Since 1957, the Green Bay Packers have enjoyed one of the best home-field advantages in all of pro sports. Opening that year, City Stadium had a capacity of 32,500 fans - a far cry from today's 80,000+ at modern Lambeau Field. While the experience at a game is critical to the enjoyment one gets out of being a fan, there are many different parameters that feed into that.
On Thursday, ESPN published their annual "Ultimate Team" survey of sports fans in order to try to quantify complete organizational rankings for each team in the four major North American sports: the NFL, MLB, NBA, and NHL. It should come as no surprise to Packers fans that based on the combined survey results, the Packers are ranked as among the best organizations in the NFL, coming in at second place.
The Packers were ranked at 8th overall in all of pro sports, five spots behind the Seattle Seahawks. Green Bay earned top-ten rankings in five of the eight individual categories, including the stadium experience, fan relations, ownership (obviously), player likeability and effort, and championship status in both recent and distant history. The San Antonio Spurs and Anaheim Ducks took the top two spots ahead of Seattle.
Other NFL teams in the overall top 20 include the Indianapolis Colts at 13th place, the New Orleans Saints in 14th, and the Denver Broncos, who were ranked 17th.
However, despite Seattle's recent victories over Green Bay, Lambeau Field's stadium experience was ranked as the best in the NFL and among the best in all sports - 3rd overall, to be exact.
The number one spot on the stadium experience list went to the San Francisco Giants for AT&T Park, a beautiful stadium notable for its location overlooking San Francisco Bay. That park opened up in 2000, when the Giants moved from Candlestick Park - no doubt the memories of that rather unpleasant old stadium are reflected by the ranking of their new ballpark. Second place went to the Memphis Grizzlies, whose arena, the FedExForum (yes, one word), opened in 2004.
But sitting there at third place, and tops among all NFL teams, is Lambeau Field. In fact, the next-highest ranked NFL stadium, the Seahawks' CenturyLink Field, is outside the overall top 10 in the 13th spot.
It is certain that the recent improvements that the Packers organization has made to Lambeau are a big reason for its ranking on this list. The major renovation to add new press boxes, seating, and the Lambeau Field Atrium in the early 2000s was a massive undertaking that kept the stadium both relevant and modern, while the more recent additions to the South end zone and atrium have helped to improve fan experience on both gamedays and off days.
What is it about the Packers as a franchise and an organization that makes you most proud to call yourself a Packers fan? And what's your favorite part of the experience at Lambeau Field? Let us know in the comments.