# Best and Worst Sports Stadiums **URL:** \ **Category:** In My Humble Opinion\ **Created:** [April 15, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232 "2007-04-15T18:07:51Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![dalej42](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/67e7ee/32.png) [@dalej42](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/dalej42)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 6:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/1 "2007-04-15T18:07:51Z")
What is the best and worst sports stadium you’ve been to? Best: [Nationwide Arena](http://www.nationwidearena.com/) in Columbus, Ohio for the NHL. [Anaheim Stadium](http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/american/anahei.htm) and [Dodger Stadium](http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/dodger.htm) for baseball are also both very nice. [Crew Stadium](http://www.crewstadium.com/) in Columbus is the first soccer specific stadium in the country. Yeah, it was built inexpensively. But, that is one great place to watch soccer. Worst. The [Orange Bowl](http://www.orangebowlstadium.com/pages/) in Miami was just terrible. The wrecking ball will improve it. [Dolphin Stadium](http://www.dolphinsstadium.com/) is fine for football but a miserable place for baseball. There aren’t any good sightlines at all. [The Rose Bowl](http://www.rosebowlstadium.com/) . I haven’t been there since 1998, so hopefully they’ve improved it. Really in need of improvement, better concessions, and parking ---
**Author:** ![KarlGauss](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/karlgauss/32/3713_2.png) [@KarlGauss](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KarlGauss)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 6:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/2 "2007-04-15T18:11:44Z")
The worst? Exhibition Stadium, Toronto - freezing 10 months per year, scorching hot two months. Horrible lines of sight (except maybe for football), poor facilities, hard to reach. Nothing redeeming. [The Mistake by the Lake](http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Exhibition_Stadium). ---
**Author:** ![TristramAiblins](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ea5d25/32.png) [@TristramAiblins](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TristramAiblins)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/3 "2007-04-15T20:35:17Z")
[Busch Stadium](http://www.deadspin.com/sports/baseball/the-new-new-busch-stadium-165321.php) out of St. Louis was just completed a year ago. It has a wonderful view of the St. Louis skyline, and was home to some World Champions last year. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 8:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/4 "2007-04-15T20:53:25Z")
Best: [Murrayfield, home of Scottish Rugby](http://images.google.com/imgres?imgurl=http://www.conferences-uk.org.uk/logos/conferences-uk.org.uk_conference_image_big_90th.jpg&imgrefurl=http://www.conferences-uk.org.uk/conference_venues_uk.asp%3Fvenue%3DMurrayfield%2520Stadium%2520Edinburgh&h=180&w=300&sz=16&hl=en&sig2=fIHsURdKu8-GxIn7N2su2A&start=13&um=1&tbnid=2OmzWxXGBTN4RM:&tbnh=70&tbnw=116&ei=bJAiRqXlIJLa0gTf-oz7CA&prev=/images%3Fq%3Dmurrayfield%2Bstadium%26svnum%3D10%26um%3D1%26hl%3Den%26safe%3Doff%26rls%3DGGGL,GGGL:2006-19,GGGL:en%26sa%3DN) Worst: [Cliftonhill, home of Albion Rovers FC](http://www.apwj49.dsl.pipex.com/albion.jpg) - and a truly miserable hole it is. ---
**Author:** ![silenus](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/silenus/32/166_2.png) [@silenus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/silenus)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 9:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/5 "2007-04-15T21:21:11Z")
As much as I love Dodger Stadium, [Petco Park](http://www.ballparks.com/baseball/national/sdobpk.htm) in San Diego is nicer. ---
**Author:** ![GorillaMan](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/50afbb/32.png) [@GorillaMan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/GorillaMan)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 9:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/6 "2007-04-15T21:36:29Z")
[QUOTE=Struan] Worst: [Cliftonhill, home of Albion Rovers FC](http://www.apwj49.dsl.pipex.com/albion.jpg) - and a truly miserable hole it is. [/QUOTE] Oh, come on, we need to be sporting and ignore Scottish lower-league grounds. Otherwise [Cowdenbeath’s](http://www.patandjim.com/images/central.jpg) tarmac oval might beat your offering. ---
**Author:** ![Baron\_Greenback](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/baron_greenback/32/48_2.png) [@Baron\_Greenback](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Baron_Greenback)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 9:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/7 "2007-04-15T21:55:49Z")
[QUOTE=GorillaMan] Oh, come on, we need to be sporting and ignore Scottish lower-league grounds. Otherwise [Cowdenbeath’s](http://www.patandjim.com/images/central.jpg) tarmac oval might beat your offering. [/QUOTE] It was a toss-up between the two, frankly, but I’ve a wee soft-spot for the Blue Brazil (because the nickname is brilliant, and I used to love the stock-car racing at Central Park when I was a kid). ---
