NationStates Jolt Archive


What is your favorite stadium?

IDF
29-05-2005, 04:03
What are your favorite stadiums to watch a nice game? I don't care what sport it is. Why do you like that stadium? What traditions are observed there that make you love the place whether it is the home of your team or not?

For me, my favorite stadium is Comiskey Park II, although thanks to local cheapass Jerry Reinsdorf it is called US Cellular Field, and thanks further to local sports radio idiot Jay “moron” Marriotti (you can see this fatass on ESPN's “Around the Horn,” it is known as the Cell.

Name issue aside, I love Comiskey more than any other stadium I've been too. I've been to many such as old Tiger Stadium, Wrigley Field, Lambeau Field, Soldier Field (both pre and post flying saucer renovation), and many others, but I still love Comiskey.

The place is a fun one to watch my Sox win. If you show up for pre-game, there is much to do. They have FUNdamentals now in left field where you can practice baserunning, hit in a batting cage, or practice pitching. Sox instructors stand by and help you improve your skills and even track your pitch speeds on a RADAR gun. I've yet topped 55, but my cousin who pitches at New Trier HS can throw mid 80s. You can go in the rainroom and see some odd stuff such as the infamous “Veeck showerhead.” They have the Sox hall of fame loaded with great memorabilia from teams of the past or see the new mural timeline around the 500 level concourse.

The best comes with the game. The Sox know how to pump up fans. They show great video montages of recent highlights, of course they are accompanied with the audio calls made by Ken “Hawk” Harrelson. True Sox fans live to hear the great HR call: “YOU CAN PUT IT ON THE BOOOOOOAAAAAAARRRRRRDDDDDD, YESSSSSS!” They then show a 2 minute long montage of great moments in Sox history which includes great highlights such as a double steal on home in the early 70s and of course Bo Jacksons HR that clinched it for the Sox in 1993.

Immediately after this video ends, the stadium speakers go to full blast and AC/DC's Thunderstruck (http://searcht.netscape.com/ns/redir?src=singingfish&requestId=20ba3ede8d6e25fe&userQuery=ac%2Fdc+thunderstruck+audio&clickedItemURN=http%3A%2F%2F80srockstars.net%2Frams%2Facdc_thunderstruck.ram&area=DCBAVT1Title&linkIds=DCBAVT1Title[/url) is played as stadium announcer calls for Sox fans to get on their feet for their 2005 Chicago White Sox. The Sox then take the field one at a time as they are announced in this starting line-up tradition that is surpassed only by that of the Chicago Bulls, who are also owned by Jerry Reinsdorf.” Once the pitcher comes out to the mound, the whole thing ends with a tradition started by the Sox under Veeck's ownership in 1960. The exploding scoreboard and fireworks. While the exploding scoreboard, pinwheels and all, is only featured as Comiskey, almost every MLB team has copied the Sox idea of shooting fireworks for homers.

Once the game gets going fans can enjoy great views at their seats. I've been to dozens of games there and will be going once again on Monday. I've sat pretty much everywhere from behind homeplate on the 100 level, to bleachers, and to the 2nd to last row of the upper-deck. The UD is often attacked by those who think it is too high, but most of the critics haven't sat there. I have and it isn't bad. I actually prefer it to the bleachers. If you don't want to sit in your seats, you can sit at the Bullpen Sports Bar in RF and drink at field level, or you can go up to the Fan Deck in Center for a great view of all the action.

There are great traditions that many people may be familiar with as they have been copied, but really come from Comiskey. Many sports fans know “Na na hey hey kiss him goodbye” is a song that is at anthem status across the nations ballparks. This song was from “Steam” in 1969, they were pretty much a one hit wonder group that wrote this song and came out with nothing else noteworthy. Sox organist Nancy Faust, who has been with the team since 1970 and is still at every game, like the song and in 1977 she helped revive this song from the trash heap when she began to play it during a series against the Royals when the opposing pitcher was taken out of the game. To her surprise, Sox fans present during this summer of the “south-side hitmen” sang along making sure this poor pitcher was humiliated. Faust decided to stick with it and today when an opposing pitcher gets pulled mid-inning he can be sure to be serenaded with this song as 30,000+ Sox fans join in. The song is now the unofficial fight song for the Sox and is also played during homers and when the Sox get the final out to win. Of course it's near impossible to hear the song during homers as the place gets crazy as fans cheer, the scoreboard explodes, and of course the fireworks shoot out as they have for the past 45 years.

With all the tradition and the fun of watching your team win, what's there not to love about Comiskey?

http://www.thelaabs.com/Syls_Page/Baseball/Syl__Comiskey.jpg
A view from the 500 level overlooking the outfield and the scoreboard.

http://img225.echo.cx/img225/7586/400nocorknecessary1bt.jpg
The scoreboard lights as Frank Thomas hits #400 in late 2003. In the upper-left corner you can see some of the fireworks shot out over left-center field that accompany all Sox dingers. You can put it on the board, yes!
Potaria
29-05-2005, 04:06
Whoa. You really love Comiskey!

