Playing Ketchup

Official Review by Joshua Guiher, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

Heinz Field is home of the 6-time NFL Champion Pittsburgh Steelers and is widely considered one of the top venues in the NFL. The stadium opened in 2001 with a seating capacity of 65,050. It is a horseshoe shaped stadium with the open end holding the scoreboard and offering a view toward Point State Park. Current plans call for an additional 4,000 seats to be added on the concourse of the open end much like the seats that were constructed for the Winter Classic.

The stadium itself is named after the H.J. Heinz Company, most famous for their ketchup products. Every time the Steelers enter the red zone, 2 giant ketchup bottles on either side of the scoreboard tilt and flow "ketchup" onto the scoreboard.

Food & Beverage    4

There are 47 concession stands around Heinz Field ranging from single nacho and pretzel stands to huge stands with 20+ items. The 2 most popular are the Quaker Steak and Lube stand where you can order wings by the bucket and Primanti Bros, where all sandwiches come with French fries and coleslaw right on the sandwich. Both of these stands are located on the ground level near gate B.

Personally my routine is to head to the Uncle Charley's sausage stand located on the concourse beside section 517 for a sausage sandwich ($6), followed by a stop at the nacho stand ($7) on the same concourse. Since Heinz is the stadium sponsor, condiments are easy to find with huge stands located everywhere with all kinds of Heinz products plus diced onions and jalapenos.

Soda is Coca Cola and costs $5 for a decent size. There are plenty of different beer options, with most costing $7.25. Beer is the only thing that the vendors bring around to the seats in the upper levels, while those near the 50 yard line in the lower level also have hotdog and cotton candy vendors.

Atmosphere    5

There is no other NFL stadium that offers the game day atmosphere that you get at Heinz Field. Unlike most pro stadiums that generally lack enthusiasm, a Steelers game at Heinz Field is just like a rowdy college crowd without going overboard with hatred toward the opposing fans. Not saying that opposing fans will not be taunted, because they will, but fights and flying objects are rare.

Outside the stadium, the tailgating goes in every direction with plenty of beer and grilled foods to go around. The stadium lots are to the South, running from PNC Park past Grille 36 and to Heinz Field. The walk through the stadium lots is unlike any other stadium experience with music, drinking and terrible towels waving everywhere. It feels like you are walking through a human tunnel of Steelers fans.

Neighborhood    3

It is kind of hard to rate the neighborhood around Heinz Field. As mentioned, to the South is the huge stadium lot running about a mile to PNC Park. The area around PNC Park is being revitalized quickly and is really the only place to find a bar or club but there are only a few blocks of buildings there. Past those few blocks you have to cross the river and you wind up beside the Consol Center.

Trying to eat at the popular restaurants in Pittsburgh the day of a game is most likely going to lead to long waits and frustration. If you visit the strip district, Primanti Bros, DeLuca's, Lidia's and Eleven are all extremely popular options. Waits will often be 2+ hours on a game day however. The wait can be even worse at Jerome Bettis's Grille 36 which is located right outside Heinz Field in the Stadium lot. If you are in town for the entire weekend, I would recommend you make your stop at these restaurants on Friday evening or Saturday. Personally I would go to DeLuca's for breakfast and Grille 36 for dinner, although SI's Peter King will always recommend Lidia's.

To the North of Heinz field is the science center and the new Rivers Casino. The only housing around Heinz Field is to the East, which is known as the Northside of Pittsburgh. The first few blocks are nice and include a McDonald's and a Wendy's along with some parking, including a small amount that is free. Beyond that you get into some areas you probably don't want to go after dark.

Fans    5

The fans are incredibly in-tune with the game and the team. They seem to know the name of all 53 players, including those who rarely play. The Steelers have sold out every home game since 1972 and the season ticket waiting list is about 10 years long. Fans can lose their season tickets over bad behavior even if the misbehaving fan is just a random person they sold their ticket to. This leads to a very high priced black market for tickets because people want to make sure you have a genuine interest in the team and the game.

At the end of the 3rd quarter, the video staff plays a montage of big defensive plays set to the song Renegade by Styx. The love for Renegade runs so deep that Styx was one of the featured artists at the Winter Classic, playing a set (including Renegade) after the first period.

Access    4

There are multiple ways to access the stadium. The stadium lots are sold out in advance just like the season tickets, so the only way to buy a pass is from a scalper. They generally cost $40-$75 for a regular season game and up to $200 for playoff games. There are also some lots that people run on the Northside that range from $35-$50 for a regular season game.

If you are willing to walk over the bridge, there are a few nice lots around 7th Avenue off of Grant Street that are only $7 for the entire day. It seems like it is much further away, but the $40 stadium lots start at the foot of the bridge on the Heinz Field side so the walk is well worth the $35 in savings.

Another popular option is to ride the Gateway Clipper boat across the river for just a few dollars. The boat drops you off right beside the stadium making for an easy walk away from the main tailgaters if you are trying to avoid that area.

The final option is the public transportation. There were plans for the subway system to have a stop right at Gate B but it was never finished and the project appears to have been abandoned. There is a complex bus system that can take you right to the gate, if you don't want to walk over from the cheaper parking areas. Also, if there happens to be a game the weekend of New Years, the city makes the entire public transportation system free, making it easy to get around the city. Personally I think it would really be nice if they were to ever finish the subway station so you had more options for cheaper parking. It just shouldn't cost more to park at a Steelers game than a Yankee game or a Redskins game.

Return on Investment    5

The return on investment ranking is based on value, which when broken down is cost versus what you get in return. Any stadium experience that costs hundreds of dollars for an upper level ticket, parking and a small amount of food is not going to rate high on this scale. However, the atmosphere and intense fans at a Steelers game make the expense worth it. A trip to Heinz Field for a Steelers game definitely rates in the top 3 fan experiences in the league.

Another nice thing about Heinz Field is the ease of finding a bathroom. It might not sound like much but when you spend so much money to attend a game it quickly becomes annoying when you miss a large chunk of the action waiting in a line for the restroom because of limited facilities.

Extras    4

The coolest thing about Heinz Field is the Coca-Cola walk of fame which is located near gate B on the ground level. It houses the 6 Lombardi trophies from the Super Bowl wins along with a large array of memorabilia from various eras of the team. There is also a portion dedicated to Myron Cope, long time Steelers announcer and the inventor of the terrible towel.

If there is one knock on the stadium, it is the playing surface. The field is grass, but because both the Steelers and the Pitt Panthers play at Heinz field, plus 8 high school playoff games, the field has to be re-sodded at least once, and often twice in a season. This leads to huge chucks of grass coming up and providing a bad experience for the players. It would be nice to see the Steelers install the new synthetic turf which is a mixture of real grass and synthetic fibers. The current grass field just gives off such a terrible visual effect to an otherwise fantastic stadium.