Growing up in New York has its advantages with sporting teams. You have many greatly run franchises to pick from to be crowned as you favorite team and New York Sports go out every year to be the best and that is it. There are never any fire sales with New York organizations and there is never any talk about a team moving anywhere. The reason is because of the loyalty and contribution that New York fans give to their favorite teams. Earlier we talked about how favorite teams and sports are passed down from family members and from the society in which you live in. I have had the privilege to become a New York Mets and New York Jets fan. Both teams put enormous effort into solidifying a great team to put on the field to win and entertain fans. Both the Mets and Jets will have brand new stadiums opening up in 2009 which is great for the community, the team, and the fans. I have been to more Mets games then Jets games but both atmospheres are the same. New York Sports brings New York fans and there is nothing better then going to a game involving a New York team.
The New York Mets have always been the other baseball team in New York after the Yankees. I have been to Yankee Stadium, but as a diehard New York Mets fan, there is nothing better then going to Shea Stadium. Now all that is changing when they make their move into Citi Field next year. Even though the new stadium is directly next to Shea, it will absolutely be different when I go to my first game at the new stadium. Shea had an older look to it then some of the newer stadiums of today but it had its own style. The new Citi Field will not have Mr. Met out in the Pepsi Picnic Area or have the apple rise when David Wright hits a home run. Change is great and in this case the change will bring revenue and excitement, but it will not be the same to go into Flushing to see my Mets. The plans will still fly over the new stadium coming from LaGuardia airport, but it still is not while sitting in Shea Stadium.
Just like the New York Mets, the New York football Jets will have a new stadium as well. New York sports require their teams to stay up with the norms of the other team in the leagues. The New York Jets and Giants have shared their stadium for many years and will share the new stadium next year too. I am not a fan of the Meadowlands at all. Going to the games is amazing but that stadium is horrible. The new stadium is going to be a great tradition to New York football but I am upset as a fan that the New York Jets will move their training camp sight from Hempstead, Long Island to New Jersey and right by their new stadium. I live 20 minutes away and I have gone to training camp every year for the past couple of years. My father use to take me and now I go by myself even too. I have many memories of watching their practices and getting autographs and now since the team felt they had to upgrade, I can not experience it as much as I could. Being able to interact with players is such a fantastic part of being a fan and now that this is taken away from me, I ask myself if I will have that same connection I once had with my favorite team? I hope that next year when it would be time to go watch the first practice of training camp at Hofstra University that I do not forget the reason why I love the New York Jets.
The sell outs of game are not the only important thing to owners but rather the life and interaction the fans have with the game. Just as “The form of ‘selling out' became more obvious when I shifted my attention to the way(s) Red Sox Nation was performed and experienced at Fenway Park” (White pp. 37). The atmosphere at a game is the most important role a fan can play in the outcome of a game. Why is it that Red Sox fans are better fans then those of the New York Yankees? It is because they appreciate the game and not just the wins or losses. Stadiums and the teams that play in them do play a big role in the community in which it belongs.


Andrew Schwartz

I am from Maryland where the stadium authority rakes in huge profits due to the 4 major sports teams which play inside the state. The oldest and in my opinion best of the stadiums is Camden yards. When it was designed it was supposed to give the feel of an old time ball park and it achieved just that. Before football stadium was built there were plenty of parking, and great mass transit services. Inside the park fans rooted hard and had a good time. One main reason is the affordable seating. From what I hear, Memorial stadium was a sight to be hold, the fans were diehard and it was one of the best home fields in baseball as well as football. There were no luxury boxes or single seats for that matter. The bleachers are where it all happened in Baltimore. The Washington teams reside in south eastern Maryland in two new stadiums. The only thing I know about the nationals ball field is the amazing view you get while watching the game. I believe that says it all, when you are concerned about the view outside of the stadium rather than helping your team win the subtle nuances made for victory then the owners heart is in the wrong place. The lack of a home-field advantage as well as a disenfranchised social class is most evident at fed ex field. The largest professional football stadium in the United States sits more than 90,000 people yet the crowd noise and environment near the field is weak. Aside from the four guys wearing pig noses, the rest of the fanatics are confined to the upper deck. Like Simmons explained

I am going to recall a 2004 ALCS. Where it didnt matter where those last 4 games were played...they team from NY....yes they lost. And if all this talk about new stadiums means no success. The Yankees will Blow. In teh house that Ruth Built they failed to make the playoffs in their final year, imagine a year worse than that. They might finish 5th in the AL east. CC is gonna eat New York Deep Dish Pizzas and get even fatter, end up like Bartolo. Burnetts arm might fall off in spring training and then come July hinch is already looking forward to Football Season. Long Live the SOX!
I agree with Tigerfrank

I agree with Tiger14Frank. When you have fans that are die hards fans like the great team from NY that has many world championships, homefield plays a huge role in games. Having all of your fans going crazy behind you playing just gets you jacked up and ready to play.

Being born in Dallas, Texas has always stamped me being a Dallas Cowboys Fan. I was not raised in Dallas which is the controversy behind me loving the cowboys and extremely hating the redskins. Especially because my current residency is literally 4mins away from FedEx Field. Growing up I never really grew a liking for major sports like football or basketball, therefore, attending major sporting events in stadiums were always out of the question for me. However living exactly 4mins away from the redskins stadium I have noticed sequential changes in the area in the up rising of housing, hotels, shopping and other amenities, because of how close the stadium is to my house. FedEx field is the Redskins relatively new stadium now located outside the city in a more suburban area compared to it previous location at RFK stadium located in Washington D.C. From the relocation of the teams playing grounds one thing that I have noticed as a resident of the area is that the Dallas and Redskins rivalry has been brought closer to my house. On game days traffic increases tremendously which upsets me because it affects a simple trip to the grocery store. I believe the move and creation of the new stadium has helped and hurt them. Helping them by creating a bigger stadium to host more fans, therefore making more revenue per game. Outside of the stadium there have been construction of more residential house, hotels, restaurants, shopping malls including the Capitol Boulevard. New train stations have been built in the vicinity so fans outside of the suburban area have easy access to their home team. However , even with all these new developments the Washington Redskins will never be better then my spectacular team, the Dallas Cowboys.

