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The Super Eights
Here are the current top 8 great sporting theatres
for American football, athletics, baseball, cricket, golf, horse racing, motor
racing, rugby union, soccer and tennis.
[For the most part – athletics aside - a stadium is
included in the category of its primary use. I.e. the Melbourne cricket
ground appears in cricket, not soccer; and Eden Park in rugby union, not
cricket.]
American Football
Rose Bowl; Louisiana Superdome; Herbert Humphrey
Metrodome; Lambeau Field; Raymond James Stadium; Giants Stadium; Soldier
Field; Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum
Athletics
Olympiastadion Berlin; Stadio Olimpico Rome; Panathinaiko
Stadium; Beijing Olympic Stadium; Helsinki Olympic Stadium; Olympiastadion
Munich; Estadi Olimpic Luis Comapnys; Athens Olympic Stadium
Baseball
Wrigley Field; Fenway Park; Rogers Centre; Dodger
Stadium; Yankee Stadium; Citi Field; US Cellular Field; Oriole Park at Camden Yards
Cricket
Melbourne Cricket Ground; Lord’s; Sydney Cricket
Ground; Eden Gardens Kolkata; Adelaide Oval; Wanderers Stadium
Johannesburg; Kensington Oval; Brit Insurance Oval
Golf
Augusta; St. Andrew’s; Pebble Beach; Muirfield;
Oakmont; Oakland Hills; Torrey Pines; Valhalla
Horse racing
Churchill Downs; Aintree; Palio di Siena; Ascot; Cheltenham;
Tokyo; Happy Valley; Goodwood
Motor racing
Monaco; Indianapolis; Hungaroring; Suzuka; Audodromo
Carlos Pace; Nurburgring; Monza; Spa-Francorchamps
Rugby Union
Twickenham; Stade de France; Murrayfield; Park des
Princes; Millennium Stadium; Eden
Park; ANZ Stadium; McLean Park
Soccer
Olympiastadion Berlin; Stadio Olimpico Rome; San
Siro; Bernabeu; Nou Camp; Old
Trafford; River Plate; Maracana
Tennis
Wimbledon Centre Ct.; Arthur Ashe stadium; Roland
Garros Centre Ct.; Rod Laver Arena; Wimbledon #1 Ct.; Crandon Park Stadium Ct.; Qizhong Forest; Royal Albert Hall
-------------------------------------
History Of The #1 Spot
Sept 1-6,
2008
Wimbledon Centre Court (6 days)
Sept 6-19,
2008
Wrigley Field (14 days)
Sept 19-Oct 8,
2008
Panathinaiko Stadium (20 days)
Oct 8-Nov 24,
2008
Olympiastadion Berlin (48 days)
Nov 24 - Feb 17,
2009
Panathinaiko Stadium (86 days)
Feb 17 - April 8,
2009
Wembley Stadium (51 days)
April 8 - July 7,
2009
Augusta National GC (91 days)
July 7
-
Wimbledon Centre Court
----------------------------------
Newsletter #7, 17/08/09
Berlin Soars Again
After the magical night of athletics that was Sunday
August 16th, 2009, and the mere 41 strides and 9.58 seconds it took the Bolt of
lightning to cover 100 metres, the Olympiastadion Berlin has reminded us all
why it merits its place in the very upper eschelons of the WGST leaderboard. And then just to hammer home the point, the venue became ever more mythical with Bolt's just-beyond-the-imagination 19.19.
73 years ago Jesse Owens cemented this venue's place
in sporting history with his 10.3. Aryan Supremacy? Not here.
All Hitler's propaganda was made to look like nonsense, and it's why, although
the stadium still reflects great sadness and anger for some, it represents
defiance and justice for others; a classic example of how sport can be a beacon
for how the world really is, far more than the muddy waters of politics ever
will.
"It's good that they decided to keep it,"
said 94-year-old Siegfried Eifrig in 2004, after the future of the
Olympiastadion had been debated for years. Eifrig, who still had vivid
memories of carrying the Olympic torch through the streets of Berlin back in
1936 noted: "There was euphoria inside the stadium, but the crowds didn't
go there to see Hitler. They went for the Games."
