1.
New England Patriots
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The New England Patriots are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston region. The Patriots compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues American Football Conference East division. The Patriots are also headquartered at Gillette Stadium, an original member of the American Football League, the Patriots joined the NFL in the 1970 merger of the two leagues. The team changed its name from the original Boston Patriots after relocating to Foxborough in 1971, the Patriots played their home games at Foxboro Stadium from 1971 to 2001, then moved to Gillette Stadium at the start of the 2002 season. The Patriots rivalry with the New York Jets is considered one of the most bitter rivalries in the NFL. The Patriots have appeared in the Super Bowl nine times in franchise history, the Patriots have since become one of the most successful teams in NFL history, winning 14 AFC East titles in 16 seasons since 2001, without a losing season in that period. The team owns the record for most Super Bowls reached and won by a head coach–quarterback tandem, the Patriots are tied with the 49ers and Cowboys for the second most Super Bowl wins with five. The Steelers are in front with six, however, the Patriots are the only team to win five Super Bowls with the same coach and quarterback. On November 16,1959, Boston business executive Billy Sullivan was awarded the eighth, the following winter, locals were allowed to submit ideas for the Boston football teams official name. The most popular choice – and the one that Sullivan selected – was the Boston Patriots, immediately thereafter, artist Phil Bissell of The Boston Globe developed the Pat Patriot logo. The Patriots struggled for most of their years in the AFL, nickerson Field, Harvard Stadium, Fenway Park, and Alumni Stadium all served as home fields during their time in the American Football League. They played in only one AFL championship game, following the 1963 season and they did not appear again in an AFL or NFL post-season game for another 13 years. When the NFL and AFL merged in 1970, the Patriots were placed in the American Football Conference East division, the following year, the Patriots moved to a new stadium in Foxborough, Massachusetts, which would serve as their home for the next 30 years. As a result of the move, they announced they would change their name from the Boston Patriots to the Bay State Patriots, the name was rejected by the NFL and on March 22,1971, the team officially announced they would change its geographic name to New England. During the 1970s, the Patriots had some success, earning a berth to the playoffs in 1976—as a wild card team—and in 1978—as AFC East champions and they lost in the first round both times. In 1985, they returned to the playoffs, and made it all the way to Super Bowl XX, following their Super Bowl loss, they returned to the playoffs in 1986, but lost in the first round. The team would not make the playoffs again for eight more years, during the 1990 season, the Patriots went 1–15. They changed ownership three times in the ensuing 14 years, being purchased from the Sullivan family first by Victor Kiam in 1988, who sold the team to James Orthwein in 1992
2.
Chicago Bears
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The Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. The Bears compete in the National Football League as a club of the leagues National Football Conference North division. The Bears have won nine NFL Championships and one Super Bowl and hold the NFL record for the most enshrinees in the Pro Football Hall of Fame, the Bears have also recorded more victories than any other NFL franchise. The franchise was founded in Decatur, Illinois, in 1919 and it is one of only two remaining franchises from the NFLs founding. The team played games at Wrigley Field on Chicagos North Side through the 1970 season, they now play at Soldier Field on the Near South Side. The Bears have a rivalry with the Green Bay Packers. The team headquarters, Halas Hall, is in the Chicago suburb of Lake Forest, the Bears practice at adjoining facilities there during the season. They hold their training camp from late July to mid-August at Ward Field on the campus of Olivet Nazarene University in Bourbonnais, Illinois. Originally named the Decatur Staleys, the club was established by the A. E. Staley food starch company of Decatur and this was the typical start for several early professional football franchises. The company hired George Halas and Edward Dutch Sternaman in 1920 to run the team, the 1920 Decatur Staleys season was their inaugural regular season completed in the newly formed American Professional Football Association. Full control of the team was turned over to Halas and Sternaman in 1921, official team and league records cite Halas as the founder as he took over the team in 1920 when it became a charter member of the NFL. The team relocated to Chicago in 1921, where the club was renamed the Chicago Staleys, under an agreement reached by Halas and Sternaman with Staley, Halas purchased the rights to the club from Staley for US$100. In 1922, Halas changed the name from the Staleys to the Bears. The team moved into Wrigley Field, which was home to the Chicago Cubs baseball franchise, as with several early NFL franchises, the Bears derived their nickname from their citys baseball team. Halas liked the bright colors of his alma mater, the University of Illinois. The Staleys/Bears dominated the league in the early years and their rivalry with the Chicago Cardinals, the oldest in the NFL, was key in four out of the first six league titles. During that span, the Bears posted 34 shutouts, the Bears rivalry with the Green Bay Packers is one of the oldest and most storied in American professional sports, dating back to 1921. The franchise was a success under Halas, capturing the NFL Championship in 1921
3.
