Sunday Stadium Review - Broncos

 Denver Broncos

Name of Stadium: Sports Authority Field at Mile High

Capacity: 76,125

Game Attended: versus Colts in September 2016 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

Of all the times I've envisioned attending a Broncos game, I never once anticipated needing sunscreen. When we watched them play a month ago, we might as well have been sitting on the equator! Our seats were located exactly one row from the top of the stadium and it was toasty to say the least. And...in case you're wondering...the elevation issue is no joke. The stadium itself sits one mile above sea level. I think we may have been two miles above by the time we reached our seats.

Let me start at the beginning because the exterior of this stadium is quite unique. We arrived early enough to look around at the monuments and statues. I loved the stampede of horses making their way toward the entrance of the stadium - very neat! The other interesting item of note was the massive amount of Broncos fans everywhere. It is rare that the stadium isn't a bit of a mix of visiting and home fans, but Denver was on it! We saw extremely few fans in the opposing jersey that day.

Needless to say, the atmosphere is electric. Besides the blazing sun beaming down on us, we really enjoyed the game. It was exciting to see a live mascot running the length of the field at various breaks in the game. I've seen live mascots at a couple other stadiums along the way and think it really adds to the in stadium experience. Overall, I found this stadium to be fantastic. Definitely a stadium (and city) I would recommend visiting. But only if you plan on cheering for the Broncos, of course!

I only have four stadiums remaining now. It's highly unlikely I'll manage another stadium this season, but I'm slowly making my way to the finish line on this bucket list item!

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - Raiders

 Oakland Raiders

Name of Stadium: O.co Coliseum

Capacity: 56,057

Game Attended: versus Ravens in September 2015 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

If nothing else, the Raiders stadium is located in a quaint area full of running trails.  I was quite surprised when we pulled into the parking area!  The day was another absolute scorcher which made the long walk from the parking lot to the stadium seem even longer!

As we moved closer and closer to the stadium, we came upon pods of tailgaters.  I loved the decked out vehicles and fans we saw along the way.  Once we arrived at the gate to enter, there was a major jam of people.  I'm not sure if they have a more thorough security process that other stadiums I have attended or there was just a lack of staff to screen fans, but we waited for quite some time before making it to the front of the line.

I was excited to see how the stadium looked inside.  It is an older stadium and also shared with the Oakland A's baseball team.  The stadium could certainly use an upgrade, but it also didn't appear near as old as the Chargers stadium we visited the week before.  I am guessing they cover the upper deck on one side because they aren't able to sell enough tickets.  I have only noticed that one other place - Jacksonville.  The section covered here seemed to expand over a much larger space though!

I really liked the huge video boards in both endzones.  One was almost directly behind our seats which made for some nice views of replays!  I have never been a big fan of the way the field is laid out to include the baseball infield, but I don't think there is much that can be done about that.  It made it difficult for me to see at times.  I'm sure it is very odd for the players out there as well.

The heat (and insanely long concession lines) caused us to miss a portion of the third quarter.  And we had to leave with about five minutes left in the game in order to catch our flight.  However, I would actually be interested in going back to a game here again.  It was a fun and friendly atmosphere...especially since we weren't rooting against the home team!

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - 49ers

  San Francisco 49ers

Name of Stadium: Levi's Stadium

Capacity: 68,500

Game Attended: versus Vikings in September 2015 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

We took the train from San Jose to the stadium.  It was quick and easy.  And it dropped us off just outside the stadium.  Definitely recommend taking the train if you are visiting the area just for a game. Or biking there - so impressed to see the massive amount of bikes being stored by stadium staff in the parking lot area!

Once we arrived, there was a bit of a walk over to the entrance of the stadium from the train.  Since it was the first MNF game of the year, the energy level was high.  Lots of excited fans surrounded us as we walked toward the entrance.  Security lines moved quickly and several staff were on hand to direct us to our section.

We had seats in the upper level for this one and arrived in plenty of time to see the final pre-game activities on field.  Additionally, we were excited to see that t-shirts had been laid across each seat in the stadium - what a treat!  It is something I might expect in the lower bowl or for the first 10,000 fans to enter, but t-shirts for everyone?!?  Wow...totally impressed!

As it turns out, we needed those shirts!  The warm temps in California fooled us into thinking it would nice all night for the game.  It never really got cold exactly...but it was super windy in our area!  That was the only bummer of the night to be honest.  The stadium is stunning!  And even from our bird's eye view, we could see everything easily.  I love the big screens and interactive feel of the stadium.  We could definitely tell we were in a special place!