In the lead up to the 2006 World Cup, Germany's
Interior Minister Otto Schilly said, "the stadium recalls the dark
elements present in its creation, but in 2006 the world will look upon a
modern, democratic, and open Germany."
For now then, with the memories of Owens, Bolt and
not to mention Zinedine Zidane and his World Cup Final histrionics, the
Olympiastadion has risen to 3rd place on the WGST leaderboard. It looks majestic and tingles
with electric atmosphere, and it could rise yet further in the months and years
to come.
--------------------------------
Newsletter #6, 7/07/09
WGST’s Original Ace Back to the Summit
Augusta must have always been fearful of this
happening... In a brutal head-to-head showdown after another remarkable
Wimbledon final, the fabled Centre Court has grimly reclaimed the WGST lead
which it last held on 6th Sept 2008.
The superb roof has added to an already exceptional
facility, and Centre Court can no longer be said to suffer from one dreadful
Achilles heel – that of a drop of rain turning it into the dampest of damp
squibs, and a thoroughly depressing and dreary place.
There is so very little to prise Wimbledon and
Augusta apart, but it would appear that Wimbledon just has the edge since
tennis is a little less elitist and available to the masses than golf (the
Williams sisters’ triumphs pay testament to that) which boosts its
international profiles; the venue is some 60 years older; and is in the public
eye 14 days a year instead of just four. It should also be noted that
Wimbledon entertains both male and female athletes, unlike Augusta’s all male
domain. These small details have enabled Wimbledon to take a slim lead
which currently stands at 1.39%.
A word about the Links:
As you can see, the WGST venues are slowly but
surely being linked up to websites that provide more information about
them. We have given you two options: the link on the left takes you
to either the venue’s homepage, or, if it does not have one or is only
available in a foreign language, then to another website which provides some
feedback and analysis. The link on the right takes you to the venue’s
Wikipedia entry. In many instances this is just as informative, if not
more so, than the official page, since the official page is often
eye-wateringly commercial, and expresses more interest in selling you tickets
to an upcoming concert or event, than in talking about the venue’s history.
Note, that if you click on a venue, you will not be
taken away from the WGST site – the extra window will merely appear as a pop-up
(which you can then maximise). When you have finished looking at the
external site you have navigated to, simply exit it, and you will still be on
the WGST page.
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Newsletter #5, 27/05/09
The Secret Ingredient Is Age
With two of the world's most high profile stadiums
taking a real battering at the hands of WGST's strict ranking criteria, it is
becoming obvious that it is simply not enough to look dazzling and flash with
all the "bells and whistles". To be a great sporting theatre
requires real gravitas, and what has happened with Wembley and Yankee Stadiums
in the past few weeks, is that underneath all their beauty and bravado on the
outside, there lurk some quite serious flaws beneath the surface, which the
unforgiving sports fans have been quick to point out.
It has gone to show how just because you're brand
new and have cost hundreds of millions of dollars to construct, that won't be
enough for you to survive on wgst's illustrious leaderboard.
A glance at the average ages of venues in the top
250 shows some interesting things: the average of venues ranked 151-250
is a mere 24.68 years. For venues 100-150 that figures more than doubles
to 53.84. It rises again in the illustrious 51-100 section to 70.96, and
the classic venues in the group from 26-50 have an average age of 88.24.
In the top 25 list (with the date of Panathinaiko Stadium taken as a mere
1870), the average age is 101.84.
In the top 25 there are only three venues that were
opened since 1950 - and what icons they are: The Nou Camp (1957), Madison
Square Garden (1968), and the Bird's Nest, Beijing (2008).
It is a good reminder that in today's
celebrity-driven, fast-food, reality culture that there's still no substitute
for history, tradition and class.
