Best feature of any arena/ballpark

[patsox]

You can't really count the citgo sign technically, because it's not actually at fenway.

[dknight]

True, but if you'll ask any Red Sox fan, it's associated with Fenway above anything else.

Oh, and nice sig.

[brinkeguthrie]

McCovey Cove is great, and I like the glove in left field too. And across the Bay, let's not forget the titantic Mt. Davis at the A's place.

[KevinMcD]

PNC Park & Camden Yards are my favorite stadiums so I have to go with the Warehose & the Roberto Clemente Bridge/Skyline of Pittsburgh.

I can't wait for the Home Run Derby in July at PNC Park

[Mings]

I just got back from my second visit to Cincinnati's Great American Ballpark.  I really enjoy it there, especially compared to the other MLB ballparks I've visited (Tropicana Field, Yankee Stadium, and SkyDome/Rogers Centre).  There are concessions on every level, good views from the $5 seats, and a generally clean atmosphere.

As far as unique features, there are smokestacks, but that's not really unique.  I think the most unique feature is that something so generally nice could have replaced the dump that was Riverfront Stadium.  I think that's quite an accomplishment.

Which game did you go to? The one where the Reds bullpen blew it, or the one where the Reds Bullpen blew it?

I was sitting by the foul pole in left field on Saturday, right near where the beach ball went on the field.

I was in the rightfield porch, opposite where you were. We had a pretty good view of everything -- a terrific deal for $5 tickets. It was a pretty good game, all things considered. Was it the interleague/champion-team bandwagon that caused so many White Sox fans to show up? Their prescence didn't make any geographic sense to me. They're certainly far from being a rival or anything. Is it normal for so many fans of the other team to show up? The other Reds game I went to was against the Rockies, so not much by way of comparison there.

No its not normal. In the Cincy area, most are Reds fans and a very small Indians fan base. Actually in my section a lot of people were from the Northern Indiana/Chicago area. So some bandwagon, a lot of people making a drive.

[Maz]

PNC Park & Camden Yards are my favorite stadiums so I have to go with the Warehose & the Roberto Clemente Bridge/Skyline of Pittsburgh.

I can't wait for the Home Run Derby in July at PNC Park

Neither can I. Ther are gonna be ALOT of boats in the Allegheny.

[Breakwood]

Not necessarily my favourites, but the towers at Canada's ballparks are pretty cool. The Olympic tower in Montreal is really cool, especially taking the Funucliaire up and looking over the east island.

Sitting in the Rogers Centre and looking up at the CN tower is also really cool. It's amazing how tall it is, and to think how small the base is. It almost seems that any gust of wind could push it over.

[BlueSky]

First, my "opposite of the thread" nominee: The Superdome has a "mammoth cave" effect due to its size, some seats where you can't see one corner of the end zone, stairs so steep and high that people literally get dizzy climbing them, acoustics that prevent understanding of the simplest P.A. announcements, replay screens so far away that you need binoculars to tell the teams apart, and a long tradition of not just losing, but doing so in grand style: "Big Ben" and "bad punt snap in OT" losses to Atlanta, el-foldo 20-7 3rd quarter lead to 36-20 loss playoff game with the Eagles, 42-35 "come from ahead" loss to the Raiders on MNF, and the last second loss to the Rams that kept the Saints from a first-time trip to the playoffs in the final game of the '83 season. Until recently, there was also the rock-hard decades-old playing surface on which the Saints helmet and logo were yellow, not gold. Just added - a nice ambience associated with death and disaster.

Not that I'm bitter or think the Saints need a new facility...

As for places I've attended games, the formerly named "Ballpark in Arlington" (Texas Rangers) has a cool old-timey manual scoreboard along one outfield wall, and a comical sign (since removed) on the scoreboard reading, "501 feet - Hit one here and win a free suit" or something close to that. Turner Field has a nice view of downtown Atlanta from some seats. Been to high school games in Texas Stadium and while it's pretty ancient, the seats are VERY close to the field.

