu!WqA6jZt0jUijoyxKBN21Dc/DSC00404.JPG?dc=4675428783313231088[/IMG]
Here's the highest level of baseball in my home city ... any guesses?

[Per Djoos (#44)]

For soccer in the U.S., nothing beat the new Home Depot Center in Los Angeles (Carson, CA). It is like a European stadium, and is really cool.

[jmf1234]

stumped me djp, where do you live?

[Loup]

Originally posted by jmf1234
stumped me djp, where do you live?

Ottawa Lynx play at the Lynx Stadium (aka JetForm Park).
AAA farm team to Baltimore Orioles & winning the International League championship in 1995. Only pro diamonds that I've been in are the SkyDome (Toronto) and the Big O in Montreal - both blowing Lynx Stadium up & out of the water

[tikki]

IU has a nice ass football stadium. It's just too bad they don't have a nice ass football team