Photo of the outfield bleachers at Yankee Stadium. 

Image Credit: Benjamin Kabak (CC BY-ND 2.0)

There are more than 100 professional stadiums and arenas in the NFL, MLB, NBA and NHL. Out of all of those stadiums are a few seating areas that offer sports fans a more memorable experience than any other. After all, why do we attend ball games? To have fun, cheer on our favorite teams and forget about the stresses of everyday life. Here are five of the most iconic seating areas in professional sports. 

 

Photo of the Black Hole at Oakland Coliseum during an Oakland Raiders game. 

Image Credit: Julie-Dave/Flickr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

5. The Black Hole at Oakland Coliseum - Oakland Raiders

The "Black Hole" at Oakland Coliseum consists of sections 104-107 in the stadium's south end zone. Here you will find some of the most hardcore and passionate Oakland Raiders fans in the stadium that dress up as pirates, goblins, gorillas and whatever frightening getup they can think of. If you were to judge by looks alone, you would assume that the only prerequisite to be an Oakland Raiders fan would be to be an ex con. However, this isn't the case. There are many white collar Raiders fans that dress up for Raiders home games and add a little touch of Halloween to their Sundays. 

The Black Hole can be a hostile place to sit for a Raiders game if you're a visiting fan. I've heard mixed stories from different fan bases. Just remember that teasing, drunkeness and violent fan behavior can happen at any of the NFL's 31 stadiums. I would imagine fans of the San Francisco 49ers, San Diego Chargers and Denver Broncos get treated the worst, however. To learn more about Black Hole membership and Oakland Raiders fans, check out the official Black Hole website at BlackHoleFans.com.

 

 

 

Photo of the Dawg Pound at FirstEnergy Stadium. Home of the Cleveland Browns. 

Image Credit: Erik Drost (CC BY 2.0)

4. The Dawg Pound at FirstEnergy Stadium - Cleveland Browns

I'll be the first to admit that the Dawg Pound at FirstEnergy Stadium isn't anything like the original Dawg Pound at the old Cleveland Municipal Stadium. Now those were the die hard Cleveland Browns fans! The fans that sit in the Dawg Pound at the new stadium aren't as blue collar nor as loud. It's a shame that the city of Cleveland had to lose their Browns once but Art Modell moved the team because a new stadium wasn't built quick enough. 

The Dawg Pound consists of sections 118-122 in FirstEnergy Stadium's east endzone.  All of the seats are metal bleachers with no individual seats. Comfort shouldn't really be a concern because most of the fans in the Dawg Pound stand the entire game. Former Browns players Hanford Dixon and Frank Minnifield are credited as being the creators of the Dawg Pound. During training camp of the 1985 season in Kirtland, Ohio, Dixon and Minnifield encouraged the defense to take on the identity of a dog chasing a cat. When the defense made big plays, the players would bark at the opposition down on the field. It wasn't long before the fans imitated the players by barking in the stands during preseason games and practices. Before the first home game of the 1985 season, Dixon and Minnifield hung a banner that read "Dawg Pound" in front of the bleacher seats and the rest is history. 

Like Oakland Raiders fans and the Black Hole at O.co Coliseum, Browns fans are known to dress up in the Dawg Pound though not as frightening. It's a very hostile seating area for fans of the Cincinnati Bengals, Baltimore Ravens and Pittsburgh Steelers. I'll leave you with this Youtube video as evidence.  

  

 

 

 

Photo of the Green Monster seats at Fenway Park during a Boston Red Sox game. 

Image Credit: Doug Kerr (CC BY-SA 2.0)

3. The Green Monster Seats at Fenway Park - Boston Red Sox

There aren't many stadiums in any sport that are as historic as Fenway Park, home of the Boston Red Sox. However, the ballpark's most well known seating area hasn't been around for nearly as long as Fenway Park. The Green Monster seats sit atop a 37 foot high wall in left field known as "The Green Monster". The seating area was built in 2003 and consists of 300 bar stool seats in sections M1 thru M10. There are only three rows in the entire area but they extend down the entire left field wall and offer a vantage point of the game that no other Major League ballpark can replicate. 

If you plan on sitting atop the Green Monster, understand that you're going to be required to pay top dollar to sit there. With such popularity and such a limited supply of tickets, Green Monster tickets will run you $200+ per ticket, even for a weeknight game vs. a weak opponent. The area provides barstool seating along with tables, which are perfect for dining at the game! The area is also an excellent spot for the occasional home run ball! 

 

 

 

Photo taken from the courtside seats at the Staples Center during a Los Angeles Lakers home game. 

Image Credit: Tim Wang (CC BY-SA 2.0)

2. Courtside Seats at the Staples Center - Los Angeles Lakers

Unlike the other seating areas on our list, the Los Angeles Lakers courtside experience at the Staples Center can only be experienced by a tiny group of people. The average courtside seat at a Lakers game will cost between $2500-$7000 per ticket if purchased on the secondary ticket market. What's hilarious is the celebrities that you often see courtside at Los Angeles Lakers home games probably didn't pay a dime for their ticket. Common celebrities seen courtside at Los Angeles Lakers games include Jack Nicholson (of course), James Goldstein, Rihanna, David Beckham, Tai Lopez and Kim Kardashian. 

Every single seat at the Staples Center is held by a season ticket holder - even on the upper level. Fans are able to place a $100 deposit to get their name on the Lakers season ticket waiting list but it guarantees nothing. The courtside seats, however, are grandfathered in; the courtside tickets were even transferred from the Forum to the Staples Center in 1999. Parking is free if you hold a courtside ticket. There is also a waitstaff that will take your order during the game. Although it's not likely that you or I will ever see a Los Angeles Lakers game from courtside, the experience is much cheaper in other NBA arenas and I encourage other NBA fans to pursue the experience. 

  

 

 

 

Photo of the bleacher seating area at Wrigley Field during a Chicago Cubs game. 

Image Credit: Niklas Hellerstedt (CC BY 2.0)

1. The Budweiser Bleachers at Wrigley Field - Chicago Cubs 

If you've spent a summer day sitting in the Wrigley Field bleachers, you understand exactly why the seating area is number one on our list. The Budweiser Bleachers consists of sections 301 to 315. No, there aren't any backs to the seats. The seats are general admission (entrance is at Waveland and Sheffield). There isn't much leg room. No cup holders. However, the fan atmosphere, conversations and people watching make the Wrigley Field bleachers one of the best attractions in Chicago on game day. Before actually sitting out there for a game, a friend of mine from Chicago described it as a "Frat Party". He wasn't wrong. The bleachers recently received a face lift and an expansion of hundreds of seats along with the addition of the Budweiser Patio.

The Budweiser Patio is a new reserved party area in far right field, that can hold up to 150 people. The bleachers also recently added a new scoreboard and replay board in the outfield. The additions made Wrigley Field more "up to date", and many actually Chicago Cubs fans resisted in an effort to keep Wrigley old school and timeless. There are plenty of Wrigleyville rooftops that sit behind the Wrigley Field bleachers that may look tempting but I can promise you the experience is nothing like sitting in the bleachers. The rooftops also have obstructed views here and there. If you haven't sat in the Budweiser Bleachers since the renovations were completed in 2015, go ahead and schedule a visit this summer!

  

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