But the grand prize winner is...Lambeau Field. From the statue of Vince Lombardi out front to the Atrium to the putting green field with grass you can smell from the stands to the friendly and devotedly zany fans, absolutely the best venue in football if not in sports. Go to my blog and scroll a little over halfway down to see pics from my 2004 trip to see the Saints and Packers.

[no97]

But the grand prize winner is...Lambeau Field. From the statue of Vince Lombardi out front to the Atrium to the putting green field with grass you can smell from the stands to the friendly and devotedly zany fans, absolutely the best venue in football if not in sports. Go to my blog and scroll a little over halfway down to see pics from my 2004 trip to see the Saints and Packers.

Okay, this is likely my baseball bias here (although folks will likely blame me for being a Bears fan), but I just don't get what's so special about Lambeau... I have toured both Lambeau and Reliant Stadium (but not seen games in either), plus seen NFL games at the Metrodome, old Soldier Field (pre-2004 renovation), and the Coliseum in Nashville, and I can't give any a nod as that special. Reliant was pretty neat, as it had the retractable roof, but maybe I need to see a game at Lambeau to get what's so great about it...

Moose

[HedleyLamarr]

The hedges of Sanford Stadium.

[Sport]

the rotunda entrance on Ohio Stadium is pretty sweet

but then again so is the whole stadium.

As for the rest of my teams home venues

Cincinnati Bengals: Paul Brown Stadium. You have the large canopies over the high seating sections, a heated club section, but the most recongnizable would be the slanted seats at the end of each endzone.

Columbus Blue Jackets: Nationwide Arena. Every high school teams jersey is hanging in the main entry way and that includes Coffman high school's Adam Allgeyer who was killed in a car accident which I think is sort of cool. Then they have the brick exterior everywhere and cool places to eat. Also each level has an opening where you can look down at the main concourse, even from the third level. The most recognizable feature would be the two "party towers" at one end of the ice.

Cincinnati Reds. Already mentioned.

[FiddySicks]

You know, two features ive always thought were pretty cool were the Train in Minute Maid and the Slide in Miller Park. Ive never been to Miller, but seeing Sosa slam baseballs off of it during the Home Run Derby a few years ago was so cool. And ive been to Minute Maid in Houston and the train, while pretty pointless (itd be cooler if it went around the whole park) is still cool.

[DEAD!]

I think the best feature in any sporting venue are the fans. You could have the best looking stadium in the world, but if you don't have it filled with enthusiastic, knowledgeable fans, then the experience at the venue just wouldn't be all that great.

[Fred T. Jane]

I think the best feature in any sporting venue are the fans. You could have the best looking stadium in the world, but if you don't have it filled with enthusiastic, knowledgeable fans, then the experience at the venue just wouldn't be the same.

Example. See: RBC Center this evening. Wow.

[HedleyLamarr]

Win or lose, the agent for Pisani will be heading for a huge payday the next time he's up for free agency. Where did this guy come from?

[BlueSky]

But the grand prize winner is...Lambeau Field.  From the statue of Vince Lombardi out front to the Atrium to the putting green field with grass you can smell from the stands to the friendly and devotedly zany fans, absolutely the best venue in football if not in sports.  Go to my blog and scroll a little over halfway down to see pics from my 2004 trip to see the Saints and Packers.

Okay, this is likely my baseball bias here (although folks will likely blame me for being a Bears fan), but I just don't get what's so special about Lambeau... I have toured both Lambeau and Reliant Stadium (but not seen games in either), plus seen NFL games at the Metrodome, old Soldier Field (pre-2004 renovation), and the Coliseum in Nashville, and I can't give any a nod as that special. Reliant was pretty neat, as it had the retractable roof, but maybe I need to see a game at Lambeau to get what's so great about it...

Moose

You called it - it's not the facility per se, it's the experience. I attended a preseason game with a 7pm kickoff. It was sold out and the parking lot was full of tailgaters, most of whom had arrived when the parking lot gates opened at 10am! They were good-natured about me being in Saints gear, especially when I said stuff like, "So who are the Saints playing tonight?" Many insisted I join them for food and drink and to talk football. I can't begin to imagine that place in the freezing cold for a playoff game.