Mercedes-Benz Superdome
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The Mercedes-Benz Superdome, often referred to simply as the Superdome, is a domed sports and exhibition venue located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana, United States. It primarily serves as the venue for the New Orleans Saints of the National Football League. Plans were drawn up in 1967 by the New Orleans modernist architectural firm of Curtis and Davis and the building opened as the Louisiana Superdome in 1975. Its steel frame covers a 13-acre expanse and the 273-foot dome is made of a lamellar multi-ringed frame and has a diameter of 680 feet and it is adjacent to the Smoothie King Center. The Superdome gained international attention of a different type in 2005 when it housed thousands of people seeking shelter from Hurricane Katrina, the building suffered extensive damage as a result of the storm, and was closed for many months afterward. It was eventually decided the building would be refurbished and reopened in time for the Saints 2006 home opener on September 25. On October 3,2011, it was announced that German automaker Mercedes-Benz purchased naming rights to the stadium, the new name took effect on October 23,2011. Atlantas Mercedes-Benz Stadium, set to open in 2017, will become the fifth stadium to bear the name of the German automaker, the Superdome is located on 70 acres of land, including the former Girod Street Cemetery. The dome has a space of 125,000,000 cubic feet, a height of 253 feet, a dome diameter of 680 feet. The Superdome has a listed seating capacity of 76,468 or 73,208. However, published figures from events such as the Sugar Bowl football game have exceeded 79,000. The basketball capacity does not reflect the NCAAs new policy on arranging the basketball court on the 50-yard line on the football field, in 2011,3,500 seats were added, increasing the Superdomes capacity to 76,468. The Superdomes capacity was 75,167 for WWE WrestleMania XXX, the actual capacity is 73,208 people. The team regularly draws capacity crowds, the NFL has hosted seven Super Bowls at the Superdome, most recently Super Bowl XLVII in 2013. The 1976 Pro Bowl was held at the Superdome on Monday and it was the NFLs 26th annual all-star game. Tulane University played their games at the stadium from 1975 to 2013 before moving to on-campus Yulman Stadium. The BCS National Championship Game was played at the Superdome four times, the College Football Playoff semifinal game is played every three years in the stadium. Two other bowl games are played there annually, the Sugar Bowl
4.
New Orleans
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New Orleans is a major United States port and the largest city and metropolitan area in the state of Louisiana. The population of the city was 343,829 as of the 2010 U. S. Census, the New Orleans metropolitan area had a population of 1,167,764 in 2010 and was the 46th largest in the United States. The New Orleans–Metairie–Bogalusa Combined Statistical Area, a trading area, had a 2010 population of 1,452,502. The city is named after the Duke of Orleans, who reigned as Regent for Louis XV from 1715 to 1723, as it was established by French colonists and it is well known for its distinct French and Spanish Creole architecture, as well as its cross-cultural and multilingual heritage. New Orleans is also famous for its cuisine, music, and its celebrations and festivals, most notably Mardi Gras. The city is referred to as the most unique in the United States. New Orleans is located in southeastern Louisiana, straddling the Mississippi River, the city and Orleans Parish are coterminous. The city and parish are bounded by the parishes of St. Tammany to the north, St. Bernard to the east, Plaquemines to the south, and Jefferson to the south and west. Lake Pontchartrain, part of which is included in the city limits, lies to the north, before Hurricane Katrina, Orleans Parish was the most populous parish in Louisiana. As of 2015, it ranks third in population, trailing neighboring Jefferson Parish, La Nouvelle-Orléans was founded May 7,1718, by the French Mississippi Company, under the direction of Jean-Baptiste Le Moyne de Bienville, on land inhabited by the Chitimacha. It was named for Philippe II, Duke of Orléans, who was Regent of the Kingdom of France at the time and his title came from the French city of Orléans. The French colony was ceded to the Spanish Empire in the Treaty of Paris, during the American Revolutionary War, New Orleans was an important port for smuggling aid to the rebels, transporting military equipment and supplies up the Mississippi River. Bernardo de Gálvez y Madrid, Count of Gálvez successfully launched a campaign against the British from the city in 1779. New Orleans remained under Spanish control until 1803, when it reverted briefly to French oversight, nearly all of the surviving 18th-century architecture of the Vieux Carré dates from the Spanish period, the most notable exception being the Old Ursuline Convent. Napoleon sold Louisiana to the United States in the Louisiana Purchase in 1803, thereafter, the city grew rapidly with influxes of Americans, French, Creoles, and Africans. Later immigrants were Irish, Germans, and Italians, Major commodity crops of sugar and cotton were cultivated with slave labor on large plantations outside the city. The Haitian Revolution ended in 1804 and established the republic in the Western Hemisphere. It had occurred several years in what was then the French colony of Saint-Domingue
5.