Kadie Bangura

Ever since i was a little kid, i have loved to watch the Baltimore Orioles. When you are a kid going to professional sporting events is great, but no other venue can ever compare to the opportunity to attend a game at Camden Yards. Camden Yards revolutionalized the future of ballparks across the nation. The stadium is so great because it incorporates all of Baltimores past. Things like the old B&O railroad warehouse is a major part of the park, as is eutaw street and Boog Powell's barbeque stand. The stadium is meant to resemble ballparks of the past like Ebbits Field, but with a new age twist. Since its creation, it has served as the model for every baseball stadium built since. Camden yards is also a great place to watch a game because of the fan interaction. Over the past decade it has declined and now there are a lot more Yankees and Redsox fans than there are Orioles fans, but in the past Baltimore was known as the Baseball capital of America. Fans were so into the game; everyone bled orange and black. At the heart of these fans is our great players of the past, its our claim to fame. We had Frank Robinson, Cal The IRONMAN Ripken, and so many other great players. In the past when we were good our fans would cheer for the Orioles and boo any opposing team. However times have changed, our values have too. Now when you go to an Orioles game the only chants that you are going to hear directed at the Orioles is Free the Birds or F U Angelos. Even with as bad as the Orioles currently are, it is still enjoying to watch a game at Camden Yards. It is not like the huge corporate caverns that some teams call home, it is forever going to be a part of Orioles history and will go down as one of the greatest stadiums ever built.

Today stadiums can go either way. It becomes a love hate scenario. My stadium of choice is the M&T Bank Stadium. You could say it is really the best of both worlds when it comes to fan comfort and home field advantage. I say this because the Raven's stadium was erected specifically for them when the NFL moved back to Baltimore. M&T is all I have known. Memorial stadium may have come before it, but I don't feel that the newer “SOTA” changed the feel of the game. Revenue may have increased as the club levels and suites became part of the equation, but I can still hear the fans scream “HEEEAAAAPP” from my den television on consecutive Sundays. This particular stadium may have come along at just the right time. We were hung up on HD and the latest technology, but there was still some sense of staying in line with the fans. The Ravens fans are not far from what Bill Simmons friends used to be with the Patriots. There is still a force of nostalgia and camaraderie that drives the fans to early tailgates and games packed with not so uptight attendees. The Ravens may be slightly different in the respect that they represent a city that was stripped of its original team and was reborn with the gift of a new one. I just do not know that the expanding size of a stadium could silence the cries of these rediscovered fans. I have not had the privilege of attending games at a few of the “classic” fields such as Lambeau for football, or Wrigley for baseball. The stadium itself does not dictate the fan culture that I have been a part of. The Ravens increased their revenue, but not to the total dismay of their fans. On the other hand, the one stadium that has succeeded in becoming nothing more than a very large billboard is the ballpark for the Washington Nationals. There is nothing comforting about that sports arena. The one and only game that I subjected myself to did not even feel like a game. I was so wrapped up in the amount of lights upon me and the endless vendors and VIP bars that I do not recall even watching the game. I was so impressed by the grass and super large scoreboard that I missed the action. I was in the middle of the new and upcoming Times Square. There was so much to take in, but not enough senses or time to process it. Nice tech, but not my type of getaway. No memories to be made there. So, maybe the drive for money HAS killed the glory and mystique of the games. At one time sport was an escape. Now it is a part of our budget plans. I sure hope the Ravens change their practice facility several times before they change their stadium. I would hate to see the fan loyalty dissipate to make room for a new AirTran poster.

Towson University is both similar to and different than every other university in the United States. With a student population reaching 20,000 and an alumni reaching back to my great aunt who graduated in 1953, this university and campus has developed a close relationship with many individuals. While merely a space to those who do not get swept up and involved with the Tiger culture, it has become a place in the hearts of most whom have ever been educated here. Just like anyone who has grown up or in or moved to Baltimore and supports the Orioles, those who have attended Towson University support their Tigers. Towson has created an organic community and many who attend support the athletics that represent their local identities. Just like every adult who is an alumnus looks back on their college years with pride and respect for their alma mater, Towson University is no exception to cultural experiences and social worlds.
I feel that Towson has done a great job to promote themselves as a diverse community with a dedicated athletics programs, supported by an uproarious and enthusiastic student body. Whether for this reason or not, Towson has significantly increased their student enrollment in the past 5 years, so whatever it is seems to have worked. This university has managed to hide the fact from an incoming applicant that the majority of students who go here are shallow, arrogant, and egotistical. I suppose I had a bad experience my first three years here. I think that the community in which Towson is located, a wealthy suburb of Baltimore City, has come to be representative of the type of people that attend Towson University. Nonetheless, as a system that works off of money and can only make their institution better with more money, they only solution is to upgrade, expand, and increase the size of the campus and student body in general, no matter what type of people the make up the population. While the diversity of the campus is a little more apparent than a black woman who can pick herself out of the crowd from a photo taken by a blimp at a Red Sox game (White), I bet if one could measure the intellectual depth by a picture of Towson University, the diversity would be quite indistinguishable.

I agree with alauenstein with the fact that Owners need to figure out a way to make it so that fans can still gain a good experience from the game while generating revenue at the same time. Otherwise you will have many of your die hard fans opting out of their tickets and then ultimatley you will probably lose revenue.

I have been a Maryland Terrapin fan all of my life and I have regularly attended games in both Cole Field House and The Comcast Center. I can easily see how the idea can come up that home field advantage is no longer an advantage for the home team because of the way new stadiums are built. I can see how this could be considered possible especially with the Terps. They went from a small, always packed gym to an enormous revenue generating machine. While the Comcast Center may have more seats then Cole Field House did. It is easy to see how much more spaced out the student section is, and how far up the seats in the nosebleed sections are. This in turn leads to less noise from the home crowd and less of an advantage to the home team. Also because seats on the lower level excluding the student section are for high paying customers, many of the true fans are left to sit in the top rows where their love for the team can barely be seen through binoculars. However in the end sports have become a revenue machine so why not make the place where people come to watch their team a part of the business. In the article entitled Playing their Part: Red Sox Nation 2007 and the Public Performance of Whiteness, Ryan King White explains this further by saying, “ The prophets of profit that make-up the Red Sox ownership are likely seeking more money” ( 46). This was written in response to the Red Sox owners teaming up with racing and putting advertisements up in the ball park. This has become a common theme with all sports teams as they try and gain as much money as possible at the expense in some cases of team performance through the loss of home field advantage.