Here in Atlanta, you're lucky if the fans are here by the end of the first quarter, and that's in the regular season.

[pcgd]

All photos by me

Busch II: The arches, Big Mac Land, Stan the Man Statue

(The Arches)

Busch III: The arch, the 3-D logos on the backstop, watching the games from the towers, stan the man statue...not as cool as it once was but still pretty special.

(The logos on the backstop)

Memorial Stadium: The old I-Block, basically the student section. They used to hold up cards at every game. An entire section of fans holding cards that would have the Block I, or other things. It was pretty cool. Others have done it before, but it was one of my first memories of going to an Illinois football game. Of course, Chief Illiniwek.

Assembly Hall: Just the overall goofiness of the shape. If you haven't seen it, it looks like a space ship. Its one of the largest edge supported domes in the world. Plus the fans inside, dressed in bright orange, great game experience. Of Course, Chief Illiniwek.

Soldier Field: I just love the exterior of the old, and the concourse inside of the new paired with the old.

(The Concourse)

[pcgd]

You know, two features ive always thought were pretty cool were the Train in Minute Maid and the Slide in Miller Park. Ive never been to Miller, but seeing Sosa slam baseballs off of it during the Home Run Derby a few years ago was so cool. And ive been to Minute Maid in Houston and the train, while pretty pointless (itd be cooler if it went around the whole park) is still cool.

The new slide is lame. The old slide was so much better.

What would you prefer? Bernie the BREWER sliding down a play ground slide and flying a flag, or sliding down a crappy wooden slide into a giant beer stein?

That's what I thought.

[Burning River]

Some things tht stand out to me are:

Bernie Brewer. I too prefer County Stadium's version better. But, I remember watching Indians games and wanting the Brewers to hit a Home Run.

Fenway's outfield wall in general. From the Green Monster to the cut in at center field. Then the short fence in front of the bull pen which wraps around Peske's (sp?) pole.

The Ivy at Wrigley.

I like the Home Run porch at Jacobs Field. You are right on top of the left fielder. I have to say "The Drummer Guy" John Adams. He is at just about at every game with his drum trying to help stir up a rally. I HATE the 3 rows of luxery boxes on the 3rd base side! Ugh...

For some reason, the roof design over the outfield bleachers at Dodger Stadium is very cool.

I think Philips arena is pretty unigue. ALthough I don't really like the lay-out... The wall of luxery boxes along the side-line is unique.

By the way. Does anyone have info regarding the Ottawa Civic Centre? That place was pretty cool. The lower bowl of seating, then the upper level stops along the sideline and there is a huge wall that seems to over hang the lower level. Is there a reason it was designed that way? It seems like they had to squeeze the arena in to a pre-existing area. Thanks...

[KevinMcD]

Some things tht stand out to me are:

Bernie Brewer.  I too prefer County Stadium's version better.  But, I remember watching Indians games and wanting the Brewers to hit a Home Run.

Fenway's outfield wall in general.  From the Green Monster to the cut in at center field.  Then the short fence in front of the bull pen which wraps around Peske's (sp?) pole.

The Ivy at Wrigley.

I like the Home Run porch at Jacobs Field.  You are right on top of the left fielder.  I have to say "The Drummer Guy" John Adams.  He is at just about at every game with his drum trying to help stir up a rally.  I HATE the 3 rows of luxery boxes on the 3rd base side!  Ugh... 

For some reason, the roof design over the outfield bleachers at Dodger Stadium is very cool.

I think Philips arena is pretty unigue.  ALthough I don't really like the lay-out... The wall of luxery boxes along the side-line is unique. 

By the way.  Does anyone have info regarding the Ottawa Civic Centre?  That place was pretty cool.  The lower bowl of seating, then the upper level stops along the sideline and there is a huge wall that seems to over hang the lower level.  Is there a reason it was designed that way?  It seems like they had to squeeze the arena in to a pre-existing area.    Thanks...

According to this the arena is built underneath the CFL stadium.

BTW-Didn't someone on this site run the OHL Arena Guide Site???