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Mike Chamernik’s Question Of The Week (October 21-25)

Last week, we had another of Mike Chamernik’s “Question of the Week” series, the response was great, and Mike is back again with his next question.

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Question of the Week
by Mike Chamernik

I live in Chicago, where we’re blessed with five major sports teams (please hold your quips about the White Sox) plus WNBA, men’s and women’s pro soccer, minor league baseball and hockey, and several Division I sports programs, including my alma mater, DePaul. Again, please hold your jokes.

I try to go to as many games as I can. Bulls and Blackhawks tickets are expensive so I’m stuck with the cheap seats. But baseball is better: This summer I went to a dozen Cubs, Sox, and Dogs games. By the end of the Sox season, I was able to buy a $15 ticket and sit wherever I wanted. I prefer ten rows or so behind the third base dugout, closer to home plate.

My question: Where do you sit when you attend a sporting event? If you have a certain venue you visit, where is your go-to section? If you’re going somewhere new, where do you like to sit?

If you were gifted with a free ticket to see your favorite team and you got to pick any seat, where would you choose?

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Thanks, Mike.

I don’t go to nearly as many games as I used to (almost exclusively Mets games nowadays), but I definitely have a preferred spot — while it’s in the upper deck, it’s basically right behind home plate, and with CitiField seats actually very close to the action, it’s a fantastic spot to catch a game. And the seats are usually “reasonably” priced. Over my lifetime, I’ve been in suites, one luxury box, and have sat first or second row behind the dugouts several times, but I’ve never seen a game right behind home plate. If I were ever gifted a seat, I think that’s one spot I’d love to see a game from.

Can’t wait to hear the readers’ responses! OK guys…fire away!

 
  
 
Comments (54)

    I often go to Rockies games at Coors Field, and my favorite place to sit is the outfield. Its really fun watching the home runs and trying to actually catch one!

    Lotsa cheap seats with great views at Coors. I always got the King Soopers discount tickets upper deck, behind the plate, about 10 rows up so in the shade on a sunny day.

    Have sat almost everywhere one can at Coors Field and my all-time favorite spot was behind home plate – about 11 rows back!
    Perfect view of all the action

    As far as a sporting event, if I were given a ticket to see my favorite team (Saints), with the way they are playing currently, I would ask for one that would not be facing the field.
    Now, if I am at a venue where there was a concert going on, I would prefer to have a seat in the top tiers so that I can watch the crowd interact with the band. It’s an amazing thing at most shows.

    I don’t go to many concerts but when I do, I prefer to sit/stand further away as well.

    I’m not a Phillies fan, but I live in the Philly area and absolutely LOVE sitting in right field anytime I go to Citizens Bank. It’s a great view, and sitting on that elevated area makes it much easier to see plays in the infield.

    At Rogers Centre I like going on the third base side, as close as I can afford to get that night. I used to love sitting in the first few rows in left field when I was a kid.

    The answer for me varies, so I have no idea if I have a preference.

    Spirit: Standing section behind one of the goals. (link)

    Virginia football: Behind the corner of one of the end zones.

    Virginia MBB: High up behind one of the baskets. I actually like this more than I think I would on the side.

    Virginia field hockey: Standing behind the fence at the end Virginia is attacking. Standing is for me the correct way to watch both soccer and field hockey.

    The first DePaul basketball game I went to for the student section, I was surprised we had to stand the whole game.

    When getting tickets at a baseball venue I must sit squarely behind dugout out, usually max 10 to 15 rows back. I always found this the best spot cause the play is always coming to you cause of 1st base.
    Hate third b

    When getting tickets at a baseball venue I must sit squarely behind dugout out, usually max 10 to 15 rows back. I always found this the best spot cause the play is always coming to you cause of 1st base.
    Hate third base view you are always looking behind play. Now for home run practice you have to be in outfield to snatch one.

    Ok I should have professed it that I always buy the cheapest seats. At most major league parks you can wait an inning or two and then “blend” in with the good seats.

    At Minute Maid, and any other mlb park, I normally try to get seats in the front of the upper deck between home and third. I’ve got a friend with a mini-season plan who invites me to tag along several times a year. He sits way down the third base line and close to the field. I don’t like the location, I feel disconnected from the game, but the price, especially the company, is great.

    My U of Houston basketball seats are perfect for me. We’re behind the basketball the Cougars shoot at in the second half, 8 rows up. I’ve always enjoyed being behind the baseline and watching the action down the ‘lanes’. I’m eligible for ‘better’ locations but I wouldn’t swap mine for any other section.

    Back when I attended Cougar and Oiler games in the Astrodome I sat in the front of the upper deck in the ‘home plate’ end. Back then UH ran the Veer offense and those were perfect seats to watch the options play out. For the Texans in NRG we sat above the goal line about ten rows up in the upper deck.. I wasn’t crazy about the seats but when the team came to town I jumped in with the best tickets I could get that didn’t require a PSL> I grew to like the seats as we grew to be friends with the regulars all around us. For UH football we moved to the south sideline because the sun was so brutal on the north side. We’re 15 rows up on the 30-yard line, a pretty good spot, but I give my seats away to most games as I’ve lost interest in college football.