Living in the mid-east coast there is so much going on around you that it is hard to keep up with it all. Within four hours of one another there is a line of cities stretching from Washington D.C. to New York. With such big and powerful cities located so close to one another there is bound to be a large selection of potential teams to root for. Someone in a Washington D.C. type area has many different choices when it comes to selecting a sporting community. For me however, it has always been about local sports. For this reason I classify myself as being part of an organic sporting community. During my time at Sherwood High School in Olney, MD there was a large student base who all primarily supported four teams; the Washington Redskins, the Baltimore Orioles, the Washington Wizards, and the Maryland Terrapins. Although I am a diehard Washington Capitals fan, Hockey enthusiasts were few and far between at my high school. The limited amount of diversity as far as team support went allowed for my whole school and really community to come together in support of common goals. As a child my summers were filled with days spent at Camden Yards supporting the Orioles with my friends and family. As a child you do not really pay attenetion to all the propaganda that is now associated in the sporting environment, however Camden Yards is a different type of environment altogether.
Camden Yards is a great example of how a modern day stadium can produce revenue yet still not sell its metaphoric sole to corporate America. For this reason I have always had a strong topophillia for Camden Yards. Camden Yards is not at the point where it would be seen as a new stadium like Miller Park although it is not something viewed as being and old or classic stadium like Wrigley Field or Fenway Park. In my opinion Camden Yards has done a great job of keeping what is important to the atmosphere of baseball and keeping out all the distasteful advertisements that can change the sporting environment.
Home field advantage is said to be the advantage that one team has over another when playing in their own home city in their own home ballpark. Recently there have been arguments that the advantages homefeild plays in determining outcomes of ballgames has changed from being an important deciding factor to not playing a role at all in support of one team over another. It is the view of many that corporate roles in stadiums as well as the growing role of Personal Seat Licences are changing the atmosphere of sporting environments and taking away seats from true loyal fans.
Personally I do not believe that the role of home field advantage is changing. To me one of the main aspects of home field advantage has always dealt with the issue of travel. I feel that a team whose members got to spend the night before a game in their own home with their own families is going to have the advantage over the team staying in a hotel removed from what they know. Although the corporate role may change the intensity of a crowd in attendance, it will never take away the important advantages of home field. Besides when it matters any team will sell out to loyal fans who will support their team till the bitter end. Look at the Tampa Bay Rays this season or ask the Atlanta Hawks how important home court advantage was in their effort of taking the Champion Boston Celtics to seven games winning all three at home and losing all four on the road. I think it easy to see that dispite the changing role of corporations in the sporting environment home field advantage will always remain just that; an advantage.

Strickman

I completely understand what jgreen is saying—the disappointment of taking away the memories that have taken place in the Garden. The fans who have been there since day one will probably feel like it is just going to be replaced with superficial expensive features rather than the sentimental “timeless” sport team moments the whole stadium has had. However, how much longer can a venue go without being renovated? Sooner or later, the time will come and they have to keep up with the current trends in the industry. -Gincel

I never really attended, nor did I develop a real passion, for many sporting events at stadiums throughout the majority of my life. However, growing up, my high school's football team was the best on Long Island. Home games were the places to be whenever we hosted games. North Babylon High School's sporting community was at an all time high and it really did bring our town together, especially on the weekend home games. Our home football field had never changed or been renovated since then. However, I do remember when the football team played their Championship Game that was held at one of the major universities on Long Island. It was a huge event and that sense of community just seemed to disappear—waiting on line to have your tickets checked, sponsors inserted everywhere in the stadium, expensive concessions, people we didn't even know cheering for and against our team; it just took that sense of community away. This just shows how much home field advantage truly exists. I am sure the guys on the team were into the hype of playing in a big-time stadium, but for the fans and possibly some of the players, something seemed to be missing. Like Professor King-White said, my younger generation, especially at this point in our lives, has accepted the infinite corporate intrusions in sports stadia. Although I do prefer that comfort zone like being in my community home field, there really is nothing like being in a big sports stadium, even if it is “invaded” by corporate sponsorships. I guess I am stuck in the mind of a sport manager, where I have come to understand the concept of knowing that it is a necessary factor to have these sponsorships with corporations to run a “SOTA” stadium for the fans to enjoy and keep up with other competing high tech stadia in the country. -Gincel

The corporate influences have taken over the stadiums for which they were built. “FedEx” field and the “Comcast” center are just a few of the local sporting arenas that have gone the way of money-makers. The need to create big and more lucrative stadiums has grown over the last ten years. Creating stadiums that are pleasing to the eye and deep in the pockets is the only thing owner's care about. FedEx field and the redskins are the most lucrative franchise in the NFL. They own the biggest stadium, 90,000 plus, and gross the most revenue three hundred million, almost as much as the Yankees (USA Today). Placing more emphasis on money than the fans that make them money is a wide spread epidemic. Fed Ex has the most luxury boxes and club level seating. This makes it hard for the “real” fans to have a decent seat to see their favorite team play. These seats, where the middle to lower class fans sit, are on a waiting list for fifteen years to get and they pay more than anyone else in America. The better seats are sold off to corporation for them to give out to clients as a gift. I remember that my uncle, whom worked for Bank of America, had tickets to opening day in the then called Jack Kent Cooke stadium and nobody in his office wanted them. This is an outrage. The only seats this corporate employees want are the box seats and the lower level, only if it is a warm day.

I come from Long Beach, NY. The New York Rangers used to practice at our local rink, so granted we are all Rangers fans. But now that I see the plans for re-doing the entire inside of the Garden, i have mixed feelings. Obviously there would be no hold bars on teh amount of money spent and I'm sure it is going to be a rediculous venue, but what about all the memories of the existing garden? the spring of '94???????? Knicks lose in finals, rangers win stanley cup!! All those banner raisings that i've been at; Leetch, Messier, Richter... The entire feel of the garden is going to change. More seats, steeper seating arrangement, more luxury boxes... Will this bring more fans, or more business men who just go after work to close a deal or grab a $8.50 beer? I feel as though it can only have a negetive effect on the positive energy of the graden faithful, but thats just my opinion... At least they are not relocating.

I completely agree with Kris, except the whole Yankees thing. With Cole field house, generations of students have attended games there and many people have many good memories in there. Taking the stadium away does not take away the memories but it does somewhat disassociate you from them, especially when going to UMD games now. Also, the history associated with Cole Field house is not forgotten but kind of lost. With the terps playing somewhere else, those memories are not remembered as often. Such is also the case as Kris pointed out with new stadiums. Finally, me being a Cowboys fan, I totally agree with the thoughts about the new stadium. Why do they need it? Jerry Jones already has enough money, I think it is ridiculous to build it in the first place and then put a mall in it? As Kris said, what does a mall have to do with football. The whole idea of it is just insane.

The sport team I most closely associate with and care most about is the Cowboys. That said, clearly I hate the redskins and even though I have been to games, I could care less about it in general. My baseball team is the Orioles but I'd rather not discuss these topics in association with them. I have been a West Virginia Mountaineers fan for years and used to go to school at WVU. The town of Morgantown lives and dies by the football team, as I did when I went there. Football gamedays were always a huge deal and it was common place for all the students and residents of the community to go tailgate hours before the game, go to the game dressed in school colors, then go out and celebrate after the game, as long as we won. If the Mountaineers lost, the town was in mourning and people either stayed in after or drank their depression away. To the fans going to the game, every game is a big deal. If you are a fan of the opposing team, it was not abnormal to be hit with any object capable of being thrown and harassed physically and verbally. I absolutely love Mountaineer Field. I think for the most part, the quality of the stadium is very good, and it is also pretty big. When it gets packed, it is one of the louder stadiums I have been in and gets to the point where you can feel it rumbling beneath you. Part of the reason I have such fond memories of it is probably because of the great times I had in the stands during games, in warm and freezing cold weather. I'm not sure how new the stadium is but the facilities do seem up to date and it is not in bad shape so I assume it is fairly new.
I think home field advantage definitely plays a part in the football games. The fans, just as other colleges, have different chants for different parts of the game. When we are kicking off, everyone yells and takes their keys out and jangle them. When we get a first down, the crowd yells, "Ohhh" and when the first down is announced there is a cheer and a certain clap. Then just the noise alone I imagine is enough to distract and rattle the opposing team as well.

