Tuesday, May 31, 2011

Favorite Stadium/Arena Experience- Chris M.

Stadiums/Arenas visited:
MLB Spring Training
High Corbett Field (Colorado Rockies)
McKechnie Field (Pittsburgh Pirates)
Tucson Electric Park (Arizona Diamondbacks)

Professional
Al Lang Stadium (FC Tampa Bay)
American Airlines Arena (Miami Heat)
Angel Stadium (Los Angeles Angels of Anaheim)
AT&T Park (S.F. Giants)
Chase Field (Arizona Diamondbacks)
Florida Citrus Bowl (Orlando City Soccer)
Home Depot Center (Los Angeles Galaxy)
Honda Center (Anaheim Ducks)
Jobing.com Arena (Phoenix Coyotes)
Lambeau Field (Green Bay Packers)
New Orleans Arena (New Orleans Hornets)
Raymond James Stadium (Tampa Bay Buccaneers)
Staples Center (Los Angeles Lakers)
Superdome (New Orleans Saints)
Target Center (Minnesota Timberwolves)
Target Field (Minnesota Twins)
Tropicana Field (Tampa Bay Rays)
US Airways Center (Phoenix Suns)

International
Croke Park (Dublin, Ireland Gaelic Football & Rugby)

Venues I'd Like to Visit:
All major professional sporting venues (my bucket list)

Favorite Venue:
Lambeau Field, with due respects to Angels Stadium

Favorite Experience:
Being from Orange County, California, Angels Stadium feels like home for me. Growing up, tickets were $7 for kids and $13 for adults for the Family Fun Zone. I owe where I am today as it pertains to this field to reading an article about the CFO of the Angeles. I thought to myself, I love numbers and I love sports! If I could combine the two into a career I would enjoy every day at work. Since then, I have been very fortunate to work for teams such as the Colorado Rockies and the Orlando Magic.

But to the question of my favorite venue, Lambeau Field wins hands down. I have been a Packers fan all my life and I finally got to go to a game the year they won the Super Bowl! It was at Lambeau Field that I got to experience a true tailgate. My friend and I started at Brett Favre’s Steakhouse 3 hours before the game then met up with my buddy’s friends outside the stadium. I have never been colder in my life so I quickly befriended a man with a propane heater. He offered us food and even heat packs for the game! I even got to meet the Packers’ number one fan, NFL Owner (pictured below). When we got into the stadium, I walked around to absorb the experience. Hot chili was being served, people were making posters, and cheese heads were seen everywhere! One of the best moments was actually at halftime where I went to the restroom and it was heated! Outside it was 22 degrees and in the bathroom was 85! When I finally got back, I squeezed into my place and continued to cheer. I am proud to say I never sat down! For one, the seats were bleachers and would have been freezing. Secondly, it was a once in a lifetime opportunity and I didn’t want to miss a second. When the game was over and we beat the Bears, everyone was cheering, slapping hands, and having a good time in the parking lot.

In sports business management we are taught to be professionals, not fans. But for me, this was a pure fan experience. I hope it can inspire you to see the world out there as I have a goal of seeing all major professional sports venues before I die!

Thank you for reading and good luck on your adventures,

Chris Moran














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