View Full Version : Toughest home field in NFL
redbuck
10-08-2006, 12:21 AM
Arrowhead is the loudest NFL stadium, but what is the toughest to play in? I guess you can count weather advantage as well as crowd advantage.
...so in January I'd say Gillette Stadium but overall I think playing at Green Bay, Indy, Cleveland is very tough.
Home field advantage in the NFL is only that whilst the team is actually good...cities such as Cleveland are tough to play in when the team is good but its a bit of a different story now.
My nominations go to:
Green Bay for the cold climate (though given the above point about the quality of the team makes GB's advantage considerably less at Lambeau), you can conversely say Tampa for the warm climate and that as a visiting team you are made to wear the darker unis.
The Vet was known to be difficult to play in as well with the hostile crowd and the crummy turf...The Linc seems a little more hospitable to visiting teams (and fans).
brady_branch
10-08-2006, 04:53 PM
Gillette in January is nigh impossible... just ask the Colts.
Brady Quinn
10-08-2006, 08:26 PM
Seattle is known to be one of the loudest.
football junkie
10-08-2006, 09:01 PM
I'm not sure there is any one answer to this question. I'm also going to echo some of the thoughts of the previous posters.
Most Fan Hostility: Philadelphia, hands down. Somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong but a couple of years ago I believe an assistant coach, while making his way into the tunnel towards the locker rooms, was nearly beaned in the back of the head by a rather large battery.
Most Fan Noise: Kansas City, I'm surprised opposing players can even hear themselves think.
Most Advantageous Weather: There's nothing like a game in Foxoboro in January to take the steam out of an opposing team and turn it to ice.
Most Distracting Cheerleaders: San Diego followed closely by Miami, enough said.
Best Fan Loyalty: Raiders by a landside.
Now the opposite of the question....
Least Fan Loyalty: Houston, everytime I see those "fans" pack up their gear and head for the exists in the beginning of the third quarter it just makes me sick.
Least Distracting Cheerleaders: Any of the roughly half dozen teams that don't even have cheerleaders.
Least Advantageous Weather: St. Louis -- nothing like playing in a dome half the season to get you ready for those late season roadtrips up north.
Least Fan Noise: Pathetic Houston, sound off like you have a pair!
Least Fan Hostility: Arizona, they're just happy to see a real football team in town.
boomer
10-15-2006, 08:53 AM
I'll go along with the assesment that it's not so much stadium, it's the team that plays there. No one really considered Foxboro that tough of an enviornment till Belichek came in and turned the Pats around. Lambeau was tough on road teams during the Lombardi era and during much of Favre's career, but road teams aren't having much of a problem there anymore. I do think think it is more difficult for a dome or warm weather team to have to battle the cold and the elements in December and January, than it is for a cold weather team to adapt to warm weather or playing indoors.
Hawaiin Lion
10-15-2006, 12:43 PM
Kansas City has a tough stadium. Arrow Head Stadium is tough, thats all I have to say. :D
12th man seahawks fan
10-15-2006, 01:17 PM
Seattle is known to be one of the loudest.
Haha, I am glad a Giants fan said it. It wouldn't be the same if anyone else had.
Most Fan Hostility: Philadelphia, hands down. Somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong but a couple of years ago I believe an assistant coach, while making his way into the tunnel towards the locker rooms, was nearly beaned in the back of the head by a rather large battery.
Most Fan Noise: Kansas City, I'm surprised opposing players can even hear themselves think.
Any fans that beat up Santa have got to be pretty mean. They might not be as loyal as Raiders fans, but I think they are tougher. Having lived there for 4 years, I can say that unless you are from Philly (they can tell if you are) they arn't going to take kindly to you.
I heard a stat that the Chiefs haven't lost in Arrowhead in winter for 15 or 20 consecutive games or something like that, anyone know? But I would say that Arrowhead is probably the loudest stadium.
Also, the Vikings play in a dome too.
Pronounced 'Thees' man'
10-15-2006, 04:53 PM
I think you will find there are fans of just about every NFL team who claim they are the loudest in the league. I remember watching a TV show a few years back (around 2002 or 2003, I think) which was about a test that was performed by some group which was not affiliated with the NFL to find the loudest home fans. The top 4 were all domed stadiums, which can't be a surprise. The noise reverberates and echoes, mostly around the end zones.
I don't remember the top four teams, but the #1 loudest was in Minnesota and the loudest non-dome fans were in Denver.
Willie
10-21-2006, 10:23 PM
Best Fan Loyalty: Raiders by a landside.
You can't be serious.
efin98
10-21-2006, 11:26 PM
Gillette in January is nigh impossible... just ask the Colts.
Or Raiders. Or Titans. The Titans and Raiders had to play in worse conditions than the Colts the years they played the Patriots in the post season, one with astonishingly low temperatures that didn't snap for well over a week and one in one at the start of one of the worst snow seasons in history.
Snake
11-02-2006, 02:09 AM
I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned. But I gotta believe the elevation in Denver gives them a nice homefield advantage. While the other teams are sucking pond water due to the elevation change, the Broncos are breathing regularly due to being acclimated.
boomer
11-04-2006, 07:24 AM
I am surprised it hasn't been mentioned. But I gotta believe the elevation in Denver gives them a nice homefield advantage. While the other teams are sucking pond water due to the elevation change, the Broncos are breathing regularly due to being acclimated.
Excellent point, plus broncos have fanatical support.
Snake
11-05-2006, 12:50 AM
Excellent point, plus broncos have fanatical support.
