Friday, April 04, 2014

NFL Stadium Rankings

Yardbreaker.com also ranked the NFL stadiums. Appears to me the ranking was influenced by the team’s success, fan support, and the area immediately surrounding the stadium. I am amazed that the Superdome (11) and Candlestick Park (15) received such high ratings. At least ten of the thirty stadiums have hosted Super Bowls.

Like baseball, most NFL teams play in state of the art palaces – many quite similar to each other. The following outdoor football-only stadiums are similar enough to make one wonder how one was ranked above another: Pittsburgh, Boston, New York, Denver, Baltimore, Cincinnati, Philadelphia, Buffalo, Washington, Tampa, Cleveland, Tennessee, and Carolina. Age may be a factor, but also perhaps some media bias.

1. Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers
2. Seattle Seahawks (downtown)
3. AT&T Stadium, Dallas Cowboys (dome) SB
4. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs (next to ballpark)
5. Soldier Field, Chicago Bears (refurbished) on the lake
6. Lucas Oil Field, Indianapolis Colts (dome) SB
7. Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Steelers (next to river)
8. Gillette Field, New England Patriots
9. University of Phoenix Stadium (dome) SB
10. New York Jets/New York Giants (new) SB
11. Superdome, New Orleans Saints (dome) SB
12. Denver Broncos (new)
13. Baltimore Ravens (next to ballpark)
14. Cincinnati Bengals (by the river)
15. Candlestick Park, San Francisco (on the bay)
16. Philadelphia Eagles (next to ballparks)
17. Ford Field, Detroit Lions (dome)
18. Georgia Dome, Atlanta Falcons (downtown) SB
19. Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo Bills
20. Washington Redskins
21. Tampa Bay Buccaneers (pirate ship) SB
22. Cleveland Browns (downtown)
23. Tennessee Titans (downtown on river)
24. Carolina Panthers (downtown)
25. Jacksonville Jaguars (downtown on river) SB
26. Miami Dolphins (SB)
27. Minnesota Vikings (dome)
28. St Louis Rams (dome) downtown on river
29. San Diego Chargers SB
30. Oakland Coliseum, Raiders (on bay)

Candlestick will be replaced this year by Levi’s Stadium, and in a few years the Georgia Dome will also be replaced.

I have only been games in the Georgia Dome and Superdome (also Atlanta Stadium, Grant Field, RFK Stadium, Shea Stadium, old Busch Stadium, Wrigley Field, the Orange Bowl, and old Cowboys Stadium. I’ve seen the current stadiums in Jacksonville, Charlotte, Tampa Bay, Oakland, Kansas City, Chicago, and Baltimore as well as old stadiums in Los Angeles, Anaheim, Detroit, Indianapolis, and Cincinnati.    

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