Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium

Navy-Marine Corps Memorial Stadium, in Annapolis, Maryland, USA, is an outdoor athletic facility located just off the campus of the United States Naval Academy. It serves as the home ground for the USNA Midshipmen football and men's lacrosse teams, as well as the Chesapeake Bayhawks MLL team. The stadium also hosted several games during the soccer tournament of the 1984 Summer Olympics. The stadium stands as a dedication to the men and women who have served, will serve, and are currently serving in both the US Navy and US Marine Corps. As a constant reminder to this, the stadium contains thousands of bench-back and wall plaques, as well as a list of numerous battles involving the Naval and Marine corps forces that surround the seating bowl.

The stadium cost $3 million to build. The first game was played on September 26, 1959, when Navy defeated William & Mary in football, 29-2. The stadium's attendance record was set at 37,970 on October 18, 2008, when the Pittsburgh Panthers defeated Navy, 42-21.

The Original design of the stadium was a split-stand stadium with the locker rooms behind the Northwest end zone and a grass hill connecting the 2 stands behind the Southeast end zone, creating a mock horseshoe. The hill was used as discounted general seating during big games, but did not have any permanent seating. The seats in the stadium were white wood-plank chairs, which was a testament to the history of the stadium and the USNA. In 2004, the stadium was expanded with a newly renovated locker room facility, 140 club seats, and an associated club lounge on top of the grass

hill on the Southeast end. The wood plank seats were replaced with standard hard plastic seats. Most of the seats are navy blue, but both upper decks of the stadium contain gold seats spelling out the words, "GO NAVY," reflecting the color scheme and spirit of the US Naval Academy and

US Naval Corps. In addition, the press box was expanded, private suites were added, and restroom and concession facilities were updated. The only aspect of the stadium that remains the same throughout the renovation was the bench seating provided for the USNA students who march into the stadium within their respective battalions before each home game.

Stadium Capacity:

34,000

Playing Surface:

1959 - 2004: Natural Grass

2005 - Present: FieldTurf

Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium

Capital One Field at Byrd Stadium, or simply Byrd Stadium, in College Park, MD, USA, is the main athletic field for the University of Maryland Terrapins outdoor sports teams (football, soccer, lacrosse, etc.). The stadium's name is a tribute to Harry "Curley" Byrd, who played

several sports and coached football for the University of Maryland "Terps." Naming rights for the stadium were sold to Chevy Chase Bank in August, 2006. The bank was later bought by Capital One. Along with hosting the Terps' home games, the stadium is the site for the Maryland State High School Football Championship Game, the Maryland State High School Mens' and Womens' Lacrosse Championship Games, and the Maryland State High School Mens' and Womens' Soccer Championship Games.

Byrd Stadium cost $1 million to build, and the first game was played on September 30, 1950. The stadium was constructed across campus from an older and smaller stadium that shared the same name. The new stadium was built to replace the old Byrd Stadium, which survived for 3 more years before its demolition in 1953. The stadium was originally built with a 1 tier horseshoe design that seated 34,680 and was a bare-bone concrete structure with bench seats. An expansion in 1991 saw the construction of Tyser Tower (a 5-story building that included a new press box and introduced luxury suites to the University of Maryland) on the South side of the stadium, the Gossett Football Team House (The first and current locker room facility adjacent to the stadium) on the East endzone, and an upgrade of the concession facilities, including the construction of a brand new row of concession stands above the West endzone (Behind the bend of the horseshoe). Prior to this initial expansion, there were no luxury boxes in any athletic facility on the University of Maryland campus and stats and records were logged at field level in Byrd Stadium. The play call announcer also worked at field level. Players of both teams changed in the locker rooms of Cole Field House, 1 block away, and fans bought concessions from portable food stands. Byrd Stadium was further expanded in 1995, with the installation of an upper deck on the North side of the stadium, bringing the capacity to 48,055. In 2001, temporary bleachers were assembled behind the bend of the horseshoe, above the West endzone. These bleachers are still standing, giving the stadium 3,000 additional seats (51,055 capacity). In 2002, a full-color video scoreboard replaced the original scoreboard on top of the Gossett Football Team House.