Heh, ya, I guess you can say with fans up there in the freezing mountains going shirtless during snow games that their support is fanatical. :p
Steve_Atwater
11-12-2006, 11:56 PM
Very tough playing in Denver. Very loud, the altitude, can get awfully cold, plus the team has rarely sucked in the last 20 years or so. Actually, I believe the Broncos have the best home record in the league since 1990.
Seattle1
11-14-2006, 06:35 PM
I would go with Qwest Field in Seattle.
C. Snake
01-18-2007, 06:33 PM
I'd have to say Greenbay. Climate is just to cold.
Moose
01-28-2007, 06:17 PM
Green Bay is probably the number one toughest to play. The weather is harsh and the fans don't help.
ATLFalcons
01-28-2007, 07:54 PM
I'll say Lambeau Field, with pride on the line and the weather on your side you can't lose.
brady_branch
01-29-2007, 05:41 AM
Tell that to last year's Packers.
Altitude
03-01-2008, 03:59 AM
I was trying not to be a homer on this thread, but it has to be Denver.
philkid3
03-01-2008, 04:07 AM
I was trying not to be a homer on this thread, but it has to be Denver.
Why does it have to be?
Seattle is tough not just because of the noise but because of the travel, distance, jet lag, etc (the reverse is also true, when the Seahawks travel).
Hopefully the new Cowboys Stadium will take advantage of what Qwest has taught us about what accoustics can do for a home team.
Altitude
03-01-2008, 04:11 AM
Why does it have to be?
Seattle is tough not just because of the noise but because of the travel, distance, jet lag, etc (the reverse is also true, when the Seahawks travel).
Hopefully the new Cowboys Stadium will take advantage of what Qwest has taught us about what accoustics can do for a home team.
Seattle just recently has had the homefield advantage. They do have great fans.
Seattle1
03-09-2008, 01:19 PM
Seattle just recently has had the homefield advantage.
Actually the Kingdome was pretty freakin loud too. I think there is still a rule on the books that allows the home team to be assessed a 5-yard penalty for excessive crowd noise. That rule was because of the Kingdome crowd.
Course, they never call the penalty, cause if they did that would just get the crowd even more amped up!
:D
Chevy114
06-27-2008, 09:32 AM
For me its qwest, then green bay, then gilette. But Mile High was pretty tough to play at and so was cleveland mun. in their primes!
jslone
07-23-2008, 08:20 PM
Can we go old school or just new stadiums?I will go old scholl and pick RKF,small loud and the stands were literallly rocking up and down when Dallas played,just insane every other year.
packersfan
08-02-2008, 01:49 PM
Lambeau Field is tough.
Seattle1
08-02-2008, 07:54 PM
Lambeau Field is tough.
I think the historic Lambeau Field is worthy of its own appreciation thread.
:type:
homerj
08-19-2008, 01:35 PM
I'm not sure there is any one answer to this question. I'm also going to echo some of the thoughts of the previous posters.
Most Fan Hostility: Philadelphia, hands down. Somebody correct me on this if I'm wrong but a couple of years ago I believe an assistant coach, while making his way into the tunnel towards the locker rooms, was nearly beaned in the back of the head by a rather large battery.
Most Fan Noise: Kansas City, I'm surprised opposing players can even hear themselves think.
Most Advantageous Weather: There's nothing like a game in Foxoboro in January to take the steam out of an opposing team and turn it to ice.
Most Distracting Cheerleaders: San Diego followed closely by Miami, enough said.
Best Fan Loyalty: Raiders by a landside.
Now the opposite of the question....
Least Fan Loyalty: Houston, everytime I see those "fans" pack up their gear and head for the exists in the beginning of the third quarter it just makes me sick.
Least Distracting Cheerleaders: Any of the roughly half dozen teams that don't even have cheerleaders.
Least Advantageous Weather: St. Louis -- nothing like playing in a dome half the season to get you ready for those late season roadtrips up north.
Least Fan Noise: Pathetic Houston, sound off like you have a pair!
Least Fan Hostility: Arizona, they're just happy to see a real football team in town.
How does Oakland have the best fan loyalty BY FAR when they cannot even sell out their Stadium consistently? The link below is from about a year ago but I'm sure AOakland is still on the zero consecutive sellout streak. if you want to know about fan loyalty check the teams at the top of the list.
http://www.dallasnews.com/sharedcontent/dws/spt/columnists/rgosselin/stories/081207dnsponflcenter.2ff4723.html
HPGrant129
01-10-2009, 08:25 AM
but the #1 loudest was in Minnesota and the loudest non-dome fans were in Denver.
The reason for the title unofficially given to Minnesota were the field speakers AND the overhead speakers (the ones that hang from the roof)....We used to have crowd noise from the overhead speakers and TONS of 80s hair band music pumping from the field speakers.
But the No Fun League deemed that it was an unfair advantage. :cry:
However, as far as natural crowd noise, if you have ever seen a high school football game in the Dome, you'll know why it gets loud..imagine hundreds of high school girls squeeling like they're at a Jonas Brothers concert when their school makes a great play...that place gets REALLY loud.
Wolverine
01-28-2009, 11:03 AM
Actually, I believe the Broncos have the best home record in the league since 1990.
They won 24 consecutive home games 1996-98. The record is 27 by Miami from 1971 to 1974. Green Bay won 25 in a row 1995-98.
RFK Stadium had a reputation of being very loud. Though it only sat around 56,000 the bowl held noise very well. Some say the Redskins lost much of their home field advantage when they moved to FedEx, which is much larger but not as noisy.