Best Stadiums?

[wikki]

Too seriously compare William Fleming to Salem is ludicrous. Not in same league. To hold that opinion is to lose all credibility on this subject. I think your anti Salem bias is showing.

Seriously. I really did like William Fleming's stadium and the new City Stadium in Lynchburg is beautiful. They have the best score board of anyone that I have seen. Salem's stadium is beautiful no doubt but not my favorite but it doesn't mean that I am anti-Salem. The only thing that would make me feel the way you said is people like you that gets so defensive if I don't agree with that Salem is the best, which I don't. Amherst stadium needs improvement on the visitor side no doubt but don't worry it will happen along with a few other things, just give it time because the county has to raise the money, they don't have the money like Salem does

 

[wikki]

Too seriously compare William Fleming to Salem is ludicrous. Not in same league. To hold that opinion is to lose all credibility on this subject. I think your anti Salem bias is showing.

Credibility with who? You! Won't lose any sleep over it

 

[jbci04]

Around what

Around the state. I don't know of one better that a HS team calls home.

 

[jbci04]

Too seriously compare William Fleming to Salem is ludicrous. Not in same league. To hold that opinion is to lose all credibility on this subject. I think your anti Salem bias is showing.

Capacity is not the only factor to consider when evaluating a stadium.

When City Stadium is complete it is going to be very nice Lots of character.

 

[schoolboard]

John Champe has major parking and traffic issues. I also am not crazy about watching a football game with a flyover every 40 seconds.

 

[schoolboard]

Broadway has scenic vistas, but they were not thinking when they set up the restroom location.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

Too seriously compare William Fleming to Salem is ludicrous. Not in same league. To hold that opinion is to lose all credibility on this subject. I think your anti Salem bias is showing.

What are we in the 5th grade? It's her opinion and you should respect it. You're being very rude and disrespectful. No need for that.

 

[wikki]

Broadway has scenic vistas, but they were not thinking when they set up the restroom location.

I liked their stadium also

 

[SpartanOfYore]

John Champe has major parking and traffic issues. I also am not crazy about watching a football game with a flyover every 40 seconds.

I've only been to Champe once, for the Saturday afternoon playoff game last year. In that one trip, we didn't encounter any parking issues, and we didn't get there super early - probably arrived a little under an hour before kickoff. It seemed to me as if they have ample parking, within a reasonable walk on school property, so one isn't walking along or crossing a major thoroughfare. There was some minor traffic congestion coming in, but not a big whup.

 

[Daboyz19]

Good topic. I started a similar thread a couple of years ago, asking posters how many different venues they had visited for high school games (I'm at forty-one now). We got a lot of good feedback about many different venues in that thread. I'll try to recreate my own comments:

Best on-campus stadiums
~William Fleming HS - nice field; pretty good parking situation; decent-size visitors seating; concessions and permanent restrooms right there on the visitors side - a real rarity (and treat!) for high school stadiums.
~John Champe
~Pulaski County
~Sherando
~Turner Ashby - it's been since the '98 state championship game, but I remember being favorably impressed.
Most scenic stadiums
~Mitchell Stadium, Bluefield, WV - the only out-of-state venue on my list, this is probably also the most dramatic, with one end of the stadium cut right into the mountain. All that's missing is torches around the top of the stands.
~Glenvar HS - if you never visited Highlander Heaven before all the expansion began and the woods started disappearing, you missed out. The stadium sits on the southern foot of Fort Lewis Mtn., with great views to the south from the home side.
~Bath County HS

I have to agree with VolNation85 concerning the Seminole District facilities. Due to the challenges with parking, limited visitor seating, and visitor accommodations, I won't even consider going to Amherst, to cite one example, for a regular season game anymore (didn't go last year). If Salem goes there for this season's playoffs, I'll be staying home again if Gameday has it on the interwebs. At my age, I just don't care to wrassle with the hassle.

BTW - does anyone know where the old Clifton Forge High, that became a middle school in '83 and is now closed, used to play their football games? There's a baseball stadium right beside the building that might have accommodated a football field also, but it looks as if it would have really been shoehorned in.

 

[Daboyz19]

Handley is quite scenic, but holds nowhere near Salem Stadium. It also has a track that puts you further away from action. There are no soccer lines on field in Salem and no track to deal with. It is strictly a football stadium.

As far as beauty of school and campus Salem isn't close to Handley High School

 

[schoolboard]

I've only been to Champe once, for the Saturday afternoon playoff game last year. In that one trip, we didn't encounter any parking issues, and we didn't get there super early - probably arrived a little under an hour before kickoff. It seemed to me as if they have ample parking, within a reasonable walk on school property, so one isn't walking along or crossing a major thoroughfare. There was some minor traffic congestion coming in, but not a big whup.

You got lucky. There is no reason why traffic could not come in from both sides, but instead it is impossible to get into from one direction. There also seemed to be more cars than people at the game. It might have been because there was some kind of community celebration where hundreds of children were on the field during lineups and anthem.