    For hockey, I’ll sit anywhere as long as I’m watching my Rangers. We had seats along the glass in one corner one year in Dallas and it was fun for a period or so but it’s hard to really follow the action at the other end. I’m happier higher up.

    Oddly enough, for both the Nationals and Capitals, it’s section 409 I sit in most frequently.

    For the Nats, that’s Upper deck, between home and 3rd. The Capitol dome used to be visible from that section.

    For the Caps, it’s directly behind/above the home shoots twice goal.

    If I had a choice, I’d probably site in the mezzanine for the Nats, right behind home plate. I have never sat behind the bench at a Caps game, but that would be fun

    1

    I’ve actually gotten to sit behind the Caps bench several times and can not recommend it except as a novelty to see the workings of the bench. Anything below glass level is tough in hockey because the glass distorts the view, and you can’t get a good look at the action, especially at the far end. I usually prefer 100-level first or second row from the top for NHL games.

    For me, no matter the sport, upper deck beats lower for price as well as view.
    Baseball: Location varies on what I want to focus on. Infield seats if I want to watch a good pitcher, outfield seats if I am watching an outfielder.
    Football: Go to college for the atmosphere, but pro is much better and cheaper on TV.
    Basketball: Sideline as close to center court as possible.
    Hockey: In the corners.
    Soccer; Behind the goal.

    For gift seats, I would want to be on the glass in the corner for a hockey game, just really experience the speed and strength (and maybe catch a puck, which I have never done).

    I’ve only been to one NFL game in my life. It was fun! But, my reason to stay home is different: I wanna follow all the other games, too.

    I like having a view of the entire field. So upper deck behind home plate (1st few rows) in baseball, and between the 40s mezzanine or upper deck in football.

    I’ve only been to one NFL game so maybe I’m wrong, but I assume if you have seats on the sideline close to the field, the guys on the bench might block your view a bit

    At Royals games it’s the closest section that ushers don’t check tickets, which is the upper half of the lower level. I buy the cheapest tickets available and head straight for the lower level, its never failed.

    Ha tremendous. White Sox ushers are inconsistent every year. Some years they are sticklers, checking every ticket… this year they checked zero tickets. (Of course it all depends on attendance and team performance)

    PNC Park, Section 320 (120 if it isn’t outrageous), slightly down the third base line. Great view of the game and of Pittsburgh.

    Places like PNC, Coors, Oakland (pre Mount Davis) and all them, it is probably better to sit higher up, because you get a wonderful view.

    College Football, close to the corner near the student section and band. Top row of lower deck. aisle seat with the aisle on the side where the people going up and down don’t block my view of the field.

    Good question. I have sat right behind the bullpen twice and down first base side. Just want to experience the monster.

    When I go to watch Manchester City at the CoM Stadium I’ll sit in the 2nd or 3rd tier in the East Stand. It’s got a decent view, mostly step-free and is close to both toilets and refreshments. As a newer ground the accessibility is pretty good, and the team is generally great at accomodating disabled supporters.

    If I’m visiting another ground or stadium then I’ll typically go for the most accessible seats, although I rarely watch live sport these days.

    Judge/ Lincoln Turkey Bowl (RIP) – standing on top of the hill!
    Pocono : I Still Call It Terrace Vista North…row 40 or higher, end of row seats, close to pit row entry.
    Great seeing cars come off 3, can see most of the track (except exiting Turn 1).
    Dover: Petty Grandstand, mid-to-high rows (to see ‘mostly’ everything), again on the aisle – but I’ve sat in sections staring down the front stretch in the corners of 1 & 4 without a complaint.
    For AHL Spectrum hockey, I liked section N (Phantoms shoot 2x).
    If I got free tix to anything, I’d be happy just attending.

    Yankee Stadium I will sit anywhere in the upper deck or right field bleachers. Citifield almost exclusively the upper deck. I have friends that see a lot of Met games so I’ve sat all over that park.

    Great answers, everyone!

    Growing up, my dad was a big proponent of the bleachers (probably because they were the cheapest seats). As an adult, if given the choice I’d rather sit in the upper deck behind home plate, and not in the outfield. I have decent eyesight but I struggle to see exactly what is going on.

    My friends and I have gotten DePaul hoops seats right behind the bench. That was a great view.

    Surprised no one said a luxury box! I’m glad to say I’ve done it once, during a work outing at Wrigley. It was … fine. I think the unit had a bathroom, and a dessert cart came through.

    cheap seats or bleachers, usually there is more space and people in the area are usually way less uptight then the high rollers.

    For Sox games with low-ish attendance, fans kinda treat it like they do movie theater seating: Leave a seat or two in between you and the next closest people.

    Unfortunately, I now only stand behind the concession stand with other cash-strapped parents of girls on my daughter’s synchronized figure skating team. Shit is expensive.

