Naija Sport: The best - and worst

Elliott Kalb / FOXSports.com
Less than a decade ago, there were so many outdated and old NFL stadiums that it would have been easy — too easy — to select the worst. The cookie-cutter stadiums from the early 1970s like Philadelphia's Veterans Stadium and Pittsburgh's Three Rivers Stadium are not missed.

Now, it's hard to find a bad NFL stadium experience. It's even more difficult to select the top five. Let me state right now that I won't rank the Superdome, longtime home of the New Orleans Saints. I am thrilled that the city is coming back. One of the great stories coming into the 2006 season is Saints owner Tom Benson's proclamation that he has sold 65,000 season tickets.

There will not be a better NFL stadium experience than on Sept. 25, when the Superdome returns to hosting NFL action. I'm also going to have to pass on ranking the spanking new Cardinals Stadium in Glendale, Arizona. I'm looking forward to being there in mid-October. The retractable roof will surely be a relief in the two September games. Sentiment and climate aside, here are the best and worst places to see an NFL game.

Also, this is the perfect place to commend the NFL for its ban on Gary Glitter. His "Rock and Roll (Part 2)," is played to excess at many stadiums, but the NFL has asked teams to stop playing the song in the aftermath of Glitter's conviction for child sexual abuse. There has to be a better song to get people revved up, anyway. The music choices should be more regional. In Philadelphia, for instance, at Lincoln Financial Field, they play Boz Scaggs' "Lido Shuffle" to mark a big hit by Eagles defensive back Lito Sheppard. You know what? It works.

The Best

Everyone gets to bask in the sunshine at Tampa Bay's home stadium. (File / Getty Images)

1. Raymond James Stadium in Tampa. At the risk of angering the great fans of the Kansas City Chiefs, the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers, nothing beats attending an NFL game in Tampa, Florida. Raymond James Stadium is a joy — players, fans, and media all love it. A tip of the cap to Bucs' executive vice presidents Bryan and Joel Glazer for overseeing the $3-million pirate ship in Buccaneer Cove. You can't miss the 103-foot long ship. Eight cannons celebrate Tampa touchdowns. The weather is great. The food is great. The location is great.

2. Gillette Stadium in New England. You've heard the phrase, "worst to first." No NFL stadium was worse than the stadium that preceded Gillette Stadium in Foxboro. Long, metal benches to see mostly bad teams, culminating with long, long walks to parking lots that feed into one-lane roads ... that was the way sturdy New Englanders used to see their NFL. Gillette Stadium is one of the most fan-friendly stadiums in America. Maybe it's because I always am in need of an ATM that I love Gillette, you can't walk more than a few feet in any direction without finding a Bank of America machine. How about those two giant HDTV screens above each end zone? The atmosphere is electric, sometimes charged from the music of Ozzy Osbourne, sometimes from Mother Nature's snow. I love this place.

3. Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City. It's a sea of red when the Chiefs play at home. This place, like its cousin Giants Stadium, has aged gracefully. The Chiefs played the St. Louis Cardinals in the inaugural game at Arrowhead back in August of 1972. Kansas City was ahead of its time back then, building separate baseball and football facilities. There is history here, and passion. I may be a Raiders fan, but I can appreciate the Chiefs' organization and their great players through the years. I can certainly understand the love that Chiefs' fans have for Arrowhead.

4. Bank of America Stadium in Charlotte. This stadium opened in 1996 and is located right in the center of Charlotte. Your sense of sight will notice everything in the Panthers' colors (black, silver, and blue). Your sense of smell will be satisfied with Carolina barbeque aromas. There is nothing wrong with that.

5. Lambeau Field in Green Bay. Again, let me state that I'm not a Packers fan, so the appeal of the place is a little lost on me. Still, St. Patrick's Cathedral is impressive even to non-Catholics. Same thing here. The Atrium at Lambeau offers much more than the usual team shop. There is Curly's Pub, with its interactive game zone. There is the Packers Hall of Fame. Mostly, however, the place is known for the "Cheeseheads" — those passionate fans for the team (named for the cheese packers and manufacturing workers in the area). Do you enjoy seeing a game with thousands of people wearing large, yellow, foam hats? Even if you do, be prepared to spend lots of time getting into and out of the place. No one here seems to mind the bitter cold for many of the games, or as the late NFL Films announcer John Facenda called it, "the frozen tundra of Lambeau Field."

The Worst

Too corporate? You never forget who bought the naming rights where the Redskins play. (Jamie Squire / Getty Images)

1. FedEx Field in Landover, Md. The Redskins have an insanely loyal fan base, as evidenced by the following: the team has sold out every ticket to every home game since 1966. For much of that time, the team played in Washington, D.C., at RFK Stadium. It's where the Washington Nationals have played baseball the past two years, and the Senators played decades ago. It rocked for NFL football. But since 1997, the team has played in Landover, Md., at FedEx Field. The place has the largest seating capacity in the league, with room for 91,704. Of course, it will take you hours to get out of the place. I'm sorry, but the ride from downtown D.C. just takes too long. The place is too big, too corporate. There are fewer "Hogs" and more pigs in the stands.

2. Paul Brown Stadium in Cincinnati. The fans were so vulgar and there were such displays of drunkenness (no, fans, inebriation is not a right) that the team — to its credit — has instituted a jerk line to call out idiots who cross the line. Fans can use their cell phones to rat out their neighbors. Will it help? I'm skeptical. I realize that Cincinnati fans aren't the only ones who exhibit boorish behavior (Philly fans practically wrote the book on it). Besides those issues, however, there are things to dislike about PBS. I found it difficult to navigate in a car to a suitable lot, and to find the entrance to the stadium. Fans screaming about disrespect ("Who dey! Who dey! Who dey think gonna beat dem Bengals?") is hardly worthy of great NFL chants.

3. Hubert H. Humphrey Metrodome in Minneapolis. I'm not a big fan of domes, and this is probably the worst. I can't help but like the RCA Dome, where the Colts play. Plus, that will be gone in a few years, and there's no sense beating a dead horse (Colt?). The Metrodome is a quirky baseball stadium and a poor NFL venue. There's no getting around it. The Edward Jones Dome in St. Louis, by the way, is a top-10 NFL facility. The Metrodome is a little dark, a little dreary, and can in no way match the top places to see a game.

4. Dolphin Stadium in Miami Gardens. It's too far from Miami. It rains — heavily — too often during some part of the day. The fans are from all over the country. You see way too many Jets jerseys and Patriots jerseys and Colts jerseys. I can't remember a time when the noise was deafening like at Arrowhead or RFK or Mile High.

5. Meadowlands Stadium (Giants Stadium to you and me) for Jets games. One day soon, the Jets will share the cost of a new stadium with the Giants. For now, they rent. It shows. It's still Giants Stadium. The J-E-T-S chant gets old quickly, especially when the team doesn't contend.

Elliott Kalb's latest book, "Who's Better, Who's Best in Golf?" is available now and he can be reached at talkto@elliottkalb.com.