The naming rights deal with Capital One yields $20 million to the University of Maryland Terrapins Athletic Department. This revenue will help pay for the planned $50.8 million expansion and renovation of Byrd Stadium, to take place over the next several years. The plans involve increasing capacity by constructing an upper deck above the West endzone, which is planned to reach around the bend from the existing upper deck on the North side of the stadium to Tyser Tower on the South side. The new upper deck is planned so that there will be gaps between the 2 upper decks and Tyser Tower. Skyboxes are slated to be added. These are planned to be full-service with catering and flat-panel televisions. The playing field will be lowered to give spectators a better view. The playing field will also be resurfaced with artificial turf. There are plans to strip the original bench seating and install individual seats and cup holders to make the stadium more comfortable and fan friendly.

The expansion has already started, with the extension of Tyser Tower, to stretch from endzone to endzone, and the installation of a second full-color video scoreboard above the West endzone. The extension of Tyser Tower added 64 luxury suites to the stadium, and expanded the press box to feature more space for the press team and upgraded technology. Mezzanine seating was

added to the facade of Tyser Tower, adding 2,945 seats.

Stadium Capacity:

54,000

Notable Facts:

- Queen Elizabeth and Prince Philip saw their first game of American Football at Byrd Stadium during their first trip to the United States in the 1950s

- On a clear day it is possible to see the tops of the 5 tallest structures in Washington, D.C. from the top of Byrd Stadium (The Washington Monument, the Basilica of the National Shrine of the Immaculate Conception, the Old Post Office Pavilion, the Washington National Cathedral, and the United States Capitol).

- On a clear night, it is possible to see the lights of the Washington Monument, which is about 8 miles away.

PNC Park

PNC Park is a baseball stadium located in Pittsburgh, PA, USA, and is the home field for the Pittsburgh Pirates MLB team. Groundbreaking occurred on April 7, 1999, and the park opened on March 21, 2001. PNC Financial Services bought the naming rights for the stadium in 1998. Features of the stadium include the natural grass playing surface and the Roberto Clemente Wall, the 21 foot high wall in right field. The stadium is ranked 2nd in lowest seating capacity of MLB.

The $216 million ballpark was constructed along the Allegheny River on the North Shore, with views of Downtown Pittsburgh and the Roberto Clemente Bridge. It is the first stadium to be built with the inclusion of limestone in its facade. Other features of the park include a riverside concourse, many local eateries, including the famous sandwich restaurant, Primanti Brothers, and the most extensive out-of-town scoreboard in any MLB stadium. It took 24 months to build the stadium, much shorter than most modern stadiums.

PNC Park is hailed as one of the best stadiums in MLB. It is regarded as being the most beautiful stadium, as well as having the best outfield views. Average ticket cost is 3rd lowest in the league, and the stadium helped attract business to Downtown Pittsburgh. The park hosted the 2006 MLB All-Star Game.

Details of the "classic-style" baseball stadium were incorporated into the the design of PNC Park. This is evident in the design of the stadium's archways, steel truss work, and light towers. The park's scoreboard features a 24 x 42 foot Sony JumboTron board, supplemented with the first ever LED video boards to be installed in an outdoor stadium. PNC Park is the first stadium to incorporate an out-of-town scoreboard that includes score, inning, count, number of outs, and base runners for every single game being played around the league. One of the most renowned features of the stadium is the view of the 6th Street Bridge, renamed as Roberto Clemente Bridge just before the stadium opened, which can be seen just behind the pirates topiary and green batter's eye in center field. Due to traffic problems before and after games, the bridge is only open to pedestrians on game days.

PNC Park was constructed in less than 2 years, much quicker than the average modern baseball stadium. This was accomplished with computers that relayed building plans to construction workers on a 24-hour basis.

The Stadium features three Hall of Fame statues outside of its gates. These statues depict Willie Stargell, Honus Wagner, and Roberto Clemente. A fourth statue, of Bill Mazeroski, is in the works.

The first official game in PNC Park was played between the Pirates and the Cincinnati Reds. The first home-run in stadium history was a tape-measure by Sean Casey, of the Reds, which was also the first hit in the ballpark. The first hit by a Pirate was a single by Jason Kendall.

The stadium is so beautiful and received so much praise during its inaugural season that it inspired the design for New York's Citi Field.

The playing surface of PNC Park is Tuckahoe Bluegrass, which is a mixture of various types of Kentucky Bluegrass. The infield dirt was exclusively mixed for PNC Park. The mixture is referred to as "Dura Edge All-Star Infield Mix." The warning track is crushed lava rock, and PNC Park is the only stadium to include lava rock anywhere in its design.

