I did an impromptu NFL stadium tour on my road trip home

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Angry Ram

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OK if you didn't know, I was gone for 2 weeks on a road trip up to the northeast. I was in PA, NJ, and NY (for a day).

On the way back, we were gonna go through Pittsburgh, Indy, and of course St. Louis so I decided to stop and stare at each stadium, starting with MetLife in New Jersey. Keep in mind, I didn't go in the stadiums, just outside. I rarely get a chance to go even to NFL cities, let alone their stadiums so I just took this opportunity. Plus, we had time to kill.

Metlife Stadium: Holy shit, this place is huge. This stadium is just before NYC (you can see the skyline from the parking lot). It's next to the Izod Center and Giants Training Facility. The stadium itself looks like a spaceship...just layers of metal and steel. Very high tech looking. Not much else to say.

Heinz Field: Sitting right on the banks of the Ohio River, the home of the Steelers was a lot more aesthetically pleasing than I anticipated. The way it's designed it there's a park right b/w the stadium and the river, where you can jog/bike/walk/have a picnic on a lawn, etc. Lots of greenery and shrubbery. Plus it overlooks downtown Pittsburgh. It's a very beautiful sports complex, as PNC Park (Pirates baseball) is walking distance from Heinz. In fact, there was a Pirates game going on when I went.

Lucas Oil: If MetLife was huge, Lucas Oil is gigantic. The stadium is easily accessible from I-70. Literally, you just exit and the stadium is right in front of you. Lucas Oil is in the middle of an industrial area, so not that much greenery, just surrounding the stadium proximity, just some trees . This was the only stadium that had an attached Pro Shop that was open year-round. I even went in it (wearing my James Laurinaitis shirt..ha). Lots of selection of gear.

And last but not least....

Edward Jones Dome: Man, compared to those other 3 the Dome is a dump. It looked run down and sweating. The good news is like Lucas Oil, it was easily accessible from I-70 and all the major interstates (70, 64, 44, 55) are right there as well. No greenery, except for a little mini park across the ticket office. The key thing I need to say here is I didn't feel safe when out of my car. There were shady people all over. Now, on game days I'm sure it's not like that. But if I were to leave the confines of the Ed on Sunday...IDK. Pro Shop is only open 8 times a year on game days. That was also disappointing (thus, I went to 3 different malls to find Rams gear and found a Tavon Austin jersey half off...score!). Anywho...my overall impression of the Ed was not very good. But I do still have plans to attend a game this season.

If the Rams do get a new stadium, they need to do something like the Colts have. A huge stadium near an industrial park, with the Mississippi running near it. Make it a complex...have a lawn with lots of greenery on one side. Plus a year round Pro Shop (maybe shorter hours during the summer, but currently as is on game days only is just too disappointing).

The could also take a book from the Steelers, and have it in a location where you can see downtown STL from across the Mississippi. Although I wouldn't know WHERE that could actually be, just throwing that out as an idea.

So that concludes my stadium tour of the northeast. Oh and I'm back.
 

-X-

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Cool story. Thanks for the perspective. (y)
 

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Just playin! Great stuff and its is good to get a perspective from someone who has seen the stadiums back to back to back like you did. Thanks for the post.
 

LesBaker

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Heinz Field is a very nice stadium for sure. And the views into it as you are driving by are nice too, you can see seats not just the exterior and I've always liked that in a stadium for some reason.
 

The Rammer

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Nice read, interesting to hear your perspective on the other stadiums and agree compared to the other stadiums out there ours is a dump. Went to the Cowturds stadium last year and it was amazing, made me realise how pitiful our stadium is. I've went to the Dome several times and stayed across the street at the Mens Athletic Hotel or whatever. Personally I haven't had any issue walking around the hotel or area the days before or after game which doens't mean there couldn't be trouble. Actually walked around quite a bit site seeing, taking in some Cardinal game and walking around to the bars/ restraunts. Maybe i'm just used to more shady areas? Don't know...
 

mr.stlouis

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OK if you didn't know, I was gone for 2 weeks on a road trip up to the northeast. I was in PA, NJ, and NY (for a day).

On the way back, we were gonna go through Pittsburgh, Indy, and of course St. Louis so I decided to stop and stare at each stadium, starting with MetLife in New Jersey. Keep in mind, I didn't go in the stadiums, just outside. I rarely get a chance to go even to NFL cities, let alone their stadiums so I just took this opportunity. Plus, we had time to kill.

Metlife Stadium: Holy crap, this place is huge. This stadium is just before NYC (you can see the skyline from the parking lot). It's next to the Izod Center and Giants Training Facility. The stadium itself looks like a spaceship...just layers of metal and steel. Very high tech looking. Not much else to say.

