The 10 Best Sports Venues I've Seen Before I Die
By Kyle Koster
So here’s the thing. We’ve all seen those lists showcasing the best sporting venues or sporting events a person could attend. Many times there’s a Bucket List vibe attached to them. You must see this before you die. How could I, in good conscience, do that without knowing what some of the best places are like because I’ve yet to visit them myself?
Wouldn’t be right. One can only fairly weigh in after experiencing the place in person. With that in mind, here are my personal top 10.
No. 1 Tiger Stadium, Detroit: The first high is the one you’ll spend your life chasing. Walking into this cathedral at 5-years-old and seeing the emerald green grass was breathtaking. There was purer joy than sitting deep in the lower deck, unable to see any fly ball because of the 360-degree upper deck design. The bird-cage bullpens, right field overhang, and cavernous centerfield. All one-of-a-kind. There’s a reason they don’t make ’em like this anymore but still, the heart longs for what it can’t have.
No. 2 Anfield, Liverpool: Built in 1884, the place has all sorts of ghosts. Being among the sea of red on a brilliantly sunny Sunday morning is a unique thrill. The place is intensely intimate and special.
No. 3 Fenway Park, Boston: Here’s a controversial take. It blows Wrigley Field out of the water. It is the best place to watch a baseball game. The Green Monster is always imposing and arresting, no matter how many times one sees it. The charm seeps off every cockeyed seat. The magic of Fenway is that every game, even a meaningless May affair, feels like a big one.
No. 4 Camp Nou, Barcelona: The passion of the fans is incredible. They pack just under 100,000 into this cathedral and the energy radiates off every seat. Did I mention the smoking? Oh, hell yeah, there’s smoking and plenty of it. Other worldly experience.
No. 5 AT&T Stadium, DFW: You don’t want to be impressed. You don’t want to sit there with your mouth agape at the size and grandeur. You know the video board is big. Then you walk in and turn into Tim Robbins from the Hudsucker Proxy, a giant simpleton in awe of it all. But really, this is an engineering marvel. Like a self-contained future world.
No. 6 Notre Dame Stadium, South Bend: Call me a sucker for Rudy, but there’s mystique. I went before the redesign so it still felt old and traditional. Perhaps the most arresting thing about it was how pedestrian it all was. Until that old scoreboard and Touchdown Jesus catch the eye. The diagonal end zone lines, too, just a magnificent touch.
No. 7 Madison Square Garden, New York City: Here’s the secret about the Garden: you have to sit close. Thought it was very average before I happened to get lucky with some primo free seats. The lighting and atmosphere is way different closer to the court.
No. 8 Centre Bell, Montreal: While there’s nothing particularly outstanding about the arena, the level of interest and knowledge of the fans stands out. Felt like everyone was paying rapt attention.
No. 9 Michigan Stadium, Ann Arbor: So what if it’s a lot quieter than it should be? There’s nothing that compares with seeing that many people in one place, watching a sporting event. An underrated part is how unassuming it looks from street level because of its bowl-like nature.
No. 10 MCU Park, Brooklyn: Would like to point out that if the goal is to just have fun on a budget, minor league baseball is the only way to go. And the Cyclones, a Mets affiliate, have a pretty sweet setup out at Coney Island. You can see the ocean, an amusement park, and get the best damn hot dogs. Without breaking the bank.