Angel Stadium
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Angel Stadium of Anaheim, originally known as Anaheim Stadium and later Edison International Field of Anaheim, is a modern-style ballpark located in Anaheim, California. The stadium is referred to by its unofficial nickname The Big A. It is the fourth-oldest active Major League Baseball stadium, behind Fenway Park, Wrigley Field and it hosted the 1967,1989, and 2010 Major League Baseball All-Star Games. Located near the boundary of the parking lot is the landmark Big A sign and electronic marquee. The halo located near the top of the 230 tall, 210-ton sign is illuminated following games in which the Angels win, which gives rise to the fan expression, Light up the Halo. The station provides convenient access to the stadium, the nearby Honda Center, and Disneyland from various communities along the route, which links San Luis Obispo, Los Angeles, and San Diego. The Anaheim Resort Transit stops at the center along with Orange County Transportation Authority buses. and 2 to 3 AMA Supercross Championship races a year, the stadium also houses the studios and offices of the Angels owned and operated flagship radio station, KLAA. Angel Stadium has been the home of the Angels since their move from Los Angeles, on August 31,1964, ground was broken for Anaheim Stadium and in 1966, the then-California Angels moved into their new home after having spent four seasons renting Dodger Stadium from the Dodgers. The stadium was built on a parcel of about 160 acres of land originally used for agricultural purposes by the Allec, Russell. Consistent with many sports stadiums built in the 1960s, it is located in a suburban area. The field dimensions were derived from a study conducted by the Angels. Based on the air density at normal times, the Angels tried to formulate dimensions that were fairly balanced between pitcher, hitter and average weather conditions. The Angels tinkered with those dimensions several times, expanding or contracting parts of the outfield by a few here and there. One of the no-hitters, on June 1,1975, was his fourth, the Coliseum seated almost 100,000 people, and the Rams had trouble filling it even in their best years. Rosenbloom brokered a deal by which the Rams would move from Los Angeles to an expanded Anaheim Stadium, to add more seats for football games, the mezzanine and upper decks were extended completely around the playing field, resulting in a roughly trapezoidal, completely enclosed stadium. An elevated bank of bleachers was built in right field, and temporary seats were placed underneath, another bank of bleachers was built in left field. As a result, the view of the mountains and State Highway 57 was lost. A black and white scoreboard/instant replay video board was installed above the newly constructed upper deck seats in left field, a triangular metal spire was added to the top of the Jumbotron to evoke the original emplacement of the Big A
6.
