While Major League Baseball is considered the national pastime in the United States, NFL football has surpassed baseball in overall popularity. It has become a Sunday tradition for sports fans who either watch on television or attend games, where they enjoy hours of tailgating followed by the game itself. For the best experience, visit one of these stadiums:
Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
Lambeau Field is the home of the Green Bay Packers. The oldest stadium in the league offering the best atmosphere for football, featuring a stadium filled with passionate fans—often wearing cheesehead hats—who endure frigid temperatures to watch their beloved team. Together with an unmatched game environment, Lambeau’s Frozen Tundra has been home to three Super Bowl championship teams starting with the first two titles under coach Vince Lombardi and ending with the Super Bowl XXXI title led by quarterback Brett Favre.
Opened in 2009, the new AT&T Stadium is a state-of-the-art facility featuring the world’s largest high-definition video screen. That screen, along with an impressive franchise history including a record 8 Super Bowls appearances, makes a trip to Arlington, Texas, a must for any football fan. Dubbed “America’s Team” after a run of success in the 1970s, the Cowboys won three titles in the 1990s lead by Hall of Famers Troy Aikman, Michael Irvin, and Emmitt Smith. In addition to NFL football, stadium hosted a record 108,713 fans for the 2010 NBA basketball All-Star Game.
Heinz Field (Pittsburgh Steelers)
Heinz Field is the home of the Pittsburgh Steelers. Dubbed “Steeler Nation,” fans of this record-tying, six-time Super Bowl championship team fill the stadium with black and gold. This passionate group of fans is also known for following and supporting the team on the road. As with the Cowboys, the Steelers built their massive fan base during their 1970s championship run, lead by quarterback Terry Bradshaw, running back Franco Harris and coach Chuck Noll’s “Steel Curtain” defense. The Steelers later won Super Bowls in 2005 and 2008 seasons.
Arrowhead Stadium (Kansas City Chiefs)
Visitors to Arrowhead Stadium will experience a sea of red, the nickname given to one of the loudest fanbases in the NFL—though the Seattle Seahawks fans (‘The 12th Man’) at Lumen Field might compete for that title. While they had a long drought between the, Len Dawson era and the 21st century, the Chiefs are now a perennial powerhouse. Even so it’s well worth the trip for hours of tailgating and a matchless game-day atmosphere. Just be sure to wear red and bring a pair of earplugs.
Lucas Oil Field (Indianapolis Colts)
Lucas Oil Field is the home of the Indianapolis Colts. Despite the aesthetically pleasing design of the stadium, the main draw was an excellent fan atmosphere along with a consistently dominant team led by record-breaking quarterback Peyton Manning. The Colts have finished first in the AFC South for seven straight seasons, which led to a Super Bowl win in 2006 and a loss in 2009 to quarterback Drew Brees and the New Orleans Saints.
MetLife Stadium (New York Giants and New York Jets)
2010 welcomes the unveiling of the MetLife Stadium, which is the home of the New York Giants and New York Jets. With 82,500 seats, it’s second only to the Washington Commanders’ stadium (formerly FedEx Field) in overall capacity at the time. Big Blue has been more successful over the years in terms of Super Bowls wins, including wins in 1986 and 1990 led by Coach Bill Parcells and a tough “G-Men” defense with Lawrence Taylor and Carl Banks. The Giants, led by Eli Manning, also upset the New England Patriots in Super Bowl XLII, ruining their chance at an undefeated season. The Jets, on the other hand, won of the most important Super Bowl in NFL history in 1969. The historic upset of the Colts in Super Bowl III led by “Broadway” Joe Namath, solidified the AFL-NFL merger. The stadium ensures that Giants games will be filled with a sea of blue, while Jets games will be transformed to a haven for green.
(Dates back to 2009)
Minor updates and edits were made from the original article.
Featured Photo © Gennaro Salamone
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Gennaro Salamone is the founder and editor of Enduring Wanderlust. Please contact him with questions regarding article or photo submissions.