    My home ballpark is Coors Field. I like to sit in the lower few rows of the upper deck, between home and first. Best combo of view and price, although the setting sun can be an issue sometimes the farther toward first base you go.

    Third base side has no sun issues (in fact it’s often in shade), but there’s a lot more action on the first base side and you don’t have to turn your head to see the scoreboard in left field, so I prefer the first-base side.

    Growing up, my family would stake out GA seats in Section 37, right inside the LF foul pole. We’d bring in our own thermos full of
    Hot dogs in boiling water, our own buns and bottles of Stadium Mustard. Those were the days!

    Now living in Minneapolis, the season ticket plan I buy into from a friends’s package is in the mezzanine level looking straight down the third base line from behind the plate. We’ve had Tony Oliva visiting there, saying it’s the best vantage point to see what the batter is doing.

    When I bring groups to the game, I’m fond of the RF Overlook at Target Field. Nice vantage point and good home run potential. Too bad I missed my chance to learn German phrases to cheer on Max Kepler.

    Off topic, but I went to a game at Target Field in July 2023 and I was struck by how insane the concession situation was. One, there were no vendors. Two, the lines were all a mile long, for every food item. This might have been peak labor shortage era, so maybe that’s it.

    I like to attend minor league baseball games so in advance I like to figure out the field orientation and choose accordingly. That means finding the shady seats for afternoon games.

    About 10 years ago I attended a Royals game in KC in July. We had seats in the upper deck for an afternoon game. After about two innings of being roasted the usher tipped us wise to the shady seats two rows back.

    I will absolutely have a bad time if I’m in the sun for too long (in my case, like an inning or two).

    The only big events I regularly attend are baseball, hockey, and musicals/plays. For all three the best spot is front row of the second deck. I like to see all the action. I have sat front row for all four sports and some concerts – I feel like I’m missing some important moments when I’m that close. Front row mezzanine all the way!

    In general for baseball I like to be about 30 rows up first base side on a straight line with 2nd base. Great view for double plays and base stealing while high enough to provide a good view of everything else. At the White Sox this is also in the shade and protected from rain.
    At Wrigley I also like upstairs third base side. Straight view of the video board and a glimpse of Lake Michigan

    In August I got a good deal on a 200-level box seat at a Sox game, third base side. I didn’t know it was directly in the sun. I had to move after a few innings.

    Football: The end zone facing the biggest video board. I was a back judge for 20 years and have gotten used to seeing play develop from behind the defense. Facing the video board allows for replay views. Exception to this rule: Memorial Stadium in Lincoln, NE. NEVER sit it the South end zone. Long lines to crappy restrooms and minimal concessions.
    Baseball: First base line, about 15ish rows up (give or take). Most action takes place at first base and if the stadium is oriented in the traditional manner, you’re in the shade for the twilight starts.

    This past Spring Break we were in Fort Myers in a rental home down the street from where the Twins play their Spring games and the Blue Jays were in town so we bought tickets nine rows up and in between third and home plate which were great seats but we got roasted from the sun and the heat was record-breaking for March even for Florida (according to the locals). But like I said, the seats were great and a gorgeous stadium.

    I’ve been to Busch stadium a few times and my favorite spot is the outfield right next to the Cardinals bullpen. 1. They are cheaper. 2. HR balls. 3. Get a good view of the bullpen and might get a ball from a player warming up when they are done. 4. Good view of the outfield.

    For ice hockey, 10-12 rows directly above a corner faceoff circle is ideal to me. Far enough up that you can see the entire play develop at both ends of the ice.

    Best seats I ever had was for a Red Sox-Mariners game that got moved at the last moment to Fenway due to some sort of damage to the Kingdome. They did it all as general admission, my friends and I went about 2-1/2 hours before first pitch & sat in about row 8 behind home plate. Felt like a high roller.

    I scanned all of the comments and there seems to be a soft preference for upper deck seats at baseball games. Many have cited the cheaper costs. Me? I’d pay MORE to sit upstairs for the superior vantage point.

    More important for any sport: sitting away from the aisle that’s closest to the action. For instance, if I’m sitting on the first base side, I want to sit on the right side of my section. Otherwise, the view gets constantly blocked by people going up and down. Or worse: people standing on the stairs. Drives me crazy.

    Dave, you make an excellent point about sitting away from the closer aisle. My wife and I took our granddaughter to see the kiddie show Paw Patrol at the gorgeous Playhouse Square in Cleveland. I bought what I thought would be great seats — halfway back, on the aisle right next to the center section.

    Mistake. People taking little kids to a play downtown are inevitably going to run into delays and show up late. So for the first 20 minutes of the show, our view was obstructed by a steady stream of adults dragging their little toddlers down the aisle in the dark looking for their seats.

    The same principle holds for ballgames. If you sit on the nearer aisle, your view will be continuously obstructed by people walking up and down the aisle right in front of you on their way to and from the concession stand, bathroom, whatever.

    We live and we learn.

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