NFL

Media And Fan Consensus On New Meadowlands Stadium: “Meh”

The New Meadowlands Stadium, which made its debut Monday night during the Jets-Giants preseason game, is getting generally mixed reviews from the media and the public at large.

Sports Illustrated’s Richard Deitsch characterizes it as “an edifice as brash as the knuckleheads who roam around a certain Jersey shoreline on MTV weekly,” (I think this is a compliment for a football stadium), but notes that “there were some first-night jitters, including a false fire alarm in the press box and a spotty PA system.”

Although the Star-Ledger says fans loved the concession stands, The Daily News reports that the concession stand prices were a different story ($9 for a “pretty good” pork sandwich and $5 for a small soda). Why so high?

It may have to do with some poor planning on behalf of Jets and Giants ownership. According to Barry LePatner, author of “Broken Buildings, Busted Budgets,” there were major cost overruns on the New Meadowlands project.

“The original contract was to design and build a $998 million dollar stadium. By the end of the project, the cost rose to $1.6 billion.”

LePatner says this happens to 92% of stadiums, and attributes the rise of the Jets/Giants project to the construction manager running out of steel midway through the new stadium’s construction (Woopsie).

“This was the raison d’etre for the highly controversial PSLs, and translate into higher prices for things like merchandise and food.”

And what does Mike Francesa, that lion of New York sports radio, and staunch opponent of the PSL phenomenon, think of the new digs?

“It’s a drab-looking building.”

I plan on taking a little trip myself to check out the New Meadowlands on Saturday night for the Giants – Steelers game. Two things.

1) My review will be totally biased. I have a strong history of being bowled over by new stadiums, and completely ignoring their obvious flaws. The first time I visited the new Yankee Stadium I acted like an excited 5-year-old. I don’t apologize for this.

2) I plan on keeping a close eye on the fan reaction to Ben Roethlisberger’s return. Since the game is on a Saturday night, and Giants fans will have ample time to get drunk in the parking lot, I expect it to be entertaining. Stay tuned.