The Best Stadium Experiences in the Land

There are few buildings capable of bringing more joy to a city than a sports stadium. When built right, it can become the cornerstone of a town--a place that brings people together under one roof and one identity.

No two stadium experiences are alike. Some ballparks and arenas are old. Some are new. Some are ugly. Some are works of sheer beauty.

And so, we'll look at the professional and collegiate venues at which we've watched games. We'll examine everything from the architecture to the mascot. And then we'll rank each of them on an 11-category, 100-point scale. And we invite you to do the same as a guest columnist. Any stadiums, arenas, or even golf courses, feel free to send your ratings and explanations for each venue to nohuddleoffense@gmail.com.

We've been to games at nine venues, but these nine include three of the finest in sports. Plus we'll be visiting and reporting on a tenth next month.

Over the coming weeks, we'll discuss the following stadiums and arenas:

1. Wrigley Field--MLB's Chicago Cubs
2. The Sommet Center--The NHL's Nashville Predators
3. The Kohl Center--The NCAA's Wisconsin Badger hockey and basketball teams
4. Notre Dame Stadium--The NCAA's Notre Dame Fighting Irish
5. US Cellular Field--MLB's Chicago White Sox
6. Camp Randall Stadium--The NCAA's Wisconsin Badgers
7. Welsh Ryan Arena--The NCAA's Northwestern Wildcats Basketball
8. Miller Park--MLB's Milwaukee Brewers
9. Lambeau Field--The NFL's Green Bay Packers
10. The Great American Ballpark--MLB's Cincinnati Reds (Future Visit)

Obviously, this is a Midwest-heavy list. That's why we need your help. Let's diversify this list a bit. Using the categories listed below, we want guest columnists to rank sports venues. Stadiums. Ballparks. Arenas. If you've been to the Masters at Augusta, tell us about that. If you've been to the World Cup, we want to know! Daytona 500? You get the picture. On to the categories:

1. Access (5 points) - How easy is it to get to the stadium? Does it require a lot of time or money?
2. Fans (5 points) - A stadium experience is only as good as the home team's fans. Do they add to the experience, or are they napping through the competition?
3. Exterior Architecture (10 points)- How does the stadium look from the outside? Is it an impressive sight? Does it fit into the landscape, or is it a tacky eyesore?
4. Interior Architecture (10 points)- Does the architecture work once you get inside? How's the view? Are there good sight lines? Are the seats comfortable? Is the interior visually appealing?
5. Food (10 points) - You don't NEED to eat to have fun at the ballpark, but it certainly can't hurt. How do the concessions fare?
6. Surroundings (10 points) - Desolation can throw a wet blanket on any stadium experience. A great downtown scene or a parking lot full of tailgaters enhances the pregame and post-game festivities.
7. Local Flavor (10 points) - There's nothing worse than a cookie cutter stadium experience. We want local music, food and architecture to spice up a game.
8. Team Prestige (10 points) - A baseball game always feels a little bigger at Yankee Stadium. A little less so at Northwest Michigan State Technical College of Detroit.
9. Signature Quirk (10 points) - Most truly great stadiums have one or two quirks to set them apart. The Green Monster. The Dawg Pound. You know what we mean.
10. Atmosphere (10 points) - There's two ways to score points in this category. Either provide a subtle old-timey feel that makes you think you're an extra in Field of Dreams or bring the hype with elaborate player introductions, fireworks, mascots, and montage videos.
11. History (10 points) - Ruth. Mantle. Lombardi. Jordan. Halas. Bird. If these men roamed the field or the floor, the venue's getting a 10.