RFK Stadium

[smith03]

Would RFK stadium be considered to be one of the "cookie cutter" stadiums . The stadium was built in the early 60s but it seem to have many of the phyiscal characteristics of Busch, Three Rivers, Riverfront and Veterans.

[Dilbert]

I say if it looks any similar to the former Three Rivers, Cinergy/Riverfront, Veterans, Atlanta Fulton County Stadiums and Current Busch Stadium, its a cookie cutter. I consider Shea Stadium a semi cookie cutter and Kauffman stadium as a misshaped cookie cutter.

[pittunited]

I always thought RFK had more in common with Candlestick Park... They both have crude bumps in them that are more accommodating to baseball than football.

[JQK]

I say if it looks any similar to the former Three Rivers, Cinergy/Riverfront, Veterans, Atlanta Fulton County Stadiums and Current Busch Stadium, its a cookie cutter. I consider Shea Stadium a semi cookie cutter and Kauffman stadium as a misshaped cookie cutter.

Kauffman Stadium is one of the best places to watch a baseball gome, though.

And who cares about RFK, it'll be gone in 3 years in favor of Ronald Reagan Field

[mjrbaseball]

If you consider Kaufmann Stadium a cookie-cutter, you have to say Dodger Stadium is also. I don't think either is.

A cookie-cutter stadium is essentially round, and designed for multiple sports.

[MadmanLA]

I always thought RFK had more in common with Candlestick Park... They both have crude bumps in them that are more accommodating to baseball than football.

I'm a newbie, and I could help with this...Candlestick Park opened first, in 1960. RFK Stadium (then D.C. Stadium--it didn't become RFK until 1969) opened a year later. The differences there is that Candlestick was originally built with the intention of baseball in mind. The Stick (now Monster Park) didn't take its current shape until 1971, when the 49ers moved in. RFK/DC Stadium was built with both baseball and football in mind, hence the odd shape of the seating confrigruation. Also remember that the Redskins and Senators both shared Griffith Stadium prior to RFK/DC opening. If you see pictures of Candlestick prior to the addition of the football seats in 1971, it looks like a totally different park.

To me, especially in retrospect, Kansas City did it right with building Arrowhead and Kauffmann Stadiums as both are 30+ years old, still hold up very well, and each are considered one of the best stadiums in their respective sports. I can't wait to see in a few years what the renovations look like. The best things they finally did was to get rid of the artifical turf in the mid-90s. Same thing in at Busch in St. Louis, just them getting rid of the fake grass (along with the renovations later on) made the ballpark much apeasing.

But to answer the original question, RFK would be consider the first circular "cookie-cutter" stadiums. You could also say that after Camden Yards, the majority of the new ballparks (with maybe the exception of Atlanta and Pittsburgh) are the new "cookie-cutters".

[STL FANATIC]

I don't know the dates on it, so keep that in mind. Also, from what I'm hearing from you guys, it depends on what you count as cookie cutter...regardless...

I've always heard Busch was the first of it's kind, and Three Rivers and the Vet, followed similar blue prints to that of Busch.

[LMU]

It certainly looks like a cookie cutter, so I'd have to throw it under that grouping.

[shiznit1083]

But to answer the original question, RFK would be consider the first circular "cookie-cutter" stadiums. You could also say that after Camden Yards, the majority of the new ballparks (with maybe the exception of Atlanta and Pittsburgh) are the new "cookie-cutters".

I'll respectfully disagree. I think the whole designing process behind most of the newer stadiums was to be as different as every other stadium in baseball hence nullifying the term cookie-cutter.

[Burning River]

Basically the term "Cookie Cutter" meant that they were round in shape allowing them to be multi-purpose... and rather "plain" in design. The lower level seating is able to rotate from basically the 1st and 3rd base location to each sideline location for football. Or depending on the stadium... certain seating was movable to make way for football. The Vet and Atlanta were a bit different. Kaufman was only built for baseball, plus the design is NOT Cookie Cutter. You are right about Shea... Cookie cutter (Round) for multiple use when the Jets played there.

Skydome is in a sense a "Cookie-Cutter" seating lay-out design as well.

Cookie Cutters are basically:

Atlanta- Fulton County Stadium

Busch Stadium

Riverfront Stadium

RFK Stadium

Shea Stadium

Three Rivers Stadium

Veterans Stadium (not typical, but still considered)

San Diego and Oakland have movable seating, but the design wasn't originally built as a duplicate of the "Cookie Cutters". But I sort of think that they have that "feel". San Diego was more open at first.

I'm just waiting for the day when they say "These new stadiums/arenas are TOO corporate. There are TOO many loges. We need new stadiums/arenas with more seating for the Common Fan."

[pflava]

Having been to RFK once (for a DC United game a few years ago), I would disagree that it is a cookie cutter stadium. Yes, it was a multi-sport facility, but it has a unique shape to it that you didn't find in places like the Vet, Fulton County, Riverfront, etc.

It will be interesting to see what kind of renovations they do for next season.

[Cartabago]

er... I've flown over RFK once... I'd consider it cookie cutter too. Just that whole donut dealio defines it.