Unlike many people I have never really ever went and supported a team on a regular basis. Since I was always moving when I was younger I never got to go to a lot of professional games in one area, so this question is hard for me to answer. The best way I guess is to talk about my high school varsity field. It is called Rifenburg Stadium. Over the last 4 years it has gone through a bunch of different renovations. It use to have these really old and rotten and I remember how no one would go near them because they thought they were going to fall apart. I mean the old stadium was so beat up and old we used to call it Oldenburg Stadium. But it has been redone a lot and there is still more renovations being done there.
I don't believe that the renovations that have been done there really affect the atmosphere of the stadium because it still is the same place with the same history. But I think it's a little different when you are talking about professional teams. I mean in high school you usually don't have huge crowds unless it's the championship game or something like that and then the team doesn't have home field advantage because they are not close to home. But professionally I think home field advantage is huge. Take the Green Bay Packers and the “Frozen Tundra.” If you were the Miami Dolphins I bet the last place you would want to go play is somewhere with the nickname “Frozen Tundra” in the middle of December. When you go there you know that you are in Title Town, unlike some of the new places like Lucas Oil Stadium, which is supposedly a dead stadium. And as Simmon states “The bad news is that, with just a few exceptions, it's now more entertaining to invite your friends over, tailgate in your backyard and watch your favorite team on TV.”

I hail from Maryland and have grown up rooting for the Redskins, Orioles and most of UMDs teams. My first ever Redskins games were at RFK and boy were they awesome. We never had good seats as were always way back in the bleachers. And boy would those bleachers start rocking. That was by far my most memorable experience from RFK, the rocking bleachers. Although i am not sure the rocking of bleachers neccesarily gave them the 'skins an advantage. FEDex field doesnt have the same feel as RFK and the fan experience isnt quite the same but i think the football team is the same. Although i think the home field advantage comes from its fans being in the stands and being at home. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is a great stadium design but its been 9 years since that place has been filled with fans. The stadium atmosphere is awesome as its considered the model for all new parks. Unlike football where all playing conditions are the same i think the field does provide some advantage to its players. Manny Ramirez wasnt the best fielder, but few in this world can play a ball of the monster like he did. Put Manny in LA he is a poor defender, in Boston he is more than adequate. Nick Markakis is a staple for the Orioles in right field and is known for his outfield assists. A lot of the times its balls that he has played off the Jumbo Scoreboard in right field. I think its odd newances that gives a park its homefield advantage. Thats why the Green Monster in left and Peskys Pole in right field give the Sox and Awesome advantage! “You don't see a lot of race in Red Sox Nation” (field notes, 2007) one of myacquaintances, Pete, said as he looked around the room during Opening Day of the
2007 Major League Baseball season.White 2007,p1) Although you might not see a lot of Race in Redsox nation, thanks to their homefield advantages they saw a World Championship that year :-) I agree Cole field house was awesome. It was always hot and energetic! I think what gives and gave all these stadiums a homefield advantage was them being old. The reason that these new monster stadiums dont have the same feel that the others do is because they havent been around to share the hardships and glory with the fans. After the Redskins win the NFC champion ship at FEDex with me sitting in row 6 seat 5 it will have memories to go along with it. And when Portis busts a huge run up the left side i can remember what hot dog i was eating on that cold January day!

I dont think the changing of stadiums is changing the idea of home field advantage, Sure they draw more investment, and sure when your in the new stadiums you can see the class differences based on seat, but regardless the players are playing the same game, and the fans are there united by the team they came to see. The only thing that could be effecting the home field advantage is the changing of the fields. i dont mean the actual fields but the region that the team aims to represent. As cities branch out and meet borders of other cities, you have fans that live in the same place, supporting different, perhaps neighboring, teams. This takes the advantage out of it, because eventhough fans are still coming out, they may not be going to the home stadium anyway. Take for example the area way up 83 north. If you go up far enough, you get to pennsylvania, where sports fans have two teams to support. Baltimore exurbs have started to creep up into PA and are now mingling the fans of the two states. For some ravens fans, it is easier to wait until they go play philly or pittsburg to support them there. So i dont see the problem of losing home field advantage as the fault of newer stadiums and sponsorships. I find fault with the urban blight and the rapid suburbanization that has occured in our country during the past thirty years.

-amg

I believe that home field advantage still plays a huge role in sports. I am a big Baltimore Ravens fan, and there is nothing like a Ravens home game. The fans are awesome and they come out to support their team and try to be as Seattle calls it “The 12th man”. M&T Bank Stadium gets a little rowdy for every home game I have never heard of an away team that likes to come into Baltimore and play. M&T Bank stadium has been around for a while but I would say it is relatively new. This is the only football stadium that I have ever known in Baltimore so it hasn't changed my connection with the team. There is another team that I cannot stand that being at home is a huge advantage. This team would be the Duke Blue Devils. I have never been to a game at Cameron but from what I see the atmosphere in there is electric. I guess that would have to be because that is really the only sport that kids there can get excited about. None of their other sports teams are that good. Even though I hate them with a passion I would love to go to a game there. Just to say I have been there would be awesome. Cameron has fans known as the “Cameron Crazies” that just go absolutely nuts for every home game. How can that not be home field advantage having a stadium packed every home game with 9,000 people in an indoor arena. Duke is 733-148 all time at Cameron indoor and 277-23 in their last 300 games at home. I personally would hate to see a new basketball arena come to Duke just because of the atmosphere and the history of Cameron. Though I can say I absolutely hate Duke and all of their fans, it is fun to watch them play at Cameron.

Earlier in the year I spoke of how the commercialization of sports had taken the home field feel out of college sports, most notably in my discussion, Byrd Stadium. However, i still think that there is a since of how field advantage throughout sports. The University of Maryland is an example of this through their basketball program. The fans even at comcast are so loud and obnoxious that espn does not allow for microphones to be present during games. The yelling of taunting of opposing players is so good/bad that it takes player and teams out of their game. This may be why year in and year old Maryland somehow finds a way to beat far superior teams, like UNC or Duke. Another example of home field advantage is the Verizon Center and the Washington Capitals. The caps have a pretty impressive record considering the injuries they have played through this year. At home the caps are 12-1-1, the hardcore caps fans that flood the Verizon center is obviously a good thing and is clearly still a reason that the caps play so well at home.
It is the stadiums like the new Yankee field and the new stadium going up in the big D that are so over the top that it takes home field advantage away. These two new stadiums are so state of the art that and cost so much that the average fan cant afford a damn ticket to the games.
As noted in previous response i am a die hard Skins fan, i was somewhat unhappy with the building of fedex, although i was pretty young, i loved the experiences i had at RFK. However, the organization has done well in promoting the home field feel. With this like the ring of fame that display all the redskin greats and the massive amount of tailgating that goes on, opposing teams know they are in Washington (well not really, but in their stadium) and can hear the crowd. Many of games i have been to the opposing teams have had false starts and penalties cause of the noise.

