Best Arenas/Stadiums in America

[doctorpeligro]

BEST:

MLB: PNC Park & Wrigley Field (tie)

NFL: Ford Field

NBA/NHL: Madison Square Garden

WORST:

MLB: Tropicana Field

NFL: McAfee Coliseum

NBA/NHL: Staples Center

[Camden Crazy]

Football: The Swamp (NCAA), Heinz Field (NFL)

Basketball: Cameron Indoor Stadium, no other arena in the world is worth even mentioning

Hockey: Wachovia Center

Baseball: Camden Yards

[buckeyes]

basketball- palace of auburn hills, best stadium ive ever been to. ive sat all over that stadium and ive never had a bad seat.

ncaa football- the shoe (homer pick) the shoe is so electric, the stadium has an old school look with the "collums" at the end of the stadium but the closed shoe is so modern, great look.

ncaa basketball- wvu colisuem, the top of the stadium is reall something to see. the student section is great

[Runner]

NCAA Basketball: Has to be the Dayton Decible Dungeon AKA University of Dayton Arena, heck of a place to watch a college basketball game.

NBA: Haven't been to any so I wouldn't know

NCAA Football: Ohio Stadium, the Horseshoe

MLB: AT&T Park in San Fransisco

NFL: Heinz Field is cool but I'm not a Steelers fan

NCAA Hockey: New Goggin at the Miami (OH) University Campus is sweet.

[leedsunited]

The best MLB stadium is the new Busch stadium hands down. There's nothing better than watching a game in the middle of a August in a great stadium with a view of a national landmark (St. Louis Arch).

BTW people: don't be biased towards your favorite teams.

Anyone mentioning a stadium OTHER than AT&T Park and/or Oriole Park at Camden Yards should take a trip to either of those ballparks first, and THEN make your pick. Absolutely classic and timeless ballparks. So much fun to be there you almost forget that you are there to watch the game.

Also, if you get a chance when you're in Baltimore take the stadium tour. Its not the greatest thing ever, but it is well done (plus you get to go on the field and stuff which is great for young kids)

...Oh, and I'm NOT a Giant or Orioles fan either, I'm an A's fan

I'd agree with Camden Yards. The original and still the best with the retro baseball parks.

Pac Bell? exceedingly cramped seating, and advertising blitzing you from every angle (understandable, since it's all privately financed). Still, that stupid Coke bottle and ballglove in left field looks extremely ridiculous.

[Proc]

Recently Maxim did an article of the 10 worst stadiums/arenas...Joe Louis Arena was the worst, Fenway was close, as was MSG. Kind of odd, considering they're some of the more historic arenas out there.

Joe Louis Arena is old and cramped, smells, and needs more bathrooms. But, because the only suites are all the way up high, there isn't a bad seat, even in the last row, in the house. The Wings will be announcing plans very shortly, as to whether to gut it and improve it or build a new arena behind the Fox Theater (near the current stadiums, Comerica and Ford Field). Tiger Stadium wasn't a great stadium, to be honest. The concourse smelled like urine and beer, but again, the sight lines for watching the game were incredible. It was fantastic for watching a game.

[Luigi74]

Recently Maxim did an article of the 10 worst stadiums/arenas...Joe Louis Arena was the worst, Fenway was close, as was MSG. Kind of odd, considering they're some of the more historic arenas out there.

Joe Louis Arena is old and cramped, smells, and needs more bathrooms. But, because the only suites are all the way up high, there isn't a bad seat, even in the last row, in the house. The Wings will be announcing plans very shortly, as to whether to gut it and improve it or build a new arena behind the Fox Theater (near the current stadiums, Comerica and Ford Field). Tiger Stadium wasn't a great stadium, to be honest. The concourse smelled like urine and beer, but again, the sight lines for watching the game were incredible. It was fantastic for watching a game.

If the Wings go with gutting JLA and improving it would they play a season out at The Palace or is there still bad blood between Olympia Entertainment and the Palace people.