Anyway, my favorite is Heinz Field. I've never been, but I like the looks of it, as well as the location. I loathe Minute Maid Park and Reliant Stadium, which are both in Houston, the area I'm currently stuck in.
The Nazz
29-05-2005, 04:15
SBC Park in San Francisco. The sight lines are fantastic--I've seen games from every angle, from the outfield bleachers to the right field club level to the nosebleeds behind home plate, and there's not a bad view in the joint. The view outside is pretty spectacular as well--the Golden Gate Bridge is visible from the right field side, and at night, the top of the stadium gets swarmed with seagulls. The food is awesome--get the Gilroy Garlic Fries if you ever go to a game there, heavenly heartburn in a paper tray.

And oh yeah--the other reason it's my favorite park. I got to see this there.

http://www.amyletter.com/weblog/hello/126/894/640/barry%20bonds%20just%20hit%20700th%20homer.jpg

In the modern era, that's tough to top as far as historical moments are concerned. I'm just sad I probably won't get to see number 715 or 756.
IDF
29-05-2005, 04:28
In the modern era, that's tough to top as far as historical moments are concerned. I'm just sad I probably won't get to see number 715 or 756.

Not to bash the Giants or the park as I have no problem with either. I actually like the Giants, but there isn't going to be a 715 or 756, and even if there is, I won't recognize either accomplishment by Barroids. Even if he does hit those marks, don't be surprised when a big * gets placed in the record books. Barroids is one of the destroyers of modern day baseball with the whole BALCO scandal and his meltdown at the ST press conference in February. I'm rooting for the Giants in the NL West, but at the same time I'm rooting for Bonds to never play another game. Jason Schmidt rocks BTW! You also have to love the HRs that leave the park in RF.
OceanDrive
29-05-2005, 04:38
I like the looks of this design

http://www.limousinemontreal.com/Tourism%20Montreal%20Limo_files/lg_botanical3.jpg
OceanDrive
29-05-2005, 04:40
smaller pic

http://www.stephentaylor.ca/archives/olympic-stadium-montreal.jpg
The Nazz
29-05-2005, 04:48
Not to bash the Giants or the park as I have no problem with either. I actually like the Giants, but there isn't going to be a 715 or 756, and even if there is, I won't recognize either accomplishment by Barroids. Even if he does hit those marks, don't be surprised when a big * gets placed in the record books. Barroids is one of the destroyers of modern day baseball with the whole BALCO scandal and his meltdown at the ST press conference in February. I'm rooting for the Giants in the NL West, but at the same time I'm rooting for Bonds to never play another game. Jason Schmidt rocks BTW! You also have to love the HRs that leave the park in RF.
No asterisks--players have been cheating as long as they've been playing, and the use of steroids is no different from spitballing, scuffing, or taking amphetamines (which is still very common and is still not tested for). It didn't get Gaylord Perry any asterisks or keep him out of the Hall, and it shouldn't do that for Bonds either. I get so tired of the notion that getting an edge by cheating is a new idea--it isn't, and thus far, the only unbreakable rule in baseball is don't gamble on the game. Everything else is forgivable--just ask Pete Rose. And steroids are forgivable.
Boonytopia
29-05-2005, 04:52
The MCG (Melbourne Cricket Ground). A great place to watch cricket & Aussie Rules footy. Capacity of more than 100,00 & a history dating back more than 150 years.

http://www.mcg.org.au/
E2fencer
29-05-2005, 05:30
This might be influenced by my being an O's fan and having attended many game there, but I love Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It was modeled off of Fenway but is bigger and nicer. It built in the middle of the city with various quirks in the design to accomodate the location. It also ended the stadiums that were suburban, perfectly symetrical, and not built for one specific purpose. And it hasn't become a company named stadium.
Pepe Dominguez
29-05-2005, 05:32
Wrigley is #1, no contest.
Colodia
29-05-2005, 05:33
My bed.


...


Hey I'm being original here. I actually thought it up myself! Omigod gimmie money for it or I'll sue j00!
The Nazz
29-05-2005, 05:42
By the way, IDF--if others are going to post pics here, you might want to put a 56k warning up. Just a suggestion.
Patra Caesar
29-05-2005, 06:11
The gabba, but it was better when they had 'The Hill' and you could bring an esky, have some beers in the sun and smoke. Mmm, BBQ!
Luxey
29-05-2005, 06:14
This might be influenced by my being an O's fan and having attended many game there, but I love Oriole Park at Camden Yards. It was modeled off of Fenway but is bigger and nicer. It built in the middle of the city with various quirks in the design to accomodate the location. It also ended the stadiums that were suburban, perfectly symetrical, and not built for one specific purpose. And it hasn't become a company named stadium.