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Newsletter #4, 6/05/09
New Yankee Straight In at #10, and Then Heads South
It is been a fairly busy few weeks with WGST
welcoming two big hitters to the fray, and some others either shimmying upwards
or heading south. Welcome Yankee Stadium! The venerable old stadium
was a big hole in the WGST list as it faced the wrecking ball just as the
website was founded. But her successor is here and there's no doubt that
it's an impressive sight. Whether an initial positioning of 10th is due
to a little hyperbole which could see it dropping a little over the coming
months remains to be seen; but with the NY Yankees profile higher than ever,
and the stadium providing an eclectic mix of the old and the new, the New
Yankee Stadium seems fairly comfortable on such a lofty perch.
There has been less brouhaha about Citi Field
although it should be noted that it still makes the super sixes list for
Baseball stadia. Citi Field, new home to the New York Mets, currently sits
snugly between two famous stadia: the Estadia Centenario in Montevideo, and St.
James' Park Newcastle.
Elsewhere, the Panathinaiko Stadium finally makes a
departure from the top 5 and settles down into a still impressive 11th place,
but the correction was perhaps a long time coming. After the eyes of the
football world were on the magnificent Nou Camp, it has flexed its muscles and
risen a few pips to rise to 17th, doing grim battle with the Berlin Olympic
Stadium just ahead. Old Trafford finds itself booted out of the Super
Sixes as a result.
The Emirates Stadium looked magnificent in the
Champions League as well and rises around three dozen places. One assumes
that all that's really holding this venue back is its youth, and Arsenal's
recent lack of success. Its atmosphere appears to be improving.
Finally Wembley Stadium's problems with its pitch
quality have surfaced badly again, which has seen it trade places with Centre
Court Wimbledon (resplendent with a new roof). If Wembley doesn't sort
its problems, and soon, its days in the the top ten, let alone top 5 are
numbered. **
** These fears have proven to be
correct, as Wembley subsequently tumbled to outside the top 25.
Post script: After 3 weeks in the heady
heights of the top 10, the reviews and feedback for the Yankee have come in,
and it has taken an ugly tumble as a result. There are many flaws, but
the two which hurt it most are the rampant, bordering on disgraceful
commercialism, which has meant that the VIP seats behind the batsman are often
all but empty as very few can afford the sky high prices (circa $2,500),
leading to very embarrassing television shots of a seemingly empty
stadium. Also, the new Yankee, for reasons possibly due to a wind tunnel
effect, is turning into a home run paradise, giving up around four a game,
devaluing the worth of a 'homer', and infuriating pitchers. The New
Yankee now resides well outside the top 50, in a dead heat with the Louisiana
Superdome, which to the naked eye appears quite a neat fit.
------------------------------------
Newsletter #3, 9/04/09
Wembley Bows To An American Classic
It is US Masters week and the Augusta National GC’s chance to shine. And
shine it has with an electrifying surge up the leaderboard from 5th to 1st,
displacing Wembley stadium by a tantalising 0.07%.
Augusta means many different things to sports fans –
all of the following could apply:
Amen Corner, Arnold, Azaleas, Big Oak Tree, Crow’s
Nest, Faldo, Green Jacket, Hogan Bridge, Jack, Lightning greens, Lyle’s bunker,
Magnolia Lane, Rae’s Creek, Sarazen Bridge, Seve, Tiger…
Augusta would certainly get full marks if a category existed for ‘sense of
self-importance’. It is easy to forget that the course is nearly 200
years younger than its iconic cousin over the Atlantic, St. Andrew’s. The
prices charged to those who tread her sacred turf could be seen as exorbitant,
with circa $15m generated in revenues on each of the three practice days
alone. But they are never questioned and the fans who drive through the
night to attend practice, just smile acceptingly at what is asked of
them.
Access to the tournament itself is far harder to come by. “Now it is just
the patrons,” writes golf reporter Derek Lawrenson. “Fortunate people
whose parents or grandparents had badges and have passed them on. It is no
exaggeration to say that in Augusta a Masters badge is considered a family
heirloom.”