[no97]

best

mlb: the cell (us cellular)

worst

mlb: wrigley (UPGRADE NEEDED)

While I agree that a 2005-'06 bleacher like renovation of the main grandstand is needed at Wrigley, this is, without a doubt, blind homerism on your part as far as the Cell... The post US Cellular naming rights money renovations have made the park a lot better, but it's still not in the top 15 parks in the country (and I've been to at least that many...)

Moose

[powersurge]

Recently Maxim did an article of the 10 worst stadiums/arenas...Joe Louis Arena was the worst, Fenway was close, as was MSG. Kind of odd, considering they're some of the more historic arenas out there.

Tiger Stadium wasn't a great stadium, to be honest. The concourse smelled like urine and beer

LOL!

They call that cologne in the Bronx!

You should attend a game at Yankee Stadium sometime. Worst dump ever. I don't care if it is 'historic'. Remove all of the mystique behind it and you've got a horribly over rated baseball experience. I mean what can you do after the game around the stadium? Hmmm lets get arrested for doing whip-its and beer bongs in the parking lots under the overpass. Better yet, lets go hang out with the drunk bumb on the corner trying to park cars on the sidewalk.

Gotta love the Bronx!

[Proc]

If the Wings go with gutting JLA and improving it would they play a season out at The Palace or is there still bad blood between Olympia Entertainment and the Palace people.

I would bet that any renovations to Joe Louis Arena would take place during the off season. I can't see the Wing's temporily playing at The Palace.

LOL!

They call that cologne in the Bronx!

Ah yes...the fine cologne of Eau De Urine Hot Dog!!!

[koizim]

The best MLB stadium is the new Busch stadium hands down. There's nothing better than watching a game in the middle of a August in a great stadium with a view of a national landmark (St. Louis Arch).

BTW people: don't be biased towards your favorite teams.

Anyone mentioning a stadium OTHER than AT&T Park and/or Oriole Park at Camden Yards should take a trip to either of those ballparks first, and THEN make your pick. Absolutely classic and timeless ballparks. So much fun to be there you almost forget that you are there to watch the game.

Also, if you get a chance when you're in Baltimore take the stadium tour. Its not the greatest thing ever, but it is well done (plus you get to go on the field and stuff which is great for young kids)

...Oh, and I'm NOT a Giant or Orioles fan either, I'm an A's fan

I've been to both Camden yards and Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T/whatever-the-hell-they-call-it-now park, and i found Camden great (2nd best I've been to) but it was ruined by the fact that the OROILES SUCK.

As for AT&T, it was great but overdone. The park's features were fantastic, but it was way too busy all rolled together. Also, a phallic-looking Coca-Cola bottle at a ballpark in San Francisco? How about they shoot all white fireworks out of the top after a giants home run? (google the park to see what I'm talking about)

[HedleyLamarr]

The concourse smelled like urine and beer

Just like the natives of Detroit....

[powersurge]

The concourse smelled like urine and beer

Just like the natives of Detroit....

ouch.

[UNI/OSU/SMU]

I'll chime in from my experience in Sports:

Best:

College BB: Gallagher-Iba Arena (Oklahoma State), yes I spent 3 years courtside, but when you can't hear the band playing directly at you, that is LOUD! Unbelievable atmosphere.

College FB: Kinnick Standium (Iowa), just re-watch the Iowa v. Ohio State game and you'll see what I am talking about. Yes I know they got killed. Been in a lot of Stadiums, Kinninck was the loudest.

Memorial Stadium (Nebraska), pretty fun environment to be a part of.

College Soccer: Creighton has a very nice stadium except for playing on Field Turf.

College Tennis: Baylor

College Baseball: From people who have been around, Arkansas has an unbelievable stadium

You may think I'm crazy, but if you look at the plans, Oklahoma State will have the overall BEST FACILITIES in the NATION when the ATHLETIC VILLAGE is completed. $165 mil can build some nice stuff.

[no97]

Recently Maxim did an article of the 10 worst stadiums/arenas...Joe Louis Arena was the worst, Fenway was close, as was MSG. Kind of odd, considering they're some of the more historic arenas out there.