Heinz Field: Sitting right on the banks of the Ohio River, the home of the Steelers was a lot more aesthetically pleasing than I anticipated. The way it's designed it there's a park right b/w the stadium and the river, where you can jog/bike/walk/have a picnic on a lawn, etc. Lots of greenery and shrubbery. Plus it overlooks downtown Pittsburgh. It's a very beautiful sports complex, as PNC Park (Pirates baseball) is walking distance from Heinz. In fact, there was a Pirates game going on when I went.

Lucas Oil: If MetLife was huge, Lucas Oil is gigantic. The stadium is easily accessible from I-70. Literally, you just exit and the stadium is right in front of you. Lucas Oil is in the middle of an industrial area, so not that much greenery, just surrounding the stadium proximity, just some trees . This was the only stadium that had an attached Pro Shop that was open year-round. I even went in it (wearing my James Laurinaitis shirt..ha). Lots of selection of gear.

And last but not least....

Edward Jones Dome: Man, compared to those other 3 the Dome is a dump. It looked run down and sweating. The good news is like Lucas Oil, it was easily accessible from I-70 and all the major interstates (70, 64, 44, 55) are right there as well. No greenery, except for a little mini park across the ticket office. The key thing I need to say here is I didn't feel safe when out of my car. There were shady people all over. Now, on game days I'm sure it's not like that. But if I were to leave the confines of the Ed on Sunday...IDK. Pro Shop is only open 8 times a year on game days. That was also disappointing (thus, I went to 3 different malls to find Rams gear and found a Tavon Austin jersey half off...score!). Anywho...my overall impression of the Ed was not very good. But I do still have plans to attend a game this season.

If the Rams do get a new stadium, they need to do something like the Colts have. A huge stadium near an industrial park, with the Mississippi running near it. Make it a complex...have a lawn with lots of greenery on one side. Plus a year round Pro Shop (maybe shorter hours during the summer, but currently as is on game days only is just too disappointing).

The could also take a book from the Steelers, and have it in a location where you can see downtown STL from across the Mississippi. Although I wouldn't know WHERE that could actually be, just throwing that out as an idea.

So that concludes my stadium tour of the northeast. Oh and I'm back.

Great insight, man! Thanks for sharing.

I love the Colts stadium and also hope we go that direction.

Dam shame "The Ed" is a dump. Too bad we can't we can't get a new stadium sooner than later.
 

Prime Time

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Edward Jones Dome: Man, compared to those other 3 the Dome is a dump. It looked run down and sweating. The good news is like Lucas Oil, it was easily accessible from I-70 and all the major interstates (70, 64, 44, 55) are right there as well. No greenery, except for a little mini park across the ticket office. The key thing I need to say here is I didn't feel safe when out of my car. There were shady people all over.

Yeah, I had the same feeling. Oakland stadium is the same.
 

Angry Ram

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Pssh...pics. So picky.

MetLife
20140611_115510.jpg 20140611_121022.jpg
Heinz
20140618_173520.jpg 20140618_173956.jpg
Lucas Oil
20140619_153038.jpg 20140619_153109_Richtone(HDR).jpg

Edward Jones Dome
20140620_091713.jpg 20140620_092808.jpg 20140620_092828.jpg

Your welcome.
 

Angry Ram

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Nice read, interesting to hear your perspective on the other stadiums and agree compared to the other stadiums out there ours is a dump. Went to the Cowturds stadium last year and it was amazing, made me realise how pitiful our stadium is. I've went to the Dome several times and stayed across the street at the Mens Athletic Hotel or whatever. Personally I haven't had any issue walking around the hotel or area the days before or after game which doens't mean there couldn't be trouble. Actually walked around quite a bit site seeing, taking in some Cardinal game and walking around to the bars/ restraunts. Maybe i'm just used to more shady areas? Don't know...

Considering the Arch, Busch, and the Ed are within blocks, I shouldn't imply that it was a dangerous place or anything. I get paranoid when I see random people doing nothing in front of the stadium. Driving through downtown STL, I saw many families with babies just strolling around. That made me feel a bit better. And again, I bet on gamedays it's not like that.
 

brokeu91

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I've been outside of Lucas Oil during a game. I went to Indianapolis for the boards and was there on a Sunday when they were playing. I stayed in a hotel downtown. Lucas Oil is what the Rams should be trying to make. That being said, there was no traffic, and I don't know why. I think it's just the size of the town. St. Louis is larger and downtown can be congested. Lucas Oil has places to tailgate, but that's because it's on the edge of their downtown and there is nothing else near there. There is no other housing or people who live there. It's unlike St. Louis in that respect. I will say that it was well designed and easily accessed. The stadium is nice. I just don't know if St. Louis can duplicate it because of all of the other crap that comes with building a stadium downtown.
 