We managed to grab some hot chocolate at the half to warm up.  It worked pretty well for awhile, but we eventually made our way down to the concourse level of a lower part of the stadium to attempt to avoid the wind.  It worked pretty well, but we couldn't see much standing in that area.  Fortunately, the game was nearly over by that point.

Exiting a stadium is nearly always a chaotic mess, but the 49ers had a really great system.  Several stadium attendants were stationed at the exit directing fans toward three different lines based on which direction they planned to go on the train.  It seemed to be very effective.  And we were fortunate enough to be heading in the opposite direction of most of the crowd.

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - Chargers

San Diego Chargers

Name of Stadium: Qualcomm Stadium

Capacity: 70,561

Game Attended: versus Lions in September 2015 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

We had been warned by others that the Qualcomm experience leaves much to be desired, but we were optimistic going into the day.  We decided to take public transportation via train to avoid parking issues.  Unfortunately, the train was running about 30 minutes behind schedule so we missed a good chunk of the first quarter by the time we finally arrived at the stadium.

Our tickets were in the upper deck just a few rows shy of the top of the stadium.  The photo above was taken from the top row so the entire field could be seen.  Please notice how small the only screen in the stadium appears.  It fits right in with all the banners - barely noticeable at all.  However, our overall view wasn't terrible even though about 15 yards of the left side of the endzone on our end couldn't be seen when sitting in our seats.  We had to stand if there was any action going on in that area.  I'd definitely recommend getting tickets along the sidelines for the best view.

As it turned out, I didn't mind sitting with a wall barrier blocking my view because it was blazing hot and that wall provided me the tiniest bit of much needed shade.  And that was really my central focus at the time!  We weren't prepared for it to be such a scorcher!

To be completely honest, this stadium was by far the worst I have visited.  The building is old and the technology in the stadium needs to be updated without a doubt.  They weren't even using flat screens in the concourse area.  And just to preview a bit, it wasn't the only stadium on our California tour using such old school technology.  I really couldn't comprehend it! 

Between the heat and lack of being able to see the only "big" screen in the stadium, I didn't have a very enjoyable experience.  The best part was when I watched the game during the 3rd quarter from the shaded concourse on one of those old school TVs.  Well...and the end, of course.  That is always my favorite part!

Taking the train after the game proved to be an adventure in itself - check out that line!!  Fortunately, we were going in the opposite direction of most of the crowd, but we still had a packed train!  In the end, I'm glad we checked this one off the list...but I certainly won't be making plans for a return visit anytime soon!

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - Lions

Detroit Lions
 

Name of Stadium: Ford Field

Capacity: 65,000

Game Attended: versus Bills in October 2014 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

 

Last weekend, Chris and I made a quick weekend getaway to Detroit. One of our main objectives was to cross another stadium off my bucket list.  After our visit to Ford Field, I only have eight stadiums left.  That means I am 3/4 of the way there...hooray!!

The stadium is right downtown just across from the Tigers' baseball stadium.  It was a TOTAL cluster of people at the entrance.  The picture above was taken roughly five minutes before kickoff.  There were some serious issues with getting people into the stadium quickly particularly as game time approached, but the crowd was fairly peaceful.  Unfortunately, we were stuck by a group of smokers though.  Yuck!

Once inside, we were caught up in the game immediately with the massive roars from the crowd - it was loud!  We had to walk halfway around the stadium to our seats, but we were able to check out the wide array of vendors on our walk so we knew exactly what we wanted for lunch by the time we made it to our nosebleed section!

The game started out as a Lions blowout, but some kicker trouble allowed the Bills to turn things around and make a game out of it.  We saw two field goals hit the upright!  Major kicker issues in Detroit!  In the end, the Bills were victorious...and we were shocked by the passive, accepting nature of the Lions fans.  I heard more than one group commenting that at least the kicker was their main problem.  Not sure if that says more about the people of Detriot or is merely a side effect of having a very bad team for a very long time.  Either way, it made for an interesting and at times comical departure from the stadium.

Overall, I liked Ford Field.  Being indoors makes life so much easier...and it can have some definite advantages in the noise level department, too.  There wasn't anything particularly stellar about the stadium, but it is a quite nice venue. 

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - Redskins

Washington Redskins

Name of Stadium: FedEx Field

Capacity: 85,000

Game Attended: versus Chiefs in December 2013 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

Last weekend, Chris and I began our journey to FedEx Field at 6:30am.  We took the MegaBus down to DC's Union Station where we met up with a couple of Chris' friends and boarded the metro headed toward the stadium.  

The weather forecast hadn't been stellar for the weekend.  I had never been to a football game in the snow before so this was definitely a different experience!  Our tickets were in the 300 level near the top of the stadium, but the view wasn't terrible there.  

