Peter Wilt is ranking his top 20 stadiums in MLS history. He's using the stadium rankings to discuss MLS history more generally. He has Robertson at #15. He admits that he's never been to Robertson. Then again, most MLS fans probably base their assessments about various venues on what they see on TV. But I think he's completely correct in suggesting that the Robertson atmosphere would get much more credit and national attention if it happened in the Northeast. MLS History As Seen Through Its Stadia: Top 20 Countdown!
And if Peter Wilt says it, you know it's true. I've said it for years. The most under appreciated franchise in MLS.
I don't understand.... maybe I should read the whole article, but it sounds like we should be higher than 15.
If you get a little sound bite of the home atmosphere at the Rob via TV Peter<sigh>...being there is so more powerful that is has seen a dedicated soccer hater contest winner and turned him into something much different. Peter Wilt is a good man in the U.S. soccer culture. Knows BOTH the money and sporting sides to the coin. For those reading that have been following MLS for just 4-5 years now, he was the league's first OL. Peter stumbles on the idea that the whole of Robertson be an Army. EB, with more of an edge, are indeed however the Marines. It is also cool that we have had dudes (women I guess but don't quote me on that) from all 4 branches of service in our barra and in our SG.
All rankings are subjective and even though I respect Peter Wilt for what he has done for the sport in this country it is more than a little disingenuous to rank something without ever actually having been there. Of course he is not the only one that likes to do things like that, there are plenty of folks around here that do the same thing everyday.
It's not disingenuous. He admits that he hasn't been there, so there's no way that he could be disingenuous. His opinion may be inaccurate or uninformed, but not disingenuous.
Ok, I read the story and still don't get why he ranks Robertson along with the stadiums with no atmosphere. Am I reading it wrong? All he says are good things, and yet it's ranked near the bottom, not far from Gillette and NY.
You are correct, ingenuous of him to volunteer that he has never been here. Can't wait until his list of best Stadiums Worldwide comes out.
Well, he titles the piece, "MLS History as Seen Through Its Stadia", so I don't think he's really going for a strict comparison of the venues themselves. I think he's trying to say some things about MLS over time and just using the stadiums as vehicles to help make some of those points. At least that was my impression. We'll see how his second set of rankings come out and what he's doing with them.
Hey, I have not been there (qwest that is, been to seattle plenty of times) so I could rank that say above the Millerntor......
This is just a bizarre ranking. I guess that stadium design and features are the relevant criteria. I guess. The Philly stadium is just a steel framework at this point and it is #1b?
I'm surprised that he went with those options as 1a and 1b. Given that he started with Ohio Stadium as his #20, I thought he'd end up with Qwest as his #1.
Wilt mentions that 32 stadiums have been used by MLS teams. I think I've been to MLS games in 11 of them. I can't rank Robertson objectively because I have too many personal emotional associations with the place. But I'd rank the remaining stadiums as: 1. Qwest 2. HDC 3. Dick's 4. PHP 5. Cotton Bowl 6. RFK 7. Foxboro (old) 8. Rose Bowl 9. Buck Shaw 10. Giants
i think it's pretty clearly spelled out. The list is simply MY preference. The only reach is including five stadia i haven't been to: Robertson, Qwest, Dick's. Union Field and Red Bull Arena. in addition to looking at those stadia critically in photos and videos, i have also spoken to many people involved in the design of Dick's, Union and Red Bull, so i hope it wasn't too much of a stretch to include them. If u think Robertson should be higher, please suggest other stadia on teh list that u think it should be higher than. Atmosphere is important, but playing surface, amenities, location and sightlines are other elements that are important for my list...maybe not for others, but that's fine.
I think I've been to 10 MLS stadia for soccer games not counting Robertson. I was at Soldier Field for soccer but not MLS. My ranking based on overall soccer design and experience: 1. Toyota Park 2. Home Depot Center 3. Dick's 4. RFK 5. Soldier Field 6. PHP 7. Buck Shaw 8. Community America Ballpark 9. Gillette Stadium 10. Giants Stadium
Damn! Good list. 2 of your top 3 are in my "haven't been to yet" list. Would've knocked Qwest off that list if the Fire coulda, woulda, shoulda Saturday. :-( i've been to 24 of the 32 (Giants and Oakland aren't included, because the list is stadia that were "regularly used" for MLS. My list of MLS stadia i haven't been to: Community/America Dragon (SouthLake) Sombrero (Tampa) Dick's Qwest Robertson Union Field Red Bull Arena
I here ya Peter for the sight lines, and if weighted equally, the playing surface, amenities, location in the city or suburbs or high school complex in considering Robertson and the others. However, it must be noted that with the AEG relocation project done to SJ, us in Houston had 3 1/2 months to prep for liftoff. The atmosphere portion of your equation is leaving out the concept of "how long the atmosphere has been there at that specific ground" in such strength, and likewise "how long it took for the ground to become what earns it's Peter Wilt ranking 1-20". Sabes amigo?!? What is seen at Robertson is unlike any other MLS ground in that the atmosphere in song, flags, drum and backing has been a continual expansion from our very first game. We had the Chicago and DCU die hards by the first of June say we were top 3 in MLS and IIRC one man's opinion from a rival MLS club was that we "pimp slapped half the leagues teams in less than 2 months" Us Houstonians hit the ground running, our players took the passion and feed off it to cure any UHAUL/uprooting hangover to then win a MLS Cup. In turn the atmosphere in season 2 got even better. Guess what, it's gotten even better since then. What our Great Depression era, 1941, Robertson Stadium lacks in some categories definetley makes up for in the coming together of so many diverse peoples to back a football club. (tears of joy, sniff) It really is done no justice from the TV side of things, it is documented that you acknowledge that you have yet to been in H-Town so well done for the practical honesty. Simply put we get feedback with our supporters that back the Dynamo and have come from a long established footballing nation in Mexico, that their buddies and relatives back home report that in call in radio shows and the like, men from there speak of a trip to Robertson and the difficulty of facing the Dynamo there is something no team wants to be drawn in Group placings. I think that speaks to at least a top 5 ratings don't you?
I object to the word "stadia" - it's so................. elitist. I much prefer the term "those places wot they play football in"
In Loiusiana they call them there Skrimp! “Shrimp is the fruit of the sea. You can barbecue it, boil it, broil it, bake it, sautee it. There's, um, shrimp kebabs, shrimp creole, shrimp gumbo, pan fried, deep fried, stir fried. There's pineapple shrimp and lemon shrimp, coconut shrimp, pepper shrimp, shrimp soup, shrimp stew, shrimp salad, shrimp and potatoes, shrimp burger, shrimp sandwich... That's, that's about it.”
Dude, that would be like someone making a list of the best Operas and then saying, "the problem is that I´m including 5 Operas I have never seen, but I saw pictures of the Met performances and I talked to some friends that have listen to them".
