Ranking home field advantage in the NFL

[ivo610]

http://content.usatoday.com/communi...omNfl-TopStories+(Sports+-+NFL+-+Top+Stories)

Nice to be where we are but our playoff record leave something to be desired IMO.

 

[okcpackerfan]

I think rankings like this are kind of stupid because it doesn't take into account so many factors. I haven't been to enough NFL stadiums to know which is the hardest to play in for opposing teams but I would imagine the packers are right up there. The Packers, Saints, and Patriots are up there because they have had the best teams over those spans not the best stadiums.

 

[cupacker]

The last 3 seasons is a very small sample size, so this guy is really talking more about what teams have been good during that time span and who hasn't. It really should not be based on home records for 3 seasons. Measuring highest and/or average noise levels at each stadium would be much better.

The chiefs and seahawks have probably had not so great home records recently, but everyone knows they are tough places to play regardless (we know that all too well)

 

[ivo610]

agree with cupcake and OKC, teams with so so records can still be tough to play at. Minnesota has been a problem for us for years. House of horrors actually.

NY is kind of a joke. Championship teams that win 9 games a season? hmm

 

[El Guapo]

This is a poor analysis. Using it to determine best homefield advantage is crazy when they only use the past three seasons. All that tells you, like cupacker stated, is who's been the hot teams the past three years. I think that you'd need to spread the sample years out quite a bit to ensure that you catch all teams in good and bad cycles of winning. Then you'll truly see which teams have an advantage, in their down years, because of their home fields.

It's nice to be #1, but the Packers and their fans don't need to be patronized by a silly study.

 

[toolkien]

But if the sample size is bigger, people then will say it isn't relevant.

Also, you can get a flavor for homefield if you also then look at away records - the Packer are better at home than on the road by a factor larger than some of the other elite teams over the period. Which makes that 4-on-the-road in 2010 a little more amazing. Of course the Packers weren't terrible on the road over the last three years, just a bigger margin than say NWE.

 

[realcaliforniacheese]

been looking at those pictures of the new construction on Packers.com. When that's done Lambeau is going to be one noisy place to play. Especially the South end. I think what gives a team its home field advantage is when its fans never give in right up to the last play of the game. Lambeau has a strong heart and that's what makes it a tough place to play.

 

[Kitten]

I agree with Cupacker. It's kind of hard to get an accurate analysis based on only 3 years data. There are always other circumstances to consider.

 

[Powarun]

Aren't the Seahawks a big we have the best home games teams? Wasn't their stadium built to redirect sound? I think the list needs them pretty high up there.

 

[okcpackerfan]

like i said in the 2nd post of this thread so many other factors besides record, record is actually almost irrelevant to be honest. The hardest place to play doesn't always have a good team.

 

[El Guapo]

But if the sample size is bigger, people then will say it isn't relevant.

Who cares if someone says that it isn't relevant. They (you) need to explain why it isn't relevant for it to be considered in the discussion.

Let's analyze the 1986-1988 seasons. The Packers went 4-12, 5-9-1, and 4-12 with only 5 of those 13 wins coming at home. Based on those numbers and how Mr. Fortenbaugh conducted his analysis, the Packers would be towards the bottom of the list for home field advantage. Is that still a relevant conclusion had this analysis been done in 1989? Not so. It would just favor the clubs that had stellar seasons from 1986-1988, such as the Bears, Giants, or Browns. I don't think any of them were at the top of Mr. Fortenbaugh's 2009-2011 analysis. You need more history than just 3 years to make a claim about home field advantage.

 

[Vltrophy]

I think rankings like this are kind of stupid because it doesn't take into account so many factors. I haven't been to enough NFL stadiums to know which is the hardest to play in for opposing teams but I would imagine the packers are right up there. The Packers, Saints, and Patriots are up there because they have had the best teams over those spans not the best stadiums.

Supposedly the way that Lambeau is being renivated it's going to help keep more of the cheering/noise in the stadium.

 

[slaughter25]

Supposedly the way that Lambeau is being renivated it's going to help keep more of the cheering/noise in the stadium.

I read this as well somewhere, wish I could remember the link. Regarding the sample size, if we can all pretty much agree that 3 years really isn't a large enough span of time to decide "toughest place to play". How long is long enough? And if you go back that far how would you rearrange the top 5?

For me I personally think there are so many ways to determine toughest place to play and I think that it would be better to narrow it down to more specific categories and then weigh those against eachother. Noise, Home Team Winning %, Playoff Winning Percentage, Indoor vs. Outdoor (I think you could make arguments for either to make a tougher stadium to play), Avg Game Temp, Playing surface all play big roles in making a place tough.