By the time we found our seats, the snow and sleet was coming down pretty steady.  It was difficult to get too many pictures, but I managed to snap a few.  Besides the frigid conditions, it was actually fun to watch the action.  The Redskins seem to have checked out of the game pretty early so the Chiefs were taking full advantage...especially on special teams! 

After the half, we ventured down to the 100 level for a better (and covered) view of the game even though it was a blowout by then.  We met up with my co-worker in the section he and his friends had scouted out.  The snowy mixture had slowed down by then...and the stadium was essentially empty.

I really liked the way the stadium was laid out as well as the two large video board on either end of it.  These made it easy to follow the action regardless of the level where you were seated.  The other major plus for this stadium was affordable concessions.  They were selling hot chocolate for $5 when any other stadium would have been charging at least $8.  I was honestly surprised by the affordable pricing.  My co-worker was also able to get very inexpensive ($15-20) standing room tickets to the game.  Those were ideal for a day like we were there because there was plenty of extra seating throughout the stadium.

Overall, FedEx Field gets a thumbs up from me even given the conditions.  I mean, it would have been nice to have the stadium salted throughout and a bit better prepared for the elements, but from what I heard it is uncommon for the area.  I would definitely give the stadium another shot in some warmer months and with a full house cheering for their beloved team.  This was definitely an experience to remember though!

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - Buccaneers

Tampa Bay Buccaneers

Name of Stadium: Raymond James Stadium

Capacity: 65,890

Game Attended: versus Eagles in October 2013 with Chris

Worked a game at this stadium? No.

We arrived in Tampa pretty close to kickoff so it was very helpful that we already had a parking pass.  Traffic wasn't too terrible on our way into the stadium either.  We parking literally across the street from the stadium.

Since August I had been reading articles about how awful and intrusive the new security measures were upon entering stadiums this year...especially for women.  However, I didn't seem to notice anything different at all.  I've always taken a small purse that meets the clutch size standards so maybe that is why I didn't have any issues.  They just checked inside my bag briefly before wanding me and I was set to enter.  Same as always.

Our seats were in the upper deck so we immediately headed up the escalators.  There was a bit of a jam there because several "staff" members with Buccaneer flags had not yet made their way up to the top of the stadium.  That seemed a little strange since the game had already started at that point, but we found out later that the flags are only raised when the Bucs score.  They also set off a cannon when the home team scores.  A tad alarming particularly when you aren't expecting it after a converted field goal, but definitely goes with the pirate theme.  The most unique feature of the stadium is the pirate ship and buccaneer cove on the north end of the stadium.  We were seated in the other endzone so we didn't have a chance to check out that area.

 

Overall, the stadium was nice.  I liked the openings on both endzones.  The pirate ship really adds to the character of the stadium.  However, the atmosphere was different than I have experienced in some time.  There were a number of visiting team fans.  So many visiting team fans that chants could be heard going up the escalators, in the concourse, and throughout the stadium.  When the Eagles scored, the fans were able to sing through the entire fight song as if they were at a home game.  I mean it's not like we were expecting the Bucs fans to be overjoyed given the way their season has started, but I would have thought they would have a little more presence and authority for a home game.  Additionally, perhaps it was just the section we were in, but we had multiple people around us that had NO clue what was going on in regard to the game.  I mean, NO clue.  Like asking "Which way is our team going?" and "Are we on offense or defense right now?" - it was BAD!  It was almost as if going to the game was a social event or done just because there was nothing else to do rather than attended out of genuine interest.  Well, unless you were an Eagles fan of course.  Totally bizarre.  And finally, Chris and I decided that games are much less fun to attend when you really don't care about the two teams playing the game...and your team(s) are playing in close match-ups at the same time...and the blazing hot sun is scorching you to the point of misery.  But at least I was able to mark another stadium off the bucket list!  Sometimes it's a pleasure and sometimes it's painful!

 

Check out former Sunday Stadium Reviews here.  I only have 10 more stadiums to go!

Andrea :)

Sunday Stadium Review - Jets

New York Jets 

*I have attended games at two different stadiums for the Jets.*

Name of Stadium: Giants Stadium/The Meadowlands AND MetLife Stadium/The New Meadowlands

Capacity: 80,242 AND 82,566

Game Attended: At the old stadium, I worked every home game but one in 2007 with my family attending the last game of that season.  I also attended the last Jets game (versus Bengals) in the old stadium with my friend, Reba, at the end of the 2009 season.  I have attended a couple of Jets games with Christopher in the new stadium - Thanksgiving 2010 (versus Bengals) as well as a game versus the Jaguars in 2011.

