Poll: Domed or open-air stadiums?

[12AngryHawks]

I read that the Bills are close to reaching an agreement with the city of Buffalo, to build a new open-air stadium, considering the weather they get in the winter, I would've guessed they were gonna opt for a domed stadium, but nope.

So if you were in charge of designing an NFL stadium in a city known for rainy/snowy weather, would you build a dome to make weather a non-factor, or are you gonna build an open-air stadium cause domes are for lightweights?

 

[kidhawk]

If you are looking to gain a small playing advantage, go open air. Teams that play in domes have historically not performed as well in poor weather. As a fan, I'd prefer not to freeze my butt off watching a game, but you see fans in freezing temps shirtless, so what do I know.

 

[sutz]

Both. Retractable roof, like T-Mobile Stadium. You know, like where the Mariners play.

 

[chris98251]

Been there done that, Kingdome was a great venue for Fans to cheer, less great because of the era mostly, lousy Field Turf. But being outside in late spring and summer, going into Fall and having the elements be a 12th man for the opposition as well as knowing Wind patterns for Kickers is a huge advantage. Outside bring some warmers, a insulated butt cushion and dress in layers and it's all good., warmer socks, keep your feet warm and the rest of you will not feel it as much.

 

[ZornLargentPatera]

ALL stadiums in the N.F.L. should be open-air with natural grass turf, natch. That is how the sport of football is meant to be played.

 

[Hawkinaz]

My wife has family that live in upstate NY near Buffalo they love the cold and snow living in the area is not for the faint of heart. I am pretty sure if you polled Bills season ticket holders they would vote for no dome

 

[m0ng0]

I like the weather playing a factor

 

[seahawks08]

Open air for me, the fly over fighter jets gives me goose bumps. Generally open stadiums sounds more electrifying. However the negatives that play out against us is slipping on wet fields and a quick defense is lesser effective if players are slipping.

 

[AROS]

All good responses but this thread makes me think about all the dreams I have had in recent years with the Seahawks. It doesn't matter if the team is from the 80s/90s/00s/10s/20s, I almost always dream of the games taking place in the Kingdome. Which is odd because I was only a STH from 97-00 at first, just a few years spent in the Kingdome, yet renewed as a STH for 21 years in the new open stadium which of course housed the most epic games in franchise history.

So my vote is outdoors, for many reasons, mainly due to the incredible memories and games played, yet somewhere deep within my psyche/subconscious, it seems to prefer the confines of There's No Place Like Dome.

 

[RiverDog]

From a spectator's POV sitting inside the stadium, I've always preferred outdoor stadiums to indoor. As a season ticket holder in the 80's-90's, it used to get boring just sitting there staring at the concrete ceiling. It seemed too sterile. When you're outdoors, you can see the sky, clouds, planes, a highway with cars whizzing by, etc. Not that those things are particularly attractive, just that it gives me a particular feeling that I'm in a natural environment vs. a classroom or laboratory.

My clear preference would be an outdoor stadium, but then again, it depends on the elements. I've become rather wimpy in my old age, so I won't go to a game in Green Bay in December to freeze my balls off.

 

[Vesuve]

Closed or open air?

Depends.

Location = weather

 

[MD5eahawks]

I believe one of the reasons the Seahawks wanted an open air stadium was that they didn't want visiting teams to come into town to a comfortable atmosphere to play. Let them travel across the country and feel the elements. Take advantage of the actual home field. Buffalo would be making a huge mistake if they built a dome for the Bills. Any other sport makes sense to have a dome. Not football.

 

[TheLegendOfBoom]

Yeah, I gotta agree, football was ALWAYS meant to be played in the elements.

However, this roof covered idea, has been inspired cause owners also WANT the Super Bowl to be played in their stadium.

This comes at a price though.

If you get a roof because you want the Super Bowl committee to pick your stadium, you also have to have the proper number of hotels in the general area, which other business owners and the city has to decide this, ergo, not under the control of that teams owner.

And like a poster said, having a dome, makes your opponents traveling to your stadium have an easier game as well.

I’d opt for the No Roof stadium in this respect. I want my team to win as many games and the weather to play a part in the road team not being able to play well.

But at the end of the day, football, was always meant to be played under the sun or night sky without a roof.

In its purest form, the weather, should be a factor in a football game, IMO.

 

[CPHawk]

Open air natural grass.

 

[flv2]

It's a business decision. The nicer the conditions inside the stadium the higher the demand for tickets and the more you can charge. On the cost side roofs are expensive to build and costly to maintain. Stadia have to be multi-purpose because 9 NFL games per year for 30 years isn't going to justify the cost.

 

[JPatera76]

I’m fairly surprised we don’t at least have a retractable like the Mariners have.

 

[ZornLargentPatera]

If you don't play football on a natural grass field, how are you supposed to get mud and/or grass stains on your uniform, or a chunk of turf stuck in your facemask? Those are some of the types of elements of football that help make football football.

 

[Sprfunk]

I love weather games. I love that football is distinctly different to baseball in that there is weather and it's played through regardless, snow, sleat, rain, who cares, football is about overcoming. Fans are fans through it all also.
My favorite games are ones effected by weather. Recently I was at the cheifs seahawks game with sub zero wind chill. It was amazing.

 

[Aircrew]

I prefer outdoor stadiums, but I think it also depends on how severe the local weather can get. For example, I think Minnesota going with a dome was a great idea considering just how bitter cold it gets there plus all the snow. Same thing with Arizona for the extreme heat they can see in September.
For the Seahawks, I too miss the Kingdome in some ways, but we never won a championship there and Paul Allen wanted an outdoor stadium like the Huskies always enjoyed. Keep it outdoor with maybe a retractable roof at most.

 

[SoulfishHawk]

It's football, should be played in the elements.