**Author:** ![Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/e36b37/32.png) [@Airman\_Doors\_USAF](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Airman_Doors_USAF)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 10:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/8 "2007-04-15T22:02:34Z")
PNC Park in Pittsburgh was judged by ESPN in 2003 to be the best baseball stadium. It was a vast improvement over the Three Rivers/Veteran’s/Riverfront Stadium monstrosities. The cookie-cutter stadiums were atrocious in pretty much every respect. They hosted all manner of sports and were good for none of them. ---
**Author:** ![Jammer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/df705f/32.png) [@Jammer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jammer)\ **Post date:** [April 15, 2007, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/9 "2007-04-15T22:22:14Z")
Some of my favorites based on personal visits Best MLB: I would go with Petco Park in San Diego. I like Camden Yards, too. NFL: The best one I’ve been to personally is Bank of America in Charlotte, NC. Home of the Carolina Panthers NBA: Another nod to Charlotte and the Bobcats Arena. It benefits from being one of the newest in the NBA. I must say I have a nostalgic feeling for Madison Square Garden, but it is getting a little long in the tooth. College Basketball: I’m biased on this one. Gotta go with the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill Worst MLB: The place the Marlins play. Definitely not the best for baseball. NFL: I don’t really care for Giants Stadium at the Meadowlands. I’m sure a lot of New Yorkers would disagree, but IMHO it has the personality of Al Gore in a coma. It must have been built during that mid-70’s timeframe where nobody had a sense of style. College Basketball: It gets a lot of good publicity for the energetic crowds, but as a place to comfortably enjoy a game, Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium is bad. Very bad. Cramped. Hot. Ugly. But again, I’m a little biased on this one. Jammer ---
**Author:** ![Hockey\_Monkey](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/a183cd/32.png) [@Hockey\_Monkey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Hockey_Monkey)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 3:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/10 "2007-04-16T15:50:08Z")
I love the [RBC Center](http://www.rbccenter.com/about/2.asp) in Raleigh, for NHL hockey. There isn’t a bad seat in the house. It is also the home of NC State Basketball. Getting in and out of the arena is a breeze most of the time, and I rarely have to park in a satellite lot. ---
**Author:** ![Sunspace](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/sunspace/32/1250_2.png) [@Sunspace](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sunspace)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 4:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/11 "2007-04-16T16:36:24Z")
Wow. Who knew that the [Royal Bank of Canada](http://www.rbc.com/), now RBC Financial, had named a stadium? 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![RTFirefly](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/c77e96/32.png) [@RTFirefly](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RTFirefly)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 4:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/12 "2007-04-16T16:50:57Z")
We’ve gotten 11 posts in, and nobody’s mentioned Fenway? Fenway’s certainly _my_ favorite. OTOH, there’s a lot of ballparks I haven’t been to. Besides Fenway, I’ve watched baseball in RFK, Memorial Stadium, Camden Yards, Yankee Stadium, Shea, Dodger Stadium, and whatever they call the current Braves ballpark. Plus a coupla spring-training ballparks, and a coupla minor-league ballparks. Of that small sample, Fenway’s the best. Easily. ---
**Author:** ![drm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/a88e57/32.png) [@drm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/drm)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 4:58pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/13 "2007-04-16T16:58:27Z")
The Windsor Spitfires (ontario hockey league) [arena](http://www.ohlarenaguide.com/spitfires.htm) is a real dump, I have a hard time believing there is a worse hockey arena out there. I work at the Air Canada Center and despite the fact that the Leafs play there it is actually a very nice place to watch a hockey game (the leafs dressing room is a palace btw). The arena almost makes watching the Leafs tolerable. ---
**Author:** ![gonzomax](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/e8c25b/32.png) [@gonzomax](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/gonzomax)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 5:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/14 "2007-04-16T17:04:42Z")
You might think the Univ. of Michigan is a nice stadium ,but one hot dog will change that. ---
**Author:** ![JimSox5](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/b5a626/32.png) [@JimSox5](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JimSox5)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/15 "2007-04-16T17:06:24Z")
I can’t say much for the team currently playing there, but Conseco Fieldhouse in Indy is just an all-around great arena for basketball. It also did a good job with Arena Football when the Firebirds were here. It has a great atmosphere around it, and is just an all around enjoyable place to be. Now, watching the Pacers post-Reggie, well, that’s a different story. ---
