Arrowhead Stadium

Address:1 Arrowhead Drive
Kansas City, Missouri

Considered "the closest to a college atmosphere you can get in the NFL," games at Arrowhead Stadium in Kansas City, Missouri, are an almost a religious experience for sports fans. With the local fans finishing the national anthem with '... and the home of the Chiefs', the B-2 bomber flyover, and the mass cheering from the 'sea of red'-clad fans," football Sundays or Mondays here feel more like an event than a ballgame. Arrowhead often sounds like a 777 jet is taking off right over your head. After a big play, it is literally all but impossible to hear someone six inches from you say a word. Fan generated noise was once measured at 116 decibels by the Acoustical Design Group of Mission, KS. This noise contributes to the unique atmosphere of the stadium, as the sound just swarms to the center of the field. The Tony DiPardo TD Pack Band, in the east end zone, plays jazz and blues through out the game. Sports Illustrated named Arrowhead Stadium as the "Toughest Place to Play" for opposing teams. They noted that "when the Chiefs are having a bad season, they're tough to beat at Arrowhead. When they're having a good season, they're unbeatable." As of the end of the 2006 NFL season, The Chiefs had a 102-34 home record at Arrowhead stadium since 1990, the best in the NFL over that time span. With the scent of barbecue in the air, and the sea of red in the stands, Kansas City provides the best football atmosphere in the country. It is often joked that they might as well take out the seats because nobody sits down. Chiefs fans have something different about them, that makes being in the stands feel like being at a raucous party. Yet fans of other teams are always welcome here. Arrowhead Stadium has a consecutive sell-out record of 141 games (16 full seasons), dating back to the home opener on September 1, 1991, which ended in a 14-3 victory against Atlanta.

Arrowhead Stadium, together with MLB's Kansas City Royals' Kauffman Stadium, makes up the city's Truman Sports Complex. Arrowhead is an older stadium, but still holds up pretty well. The form-follows-function construction of its bowl-type design makes for great sightlines throughout the stadium, and acoustically it is the loudest stadium many have ever experienced. The stadium was considered to be an architectural influence in the construction of many of the NFL stadiums built after it, including Giants Stadium, RCA Dome, INVESCO Field, and Ralph Wilson Stadium. In 1991, two JumboTron screens shaped as footballs were installed, and in 1994 a grass playing surface was put in, replacing the original artificial AstroTurf surface.

On August 12, 1972, the Chiefs defeated the St. Louis Cardinals 24-14 in the first game ever played at Arrowhead Stadium. On January 20, 1974, Arrowhead Stadium hosted the Pro Bowl (the NFL'S All-star game), in which the AFC defeated the NFC by a score of 15-13. Arrowhead Stadium is home to college football as well. It has hosted four Big 12 Conference football championship games: Kansas State versus Oklahoma in 2000 and 2003, Colorado v. Oklahoma in 2004, and Nebraska versus Oklahoma in 2006. The stadium is scheduled to host the football Border Showdown between the Kansas Jayhawks and the Missouri Tigers for two years, starting in 2007. This may be extended beyond 2008 if the two universities agree.

Football is not the only professional sport played at Arrowhead Stadium. With the formation of Major League Soccer in 1996, Arrowhead also became home to the Kansas City Wizards.

On August 15, 2007, the Chiefs announced final plans to renovate Arrowhead Stadium. The renovated stadium will feature the Chiefs Hall of Honor, currently known as the Chiefs Hall of Fame and a tribute to Lamar Hunt. There will also be horizon level seating, in which luxury suite owners will be sitting outdoors. The stadium, along with new player and coaches facilities, is still on schedule to be completed by the beginning of the 2011 NFL season. Though the stadium is referred to as "New Arrowhead Stadium," the building, as of this time, will not be renamed. Due to the renovations, the Wizards plan to move to Community America Ballpark in 2008, while they consider other locations in Greater Kansas City for their soccer specific stadium.

Tailgating is the most important social event of the weekend during football season. Everyone brings their grills and smokers, and by 9 a.m., the sky is covered in a thin layer of barbecue-flavored smoke. A special section of the parking lot is reserved for those wanting to prepare their RVs/campers/etc. up to 48 hours prior to kickoff. K.C. tailgating turns a three-hour game into a six-hour event. People who don't have tickets will go and set up a big screen TV in the parking lot just to have the crowd noise in the background. As with any "family reunion" of 80,000 people who all happened to bring their own grills, there is more than a fair share of drinking, but people are nice regardless of who you are rooting for, and more than likely you'll be offered a steak and a beer if you just walk up and talk to people. After all, Kansas City is the best barbecue city in America.

Getting in and out of Arrowhead on game days is made easy by the fact that it is bordered by two major traffic arteries, I-70 to the north and I-435 to the west. The commute to the game is relatively light because of the large number of tailgaters who have already been on-site for 3-4 hours. The existence of multiple entrances to the stadium parking area creates a fluid parking flow. Public buses are also a great alternative. They have their own lanes, once they get close to the stadium, and they drop you off right next to the entrance. For those a bit more adventurous, try the secret back way in. Take the left off Volker to Coal Mine Road and you can drive right to the stadium. This way is well known, but it's never busy. No special maneuvers, however will speed you out of a parking lot that backs up for at least 30 minutes following the game. At times one can find oneself stuck for hours.