I agree entirely. Anouther stadium that has a great view is Pittsburgh's PNC Park. It's view of the river is stunning.
Funky Beat
29-05-2005, 10:41
The Santiago Bernabeu.

it's the world's biggest cauldron.
Kibolonia
29-05-2005, 10:43
The Kingdom, may she rest in peace. Man in the 80's when the Seahawks would get their groove on it was a whole other class of loud. It didn't look "pretty" but it was quick getting in an out, there wasn't a bad view of the game. But my God, the noise. It was glorious. The added comedy of the NFL noise rule, and it's utter futility only made it sweeter. Of course there was The Wave too, an import from across the city. But that concrete parabola; I know how loud it was in the stands, so loud it was a kind of sensory deprevation. Walking out onto that field as part of the Seahawk defense, that must have been the best feeling ever. The new stadium is prettier, it's got great views, more retail space, and somewhat better food. But it just isn't even close to same kind of experience. Part of that is the fans (Seattle is just infested with fairweather fans), but a lot of it was the dome. There was just something about being at a football game an knowing for a *fact* that you played a real role in the outcome.

I don't know if the Seahawks were the first, or if they're even the only, team to retire a number for the fans. But back in the day that was pretty sweet just because how sincere the players were about it.
Monkeypimp
29-05-2005, 10:59
The old Athletic park, which was torn down in the late 90s and replaced with Westpac stadium.

Wellington is famous for its wind, and Athletic park was in one of the windiest parts of town. The Millard stand was your regular everyday stand, except that it had another full set of seats on the roof, high up in the wind. I remember one day sitting up there and watching Jon Preston (playing for Wellington) make a clearing kick from inside his own ingoal area. It went dead at the other end.

There is also a famous story about another domestic game where a goal kicker had a penilty about 15 in from touch on the (as it was called then) 25 yard line. The met service said later that 70 mile and hour southerlies were blowing at the time. The kicker kicked it flat along the 25 line, the wind caught it and took it 90 degrees from the origional kicking angle and between the uprights.

In those days when wellington won the coin toss, they would almost always play into the wind. It didn't matter if they were down by 20 points at half time because, as the fans might tell you, 'this is AT LEAST a 25 point wind. No worries'.

Oh, and the 1996 Bledisloe cup destruction of Australia in the mud, 45-6 was great.
Nadkor
29-05-2005, 15:55
Lansdowne Road. you wont get a better atmosphere anywhere in the world than that in Lansdowne road during an Ireland rugby match
IDF
29-05-2005, 20:55
Wrigley is #1, no contest.
Hell no! I've been to Wrigley. I call the place "The Urinal" BTW. The sight lines suck and poles block your view no matter where you go. The food sucks, and they only have 1 kosher hot dog stand. There are so few bathrooms that it isn't uncommon to see people go #1 and #2 in a sink (I've personally seen this.) I've seen bleacher bums piss in the middle of the concourse, and I've seen other Cub fans never wash their hands, but with chunks of shit in the sinks I don't blame them. The place is falling apart as concrete falls from the upperdeck. They've had to put a diaper like wrap around it to catch the concrete, but I think it is also to soak up the urine from the drunk Flub fans.

There is another problem with Wrigley, the fans!!! They are the dumbest baseball fans I've ever seen. THey don't call the Urinal the biggest outside bar in the world for nothing. The whole place is filled with people in their early 20's who claim they are Cub fans because it is the "cool" thing to do, but they know jack shit about their team. My cousin went to a game last week and was telling me that a ton of people there were asking where Sammy was. The idiots don't realize he got traded 5 months ago to the Orioles. These same people then claim they are die hard Cub fans. The fans cheer whenever contact is made with a bat thinking every hit is a homer. Most of the flyballs they think will leave the yard don't get half way to the warning track. It's annoying to sit amongst these people. Last year my cousin and I went to a Cubs-Cards game there (I was proudly wearing my Cards hat since as a Sox fan who hate the Flubs I've also become a Cards fan.) There was one case where Alou hit a grounder to the SS for what is a standard 6-3. Alou was not even 3/4 the way down the line when Pujols caught the throw to make the out, but some dumb Cub fan who was wasted and knows nothing about baseball was yelling after the play that Alou should've slid!!! Any casual fan knows that you never slide into 1st!!! Slides slow you down and are only meant for avoiding tags or making sure you stay on base!!! That's why they ****ing let you run out the bag at 1st!!! You don't have to worry about tag outs or having to stop on the base!
Greedy Pig
29-05-2005, 20:58
Anfield (UK, LIverpool :p)