I agree with ncampi1 when he says that the homefeild advantage starts as soon as you enter a campus or area around a stadium because there are already hundreds of thousands of screaming fans chanting and tailgating. The whole environment when a game is a home game is completely different from when a team plays away.
Erin Ragan

Kasi Harris

I believe that home field advantage plays an important role in sports. When you take a look at a packed home game for the Ravens or for the Steelers, it's more than just that fans screaming at the tops of their lungs and acting like complete lunatics. It's the fans showing their true “colors” by the jersey they wear, the sign they hold up or the crazy face paint they put on. It's a tradition they are upholding from their fathers and their fathers' fathers and making it their own.
A team I have grown to hate (thanks to ex boyfriends), The Pittsburgh Steelers, their fans have this wonderful yellow towel know as the Terrible Towel. They wave these yellow towels around at every geame and scream exteremely loud to annoy the hell out of the opposing team. It could just be me who find these towels very distracting and annoying, but they might not actually bother the other team as much as I like to believe it does. The towels aren't as prominent in away games, but audience and other fans will see them there supporting their Steelers.
As we touched on in class, even though students knew how hot and sticky and cramped the Cole Fieldhouse would get, students would still go and cheer on their team. Many famous players for Maryland got their start there, so it is always going to hold history and a symbolic meaning to those who grew up with it.
Another team I have hated since before I can remember was the Yankees. Even though I hate this team with all my heart, I have to agree there is a lot of history in that stadium. Even being a non-Yankee fan, I think about what if they wanted to tear down The Green Giant, I would be pretty ticked off. Each staidum there is a many happy and sad memories within the place, but isn't that what makes the sporting arena? I don't see the reason behind building a new stadium for teams when most of the time the team doesn't even want to have a new stadium. It's basically picking up the team and telling them that this is their new homefield when all actually most of those guys grew up watching at the field they are now playing on. Coporations only do this because it increases the cash flow.

i agree with yankee1127, a team needs to bring the fans and community together with its team and towson's stadium does not do that. it will take time to build school pride years of hard work and accomplishments to really get people to notice our sports and respect them

Home field advantage plays an important role in sports. It more than fans screaming to the top of their lungs. It the colors they were, signs they hold up, and tradition that also plays a role. In the NFL the Pittsburgh Steelers (team I hate) fans wave yellow towels around to and scream exteremely loud to distract their opposing team. I dont know if the yellow towels acutally have an affect on the the opposing team but they do this every home game. You might also see these yellow towels in game when the steelers are away to. As we talked about in class about Cole fieldhouse, about how cramped and hot it was in their, but students still went to the games. Cole fieldhouse was the place were some of the most famous Maryland basketball players played in. So their's some histry there. Just like there is a lot of history in the New York Yankees old staduim. Im a Yankee fan, and i have a problem with a new staduim. There was a ton of moments good and bad in that staduim. Moving into another staudium takes away the moments. Its like starting a new team. There should only new staduims for teams if there arent enough seat. There is no reason why teams should keep making new staduims. They only do it because it will increase they cash flow. Looking at Dallas Cowboys stadium i see nothing wrong with that staduim. The new once that they are making has a mall in it. What does a mall have to do with football. Nothing!!!!

In response to btrott, I am also a Maryland fan and did like Cole Field House, though small, cramped, and hot. That was fun and brought the fans together and only made the games more intense. It had a lot of history and memories in it but I do feel that as time goes on it is time to replace things. I have only been in Comcast a few times and that was long ago so I do not really remember the atmosphere or the stadium too much. I feel though that the newer stadium will create its own history and be just as well as Cole Field House, while being more profitable.

In my experiences with sporting events, I believe that home field advantage is very much alive in today's world. I have been to the UMD football games when they have a “blackout” game where all the students and fans wear black articles of clothing. I also have a job with the Washington Capitals and they encourage fans to wear red to every home game. When there is a big game or when they make it to the playoffs, the entire stadium is red and screaming for the Caps. The bright red fans jumping and screaming can be very These examples are very distracting and intimidating to visitors at the stadium. It gets the fans into the game and makes them more a part of the game. The college football team of the Texas A&M Aggies even have the fans advertised as the “12th Man”. This is intimidating to the opposing team when the fans become incredibly loud and make it harder than normal to hear calls or plays. I think especially in the north where there are more Dome Stadiums, the fans have a larger role due to the noise bouncing off the walls and ceiling louder.

I most definitely agree with spslugger88 and his position on homefield advantage. When I pitched in high school and a small time in college, the fans and classmates that were there- if in abundance and loud- got me extremely pumped up. I had some of my best performances when the crowds were the largest and up against the fence yelling after every pitch.

I feel that home field advantage is still alive and well. While the old style stadiums like Cole Field House when you felt like the fans were right on top of the court might no longer be as popular. The new arenas and stadiums add the factor of more and more fans. I remember while I was in high school our basketball team had fairly successful seasons during my junior and senior year and the students support was very high. I can remember a game where we were able to take the other team out of their groove. We weren't the biggest crowd but the idea of having us right there making noise affected them during timeouts and huddles. There were three or four times where during a time out the players were getting yelled at and blatantly pointed at the student section as to say they missed the play call or communication. I think when you have a stadium that can fit 90,000 you can still feel like they have an affect. Maybe it isn't as personal as it is when you're sitting right at the court but the noise can greatly affect games. In all sports communication is key and if you can take that aspect away from a visiting team then the home field is working the way you want.

I agree with Ncampi1 in regards to Camden yards. I remember going to the Orioles games when Camden Yards was new, in the early 90's. Camden Yards has been great for Baltimore. It is in a good location and has unique qualities including the B&O Warehouse and the clock tower at center field. Regardless how the Orioles perform, the stadium is very nice. If the Orioles turned into a franchise that consistantly made the playoffs, Baltimore would definetly benefit from selling out all 48,000 seats instead of its usual 10,000.