Unlike most other stadiums, the home dugout is located down the 3rd base line, instead of the 1st base line. This was done so that the Pirates would always have a better view of the city skyline. The wall in right field was named the Roberto Clemente Wall. This is the tallest outfield wall in the stadium, standing at 21 feet, which is a further tribute to the former Pirate, because he wore number 21. At its closest point, the Allegheny River is 443 feet and 4 inches away from home plate.

PNC Park was an innovation for sight lines. The aisles are lowered to give spectators a better view of the field. The highest seat in the stadium is only 88 feet above the playing surface, which gives the stadium one of the lowest profiles in MLB. All seats in the park are angled to the field, but still offer a breathtaking view of the city skyline.

One notable feature of PNC Park is that spectators are allowed to bring their own food into the stadium, a rare occurrence in MLB.

Stadium Capacity:
Baseball: 38,496

Field Dimensions:
Left Field: 325 Feet
Left-Center Field: 383 Feet
Deep Left-Center Field: 410 Feet
Center Field: 399 Feet
Right Center Field: 375 Feet
Right Field: 320 Feet
Backstop: 51 Feet

Notable Events:
- On July 6, 2002, Daryle Ward, of the Houston Astros, became the only player to hit a home run clean into the Allegheny River. The home run was a grand slam off Pirates pitcher, Kip Wells.

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium

Robert F. Kennedy Memorial Stadium, or RFK Stadium, is a multi-purpose stadium in the District of Columbia (Washington, D.C.), USA. The stadium groundbreaking was in late 1959, and it opened on October1, 1961. It is currently the home stadium for the D.C. United MLS team, and is the former home field for the Washington Redskins NFL team and the Washington Senators and Washington Nationals MLB teams. It opened with the name District of Columbia Stadium, or D.C. Stadium. The name was changed in January, 1969 in tribute to Presidential candidate Robert F. Kennedy, who had been assassinated the previous June. Part of the inspiration for the tribute was in response to the fact that Kennedy's Justice Department played a key role in the integration of the Redskins. The stadium was host to international soccer matches during the 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 1996 Summer Olympics, and the 2003 Women's World Cup.

RFK Was the first major stadium to be designed to host both football and baseball.

For 36 seasons, RFK was home to the Washington Redskins. The first ever football game played in the stadium was a 24-21 loss to the New York Giants on October 1, 1961. The first Redskin win in RFK was against the Dallas Cowboys on December 17, 1961. This happened to be the only win in the Redskins inaugural season at the stadium, finishing the year at 1-12-1. The Redskins final win in RFK was a 37-10 victory over the Cowboys on December 22,1996.

As RFK is the first major stadium to ever be built with the "cookie-cutter" concept, it is considered an experimental stadium for such a design. There were a few minor flaws with the stadium seating, the worst of which is the fact that the first 10 rows of football seating are near field level. This made it hard for spectators in these expensive seats to see over the players on the bench and members of the press surrounding the field. Baseball fans criticized the stadium because it contained no lower deck seats in the outfield in the baseball configuration. It is often stated humorously that RFK is the first stadium built "that had only an upper deck." Also because of the fact that it was the first multi-purpose stadium, RFK had an unusually complex conversion process, which was improved in later multi-purpose stadiums. Whole blocks of seats had to be removed for baseball to create the space for the large field, and soot had to be placed over the infield, while the pitchers mound was lowered beneath field level via a hydraulic system when the stadium was in the football configuration. The seats down the left field line moved on a rail and were not supported by trusses, but rather two steel sheets angled to create somewhat of an open triangle. This created one of the most popular and notorious quirks in the stadium, the ability for the stands on this side to bounce up and down in a spring-like motion when large volumes of people walked or jumped on the surface. Besides the seating flaws, the stadium created a massive home field advantage to the Redskins, Senators, and Nationals, and still does for D.C. United, because the closed-in design greatly increased crowd noise on field level, making it difficult to communicate verbally.

D.C. United does not generally sell tickets for their upper deck seats, but International soccer matches can draw a sell-out crowd.

RFK Stadium is on a direct sight line from the Washington Monument and the U.S. Capitol building. Therefore, at the time of construction, light towers on top of the stadium were prohibited. Instead, the stadium was built with arc lights embedded in the edges of the overhanging roof.

The stadium served as the host for the 1962 MLB All-Star Game, during its baseball inaugural season. The highest profile attendee of that All-Star game was the President of the United States at the time, John F. Kennedy. RFK also played host to the 1969 All-Star Game, the only All-Star Game to be played in daytime hours. The game was played during daytime because of a rainout that occured the night before.