Giants Stadium
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Giants Stadium was a stadium located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, in the Meadowlands Sports Complex. The venue was open from 1976 to 2010, and primarily hosted sporting events and concerts in its history, the maximum seating capacity was 80,242. The structure itself was 756 feet long,592 feet wide and 144 feet high from service level to the top of the bowl and 178 feet high to the top of the south tower. The volume of the stadium was 64,500,000 cubic feet,13,500 tons of structural steel were used in the building process and 29,200 tons of concrete were poured. It was owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority, in the early 1970s the New York Giants, who at the time were sharing Yankee Stadium with the New York Yankees baseball team, began looking for a home of their own. The Giants struck a deal with the fledgling New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority in 1971, the 1972 season was the Giants last full season in Yankee Stadium, as the ballpark was closed for a massive reconstruction following the end of the Yankees season. After spending two years in New Haven, the Giants would return to New York for one season in 1975 and shared Shea Stadium in Flushing, Queens with the Yankees, New York Mets. The Giants finally moved into their new home on October 10,1976, eight years after Giants Stadium opened, it gained a second major tenant. The Jets lease at Shea Stadium had expired at the end of the 1983 season, the city of New York was unwilling to agree to his terms and Hess decided to move the Jets to the Meadowlands permanently. Their first game in Giants Stadium was on September 6,1984, the sharing of the stadium by both the Giants and Jets enabled it to break a record that had long been held by Chicagos Wrigley Field. Entering the 2003 season, its 28th, Giants Stadium had played host to 364 NFL games, the Giants season opening game with the St. Louis Rams tied the record, and the following week the Jets home opener against the Miami Dolphins broke it. Giants Stadium was closed following the 2009 NFL season following the construction of what is now MetLife Stadium in the parking lot. The stadiums final event was the January 3,2010 game featuring the Jets hosting the Cincinnati Bengals on Sunday Night Football, a month after the game, demolition of the structure began and was completed on August 10,2010. Giants Stadium opened on October 10,1976, as 76,042 fans witnessed a loss by the Giants to the Dallas Cowboys, the Giants had played their first four games on the road that season. College football made its debut at Giants Stadium on October 23,1976, with Rutgers University defeating Columbia 47–0, the New York Giants played their season-opening home game in the stadium on September 18 of the 1977 season. The 1985 USFL championship game which turned out to be the last USFL game played was held at Giants Stadium. In the second week of the 2005 season, the New Orleans Saints used the stadium for a game against the Giants because of extensive damage to the Louisiana Superdome after Hurricane Katrina. One end zone was painted in Saints colors, Saints banners were hung on the walls around the sidelines, the game was rescheduled to a Monday night with a special start time of 7,30 PM EDT, preceding the other scheduled game on Monday Night Football
7.
Soldier Field
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Soldier Field is an American football stadium located in the Near South Side of Chicago, Illinois. It opened in 1924 and is the field of the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. With a football capacity of 61,500, it is the third-smallest stadium in the NFL, Soldier Field was designed in 1919 and opened on October 9,1924, as Municipal Grant Park Stadium. The name was changed to Soldier Field on November 11,1925 and its formal dedication as Soldier Field was on Saturday, November 27,1926, during the 29th annual playing of the Army–Navy Game. Its design is in the Neoclassical style, with Doric columns rising above the East and West entrances, the stadium cost $13 million to construct, a very large sum for a sporting venue at that time. In its earliest configuration, Soldier Field was capable of seating 74,280 spectators and was in the shape of a U. Additional seating could be added along the field, upper promenades and on the large, open field and terrace beyond the north endzone. Soldier Field was used as a site for many sporting events, the Chicago Cardinals used it as their home field for their final season in Chicago in 1959. A dozen years later in September 1971, the Chicago Bears moved in and they had intended to build a stadium in Arlington Heights. In 1978, the Bears and the Chicago Park District agreed to a 20-year lease, both parties pooled their resources for the renovation. The playing surface was AstroTurf from 1971 through 1987, replaced with grass in 1988. In 1989, Soldier Fields future was in jeopardy after a proposal was created for a McDome, which was intended to be a stadium for the Bears. Because of this, Bears president Michael McCaskey considered relocation as a factor for a new stadium. The Bears had also purchased options in Hoffman Estates and Aurora, in 1995, McCaskey announced that he and Northwest Indiana developers agreed to construction of an entertainment complex called Planet Park, which would also include a new stadium. However, the plan was rejected by the Lake County Council, beginning in 1978, the plank seating was replaced by individual seats with backs and armrests. In 1982, a new press box as well as 60 skyboxes were added to the stadium, in 1988,56 more skyboxes were added increasing capacity to 66,946. Capacity was slightly increased to 66,950 in 1992, by 1994, capacity was slightly reduced to 66,944. During the renovation, seating capacity was reduced to 55,701 by building a grandstand in the end of the U shape
8.