 

[Daboyz19]

Handley High School has got to be one of the most beautiful campuses in Virginia and possibly the country. The product on the field is a different story but you have to see it to believe it.

 

[schoolboard]

Nice scoreboard at Handley, and if the weather is nice, sitting on the grass with small children is also fun.

 

[southbottomU]

As far as beauty of school and campus Salem isn't close to Handley High School

We were not talking about campus. The subject was football stadium s

 

[southbottomU]

What are we in the 5th grade? It's her opinion and you should respect it. You're being very rude and disrespectful. No need for that.

It's my opinion that your comments are part of a communist plot to take over the country and install yourself as dictator. Do you respect that opinion? Some opinions have no basis in fact or logic , are we still required to respect them? I think not.

 

[hamspear]

I always like going to Skyline , sits at the base of Skyline Drive, the fall leave on the Mountains are beautiful. Pain in the butt getting to the visitors side , but the view is awesome, and sometimes there will be deer on the baseball field while a football game is going on.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

It's my opinion that your comments are part of a communist plot to take over the country and install yourself as dictator. Do you respect that opinion? Some opinions have no basis in fact or logic , are we still required to respect them? I think not.

I refuse to insult you if that's what you want out of me, I was taught better. Just because you disagree with someone gives you no right to disrespect or belittle them. Congrats, you've just been put on my ignore list..

 

[southbottomU]

I refuse to insult you if that's what you want out of me, I was taught better. Just because you disagree with someone gives you no right to disrespect or belittle them. Congrats, you've just been put on my ignore list..

Wow, I'll quote your favorite author, "I'll lose a lot of sleep over that"

 

[anon_vu6vqwsr4nf3b]

I've also had Salem's food and it's definitely not something to write home about. Concessions are a definite part of the stadium. Fact.

 

[DinwiddieProud]

I refuse to insult you if that's what you want out of me, I was taught better. Just because you disagree with someone gives you no right to disrespect or belittle them. Congrats, you've just been put on my ignore list..

Make that two.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

Wow, I'll quote your favorite author, "I'll lose a lot of sleep over that"

Three

 

[schoolboard]

I always like going to Skyline , sits at the base of Skyline Drive, the fall leave on the Mountains are beautiful. Pain in the butt getting to the visitors side , but the view is awesome, and sometimes there will be deer on the baseball field while a football game is going on.

Go through the gate, walk to the right. Not that hard.

 

[Lineheart]

Too seriously compare William Fleming to Salem is ludicrous. Not in same league. To hold that opinion is to lose all credibility on this subject. I think your anti Salem bias is showing.

Can someone have an opinion without being attack?

 

[bulldog1150]

In 4A, it is Handley, Powhatan, Pulaski, and Salem. Nobody else is close IMO and I've seen them all(almost). Pulaski doesn't have the best playing surface(fescue vs bermuda) but it is a great layout. Salem is first class, but does lack a little because it isn't at the school. Powhatan did it right when they built their new school. But my personal favorite is Handley. I encourage everyone to catch a game there at some point. You won't regret it.

 

[ClarkeFan83]

Can someone have an opinion without being attack?

Sadly, in this day and age, it's getting harder and harder. Politics has leeched into almost every aspect of our lives. It's awful.

 

[southbottomU]

In 4A, it is Handley, Powhatan, Pulaski, and Salem. Nobody else is close IMO and I've seen them all(almost). Pulaski doesn't have the best playing surface(fescue vs bermuda) but it is a great layout. Salem is first class, but does lack a little because it isn't at the school. Powhatan did it right when they built their new school. But my personal favorite is Handley. I encourage everyone to catch a game there at some point. You won't regret it.

I would agree with you. However I do not like stadiums with a track around them. This is an opinion based on the fact that having a track takes the spectator further away from the action. At Salem you are looking right down on the game from a close perspective. I agree that it is a fair point to make that Salem's stadium is not on the high school campus. However, Salem does not share that stadium with another school or is it used for another sport. But including food in the assessment is silly. Food has nothing to do with the stadium. If you want to rate food create a separate category----- best food at a game category. I bet some really bad stadiums have some real good food.

 

[VolNation85]

City Stadium has really improved. But the Seminole has several schools with great stadiums. Amherst - field turf, new track, great concessions and 40 bathrooms of each gender. Rustburg and Brookville fields are nice, the rest not so much. JF has new field turf but the bleachers are horrible, even on the home side and the least restrooms of anyone. Liberty has the worst

I was going to mention Amherst in my initial reply because of the field and the home stands but, I chose otherwise due to the poor quality of stands and lack of restrooms on the visitor side. Also, the new track does not have anything to do with a FOOTBALL stadium. Just saying. But Amherst is definitely not the worst in the district.

Also, my point is that, one would think the stadiums in the Seminole would be better given the fact that the teams are usually some of the most competitive in the state.

 

[southbottomU]

I hear the food is great at Amherst. But the stadium would not be on the list of best stadiums. Someone needs to rate just the food. Personally I never eat food at a high school football game. Usually not very healthy, so I have no idea who has good food or bad, but apparently some of you are experts. So, who has the best food?