 

[okcpackerfan]

I read this as well somewhere, wish I could remember the link. Regarding the sample size, if we can all pretty much agree that 3 years really isn't a large enough span of time to decide "toughest place to play". How long is long enough? And if you go back that far how would you rearrange the top 5?

For me I personally think there are so many ways to determine toughest place to play and I think that it would be better to narrow it down to more specific categories and then weigh those against eachother. Noise, Home Team Winning %, Playoff Winning Percentage, Indoor vs. Outdoor (I think you could make arguments for either to make a tougher stadium to play), Avg Game Temp, Playing surface all play big roles in making a place tough.

There are honestly way to many factors to determine this correctly, it's just something fun for fans. The categories you listed are only a small % of the amount of data you would need to accurately portray the toughest stadium in the NFL. The easiest way, without a ton of data, is to honestly poll the players and they usually say arrowhead (chiefs) and centurylink (seahawks)

 

[Powarun]

Also don't the Bears have such a horrible stadium that the NFL had to interfere with the operations of it. While being a complete double edged sword I think that the Bears just try to bring the other team down with them. That should be some kind of advantage.

 

[Vltrophy]

Also don't the Bears have such a horrible stadium that the NFL had to interfere with the operations of it. While being a complete double edged sword I think that the Bears just try to bring the other team down with them. That should be some kind of advantage.

Not sure what year it was but the bears had to stop playing at Soldier Field & play their games else where. B/c of that the Green Bay Packers own the title of longest tenure while playing at a stadium.

 

[Powarun]

Not sure what year it was but the bears had to stop playing at Soldier Field & play their games else where. B/c of that the Green Bay Packers own the title of longest tenure while playing at a stadium.

Believe it was Halloween 1994, a throwback game in Decatur or Champaign, IL. I could be wrong.

 

[Poppa San]

Believe it was Halloween 1994, a throwback game in Decatur or Champaign, IL. I could be wrong.

Didn't they play elsewhere when they rebuilt Soldier Field into the Mistake by the Lake ?

 

[Poppa San]

Not sure what year it was but the bears had to stop playing at Soldier Field & play their games else where. B/c of that the Green Bay Packers own the title of longest tenure while playing at a stadium.

Packers played at Lambeau long before the Bears moved to Soldier Field.

 

[Powarun]

Yeah but the Packers also played at County stadium in Milwaukee, so Chicago may of had more games played at their stadium. But the Bears has played in Champaign Il, for one or two years.

Also the Vikings had home field advantage, its that their home knew when to give up before their team did one season.

 

[PalmettoPacker]

When I think of the best homefield advantages in the NFL I think of Green Bay, Philadelphia, Denver, New England, and Seattle. Weather causes issues for opposing teams in GB & NE, the fans are nutts in Philly, Denver has the altitude issues, and as mentioned above the Seahawks have a stadium designed to hold in noise.

The Super Dome can get loud too, but I can't consider it one of the best when for many years that place was empty. The Georgia Dome can be loud too, but the Falcons haven't been there long enough to establish a mystique around the place and will be building a new stadium in the next few years.

 

[cupacker]

When I think of the best homefield advantages in the NFL I think of Green Bay, Philadelphia, Denver, New England, and Seattle. Weather causes issues for opposing teams in GB & NE, the fans are nutts in Philly, Denver has the altitude issues, and as mentioned above the Seahawks have a stadium designed to hold in noise.

The Super Dome can get loud too, but I can't consider it one of the best when for many years that place was empty. The Georgia Dome can be loud too, but the Falcons haven't been there long enough to establish a mystique around the place and will be building a new stadium in the next few years.

Don't forget about KC. That's cold AND loud

 

[Jules]

The Colts old dome used to be crazy loud. Don't buy the "piping in crowd noise" arguments at times. That place used to get jacked. I remember one game there-Pats at Colts in 2007. I swear people just stood and SCREAMED for the longest time. Like a rock concert. There was a sack on Brady by Robert Mathis on the Pats first or second play of the game and the place damn nearly shook it was so loud.

The new stadium gets loud but nothing like the old place.

I think one of the scariest places to play is the voodooo dome in New Orleans lately. Brees and company can just go on a complete tear in that place and it gets crazy loud.

Playing at NE and Pitts is tough too. NE under Brady just does not lose much at home, especially in the playoffs. I have been there and I did not find it overly intimidating but that team is so damn comfortable at home.

Pittsburgh is where the refs wave terrible towels and they often have the crappiest field conditions to slow you down. I cringe at the idea of playing at Pittsburgh no matter when it is.