National Football League
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The National Football League is a professional American football league consisting of 32 teams, divided equally between the National Football Conference and the American Football Conference. The NFL is one of the four professional sports leagues in North America. The NFLs 17-week regular season runs from the week after Labor Day to the week after Christmas, with each team playing 16 games, the NFL was formed in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association before renaming itself the National Football League for the 1922 season. The NFL agreed to merge with the American Football League in 1966, and the first Super Bowl was held at the end of that season, the merger was completed in 1970. Today, the NFL has the highest average attendance of any sports league in the world and is the most popular sports league in the United States. S. The NFLs executive officer is the commissioner, who has authority in governing the league. The team with the most NFL championships is the Green Bay Packers with thirteen, the current NFL champions are the New England Patriots, who defeated the Atlanta Falcons 34–28 in Super Bowl LI. Another meeting held on September 17,1920 resulted in the renaming of the league to the American Professional Football Association, the league hired Jim Thorpe as its first president, and consisted of 14 teams. Only two of these teams, the Decatur Staleys and the Chicago Cardinals, remain, the first event occurred on September 26,1920 when the Rock Island Independents defeated the non-league St. Paul Ideals 48–0 at Douglas Park. On October 3,1920, the first full week of league play occurred, the following season resulted in the Chicago Staleys controversially winning the title over the Buffalo All-Americans. In 1922, the APFA changed its name to the National Football League, in 1932, the season ended with the Chicago Bears and the Portsmouth Spartans tied for first in the league standings. This method had used since the leagues creation in 1920. The league quickly determined that a game between Chicago and Portsmouth was needed to decide the leagues champion. Playing with altered rules to accommodate the playing field, the Bears won the game 9–0. Fan interest in the de facto championship game led the NFL, beginning in 1933, the 1934 season also marked the first of 12 seasons in which African Americans were absent from the league. The de facto ban was rescinded in 1946, following public pressure, the NFL was always the foremost professional football league in the United States, it nevertheless faced a large number of rival professional leagues through the 1930s and 1940s. Rival leagues included at least three separate American Football Leagues and the All-America Football Conference, on top of regional leagues of varying caliber. Three NFL teams trace their histories to these leagues, including the Los Angeles Rams
9.
Super Bowl XX
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The Bears defeated the Patriots by the score of 46–10, capturing their first NFL championship since 1963, three years prior to the birth of the Super Bowl. Super Bowl XX was played on January 26,1986 at the Louisiana Superdome in New Orleans and this was the first of nine Super Bowl appearances for New England. To date, it is the fourth, and most recent, presently, this would only occur again if the Detroit Lions faced either the Cleveland Browns, Jacksonville Jaguars, or the Houston Texans. The Bears entered the game becoming the second team in NFL history to win 15 regular season games. With their then-revolutionary 46 defense, Chicago led the league in defensive categories, outscored their opponents with a staggering margin of 456–198. The Patriots were considered a Cinderella team during the 1985 season, and posted an 11–5 regular season record, but defying the odds, New England posted three road playoff wins to advance to Super Bowl XX. In their victory over the Patriots, the Bears set or tied Super Bowl records for sacks, fewest rushing yards allowed, and margin of victory. At the time, New England broke the record for the quickest lead in Super Bowl history, Bears defensive end Richard Dent, who had 1.5 quarterback sacks, forced two fumbles, and blocked a pass, was named the games Most Valuable Player. The telecast of the game on NBC was watched by an estimated 92.57 million viewers, to commemorate the 20th Super Bowl, all previous Super Bowl MVPs were honored during the pregame ceremonies. NFL owners awarded the hosting of Super Bowl XX to New Orleans, Louisiana on December 14,1982 and this was the sixth time that New Orleans hosted the Super Bowl. Tulane Stadium was the site of Super Bowls IV, VI, as of 2016, Super Bowl XX remains the last Super Bowl to feature two teams both making their first appearance in the game. It was the fourth overall following Super Bowl I, Super Bowl III, any future Super Bowl that would have such a combination would have to have the Detroit Lions playing either the Cleveland Browns, Houston Texans, or Jacksonville Jaguars in the game. All 16 NFC teams have played in an NFL championship game, the nations recognition of the Bears accomplishment was overshadowed by STS 51-L two days later, an event which caused the cancellation of the Bears post-Super Bowl White House visit. Twenty-five years after the championship, surviving members of the team would be invited to the White House in 2011 by President Barack Obama. The Bears defense, the 46 defense, allowed the fewest points, fewest total yards and they also led the league in interceptions and ranked third in sacks. Pro Bowl quarterback Jim McMahon provided the team with a passing attack, throwing for 2,392 yards and 15 touchdowns, while also rushing for 252 yards. Running back Walter Payton, who was then the NFLs all-time leading rusher with 14,860 yards and he also caught 49 passes for 483 yards, and scored 11 touchdowns. Linebacker Mike Singletary won the NFL Defensive Player of the Year Award by recording three sacks, three fumble recoveries, and one interception, but one of the most distinguishable players on defense was a large rookie lineman named William The Refrigerator Perry
10.
