Author Topic: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst  (Read 1251 times)

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Offline pg1067

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Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« on: April 02, 2020, 02:03:03 PM »
I heard this on the radio yesterday and thought it was kinda interesting.

What was the first sports venue (professional, including major college) where you attended a game?

What was the last (i.e., most recent) venue you attended?

What is the best venue in your opinion?

What is the worst venue?


For me, I believe the first was Anaheim Stadium to see the Yankees play the Angels in 1975.  I believe I didn't visit Dodger Stadium until the following year.

The most recent was Camelback Ranch (where the Dodgers do spring training).

The best is either Fenway Park or Camden Yards.

The worst is tough to figure because I haven't been to any that I really think are BAD.  I guess I'll go with Jack Murphy/Qualcomm Stadium in San Diego.  I didn't personally have any issues with it, but I know it's generally considered to be pretty bad.  The old LA Sports Arena was pretty lousy, but I never saw a sporting event there (I saw a few concerts).
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Offline Lonk

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #1 on: April 02, 2020, 02:20:51 PM »
First Venue: Old Yankee Stadium (though I do remember going to a baseball game when I was around 6, and that was in a different country).
Last Venue: Madison Square Garden (Knicks Vs. Bucks).
Best Venue: Barclay Center, I Don't know, I like that venue.

Worst venue: This is hard. Not that it was a bad venue, but I didn't care for Capital One Arena (Washington DC). I've been to smaller venues that I'm sure are worse just none are coming to mind.
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Offline King Postwhore

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #2 on: April 02, 2020, 02:43:07 PM »
1st venue: The old Boston Garden 1975 seeing the B's vs. Red Wings.

Last: Pats vs. Bills in Buffalo

Madison Square Garden just blew me away at a teen. 

Worst: Old Foxboro.  Metal benches, dirt parking lots. 
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Offline pg1067

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #3 on: April 02, 2020, 03:16:25 PM »
Best Venue: Barclay Center, I Don't know, I like that venue.

I got to go there for an Islanders game a couple months ago.  It's really convenient.  I was surprised that the subway stop is basically 100 feet from the doors.  I've also heard it's good for basketball, but it is NOT well set up for hockey (although I had no issues).  Otherwise pretty nice.


1st venue: The old Boston Garden

My wife's, as well (although it was for the Celtics).
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Offline lonestar

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #4 on: April 02, 2020, 03:45:58 PM »
Cool topic!!!


First- UC Berkeley Memorial Stadium

Last- UC Berkeley Memorial Stadium (and the only one I attend on a very regular basis :gobears: )

Best- This is a tough one, but it'd be a three way tie between Fenway, Oracle Park (formerly Pac Bell and AT&T, home of the Giants), and Raley Field (minor league stadium, home of the Sacramento Rivercats)

Worst- Candlestick. I felt zero remorse when they tore that fucker down.

Offline Anguyen92

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #5 on: April 02, 2020, 03:47:51 PM »
Sadly, my experiences in going to sports is pretty limited compared to going to concerts, but I'll see what I can recall.

First Venue: I can't recall the details as a young kid, but I know my family went to an Anaheim Angels game back when the stadium was known as Edison International Field of Anaheim.  However, the first sports game that I can easily recall was at the Staples Center watching Kings vs Predators.  Can't remember much except that Kings tied it in the 3rd and that they had their first shootout ever under the new rules set in 2005.

Last Venue: Staples Center again (Kings Vs. Blues).

Best Venue: Hmmmm, it's either Staples Center or the Banc of California Stadium (where I saw Iron Maiden and it used as a soccer stadium on the regular).  I also liked the arena in Ontario, CA where the Kings' farm team, the Reigns, play in.  I liked it in the 3 concerts I've been to, and I'm sure, it's a good atmosphere when the Reigns plays their games.

Worst venue: I'm going to say The Forum, because paying $30.00 for parking with no other solid alternatives is just pants to me.
« Last Edit: April 02, 2020, 03:57:28 PM by Anguyen92 »

Offline lonestar

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #6 on: April 02, 2020, 03:50:57 PM »
I'm gonna start a similar thread in GMD for concert venues...

Offline Stadler

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #7 on: April 02, 2020, 04:11:10 PM »
First:  the old remodeled Yankee Stadium
Most Recent:  Hartford Civic Center

Best:  Subject to taste, but I'm partial to the old baseball parks; so that's Fenway, Wrigley (with the bar underneath the stands) a close second.  In Boston, walk the street, get a sausage and peppers, go into the stadium proper on the first base side, get a Guiness and walk back into history.   (Plus, side bar:  my daughter was diagnosed with a serious milk allergy at about 18 months or so; we used to have to take her in for monthly and/or quarterly checkups.  One check up the nurse wasn't getting the readings she expected.  Long story short (too bad it's a good story) she "grew out of it" (my words) and her first "dairy" was a sundae out of a mini batting helmet at Fenway, sitting on the ground leaning up against one of those sickly green iron girders inside.)

Worst:  I don't know; probably Hartford Civic Center, if you don't count the old Uconn Hockey Rink, which had no walls and so was open to the cold. We would play pickup at 1, 2 am in Storrs, which is to say FUCKING COLD.   I'm not a huge fan of the new corporate parks where you can basically walk around and not even realize there's a game going on.  Defeats the purpose for me.

Embarrassingly, I've never seen a game in the OLD Boston Garden.  One of my regerts. 

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #8 on: April 02, 2020, 04:57:49 PM »
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Offline pg1067

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #9 on: April 02, 2020, 05:20:18 PM »
Best- This is a tough one, but it'd be a three way tie between Fenway, Oracle Park (formerly Pac Bell and AT&T, home of the Giants), and Raley Field (minor league stadium, home of the Sacramento Rivercats)

Worst- Candlestick. I felt zero remorse when they tore that fucker down.