I am undecided as to whether it hurts the athletes performance or not. If i were a pro/collegiate athlete, a new state-of-the-art stadium would drive me to play better because i would feel that the stadium was bought and built to increase the amount of fans that would be watching me and my team on gameday. I can see how it would be a sense of motivation to athletes to perform well. The Saints have done a moderate job to stay competative after their stadium was rebuilt after Katrina. The Saints were never a powerhouse team but they sold out their new stadium in 2006, and ended up making it to the NFC championship game, losing to the Bears. Though the new stadium wasnt the sole reason why they made it to the playoffs, it had to of given the athletes a sense of pride to know that the stadium was sold out for the whole season. They had support. On the other hand, i do agree that it can hurt the team as well. A perfect example could be the New York Yankees (depending on how they start the 09' season). This is a team that is, in the only sport with no salary cap, owns a handful of the best players in baseball, can buy any player/players they want (pitching!), but decides to put the attention on their new $2. some billion new stadium. There was no need for a new stadium. There was history at yankees stadium. Why would you erase something you cant take back? Obviously money is the answer but in this instance i saw it as a selfish move by the organization. Not only did they take away parks where kids around the neighborhood would play and have played for a long time, they took away what drove kids who wanted to play baseball in that area. They took away the kid who played on the fields outside of Yankees Stadium who dreamed that one day he would play inside the stadium. And are the Yankees going to do better this upcoming year? Probably not. They are all a bunch of over paid athletes that have no core team values. The city newspapers would even rather write about ARod and Modonna then about actual Yankee Performance. I am from Maryland, so when i was growing up i always went to basketball games at Cole and i remember how crazy it would get. You could actually feel the temperature rise during tight ACC match ups. When they moved the stadium to Comcast i wasn't upset though. I liked the state-of-the-art feel compared to the rugged Cole Field House. Though thats also what i liked about Cole, it was much more comfortable to watch a game at the Comcast Center. What i really liked about the stadium was how Gary Williams requested to have the front rows reserved for the students. This took away the good seats from the people who just had money to buy them and gave them to the real fans (the students). Gary knew that this would also give his basketball team an increased home field advantage. Home Field Advantage is a proven psychological aspect of sport that increases an athletes performance. To me, it depends on the situation regarding Stadiums, Corporate Intrusion, and how it affects home field advantage.

I have lived in Baltimore and I have never had the chance to travel and go to different sporting events. The main sporting events that I went to were my high school football games. The football field has been the same since my father went to that high school. All the alumni came to the football games. Their wives made hot dogs for the students. Less costly. Everything cheap. When my high school football team finally became good then my high school hosted their football games at Morgan State University's stadium. This I hated because everybody and their mother came to our football games which made it not fun. The food was very expensive and I never had fun when I went to the games on Morgan State University. It seems like they just wanted to make profit. I understand how the students of the University of Maryland felt. It was like leaving your home to go to a different neighborhood. I understand they are trying to make the teams go mainstream but sometimes it does not work because there is so much pressure for them to make money

Kierra Palmer

There is nothing that feels better than thousands of rowdy fans screaming and cheering you on, and that goes for anything. Anyone who thinks that the home team is not affected by a lack of energy is crazy. In all of the new SOTAS (Simmons word for state of the art stadiums) the club seats are closest to the field followed by the luxury seats and, way up there are the blue-collar fans crammed in the upper deck. This is no doubt the most flawed way to cultivate a home field advantage. These new stadiums don't reverberate noise the same and the fans that put off the most energy, and have the most spirit, the fans who scream, and the fans who paint their faces; the REAL die-hard fans are furthest from the field.
Where I went to high school, our football stadium was small. Everyone would go to all the games even though most people didn't have a place to sit. Next to and in front of the bleachers were grass hills that most of the rowdy senior class would hang out and scream at the players. That's where I always was. The seats were more for parents and teachers but everyone was still packed tight. All four years I was there the seniors painted their faces and stomachs with letters to spell ‘Go Seahawks' or ‘South River'. It made for more spirit in the stands. Now, that has changed a little bit since I have gone to high school. The school built more bleachers that extend higher up and out over that grass hills. No one is allowed to go down in front of the bleachers or off to the sides, they must be on the bleachers. When I went this past year, it didn't feel the same to me because everyone had their own seat and it was not at all crowded. The noise of the fans was way over powered by an announcer. Now I know how the students at Maryland felt when the Cole Field house was replaced with the Comcast Center. It really takes away from the feeling of a game.
There is a way to keep the game the same, and keep the home field advantage. The new SOTAS can still generate profit buy having club seats and luxury suits, but why not let the blue-collar fans down in the front. Have a section down close to the field where the die-hard, rowdy fans could scream and show their spirit to their team, getting players more motivated and inspired to play their hearts out. What do the people in luxury suits do? Sit there in their polo shirts and khakis and watch quietly while they talk and drink expensive drinks? They might pay good money that helps the team and owner, but they aren't helping the team win.

erin ragan

I have grown up in Anne Arundel County and the dominant sporting communities in the area are with the Baltimore Orioles and Ravens. Personally, I consider myself more of a Ravens fan and a bigger part of that community. The Baltimore Ravens sporting community has much diversity like most other sporting communities do but the diehard fans tend to consist of blue-collar workers. The city of Baltimore is proud of its blue-collar roots and always pushes for its sports teams to win the old fashioned way through hard work. That's why I feel that the Ravens have built such a strong fan base because they win through a hard hitting and working defense. The fans in the area are able to relate to the Ravens style of play not only on defense but also most recently on offense. The quiet, composed, hard working demeanor of rookie quarterback Joe Flacco along with consistent play has won over the Ravens faithful.

When the Ravens got started in 1996 they played in Memorial Stadium. The stadium was a Baltimore landmark and was once nicknamed the world's largest outdoor insane asylum. So many great Oriole and Baltimore Colts memories were had on 34th street. I was able to see a few Ravens games at this stadium and although it was a major part of Baltimore sports it just seemed like the stadium just wasn't the right fit for the expansion franchise. So when PSI Net stadium (now M&T Bank stadium) was built not many Baltimore fans complained. The new stadium with its purple seats, state-of-the-art smart vision scoreboard, and luxury accommodations seemed fitting for the franchise. Art Modell was smart not only to have a stadium with these accommodations but to also pay tribute to the past. At the main entrance to the stadium there is a large statue of former Baltimore Colt legend Johnny Unitas. This homage to the past successfully connected the spirit of Baltimore's fans with the new team and stadium. Therefore I think new stadiums don't take away from home field advantage as long as the team makes an effort to connect with the spirit of the fan base.

Bill Reem

So what I would like you to do for this week is indicate a sporting community from which you hail, what are the norms/values/dominant behaviors within that community, and then where you stand on the actual space where this team plays its games. Do they play in a new or old ballpark, and, if it is new, has it changed your connection to the team, has it helped/hurt them, and if you prefer places like Cole can you creatively think of ways that newer stadia could be like that but also profitable for ownership

When i was younger the elementry school used to give us free tickets to go see the local minor league team, i didn't really ever consider asking my dad to take me until i expressed interest in playing softball, so he took me to a baseball game. the potomac cannons,as they were called back then, played in a small, close stadium were most locals would go to watch the fire works during the forth of july. the stadium had regular bleachers and had a real down home feel to it which is what being in prince william county feels like, its a friendly sub burb that has its variety of culture as well. there wasn't alot of fans when i went but i could tell there must be plenty of regulars. the marketing team always targeted kids, they would have give aways, prizes and competions and discounts on tickets. the ball park was built in 1984 and still looks reletively the same. but the seats were really close and i was able to see everything as well as having quick access to snacks. i prefer the closeness the stadium's structure provided because it gives the spectator the same feeling of closeness. i think fans are more attached to the players simply because they can see their faces from their seats that can provide an emotional connection.

i think they should just renovate the old stadiums or even create slightly bigger replicas and then build in the new technologies but not to the extent to which they interfere with the experience. or when building new areanas they can add some classic element of the former areana that will provide a sense of nostalgia.

in response to tiger14frank i agree, i don't think a huge following and fan attendence just blosoms out of nowhere , i think it takes time and effort of generations of accomplishments to gain the status needed to the great historic playing field.