CoachO

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The biggest difference in Lucas Oil and the EJD, is the size of the concourses. The seating capacity is virtually the same. Obviously, they have the retractable roof, which is almost ALWAYS closed on gameday. I have heard Demoff say on more than one occasion, that this is the model they would copy if they choose to go the route of retractable stadium.

I have been attending games at the dome here in STL since 1995, and I have NEVER felt unsafe. Obviously, I have the routine down, in terms of where i park, which entrance to use, etc. So the gameday experience for me has never been an issue. For those who continue to clamor how much of a dump it its, I respectfully disagree. It's much better right now, then it was when it opened. With an improved sound system in the works for this season, and hopefully upgraded wifi coming soon, (all things Demoff is very well aware of), there are worse places to watch a football game. Try going to Georgia Dome, or worse yet, the Super Dome. Even with all the renovations after Katrina, that place is the definition of a dump. And you want to talk about not being safe around the stadium.

I know its popular to denigrate the current stadium, but at the end of the day, its where the RAMS play. What I find so interesting, is NO ONE complained about the stadium when they were winning games in that building. When they win, and the place is filled, there aren't many places that get louder, and create a better home field advantage. That has more to do with the product ON the field, than the the building the field is in.

The biggest reason the Rams want to get a new building, is purely from an operational standpoint. While at the OTA Monday, Mike O'Keefe, the VP of Sales spoke with us regarding a few of the things on peoples minds. The biggest thing he said, IMO, is the St. Louis Rams is the ONLY one of Stan Kroenke's businesses that he is a "tenant" rather than a "landlord". He is the largest commercial land owner in the country, and every single entity he owns, he is the landlord.

They have one of, if not the most attractive lease in the NFL, in that they pay $25000 per game per season. The drawback, is they don't control the things on the inside of the stadium, such as the person taking tickets, or the concessionaire who messes up your order. These are the things they WANT to have control over, and the REAL reason they need a new stadium. That an obviously, the added value, and revenue that comes along with being the landlord.
 
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CGI_Ram

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The biggest difference in Lucas Oil and the EJD, is the size of the concourses. The seating capacity is virtually the same. Obviously, they have the retractable roof, which is almost ALWAYS closed on gameday. I have heard Demoff say on more than one occasion, that this is the model they would copy if they choose to go the route of retractable stadium.

I have been attending games at the dome here in STL since 1995, and I have NEVER felt unsafe. Obviously, I have the routine down, in terms of where i park, which entrance to use, etc. So the gameday experience for me has never been an issue. For those who continue to clamor how much of a dump it its, I respectfully disagree. It's much better right now, then it was when it opened. With an improved sound system in the works for this season, and hopefully upgraded wifi coming soon, (all things Demoff is very well aware of), there are worse places to watch a football game. Try going to Georgia Dome, or worse yet, the Super Dome. Even with all the renovations after Katrina, that place is the definition of a dump. And you want to talk about not being safe around the stadium.

I know its popular to denigrate the current stadium, but at the end of the day, its where the RAMS play. What I find so interesting, is NO ONE complained about the stadium when they were winning games in that building. When they win, and the place is filled, there aren't many places that get louder, and create a better home field advantage. That has more to do with the product ON the field, than the the building the field is in.

The biggest reason the Rams want to get a new building, is purely from an operational standpoint. While at the OTA Monday, Mike O'Keefe, the VP of Sales spoke with us regarding a few of the things on peoples minds. The biggest thing he said, IMO, is the St. Louis Rams is the ONLY one of Stan Kroenke's businesses that he is a "tenant" rather than a "landlord". He is the largest commercial land owner in the country, and every single entity he owns, he is the landlord.

They have one of, if not the most attractive lease in the NFL, in that they pay $25000 per game per season. The drawback, is they don't control the things on the inside of the stadium, such as the person taking tickets, or the concessionaire who messes up your order. These are the things they WANT to have control over, and they REAL reason they need a new stadium. That an obviously, the added value, and revenue that comes along with being the landlord.

Well said, Coach!
 

rdlkgliders

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All of the above stadiums would be considered safe and state of the art here in L.A. Try a Raider game at the Coliseum in the 80's, if your car was still there when the game ended and all of the parts intact your only concern would have been getting to it unaccosted. The adventure in the Stadium was somewhere between a scene from warriors and Beirut in the 80's.
 

OldRock

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Sad to have to agree with the assessment of the JonesDome. I have walked the streets of St. Louis many a day and night in that and the rest of the downtown area. First, don't go north of the dome. Wrong direction to go in. Go south and not further than the Card's ballpark. Which Lucas Oil stadium reminded me of first in the pictures. It's better than it used to be downtown, but still has a long way to go. The stadium needs to be outside of the city. I'm telling you, it won't work downtown. Period. Unless they want to put it in the middle of Forest Park. Now there's an idea.
 