Whether Augusta lasts much beyond Masters week at the head of the WGST field
remains to be seen. A thrilling tournament will help and boost its
overall grade by another few fractions. But whatever the case, Augusta is
worthy of its tenancy of the number one spot. Rarely has a sports venue,
or any venue for that matter, appeared so self-assured in its own importance, gravitas
and majesty.
-------------------------------------
Newsletter #2, 17/02/09
Wembley Surges Into The Lead!
The juggernaut that is North West London's Wembley
Stadium has roared into top spot on the back of a flurry of public interest, a
resurgence in the fortunes of the England football team, and many
regrades. Athens' venerable Panathinaiko Stadium enjoyed nearly three
months at the head of the field, but it was unable to withstand the onslaught
from Wembley which had been lurking far lower than perhaps it might on WGST's
list - until recently as low as 20th.
What are the reasons for this, and why is Wembley now suddenly claiming its
place at the head of the list? In the early days of WGST Wembley suffered
on two counts: it scored poorly on history and tradition because it was a brand
new stadium. HOWEVER, perhaps quite rightly, the voters have come to the
correct decision that the site is still Wembley, and it still carries a
tremendous aura about it, albeit in a brand new shell.
The other reason Wembley stuttered was due to major problems with its playing
surface, which now seem largely to have been sorted, and complaints from the
fans about the very corporate nature of the venue, the extremely expensive
refreshment and concession stands, and the lack of atmosphere compared to the
Old Wembley. However, with the England team now flying high under new a
new manager, and fans becoming used to the new foibles of the arena, and slowly
but surely starting to create an electric atmosphere at the venue, the New
Wembley has shaken off the flaws and surged its way through the field.
One or two things are for sure: the stadium looks magnificent, it will host the
Champions League Final in 2011, several matches at the 2012 Olympics, and its
names conjures images of two iconic sporting events in the 1948 Olympics and
the 1966 World Cup, as well as some 75 FA Cup finals. It is still, for
any footballer, the place to be.
Wembley's place at the top isn't necessarily secure though. Its grades
still see it losing quite a few points for 'history and tradition', time spent
in public eye (fairly rare), and esteem of fans. How long will it remain
as #1? It'll be intriguing to see who's next to make a charge, and become
the sixth tenant of the coveted number one spot.
--------------------------------------
Newsletter #1, 10/11/08
The Battle for Supremacy Has Begun
WGST has been online for a month now, and with
around 200 entries, its aim to list and rank the world’s most prestigious and
popular sporting venues is fast taking shape.
There is still a long way to go though with several hundred sporting venues,
each of which mean something particular to a particular someone waiting to
stake its claim.
There have been a number of intriguing talking points in this first
month. The key of which has been who wins the coveted number one
spot. In the early days of the list’s construction, Wrigley Field reigned
over all-comers, before being knocked off its perch by the current leader, the
Berlin Olympic Stadium. This is, to the naked eye, an unusual and
unpredictable leader of the pack, which almost no-one may have seen
coming. And yet, on closer inspection, it is clear what the magic
ingredients are that has seen it rise to the top…
Most every sports fan would agree that the world’s two largest and greatest
sporting events are the Olympic Games and the FIFA World Cup. Berlin
thus, is in a good position: it hosted perhaps the most iconic of all
Olympics, those of Jesse Owens and Hitler in 1936, plus the 1974 and 2006 World
Cups, including the dramatic 2006 final match. The stadium looks terrific
with much of the old architecture still in place around the outside, and an
impressive modern setting inside.
However, with all that being said, Berlin’s occupation of the top spot can only
be described as fragile – who will take its place, and when? Wimbledon is
looking perhaps the likeliest contender and has surged from 7th to 3rd in the
past fortnight. The Panathinaiko Stadium would love to be top, but will
always suffer from only occasional use, and being out of the public eye (except
to tourists) for vast swathes of time. The Melbourne Cricket Ground has
surged from 39th to 11th, of late to nick Lord’s as the world’s greatest
cricket ground. And there are a host of other venues which would love to
claim number one spot, and just require an extra nudge… Augusta and Monaco
Grand Prix Circuit to name but two.
Yours in Sport,
The WGST team |
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