Ultimate Sports Road Trip

Andrew and Peter’s Five Star Stadium Guide - NFL Style!

One of the great things about visiting the various venues across America is the opportunity we have to compare them amongst each other and determine which ones stand out whether for good or for bad. As we wind down our tour of the NFL portion of our journeys, we look back this month to run down a quick summary of those places we have visited thus far.

One Star - Stay in the parking lot and tailgate!

Veterans Stadium, Philadelphia Eagles - They actually sell obstructed seats for $45! Whatta Joke! Days are numbered – Lincoln Financial Field opens in 2003.

3Com Park, San Francisco 49ers - Narrow concourses and awful sight lines in a building that has little or no mention of the legendary players and teams that played here.

Sun Devil Stadium, Arizona Cardinals - College stadium that is extremely substandard by NFL norms. Surprisingly good tailgate, though!

Two Stars- For diehards…

Soldier Field, Chicago Bears - Currently on the disabled list while undergoing a massive renovation. Nonetheless, its waterfront setting is unmatched in its beauty.

Alltel Stadium, Jacksonville Jaguars - The former Gator Bowl with a facelift. Check out Jacksonville Landing, just a short walk away.

RCA Dome, Indianapolis Colts - At fewer than 60,000 seats, one of the NFL’s smallest and due for replacement. Great downtown entertainment district around it though.

Two and a half Stars - OK places… we guess

FedEx Field, Washington Redskins - Hail to the dollar! This place is oversized, overpriced and way too corporate compared to its predecessor at RFK.

Ralph Wilson Stadium, Buffalo Bills - A super tailgate (no news there) and while recent renovations have improved the facility, more upgrades are needed to reach the elite.

Three Stars - Not bad

Giants Stadium, New York Giants, Jets - Great fans here if you are rooting for the home club, if not… hmmm look out! Sight lines are superb here!

The Coliseum, Tennessee Titans - A great venue in an amazing boomtown. Should get more than three stars, but one forward lateral equals a one star deduction.

Cleveland Browns Stadium, Cleveland Browns - Another four star venue dropped to a three, thanks to Cleveland’s finest towing the roadtrippers car from a legal spot!

Metrodome, Minnesota Vikings - Be sure to hit the john here during the action, otherwise it’ll be a long wait! Tough to beat the atmosphere here though.

Georgia Dome, Atlanta Falcons - A pleasant, if not somewhat sterile place to see a game. Remember, they actually went to a Super Bowl recently.

Ericsson Stadium, Carolina Panthers - Panther statues at the entrances, very cool! Downtown setting, nice! Stadium and teams performance, well, ummm…

Superdome, New Orleans Saints - An enormous venue that has plenty of the local flair, including jazz music, cajun food and daiquiris in abundance.

Texas Stadium, Dallas Cowboys- Hallowed home of "America's Team," it’s tough to say the same about the bandwagon fans that can’t seem to find the place until the second quarter.

Four Stars - Must see.

Edward Jones Dome, St. Louis Rams - Don’t care for domes all that much, but this one tops the list. Besides, it’s worth the trip to see Warner, Faulk and Co. light up the scoreboard like no one else.

Paul Brown Stadium, Cincinnati Bengals - An architectural gem like nowhere else. It would be tops on our list except for the lack of color… nothing that a few drums of black and orange wouldn’t change.

Network Associates Coliseum, Oakland Raiders - The stadium stinks, but it’s the NFL’s best fans that make this a four star place. Message to Cleveland… Black Hole is IN, Dawg Pound is OUT!

Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs - Great tailgate, great fans and an older facility in excellent shape help to make Chiefs games one great party!

Invesco Field at Mile High, Denver Broncos -Very futuristic in appearance. This place has THREE giant jumbotrons to help fans keep tabs on the action.

Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers - The Packer Hall of Fame nearby reminds you what a hallowed ground this is. Please kiss the asphalt as you walk inside and pay your respects to this institution!

And finally... Five Stars - The cream of the crop!

Ravens Stadium, Baltimore Ravens - A downtown setting, great tailgating and a city with plenty of football history, Mayflower trucks notwithstanding. Ravens Stadium has it all, a place worth going to again and again.

Raymond James Stadium, Tampa Bay Buccaneers - Wonderful weather and great fans in the midst of a football hotbed help to make this one our favorites. And let’s not forget the pirate ship at one end zone, a unique, one-of-a-kind feature of that is hard to beat.

Heinz Field, Pittsburgh Steelers - Intimate seating bowl, a venue with a spectacular view of downtown, and The Coca-Cola Great Hall, a concourse that celebrates a franchise’s history like nowhere else in ANY sport makes this the premiere venue in the NFL. ’Nuff said!

Yep, 26 teams down, 6 to go! This fall, the Ultimate Sports Road Trip goes into its final sprint with visits to San Diego, Miami, and brand new football venues in New England, Seattle, Houston and Detroit. Ford Field in Detroit is where we finish off this once in a lifetime-adventure… team number 121. We can’t wait!

Peter and Andrew are in the final stretch of a five-year tour to attending a home game of each of the 121 franchises in the four major sports. For more information on the Ultimate Sports Road Trip, log on to their website at www.thesportsroadtrip.com