Tiger Stadium wasn't a great stadium, to be honest. The concourse smelled like urine and beer

LOL!

They call that cologne in the Bronx!

You should attend a game at Yankee Stadium sometime. Worst dump ever. I don't care if it is 'historic'. Remove all of the mystique behind it and you've got a horribly over rated baseball experience. I mean what can you do after the game around the stadium? Hmmm lets get arrested for doing whip-its and beer bongs in the parking lots under the overpass. Better yet, lets go hang out with the drunk bumb on the corner trying to park cars on the sidewalk.

Gotta love the Bronx!

I couldn't agree more that Yankee Stadium is over-rated... I got the impression that they destroyed all the historical charm the building had in the 1970's renovation. At this point, while a shame that the 3rd oldest ballpark in MLB is going to be torn down, the new one will be much better, IMHO; and at least the full field will remain (unlike many old parks, where just a home-plate (much like a gravestone) marks the spot of an old field...)

Moose

[Bronxmet]

Best

MLB: PETCO Park in San Diego. How many ways can you watch a game (in grass, sand, and the Western Lumber Building)?

NFL: Soldier Field

NHL/NBA: STAPLES Center they blew competition away until Dallas does it again in a few years later.

Worst

MLB: Tropicana Field

NFL: Candlestick Park

NBA/NHL: I dunno.

[doafhat]

You may think I'm crazy, but if you look at the plans, Oklahoma State will have the overall BEST FACILITIES in the NATION when the ATHLETIC VILLAGE is completed. $165 mil can build some nice stuff.

Indeed, just take a look around at OSUConstruction.com, a site I help maintain, and you'll see all the great things going on in Stillwater. Oh, and $165 million was the original amount given by Boone Pickens. His donation was immediately put into the BP Capital investment and last I heard had grown to well over $300 million.

[Spearhead]

Like Rainmaker said, the University of Texas is redoing DRK-Texas Memorial by tearing out the old north end zone section (known for years as the "Knothole") to bring it closer to the playing field:

[UNI/OSU/SMU]

Doafhat,

You are very correct. Word I hear is that you can expect another huge donation soon. Around 9 figures huge. This one may go to endow all of the athletic scholarships, along with a big chunk going to academics. After that, they are playing with house money.

I also messed up not mentioning the University of Tulsa having the best Tennis facilities in College. Hands down they have the best overall complex. That is until the OSU Tennis complex is built, which should include 12 outdoor and 6 indoor courts.

[KevinMcD]

The best MLB stadium is the new Busch stadium hands down. There's nothing better than watching a game in the middle of a August in a great stadium with a view of a national landmark (St. Louis Arch).

BTW people: don't be biased towards your favorite teams.

Anyone mentioning a stadium OTHER than AT&T Park and/or Oriole Park at Camden Yards should take a trip to either of those ballparks first, and THEN make your pick. Absolutely classic and timeless ballparks. So much fun to be there you almost forget that you are there to watch the game.

Also, if you get a chance when you're in Baltimore take the stadium tour. Its not the greatest thing ever, but it is well done (plus you get to go on the field and stuff which is great for young kids)

...Oh, and I'm NOT a Giant or Orioles fan either, I'm an A's fan

I've been to both Camden yards and Pac Bell/SBC/AT&T/whatever-the-hell-they-call-it-now park, and i found Camden great (2nd best I've been to) but it was ruined by the fact that the OROILES SUCK.

As for AT&T, it was great but overdone. The park's features were fantastic, but it was way too busy all rolled together. Also, a phallic-looking Coca-Cola bottle at a ballpark in San Francisco? How about they shoot all white fireworks out of the top after a giants home run? (google the park to see what I'm talking about)

The Orioles do not suck they are respectfully bad. And I would like to know what is your favorite stadium that youv'e been to? PNC Park???

The only stadiums that even come close to PNC are San Fran's, Camden, San Diego, and possibly Fenway because of the history. You can't beat this view....

or this one (Sorry about the overhang, apperantly I am not to good of a photographer)