In Miami, the stadium is laid out in such a way that the home team gets shade while the visitors are in the glaring sun.
Do any other stadiums create unbalanced situations like this?
The only thing I can think of is the Browns stadiums positioning can greatly effect FG/PAT’s. The issue with that one though is it can mess with both teams kickers, with the idea the Browns kicker gets used to it in camp and preseason (in an ideal scenario anyway… looking at you Cade York)
Evidently, the shape of Clevelands stadium results in a very specific swirling wind pattern from gusts entering from Lake Erie. The only kicker that seemed to have mastered kicking within it with a distinct advantage is Phil Dawson who took advice from a stadium sniper on reading wind direction by using not just the goalpost flags which could blow in two directions at once, but by observing the American flags in the stadium.
Not exactly balanced for the home team exactly, but I remember David Akers talking about the Linc when it first opened up how it is open on 3 corners, which gets the wind swirling all weird on one end, and it made it tricky to kick in. But he apparently would tell all the visiting kickers coming in about it because kickers are a fraternity or something like that. But I could see how that weird swirling wind would be more beneficial to the guy who kicks there all the time.
I’m pretty sure Dallas has a window or roof they open or close depending on if they make the opponent stare into the sun
Every outdoor stadium is laid out that way. All NFL fields run from north and south. So therefore the sidelines much face east and west. Are you going to stick your your team in the bad spot?
Take a look at the overhead shots of the Bills stadiums. The new one clearly has a different orientation than the old one.
An unintended consequence of the Raiders moving to Las Vegas is a significant contingent of away fans at their games. It’s already a destination town, and if you’re going to go to an away game to support your team, what better place than Vegas? It also drives the aftermarket ticket cost up. I live in LA, and a couple of years ago I took my daughter to see the Raiders play the Giants at MetLife because it was overall cheaper than heading to Vegas.
Since the move, I’ve thought the Raiders would be better off tanking permanently, and then focus sales on visiting fans getting to see their team destroy the Raiders. Like a reverse Globe Trotters thing. It honestly seemed like the plan after Gruden left, but now I have my doubts with the interim coach doing well. It does seem like the plan could work.
When the chiefs play the raiders this year I’m going to have the globe trotters song in my head the whole time.
It’s not a current advantage but the Patriots had a distinct unfair advantage at their home games in the snow., having an ex con on a snowplow come clear a spot for their kicker
The Steelers put a black screen with the Steelers logo on the jumbotron when they are kicking a FG/XP and they put the live video on when the oposing team is kicking. Makes it harder for the opposing team to kick as the jumbotron is right behind the posts.
I imagine other teams probably do this as well
The browns 3rd down sound is an airplane that sounds super low, right next to an airport.
Formerly at Giants Stadium and now at Metlife the home team is on the sunny side.
The story goes that a young Wellington Mara attended a game on the sidelines and got sick, so Mama Mara (idk her actual name) told Tim Mara (the founder/owner) that they had to line up on the sunny side to keep little Wellington warmer.
In the NCAA, the iowa hawkeyes visitor locker room is entirely pink. Probably doesn’t effect many games but it’s still kinda funny
Didn’t the Giants do this in the 80s with the big outside tunnel doors in front of the goalposts? Open them during visitor field goals to add some nice wind effects.
I remember the 70’s Chicago Bears teams used to pile snowdrifts behind the visitors bench
I don’t know if this gives any kind of advantage or not but when the Indians (Guardians) built their new stadium in the 90s they put the home dugout on the 3rd base side so when they travel to other stadiums they are always on the 3rd base side. I’m sure that gave some kind of advantage… maybe
David Tepper has exterminated the fan base so that visiting fans fill the stands