I forgot about old Candlestick.  I saw a game there against the Cardinals in July (or thereabouts) of I think it was 1991 while I was doing a road trip up the coast.  I remember driving into the parking lot pretty early, and it felt cavernous.  I bought a ticket at the box office and my recollection is that I was on the field level somewhere between the two dugouts.  Somewhere I have some pictures that I took with my old 35mm Pentax K1000.

I've also been to Pac Bell/AT&T/Oracle and to Raley Field.  Several years ago my now 17-yo son and I flew up to Sacto to go rafting on the American River.  After we were done on Saturday, we decided to drive to Sacto to see the River Cats.  We got tickets in the second row right behind home plate for around $20 each.  Another year, we did a similar trip and saw the White Sox at the Giants.


I also liked the arena in Ontario, CA where the Kings' farm team, the Reigns, play in.  I liked it in the 3 concerts I've been to, and I'm sure, it's a good atmosphere when the Reigns plays their games.

Worst venue: I'm going to say The Forum, because paying $30.00 for parking with no other solid alternatives is just pants to me.

There are always alternatives.  I saw the Stones at the Coliseum back in the late 80s.  We ended up parking in someone's backyard, and that neighborhood isn't any worse than Inglewood.  The Forum isn't the best venue by any stretch, but has really good acoustics (I've seen a couple dozen shows there going back to 1984).  The Reign's building in Ontario is pretty nice.  My son and I drove out there for a playoff game about 5-6 years ago (when the team was the ECHL affiliate).  Good atmosphere and nice building (albeit a long drive).
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Offline King Puppies and the Acid Guppies

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #11 on: April 02, 2020, 07:36:03 PM »
Worst- Candlestick. I felt zero remorse when they tore that fucker down.
Aww, Candlestick had a certain charm to it.

First - Candlestick Park, Giants vs Cardinals, I think it was 1990. A friend of my dad's had season tickets right first row right behind third base. Got to go to quite a few games over the next 4 or 5 years there.

Last - AT&T Park (or whatever they are calling it these days) - Giants vs Padres, last year.

Best - Hands down, AT&T Park. I love that place!

Worst - by far Arco Arena, or Sleeptrain Arena is what it's called now. What a dump!
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Offline TAC

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #12 on: April 02, 2020, 07:50:01 PM »
First: Boston Garden December 23, 1977 Bruins vs Flyers

Last: Nassau Coliseum February 29th, 2020 Bruins vs Islanders

Best: Boston Garden

Worst: Boston Garden




Best - Hands down, AT&T Park. I love that place!

That place is awesome. We went there two years ago. Spectacular!
« Last Edit: April 02, 2020, 08:05:12 PM by TAC »
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline TheCountOfNYC

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #13 on: April 02, 2020, 08:02:00 PM »
First-Yankee Stadium
Last-Madison Square Garden
Best-Citi Field
Worst-Barclays Center
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Offline Destiny Of Chaos

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #14 on: April 02, 2020, 08:16:26 PM »
First - The Vet
Last - M&T Bank Stadium
Best - Camden Yards
Worst - RFK

Offline lonestar

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #15 on: April 02, 2020, 08:26:41 PM »
Worst- Candlestick. I felt zero remorse when they tore that fucker down.
Aww, Candlestick had a certain charm to it.

First - Candlestick Park, Giants vs Cardinals, I think it was 1990. A friend of my dad's had season tickets right first row right behind third base. Got to go to quite a few games over the next 4 or 5 years there.

Last - AT&T Park (or whatever they are calling it these days) - Giants vs Padres, last year.

Best - Hands down, AT&T Park. I love that place!

Worst - by far Arco Arena, or Sleeptrain Arena is what it's called now. What a dump!

Yeah, Arco sucked some ass. Horrific for concerts took.

Offline Stadler

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #16 on: April 03, 2020, 07:36:15 AM »


Best: Boston Garden

Worst: Boston Garden


I think I get this.   I would say something similar about Madison Square Garden, too.   Fun place to go with a ton of character and history, but enough annoying about it that it's with mixed emotions. 

Offline Lonk

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #17 on: April 03, 2020, 07:38:56 AM »


Best: Boston Garden

Worst: Boston Garden


I think I get this.  I would say something similar about Madison Square Garden, too.   Fun place to go with a ton of character and history, but enough annoying about it that it's with mixed emotions.

Agree
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Offline frogprog

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #18 on: April 04, 2020, 07:29:35 PM »
First- Veterans Stadium opening series(?) vs Expos
Last- Citizen's Bank Park
Worst The Vet

Offline TAC

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #19 on: April 04, 2020, 07:31:47 PM »


Best: Boston Garden

Worst: Boston Garden


I think I get this.   I would say something similar about Madison Square Garden, too.   Fun place to go with a ton of character and history, but enough annoying about it that it's with mixed emotions.

A good seat at the Garden was literally the best seat in sports. But a bad seat at the Garden, and you might only see half of the ice, or the backside of a pole.
would have thought the same thing but seeing the OP was TAC i immediately thought Maiden or DT related
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Offline dparrott

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Re: Sports Venues -- First, Last, Best, Worst
« Reply #20 on: April 04, 2020, 10:20:03 PM »
First: Either Dodger Stadium or Angel Stadium, mid 80's.  I don't remember which was first.

Last: Rose Bowl for BTS concert (wife loves them)

Best: I haven't been inside many, but Dodger Stadium is my favorite.   I've seen the outside of a few.

Worst I've been to: LA Coliseum.  Thank God the Rams are getting out of that place. 
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