**Author:** ![chowder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/977dab/32.png) [@chowder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/chowder)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 5:06pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/16 "2007-04-16T17:06:39Z")
As a diehard Manchester City fan I hate to admit it but Mould Trafford aint so bad. The New Wembley looks pretty 🆒 The worst I’ve ever been to has to be Craven Cottage, home of Fulham FC. Followed closely by Loftus Road, QPRs dump Don’t know how to post links…after all this time ::smack:: ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 16, 2007, 6:26pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/17 "2007-04-16T18:26:46Z")
I can only speak for places I’ve been, but my favorite baseball stadium is absolutely Kauffman Stadium in Kansas City - and I’m not just saying that because I’m a Royals fan. How can you not love the way those fountains light up at night? And the view of that giant Royals-logo scoreboard when you approach from I-70 - beautiful. For indoor arenas, the one I’ve liked best was the TD Waterhouse Arena in Orlando. Worst? I’m not very fond of Shea Stadium, although I don’t think it deserves the extremely bad rap that it gets. Still, of all the stadiums I’ve been in, I guess it’s the worst. For indoor, I thought the Staples Center in L.A. was pretty bad. Admittedly, it was a Clippers game, so maybe if the place had a more rockin’ crowd (do the Clippers have ANY fans, or only hecklers?) I would have enjoyed it more, but I usually sit in the cheap seats wherever I go (so I don’t generally complain about bad views), and the cheap seats there have worse views than the cheap seats elsewhere. ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 4:28am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/18 "2007-04-17T04:28:29Z")
[AutoZone Park](http://web.minorleaguebaseball.com/ballpark/page.jsp?ymd=20051130&content_id=35233&vkey=ballpark_t235&fext=.jsp&sid=t235), home of the AAA Memphis Redbirds, is said to be one of the best stadiums in the minors. I’ve only been to a couple of other minor-league stadiums (stadia?), so I don’t really have an informed opinion. It’s fantastic to go to a game and be right in the middle of downtown Memphis, though. ---
**Author:** ![Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Intravenus\_De\_Milo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Intravenus_De_Milo)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 4:57am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/19 "2007-04-17T04:57:09Z")
[QUOTE=Jammer] Best (snip) College Basketball: I’m biased on this one. Gotta go with the Dean E. Smith Center in Chapel Hill Worst (snip) College Basketball: It gets a lot of good publicity for the energetic crowds, but as a place to comfortably enjoy a game, Duke’s Cameron Indoor Stadium is bad. Very bad. Cramped. Hot. Ugly. But again, I’m a little biased on this one. [/quote] Yay, C–A–R–O–L.I.N.A, Let’s Go!!! 😃 The Dean Dome is up there on my college b-ball list as well, not only because everything in the building, including the girders, is Carolina Blue, but because it’s a fairly airy, open place. I think the RBC Center is nicer in terms of amenities and so forth, but I found it to be a bit claustrophobic in the thoroughfare areas, mostly because of all the obstacles behind which crowds can form (stairs, food stalls, etc.). I agree that Cameron, for all its atmosphere, is a somewhat uncomfortable place to watch a game. The seats seem to be WAY too close together, making it tough to get out if you need to. There aren’t enough bathrooms, and the food stalls are in relatively narrow high-traffic areas, thus clogging things up when a line forms. On top of all that, upper-level seats cost $60 a seat, which AFAIK is pretty steep for college b-ball tickets (nice LL seats in the Dean Dome are roughly $40, FWIW). The nicest pro venue I’ve ever been in? Hmmm…I think some of the NBA arenas (Orlando, Washington, and Charlotte I’ve been to) are quite nice. I agree that Charlotte is one of the best arenas in use today (the new arena, not the old Charlotte Coliseum). The worst I’ve been in? Lynah Rink at Cornell University. Seriously, hockey is THE big (revenue) sport at Cornell, and yet Lynah is SO. FREAKING. SMALL. Aside from having too few seats, there’s not a lot of circulating space around the stands, and scarce restrooms or permanent food vendors. It’s kind of sad because the building that it’s attached to (more sports facilities) is much nicer. ---
**Author:** ![cmkeller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/cmkeller/32/118_2.png) [@cmkeller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/cmkeller)\ **Post date:** [April 17, 2007, 5:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232/20 "2007-04-17T05:47:50Z")
I am amending my answer above regarding the worst indoor sports venue - Nassau Coliseum out-sucks the Staples Center by a mile. I must have blocked that Islanders game out of my memory temporarily. [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/best-and-worst-sports-stadiums/400232.md?page=2)