Although the baseball dimensions were listed exactly symmetrical, during the Nationals' tenure at the stadium from 2005-2007, the wall was placed incorrectly, resulting in a slightly asymmetrical outfield.

The stadium had several sponsorship and naming rights candidates, but no deals were ever finalized, and the name of the stadium remains as it has since the 1969 RFK tribute.

Stadium Capacity:
Baseball: 45,596
Football: 56,692

Field Dimensions:
Left Field: 335 Feet
Left-Center Field: 380 Feet
Center Field: 410 Feet
Right Center Field: 380 Feet
Right Field: 335 Feet
Backstop: 54 Feet

Transportation:
RFK Stadium is within a half-mile and easily accessible from the Stadium-Armory Station of the Washington Metro. The station is served by the Blue and Orange Lines, and will add the Silver Line in the future. It is also served directly by Metrobus lines B2, D6, E32 (at Eastern High School), 96 and 97.

Notable Events:
- The highest scoring game in NFL history occured at RFK Stadium on November 27, 1966, when the Redskins defeated the New York Giants 72-41. The two teams combined for 113 points total in the game.

- George Allen's final game as head coach of the Washington Redskins was a 17-14 victory over the Los Angeles Rams on December 17, 1977

- Joe Gibbs' first win at RFK stadium was a narrow 24-22 victory over the New England Patriots on October 25, 1981

- The dreaded Joe Theismann leg injury occured at RFK on November 18, 1985, when Lawrence Taylor, of the New York Giants, sacked the quarterback and ended his career. Jay Schroeder took over for Theismann and lead the Redskins to a 23-21 victory.

- On December 13, 1992, Joe Gibbs coached his last game at RFK. The Redskins defeated the Dallas Cowboys, 20-17.

- On December 22, 1996, the Redskins won their last game in the stadium, defeating their arch-rivals, The Dallas Cowboys, 37–10. In a halftime ceremony, several past Redskins greats were introduced, wearing replicas of the jerseys of their time. After the game, fans stormed the field and ripped up chunks of grass as souvenirs. In the parking lot, fans were seen walking away with the stadium's maroon and yellow seats.

- In the Washington Senators' final home game, on September 30, 1971, the Senators led the New York Yankees 7–5 with one out in the top of the ninth. Fans stormed the field and tore up bases, grass patches, and anything else they can find for souvenirs. The Senators forfeited the game, 9–0.

- On September 23, 2007, the Washington Nationals defeated the Philadelphia Phillies 5-3, in the final baseball game scheduled to be played at RFK Stadium. The win gave the Nationals an overall record of 122–121 in three seasons at the stadium.

- On July 2, 1994, Spain defeats Switzerland 3-0 in the last game of the FIFA World Cup to be played at RFK, during the round of sixteen.

- On July 24, 1996, The United States draws with Portugal, 1-1 at RFK during the Atlanta Summer Olympics. Because the U.S. needed a win to advance out of group play, they fail to make it to the elimination stage.

- On April 3, 2004, Freddy Adu debuted with D.C. United at RFK with a sell-out soccer crowd of 24,603

- On August 9, 2007, David Beckham debuts for the MLS LA Galaxy, losing to home team, D.C. United, before a sellout crowd of 46,686 fans, the 4th largest to watch MLS at RFK Stadium.

- On January 19, 2009, the day before the Presidential Inauguration, A Day Of Service for Our Military was held at RFK Stadium as a part of the Martin Luther King Jr. National Day of Service. This was a joint operation by Serve DC and Operation Gratitude. At this event, 12,000 volunteers made over 80,000 care packages for American Troops overseas.

Veterans Stadium

Veteran's Stadium, or The Vet, in Philadelphia, PA, USA was a multi-purpose stadium until its demolition on March 21, 2004. The building was one of many so-called "cookie-cutter" parks, a design who's name derived from the symmetrical shape of the stadium. The Vet was home to both the Philadelphia Eagles NFL team and the Philadelphia Phillies MLB team during most of its 33 year existence, as well as host to several collegiate football and soccer games and several concerts. The 1976 and 1996 MLB All-Star games were held at The Vet, along with 17 annual Army-Navy football games from 1976-2001. The stadium was also host to a few notable
religious events: annual Jehovah's Witnesses conventions and a Billy Graham crusade in 1992.


The $50 million stadium was one of the most expensive stadiums of its time to be built.