I definitely do not think home field advantage totally changes based off of where the team plays. I was one of the ones in class that went to Cole Field House as a youth and loved it. It was hot and cramped and loud which was awesome especially for motivation for the home team, however, Comcast Center has its advantages too. For instance, the students are surrounding the lower court now, different from the one side of the court they had at Cole Field House. The students are the ones that are the loudest and outgoing at these games. Plus, more people can fit into Comcast Center so it does generate more money for the teams. Just because the Terps have not won as many games recently as they did in their last couple of seasons at Cole is not because of the atmosphere, the team has not been as good. The Redskins are another example of changing venues. At RFK stadium, the atmosphere was quite similar to Cole. It was smaller, older, more cramped, and seemed a lot louder than the new FedEx Stadium. However, now the Redskins have one of, if not the biggest, stadium in the NFL. More fans can pile in there to rout for their team and it still gets loud and crowded, just not as cramped. The newer emenitities adds to the stadium. Signage and advertising do not change the way fans rout for a team. When it all comes down to it, we all love and support our favorite teams. A stadium is not going to change that. In actuallity, the fans are the ones that create the positive or negative vibe; it doesnt matter where the game is being held.

I do not know if the Ravens stadium is considered a SOTA but it is a fairly new stadium. The Ravens started at Memorial stadium for two years but than they moved to PSI Net stadium (now M&T Bank stadium). I do not think I ever went to Memorial stadium but if I did I was way too young to remember it. From everything I have heard people really loved that stadium but there is definitely a good feel at M&T bank stadium. It was actually ranked the fourth best stadium by the fans, behind Lambeau field, Heinz field, and Invesco Field At Mile High. I have had season tickets for the past 6 seasons and I have pretty much sat everywhere in the stadium. The upper deck was the best fan experience but not the best for actually viewing the game, the club level was great for viewing the game but a terrible fan experience and now I sit in the lower level, which is great for both. Even though I really like M&Tbank stadium and think it's a great place to a watch a game, it has some flaws. I will never forget I was at a game about 3 years ago and a man behind me asked me to sit down. I did not even know what to say! I thought the man was joking. I don't even stand the entire game it was third down. There was an usher standing right near us an he said if some one asks me to sit I have to or I could be thrown out. Luckily we no longer sit in those seats. Also I recently found out the announcer is not allowed to say “Its…..THIRD DOWN.” For anyone who has been going to the games like me knows it really used to fire up the crowd. I do know that its not the ravens decision to stop that, it's the NFL's. The last time the Ravens played the Chiefs at home their coach called the NFL and reported us, I guess for getting the crowd to fired up! The announcer now has to do it more discreetly. The fans are a very important part of the NFL and I hope they can find away to build new stadiums with the old feel, but blue collar fans will never be able to afford the good seats.

I agree with TigerFrank and Yankee because the players need to hear the support of the crowd to pump them up. I can relate to those who say they are members of a community. I went to Mount Saint Mary's my freshman year and I still feel a connection and bond with them. I also cheered for them and last year the basketball team made it really far into the championship games and I still felt like I was part of it. Today, I still follow the sports and feel like I am part of the MSM and Towson community.

I agree with Simmons that the way I used to invision football has changed. Granted I have gone to one game and it has been recently so I cannot fairly comment on this topic. But, based off of what I read I can understand and see where people are coming from when they say that SOTA stadiums are affecting their gaming experience. For instance, I know people who go to the games because they have company seats and do not pay attention to the game what so ever, just go for the whole company aspect. Those are the seats and people that are taking away from the guys who are painting their faces and getting all pumped up for the game, which is turn pumps the team up and helps them play better. White says "there are degrees of citzenship in sport organization fan communities" (8). Howver, when corpoations and money comes into play people lose their citzenship and commitment and there is not much that can be done about it other then accepting it. For instance, in Simmons blog, his friend Bug did not sell his tickets when the gaming experience changed he just accepted it (was not happy about it ) but did what he could to support his teams and try to have a good time. He lost his good seats, tail gating was affected, and even the drive home was changed making life harder. It makes it more difficult for those who really love the game to enjoy it.

I am a Baltimore, MD native through and through. I live and die with the Baltimore Ravens as do most people in my local community. Up until 1998, Baltimore was considered a Baseball town. The manufactured topophilia of Camden wiped out “in a single gesture 50 years of wretched stadium design” which restored “the joyous possibility that a ball park might actually enhance the experience of watching the game of baseball.” Camden Yards “stimulates feelings of affinity and affection” through the use of incorporating components of retro ballparks into its' own. The 1997 American League Championship Series (ALCS) marked the end of the baseball era in Baltimore and the beginning of Raven nation. Baltimore is considered a blue collar city with hardworking individuals that are encapsulated in our football team. The Ravens pride themselves on their defensive abilities, which can be showcased in their motto “We must protect this house.” When an opposing team enters M & T Bank stadium they better be prepared for deafening sound. The Ravens' faithful make it a point to ensure that the opposing quarterback cannot even hear himself think. The stadium is only 10 years old which is considered fairly new for a sporting venue. M & T Bank stadium is known for its' two massive Jumbo Trons and the formation of the “chain gang.” The Ravens did play in Memorial Stadium for two years during the construction phase of what was first PSINET stadium. The change of venues has not changed my viewpoint or connection to the team because I was too young when Memorial stadium was torn down. However, Memorial stadium did mean a lot to my parent's generation and the demolition was fought and protested for years. I feel Camden Yards has created a manufactured topophilia with an organic twist that allows it profitable while keeping with its' historic roots.

In response to tiger14frank I do agree that a stadium/ballpark could start as a manufactured topophilia and over time garner the mystique in order to attain organic status. I feel Camden Yards in Baltimore has done just that.

In response to Yankee1127, I have to agree that having a stadium with tons of people cheering in the same section makes the atmosphere much better and more fun to go to. The people in Virginia Tech as he talks about have a culture to where they feel like the stadium is there home and there town. They do not want to have people come to their home and take over. They feel that people coming to their “home” and cheering for the other team is a sign of disrespect.

