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We've talked a lot over the past couple of years about the new Minnesota Vikings' stadium (newly christened U.S. Bank Stadium) and how awesome it's going to be when it finally comes online for the start of 2016. However, there are other teams that have outstanding stadiums as well, and that's the subject of today's discussion for the 30 Day Challenge.
Which opposing stadium in the National Football League is your favorite? It can be one that you've attended a game at or one you've just seen on television.
I'm going to go with one that I've actually attended a game at in this past. . .a number that is sadly limited. . .and go with CenturyLink Field in Seattle. I attended two games up there when I was stationed in that part of the country, one in the preseason and one in the regular season. I don't remember much about the preseason game, except that my wife and I had really good seats, and the regular season contest was the Sunday night game where Shaun Alexander scored about twelve touchdowns in one half of football, so let's not talk about that, either.
The stadium itself is outstanding, though. It offers a view of pretty much the entire Seattle skyline. . .and I know that because, for the regular season game, I had a seat that required a sherpa and two mountain goats to reach. The inside of the stadium was pretty outstanding as well, with plenty of room to move around on the concourses and things like that.
As far as the noise. . .well, there's a reason that announcers on television are constantly raving about how loud the place gets, because the noise levels are ridiculous. The regular season game I went to wasn't the loudest sporting event I've ever attended (Game 7 of the 1991 World Series at the Metrodome takes those honors), but I still had some issues hearing things as I left the stadium that night.
The fans were pretty great, too, for the most part. They didn't give me too much flak as I sat there with my Vikings hoodie watching our favorite team get stomped. . .not as much as I expected, anyway.
Hopefully over the course of the next few years I'm going to be able to expand the list of stadiums that I've watched Vikings football in. But for now, the opposing stadium that tops my list belongs to the two-time defending NFC champs.