FALCON POINTS
Ranking the top 5 fan experiences at sports venues in Houston
Dec 4, 2019, 6:55 am
FALCON POINTS
Houston has a vibrant sports scene, with plenty of options. But what venue offers the best fan experience? Using the following criteria, we rank the top 5 venues in the city based on the experience for the attendee: 1) Quality of team, 2) Concessions, 3) Fan engagement, 4) Site lines, 5) General atmosphere. We rank the venues based on the experience watching the main sports tenants. Obviously any list is subjective, but having been to all of these multiple times in different situations, this is how they rank:
When it comes to quality of team, site lines, concessions and fan engagement, Toyota Center still holds up very well even though it is now 16 years old. Getting to watch two former MVPs in James Harden and Russell Westbrook is an added bonus. Where it falls short is the general atmosphere. While the red rowdies are fun and engaged, fans show up late, often stay at the bars instead of their seats, and many are just there to be seen. It's better in the playoffs, but the regular season is overly corporate and the atmosphere is pretty lame. It is also a great place for concerts and events like the WWE.
Side note: If you are going for concessions, wait until play is stopped before walking back to your seat in front of people. There are some people there to actually watch the game.
Photo courtesy of BBVA
Soccer fans are a different breed; they are engaged throughout with music, drums and fun. There really is not a bad seat in the house and the overall experience is awesome. Unfortunately the team has been pretty much irrelevant for the past several years and is slowly losing the fan base. The other negative is the place can be a microwave oven in the summer. Orange seats in 100 degree weather? It's much better at night, though, when they play most of the games. Still, if you haven't been to a game, it is worth your time.
The tail gating here is second to none, which means the fans are usually nice and lubed up before the game. The stadium itself is terrific, and the team is a consistent playoff contender. Still, fans tend to show up late, and there is some of the corporate atmosphere of Toyota Center. The team itself does not always inspire the fan base; the Thursday night game against the Colts in particular was pathetic. Part of the problem is many of the fans are not Texans fans, but NFL fans from other cities. However, when there is a playoff game, the atmosphere is terrific. Also a great place to watch college football and of course the rodeo.
The team's World Series run in 2017 energized what was once a mausoleum. The playoff atmosphere is through the roof and the best experience in the city. The regular season can be flat at times, but there are 81 home games. Still, it's a far cry from the years where other team's fans dominated. The only negative is now that the place is packed on a semi-regular basis, it is difficult to get around the facility when it gets crowded. But that's the trade-off for success. The team has created some magical memories over the past few seasons, moving Minute Maid up the list.
When Tilman Fertitta put money into the old Hofheinz, it was hard to imagine they were going to turn it into a near-perfect college basketball arena. It's cozy, with only 7,100 seats, which is the perfect amount to ensure sell outs. Plus, Kelvin Sampson has turned the Cougars into a relevant team on a national level. A Sweet 16 run last year and several high profile home wins made the overall experience excellent. If you even remotely like college basketball or any college sporting experience, this place is a must, especially if you can score tickets for a high profile AAC opponent. Simply the best experience in the city.
While the team is not what it used to be, Reckling Park is still a fun place to take in a Rice Owls baseball game. Constellation Field in Sugar Land provides perhaps the most fun family experience for the Skeeters. If UH football can get back to where it was a couple years ago, TDECU will move back up the list. Rice Stadium is a piece of history and worth visiting once.
The good news? The city has no shortage of great venues for college and pro sports, and plenty good teams to watch. It's a far cry from the old days of the Astrodome, Robertson Stadium and the Summit. It helps, too, that none of the teams are actually bad. In the end, isn't that what makes for the best experience?
Hunter Brown pitched two-hit ball into the sixth inning, and the Houston Astros beat the slumping Cincinnati Reds 3-0 on Friday night.
Brown (6-1) struck out nine, matching his season high for the fourth straight start. The right-hander also issued a season-high four walks in his fifth consecutive win.
Brown departed after Gavin Lux walked with two out in the sixth. Kaleb Ort got Spencer Steer to bounce into a forceout at second.
Josh Hader handled the ninth for his ninth save.
Cincinnati finished with four hits in its sixth loss in seven games.
Reds right-hander Nick Martinez (1-4) surrendered 10 hits and three runs in six innings. He struck out five and walked none.
Zach Dezenzo hit a two-out RBI single in the second, and the Astros added two more runs in the fifth.
Mauricio Dubón followed Brendan Rodgers’ leadoff double with a chopper past third baseman Santiago Espinal, moving Rodgers to third. Jeremy Peña drove in Rodgers with a groundout to second, and Isaac Paredes doubled home Dubón with two down.
Jose Altuve, Christian Walker, and Yainer Diaz each had two hits for the Astros.
Cincinnati's Austin Hays returned from the injured list after missing 10 games with a left hamstring strain. He went 1 for 4.
Reds outfielder Jake Fraley was scratched due to left calf tenderness after missing the last two games.
Tyler Stephenson hit a one-out double for Cincinnati in the ninth. But Hader struck out Rece Hinds and Espinal, ending the game.
It was Houston's first win against the Reds since June 19, 2016, ending a nine-game skid.
Lance McCullers Jr. (0-0 0.00 ERA) will make his second start of the season and first home start since October 3, 2022, against Reds right-hander Brady Singer (4-2 3.66 ERA) on Saturday night.