I grew up right here in the Baltimore area and we have many sports teams that we could cheer for. In baseball we have the Orioles, football we have the Ravens, and in College basketball and football we have the Terps. In my lifetime all of these teams have had a new stadium or arena built except for Maryland football. The Orioles and Ravens both started at Memorial Stadium and then moved onto a bigger move expensive stadiums. I also remember going to Maryland basketball games in Cole Field House. I honestly do not believe that these stadiums have affected my connection to the team at all. In fact in some cases these new stadiums have helped me to enjoy the game even more. Oriole Park at Camden Yards is in my opinion the best place in baseball to watch a game. It has the feel of an old-time ballpark with many new up-to-date features. When you asked a creative way to build a new stadium but keep a profit and an old-time feel the first thing I thought of was to make the stadium look like it is an old stadium in face value but have many new features that keep it modern. I think that a stadium's legacy in people's minds matters depending on which generation you grew up in. In my mind I still remember Cole Field House and enjoyed that atmosphere but if I have a kid that goes to Maryland he is not even going to know what Cole Field House was. By the time he is there the Comcast Center might have the same mystique that Cole Field House once had.
The teams like the Red Sox, Yankees, and other teams with strong fan bases have this because of a shrine like stadium and a legacy of great sports. The people that are fans of these teams almost believe that it is like a religion to root for their team. As White displays in his article on the Red Sox Nation, “The infiltration of Red Sox Nation into everyday American (sporting) life has been so effective that it has reached a point where Shaughnessy claims that Red Sox nation is ‘its own country and governing body'” This statement tells us that these fans see the Red Sox as a religion and a way of life. Frank Olszewski

Since I am from the eastern shore of Maryland, we do not have any sports teams that have giant stadiums are nationally known and respected. However, I considered going to Virginia Tech and they have a huge football stadium. My brother went to tech and graduated. While visiting several times, I was fortunate enough to go to some of these games. The stadium has grown in size the past several years and has a moderate amount of advertisements from large corporations. The school is in the small town of Blacksburg, Virginia and the entire town mostly shuts down on game days. The small neighborhoods in and around the campus of Virginia Tech are widely supportive of their hometown hokies. Hokie nation and football memorbilia can be seen on almost every house at any time during the year. The stadium, though on the north side of campus, seems to be not only the center of campus, but the town as well. As I said earlier, the stadium added more seating within the past five years and has done nothing but help the team progress. The feeling one gets when 'standing' in the student section-because NOONE sits, is unlike anything else; especially when they play enter sandman as the hokies charge into Lane stadium. On the other hand, Towson football for example, has a terrible stadium. The student section is in the entirely wrong spot, fans are always lacking, and the stadium is set up in a way that seems to cater to, well, pretty much no one. The seating actually seems to disinterest fans in actually sitting in the bleachers and watching a game. Im not saying that changing a few things seating wise would make a 360 degree change in the Tigers' performance but it could not hurt.

In Blacksburg, people do not need to be part of a club, or a registered member of Viginia Tech hokie nation because the people there bleed orange and maroon and the feeling is unlike anything else. White displays this thought when he says, "These are community members who have attended, and followed Red Sox games, and information for years, and while they may puchase Red Sox goods or enjoy the fact that the team receives so much media coverage would have considered themselves citizens of Red Sox Nation card-carrying or not" (White, 2007, p. 10).

No I don't think home field advantage is dead, I think it is still very much alive. I used to go to West Virginia University, and there is nothing like being in that football stadium. The attitude and atmosphere that the students, and fans all over West Virginia brought to that stadium was undeniable. It made it extremely difficult for any team to walk on to mountaineer field and play against our beloved Mountaineers. This doesn't go for just walking onto the field, home field advantage starts when those other teams come into Morgantown and see hundreds of thousands of screaming fans chanting and tailgating. This doesn't just go for WVU, you cant tell me that a “white out” at Penn State is not intimating or 110,000 screaming fans in Michigan also not intimating. Grant it this is college football and very few fans are as passionate as football fans, sides maybe soccer over in Europe which I can not even begin to comprehend what the atmosphere is like in those stadiums. As for the stadium talk, I understand what you are getting at with the stadiums not really bringing fans, the team, and the city together as one. But I have grown up with the exception. Living in Baltimore I was only six years old when Oriole Park at Camden Yards was built and opened, so I consider this a new stadium, sorry if you consider 15 years old but I do not. This stadium did everything it was meant to do, it incorporated the city into our sports team by building and using a Baltimore land mark and street as part of the stadium. Oriole Park or as many people call it “Camden Yards” is a beautiful stadium that brought a team and city together. It is a shame that the orioles are not good and baseball is a difficult sport to sell out every home game especially to a horrible team such as the orioles. But even though the orioles are bad, I am still excited to go watch them play and the main reason is because I am going to in my opinion the best overall stadium in baseball.

Living and growing up in Anne Arundel County, Maryland, the dominant sports was, and still is, lacrosse. Everyone and their sibling played lacrosse growing and continued to play through college. If someone were to be from Annapolis and they played softball/baseball instead of lacrosse, they were considered and outsider. However, there are many people who do not play the game but love watching it and being a fan. In Dr. White's article Red Sox Nation, he cited an article from bostondirtdogs.com that states “true members should not have to purchase their citizenship into the community, and that they should be able to ‘root free or die'” (2004). In the United States people can join what is known as “US Lacrosse”. They can sign up, pay a fee and get a card, basically telling them they are part of the lacrosse community. A monthly magazine is also sent to them as part of their membership. People do not need to be a member to be a fan of the sport of lacrosse.
The club team I participated on was very successful and competitive. Shaughnessy claims in Red Sox Nation that it is “its own country and governing body” (White, 2007). Many people look upon Maryland as a lacrosse nation. Boys and girls receive scholarships to play lacrosse at different division schools. Although I no longer play lacrosse at the competitive level, I am still very much a “member” of the lacrosse community by coaching, giving lessons and playing pick-up games.

When coming from my town in central Jersey, like I have mentioned before, playing soccer and baseball are the things to do. One of the major fields that we used to play on during our baseball games is called managers field baseball complex. It was made up of many baseball fields ranging from small tee-ball fields, to softball fields, to regular baseball fields. Of course the games that you played in were important to your parents and relatives, but besides that nobody else cared who won the recreation game between the so called “Yankees” and “Mets”. Yea my town had a good travel baseball team, and we won many games across the state, but it was never like in the movies where the whole town thrived around the one sports team for enjoyment and happiness. The ballpark is relatively new with many bleachers and stands where your parents and friends would watch. There was a snack bar which got local children in the community involved in other ways than just playing baseball. As for sponsorship and corporate involved within the complex, there is hardly any besides local sponsors from pizza and bagel places around the community. When a field has more of a community feel with more of the people in the community involved at the games, I would think that the team would do much better because of the close community support it has rather than just the franchises and large corporate sponsorship pressure that is located all throughout the stadium.
Scott Rappaport