-X-

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What I find so interesting, is NO ONE complained about the stadium when they were winning games in that building. When they win, and the place is filled, there aren't many places that get louder, and create a better home field advantage. That has more to do with the product ON the field, than the the building the field is in.
I went up there in 2001 to see them play (destroy) the Panthers, and it was my only time there ... ever.
If I'm being honest, I really wasn't impressed at all with that place. Just seemed so dingy to me.
Had fun nonetheless though. I also went to Jerryland a couple of years ago. THAT place is ridonkulous.
 

CoachO

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I went up there in 2001 to see them play (destroy) the Panthers, and it was my only time there ... ever.
If I'm being honest, I really wasn't impressed at all with that place. Just seemed so dingy to me.
Had fun nonetheless though. I also went to Jerryland a couple of years ago. THAT place is ridonkulous.

I guess for me, the experience is more about the game, then the venue. I go back to the days of games being played at the old Busch Stadium, and compared to that venue, being that it was a "multi-purpose" facility, (translation: baseball stadium used for football), the dome is a godsend.

I have watched games at Mizzou, and trust me, even with all the renovations there, its nothing special. I don't go to the games, BECAUSE of the stadium, and have NEVER stayed home from a game, because of the stadium, which seems to be the case with many on here. Again, to each their own, but I think too much gets made of this.

As a side note, I have umpired College and professional baseball for 25+ years, and have been in some of the nicest ballparks in the country. So I do appreciate the difference. All i am saying, when going to a game as a spectator, as long as the sight lines are good, and the stadium is clean, then I most likely will be fine with it.

If you want the definition of what a "dump" of a stadium was, you should have gone to Shea Stadium in New York. Or the old Comiskey in Chicago. Those were awful.
 

-X-

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I guess for me, the experience is more about the game, then the venue. I go back to the days of games being played at the old Busch Stadium, and compared to that venue, being that it was a "multi-purpose" facility, (translation: baseball stadium used for football), the dome is a godsend.

I have watched games at Mizzou, and trust me, even with all the renovations there, its nothing special. I don't go to the games, BECAUSE of the stadium, and have NEVER stayed home from a game, because of the stadium, which seems to be the case with many on here. Again, to each their own, but I think too much gets made of this.

As a side note, I have umpired College and professional baseball for 25+ years, and have been in some of the nicest ballparks in the country. So I do appreciate the difference. All i am saying, when going to a game as a spectator, as long as the sight lines are good, and the stadium is clean, then I most likely will be fine with it.

If you want the definition of what a "dump" of a stadium was, you should have gone to Shea Stadium in New York. Or the old Comiskey in Chicago. Those were awful.
I hear ya. My impression of the ED wouldn't have kept me from seeing every single home game if I lived up there. I could care less if they played in a 120 yard vacant lot with fold-up beach chairs. I'd still go watch them play. I was just telling you what my impression of it was when I walked in. It seems like more of a convention center than a football stadium, but again ... not a big deal to me. I cannot STAND to see a game in Miami, however. That place is like sitting in the middle of a freakin' wok.
 

CoachO

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I hear ya. My impression of the ED wouldn't have kept me from seeing every single home game if I lived up there. I could care less if they played in a 120 yard vacant lot with fold-up beach chairs. I'd still go watch them play. I was just telling you what my impression of it was when I walked in. It seems like more of a convention center than a football stadium, but again ... not a big deal to me. I cannot STAND to see a game in Miami, however. That place is like sitting in the middle of a freakin' wok.

Have you ever been to the Georgia Dome? Given that its part of the convention center there, both are very similar in design. But yet, no one really ever rails on that stadium and it has even hosted a Super Bowl, (as we all know). In fact, I had the pleasure of walking into the dome (convention center) 2 weeks after the Rams won the SB, as part of a sporting goods convention. Standing in the very spot where Bruce scored the winning TD.
 

-X-

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Have you ever been to the Georgia Dome? Given that its part of the convention center there, both are very similar in design. But yet, no one really ever rails on that stadium and it has even hosted a Super Bowl, (as we all know). In fact, I had the pleasure of walking into the dome (convention center) 2 weeks after the Rams won the SB, as part of a sporting goods convention. Standing in the very spot where Bruce scored the winning TD.
Nope, I've never been there. But that's a pretty cool story.
Walking in the steps of Sir Isaac the Bruce. Nyshe.
 

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Lucas Oil Stadium is my favorite football stadium and I hope St. Louis builds one just like it.
The key to having a nice indoor stadium is making a glass ceiling.
The World cup stadium Arena Corinthians is so sweet too, it would be awesome if they could build a football stadium version of that.

A combo of Arena Corinthians and Lucas Oil Stadium would be the best.

arena-corinthians-projecao-de-como-ficara-640x360.jpeg

It costed 965mil though :(