 

[southbottomU]

I refuse to insult you if that's what you want out of me, I was taught better. Just because you disagree with someone gives you no right to disrespect or belittle them. Congrats, you've just been put on my ignore list..

Interesting that you perceive an insult in my statement. There was none. I made a point that not all opinions are based in fact or logic. Opinions that are outrageous, illogical, and or without a basis in fact are fair game for criticism. These types of opinions are usually rooted in some type of bias.

 

[anon_vu6vqwsr4nf3b]

I'm 100% sure that if wikki had said Salem's concessions has the best food in the state, you wouldn't have objected or attacked her.

 

[wikki]

I'm 100% sure that if wikki had said Salem's concessions has the best food in the state, you wouldn't have objected or attacked her.

I was just doing an overall comparison for stadiums because food and everything comes along with it, but I will not reply back to him anymore. Thanks HoosFan. The thing about it, I wasn't ugly about it just stated my opinion like everyone else.

 

[wikki]

I was going to mention Amherst in my initial reply because of the field and the home stands but, I chose otherwise due to the poor quality of stands and lack of restrooms on the visitor side. Also, the new track does not have anything to do with a FOOTBALL stadium. Just saying. But Amherst is definitely not the worst in the district.

Also, my point is that, one would think the stadiums in the Seminole would be better given the fact that the teams are usually some of the most competitive in the state.

Don't know of many that have restrooms on the visitor sides, oh, that's right SALEM DOES! I think we have one of the best stadiums, just need to update the visitor side bleachers. Everything else is great.

 

[schoolboard]

Millbrook has a single restroom on the visitor's side, which sure comes in handy when bringing small children to the game. Children of different genders.

 

[jbci04]

I would agree with you. However I do not like stadiums with a track around them. This is an opinion based on the fact that having a track takes the spectator further away from the action. At Salem you are looking right down on the game from a close perspective. I agree that it is a fair point to make that Salem's stadium is not on the high school campus. However, Salem does not share that stadium with another school or is it used for another sport. But including food in the assessment is silly. Food has nothing to do with the stadium. If you want to rate food create a separate category----- best food at a game category. I bet some really bad stadiums have some real good food.

Salem Stadium has a track around it. It may not have lines but there is a walking area....

 

[SpartanOfYore]

I should also mention Patrick Henry in Roanoke. It was really shoehorned in on its site, much to the initial chagrin of many of the neighbors; most have come to see that the problems of lights, noise, and traffic haven't been as bad as anticipated. The stadium's major drawbacks are parking, and a very small visitors' section. However, the result of all that shoehorning, in a stadium with no track, means that all the seats are right on top of the action. Even the walkways on the banks behind the end zones are close to the field. This gives the facility a great old-school feeling of intimacy. Throw in permanent structures for concessions and restrooms on both sides, and you've got a pretty good venue for high school football. Just be sure to get there early, and if you have to park on the street, don't block anyone's driveway.

 

[wikki]

I should also mention Patrick Henry in Roanoke. It was really shoehorned in on its site, much to the initial chagrin of many of the neighbors; most have come to see that the problems of lights, noise, and traffic haven't been as bad as anticipated. The stadium's major drawbacks are parking, and a very small visitors' section. However, the result of all that shoehorning, in a stadium with no track, means that all the seats are right on top of the action. Even the walkways on the banks behind the end zones are close to the field. This gives the facility a great old-school feeling of intimacy. Throw in permanent structures for concessions and restrooms on both sides, and you've got a pretty good venue for high school football. Just be sure to get there early, and if you have to park on the street, don't block anyone's driveway.

Is theirs similar to William Fleming? I really liked theirs.

 

[southbottomU]

Salem Stadium has a track around it. It may not have lines but there is a walking area....

There is an area in the endzone that separates the field turf from the bushes. It is about five feet wide and serves somewhat as a warning track before you get to the bushes. There is no athletic track around the field at Salem Stadium. No other sport is played in Salem Stadium.

 

[southbottomU]

I'm 100% sure that if wikki had said Salem's concessions has the best food in the state, you wouldn't have objected or attacked her.

Wouldn't know if the food is good or bad in Salem Stadium or any other high school stadium, I have never eaten in any of them. Just don't think food should be part of evaluating a stadium. The capacity, the field. The view fans have, parking, restrooms, and scoreboard are part of the stadium. If what I wrote you find inappropriate, so be it, wasn't meant as a personal attack, only an effort to point out an opinion that most reasonable people would find ludicrous.

 

[DanvilleSportsHead]

Interesting that you perceive an insult in my statement. There was none. I made a point that not all opinions are based in fact or logic. Opinions that are outrageous, illogical, and or without a basis in fact are fair game for criticism. These types of opinions are usually rooted in some type of bias.

Just so we're 100% clear. No you didn't insult me, you insulted another well respected member on this message board. This is an opinion thread and no one should be bashed for their opinion, especially the way you insulted and disrespected Wikki. Not cool at all.