In the first baseball game in The Vet, the Phillies defeated the Montreal Expos 4-1. Don Money hit the first home run of the stadium during its inaugural game. The final football game in the stadium was a game in which the Tampa Bay Buccaneers defeated the Eagles 27-10 for the NFC Championship.

On March 21, 2004, The Vet was imploded. The ground that once held the stadium is now a parking lot that serves the current sports complex. The stadium is commemorated by a historical marker where the stadium once stood, as well as granite spaces marking homeplate, the pitcher's mound, and the bases in baseball, and the placements for the goalposts in football.

The Vet had seven seating levels. The lower deck was comprised of levels 100, 200, and 300. Level 400 was for Press and dignitaries. Levels 500, 600, and 700 comprised the upper deck. The upper deck seats were exceptionally high, compared to other stadiums of its time, and the uppermost rows were so far from the field, it was difficult to see the action without binoculars. 700 level was where arguably the rowdiest crowd in East Coast sports was found. It was reputably the most dangerous area in any stadium, being an area known for harsh taunting, fighting, and public urination. When the football and baseball seasons overlapped, markings were clear on the field (the football field was easily seen during baseball games and the baseball diamond was easily seen during football games). All negative aspects aside, The Vet provided both the Eagles and the Phillies exceptional home field advantage, as the acoustics of the stadium greatly enhanced crowd noise on the field, making it difficult for players to communicate verbally.

The Vet had reputably the worst playing surface of all stadiums in both the NFL and MLB. Originally composed of AstroTurf, the surface contained many gaps and was very uneven. Seams were visible, giving The Vet's playing surface the nickname, "Field of Seams." The condition of the field provoked the NFLPA to threathen to sue the city for the poor conditions of the stadium. Many sports agents also refused to allow the Eagles or the Phillies to sign their clients. The condition of the field caused 2 notable injuries during football games. The first occured on October 10, 1993, when Wendell Davis caught his cleat in one of the seams while running a simple pass route. He tore both of his patella tendons, ending his career. The other occured exactly 6 years later, on October 10, 1999, when Michael Irvin landed on the hard surface and suffered a neck injury that ultimately took him out of the game of football. The city installed NexTurf, the upgrade from AstroTurf, in the stadium in 2001, which provided a softer surface. However, the installation was improper and there were still seams visible on the turf. Because of the softer nature of NexTurf, the cutouts that covered the dirt sliding pits around the bases would sag and create trenches, an unsafe condition that did not follow NFL guidelines. Asphalt was later used under the turf cutouts after the baseball season, calling for the use of a jackhammer when the field had to be reconfigured to baseball.

Stadium Capacity:
Baseball: 62,306
Football: 65,386

Stadium Dimensions:
Left Field: 330 Feet
Left-Center Field: 371 Feet
Center Field: 408 Feet
Right-Center Field: 371 Feet
Right Field: 330 Feet
Backstop: 54 Feet

Notable Events:
- On June 25, 1971, Willie Stargell, of the Pittsburgh Pirates, hit the longest home run in stadium history in a 14-4 Pirates win. The spot where the ball landed was marked with a yellow star with a black "S" inside a white circle until Stargell's 2001 death, when the white circle was painted black. The star remained until the stadium's 2004 demolition.

- Veterans Stadium was host to the latest-finishing game in baseball history, a twi-night double-header between the Phillies and the Padres that started on July 2, 1993 at 5:05 PM and ended at 4:40 AM the following morning. The two games were interrupted multiple times by rain showers. The Padres won the first game, and led in the second, but lost in a come-from-behind victory for the Phillies in the tenth inning on an RBI single by Phillies closing pitcher, Mitch Williams. The second game ended with an estimated 6,000 fans at the ballpark.

- A football game known as "The Body Bag Game," took place on November 12, 1990, when the Washington Redskins visited the stadium for a Monday Night Football game. The Eagles' head coach at that time, Buddy Ryan, was quoted as saying that the Redskins' offense would "have to be carted off in body bags." The Eagles' number-one defense scored three touchdowns in a 28–14 win and knocked nine Redskin players out of the game, including both of their quarterbacks. The Redskins were forced to finish the game using running back/returner Brian Mitchell (who would become an Eagles player over a decade later) at quarterback.

- The stadium hosted an August 2, 1991, exhibition soccer match between the U.S. National Team and English Professional Soccer Club Sheffield Wednesday. Wednesday featured John Harkes, the first American to play in the English Premier League. 44,261 fans saw the U.S. score two second-half goals to defeat Wednesday 2 to 0.