and Stadium Negara Bukit Jalil. (National Stadium)
I Still Like Oranges
29-05-2005, 21:25
Old Trafford - The Theatre of Dreams home of the Red Devils
or the Nou Camp is amazing as well
And on a rugby theme, THOMAND PARk (in Limerick)
RX-8
29-05-2005, 21:40
Hell no! I've been to Wrigley. I call the place "The Urinal" BTW. The sight lines suck and poles block your view no matter where you go. The food sucks, and they only have 1 kosher hot dog stand. There are so few bathrooms that it isn't uncommon to see people go #1 and #2 in a sink (I've personally seen this.) I've seen bleacher bums piss in the middle of the concourse, and I've seen other Cub fans never wash their hands, but with chunks of shit in the sinks I don't blame them. The place is falling apart as concrete falls from the upperdeck. They've had to put a diaper like wrap around it to catch the concrete, but I think it is also to soak up the urine from the drunk Flub fans.

There is another problem with Wrigley, the fans!!! They are the dumbest baseball fans I've ever seen. THey don't call the Urinal the biggest outside bar in the world for nothing. The whole place is filled with people in their early 20's who claim they are Cub fans because it is the "cool" thing to do, but they know jack shit about their team. My cousin went to a game last week and was telling me that a ton of people there were asking where Sammy was. The idiots don't realize he got traded 5 months ago to the Orioles. These same people then claim they are die hard Cub fans. The fans cheer whenever contact is made with a bat thinking every hit is a homer. Most of the flyballs they think will leave the yard don't get half way to the warning track. It's annoying to sit amongst these people. Last year my cousin and I went to a Cubs-Cards game there (I was proudly wearing my Cards hat since as a Sox fan who hate the Flubs I've also become a Cards fan.) There was one case where Alou hit a grounder to the SS for what is a standard 6-3. Alou was not even 3/4 the way down the line when Pujols caught the throw to make the out, but some dumb Cub fan who was wasted and knows nothing about baseball was yelling after the play that Alou should've slid!!! Any casual fan knows that you never slide into 1st!!! Slides slow you down and are only meant for avoiding tags or making sure you stay on base!!! That's why they ****ing let you run out the bag at 1st!!! You don't have to worry about tag outs or having to stop on the base!
You know that the Cubs second home is Miller Park in Milwaukee because it has room good bathrooms and better food.
IDF
29-05-2005, 21:58
You know that the Cubs second home is Miller Park in Milwaukee because it has room good bathrooms and better food.
I've been to Miller Park before. I love that place. Almost as good as Comiskey.
Vtorbetin
29-05-2005, 22:12
I don't know why, but I really like the Luzhniki (http://galeb.etf.bg.ac.yu/~mirad/Stadioni/luzhniki.jpg) stadium in Moscow.
RX-8
29-05-2005, 22:24
I've been to Miller Park before. I love that place. Almost as good as Comiskey.
Hey it was a huge step up from County Stadium.
Super-power
29-05-2005, 22:33
Yankee Stadium
Zweites
29-05-2005, 22:45
I like the Colosseum, though it's not as good since they stopped torturing Christians. :(
The Great Sixth Reich
29-05-2005, 22:56
Bank One Ballpark for the Arizona Diamondbacks.

The $354 million ballpark has become one of the game's most recognizable landmarks. The air-conditioned facility opened for the first time on March 31, 1998. The ballpark has everything from a retractable roof to a signature swimming pool. This baseball-only facility has site lines that are second to none. More than 80 percent of the seats are inside the foul poles and there is no upper deck around the outfield. The 8,000 ton cooling system is the equivalent of air-conditioning for more than 2,500 typical Arizona homes.

http://www.mlballparks.com/NLWest/diamondback6.jpg
Funky Beat
30-05-2005, 10:32
Old Trafford - The Theatre of Dreams home of the Red Devils
or the Nou Camp is amazing as well
And on a rugby theme, THOMAND PARk (in Limerick)

Noooooo!!! Not the Nou Camp!!! It's slanted! How stupid is that!

*grumbles some more*
Kellarly
30-05-2005, 11:31
Old Trafford - The Theatre of Dreams home of the Red Devils

Having watched a few CL games there courtesy of some free tickets and a Super League Grand Final, the atmosphere is really good once the crowd get going, but the seats are fricken tiny!

There are a few decent stadia in the UK, the Millenium Stadium has one of the best atmospheres ever (saw Ireland vs Wales....that was amazing) and is an excellent stadium too.

Of course I always hold Valley Parade dear to me, although its the most one sided ground you have ever seen!
I Love Man United
30-05-2005, 18:02
old trafford, just because united play there
Saxnot
30-05-2005, 18:05
Layer Road. :p