Worked a game at this stadium? Yes, I worked pre-game and at halftime of nearly every game in 2007.  I have never worked at the new stadium.

The Meadowlands/Giants Stadium - Jets style :)

When I first moved to NYC way back in 2007, I didn't have a job.  You can read a little more about that here.  Fortunately, I did have some connections and an opportunity to work game day for the Jets popped up while I was looking for full time employment.  Not a bad gig...although I can't say I made much profit by the time I trudged all the way out to New Jersey!  Anyway, this opportunity permited me to work all but one of the Jets home games that year.  I started out working with the pre-game and halftime crew.  We made sure all the fun and interactive gadgets were set up in the bubble (pictured to the right in the above photo) for pre-game fun and that the halftime sponsor signage was properly placed for optimal viewing.  Nothing glamourous, but definitely fun!  Once I snagged the full-time position at the NFL headquarters in mid-September, they moved me to the green room to greet and entertain anthem performers and celebrities. 


Green Room circa 2007

We had Boyz to Men (so nice and considerate) and Jennifer Hudson (super high maintenance) in to perform the anthem.  Dan Rather, Eddie Kaye Thomas (AKA Finch from the American Pie movies), and Joe Namath were among the celebrities that I recall hosting in the green room pre-game.  This was a fun job, but it was really hard to not be super excited about being in the same somewhat small space with these people!

My family came to NYC for the holidays that year and managed to catch the last Jets game of the season.  It was super cold so we had some fun with the "hot cups" sold by vendors.  In my best New York accent, "Get your hot cup, here!"  Maybe you just had to be there!

Mom and Dad....

Jordan and Jen...

Little Bubsa...too funny!!

As far as the stadium, I thought it was pretty easy to get around.  I wasn't in the stands too much back then, but the field level was easy to navigate.  I was a true spectator there a few times...thanks to my friend, Reba!  Yes, the same girl that made me peanut butter from scratch can kick it at the football game...gotta love that in a friend!!  (PS - If you haven't already, go check her out at Not So Perfect Life.)  Her boss had great seats in the lower level and from time to time we were able to go.  Awesome, right?  She tried to bring me along when the Bengals were playing which was awesome. 

View of interior from field level

Great view of the inside of the old stadium

Fun Fact #1: Reba and I were able to attend the last game ever played in the old Giants Stadium.

Fun Fact #2: The last game ever played in the old Giants Stadium was a Jets game.

Fun Fact #3: Chris was also in attendance at that game.  We didn't meet until that April, but we were both there on that FREEZING cold January night when the Jets defeated the Bengals to earn their way into the playoffs. 

Fun Fact #4: Chris and I watched a recording of the wild card Jets-Bengals game on our second date.  Yes, they played each other two weeks in a row.  And yes, I wasn't watching the playoff game...but for a good reason - I was swimming with dolphins in Hawaii when it aired originally.  Luckily, Chris was able to help me watch the Jets beat my Bengals once again!  That's true love folks!  Haha :)

Now, let's talk about the new stadium.  As I mentioned in my Giants review a few weeks ago, I'm not really a fan.  There is something about the way it is designed that just doesn't appeal to me. I also haven't ever really noticed a difference in the fan base between Giants and Jets games.  Both are extremely proud and can be overwhelmingly harsh, but hey, that's New York.  If you can make it there, you can make it anywhere!  I've been to three Jets games at MetLife.  Two regular season and one in a monsoon during the preseason...all with Chris.  I was in the nosebleeds for one of those games.  Way too steep.  The pictures say it all.

 

Pretty much eye level with the sun....super high up in the air!!

The other two times we were in the lower bowl (again, big thanks to Reba's former boss!!).  We were excited about the pre-season game because it would be warm and nice out.  We didn't count on a monsoon hitting just before kickoff.  We didn't stay long, but I managed to get a picture of us in the concourse trying to wait out the rain! 

Luckily, we were able to see our two teams play in the regular season as well.  It was much more dry, but a lot colder on this lovely Thanksgiving night in 2010.  It was a lot of fun because it was the first time since we had begun dating that our teams were playing one another..at least when it counted for something.  We really enjoyed the game! 

This one shows a really good view of all three levels of the stadium.



Thanksgiving 2010

I hope you have enjoyed my Sunday Stadium Reviews.  I wanted to record these experience since they were all a part of my bucket list item of attending a home game at each of the NFL stadiums.  I have 11 remaining stadiums to attend.  I'll review those as I attend more games in the future.  For now, hop over to my Bucket List tab to check out all of the reviews. 

Andrea :)