Super Bowl XIX
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The 49ers defeated the Dolphins by the score of 38–16, to win their second Super Bowl. The game was played on January 20,1985, at Stanford Stadium, on the campus of Stanford University in Stanford, California, the game was hyped as the battle between two great quarterbacks, Miamis Dan Marino and San Franciscos Joe Montana. The Dolphins entered their fifth Super Bowl in team history after posting a 14–2 regular season record, the 49ers were making their second Super Bowl appearance after becoming the first team ever to win 15 regular season games since the league expanded to a 16-game schedule in 1978. With Marino and Montana, the became the first Super Bowl in which the starting quarterbacks of each team both threw for over 300 yards. In addition, the two combined for 851 total offensive yards, which at that time was a Super Bowl record. Montana, who was named the Super Bowl MVP, completed 24 of 35 passes for a Super Bowl-record 331 yards and he also broke the Super Bowl record for most rushing yards gained by a quarterback with his 5 rushes for 59 yards and 1 rushing touchdown. This was the first Super Bowl to be televised in the United States by ABC, joining the annual broadcasting rotation of the game with CBS and NBC. It was also the first time that the sitting U. S. president participated in the coin toss ceremony, Ronald Reagan appeared live via satellite from the White House and tossed the coin. Super Bowl XVIII, the previous Super Bowl, and Super Bowl XIX became the time the winning teams have scored the same number of points on consecutive Super Bowls. NFL owners voted to award Super Bowl XIX to Stanford University Stadium in Stanford and it became the fourth primarily college stadium to host a Super Bowl, following Tulane Stadium, then the home of the New Orleans Saints, Rice Stadium and the Rose Bowl. As the Dolphins advanced to the Super Bowl for the time in franchise history, much of the media focus was on Miamis young quarterback. In just his second year in the league, he broke nearly every NFL single-season passing record, Marino set a record for the most completions in a season and became the first quarterback ever to throw for over 5,000 yards, reaching a total of 5,084. He set the record for the most games throwing for at least 300 passing yards, marinos 48 touchdown passes broke the previous record of 36, which was held by both George Blanda for the Houston Oilers in 1961 and Y. A. Tittle for the New York Giants in 1963, and he had the most games with at least 4 or more touchdown passes and the most consecutive games with at least 4 touchdown passes. Thus going into Super Bowl XIX, many sports writers predicted that it would be the first of many Super Bowls that Marino would play in during his career. Marino had an ability to read the defenses quickly before setting up to throw. In addition, he had given to him by an offensive line led by All-Pro center Dwight Stephenson. Coming into Super Bowl XIX, Marino had only been sacked 13 times in the regular season, the Dolphins had a number of offensive threats for Marino to use
11.
Aloha Stadium
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Aloha Stadium is a stadium located in Halawa, Hawaii, a western suburb of Honolulu. It is the largest stadium in the state of Hawaii, Aloha Stadium is home to the University of Hawaiʻi Rainbow Warriors football team. It hosts the NCAAs Hawaii Bowl, and has also been home to the National Football Leagues Pro Bowl since 1980 and it also hosts numerous high school football games during the season, and serves as a venue for large concerts and events. A swap meet in the parking lot every Wednesday, Saturday and Sunday draws large crowds. Aloha Stadium once served as field for the AAA Hawaii Islanders of the Pacific Coast League from 1975 to 1987 before the team moved to Colorado Springs. Before 1975, Honolulus main outdoor stadium had been Honolulu Stadium, however, it had reached the end of its useful life by the 1960s, and was well below the standards for Triple-A baseball. The need for a new stadium was hastened by the Rainbows move to NCAA Division I, located west of downtown Honolulu and two miles north of Honolulu International Airport, Aloha Stadium was constructed in 1975 at a cost of $37 million. The first sporting event ever held at Aloha Stadium was a game played between the University of Hawaii and Texas A&I on September 13,1975. The stadium was somewhat problematic for its primary tenant, the Islanders. It was located in west-central Oahu, far from the Islanders fan base, additionally, while TheBus stopped right at the main gate of Honolulu Stadium, the Aloha Stadium stop was located some distance from the gate. As a result, attendance plummeted and never really recovered—a major factor in the ultimate move to the mainland. Additionally, stadium management initially refused to allow the use of metal spikes, when the Tacoma Twins complied with a parent-club directive to wear the spikes, stadium management turned off the center field lights. After 35 minutes, the umpires forfeited the game to the Twins, the Islanders protested, claiming they had no control over the lights. However, the PCL sided with the Twins, citing a rule that the home team is responsible for providing acceptable playing facilities. As originally built, Aloha Stadium could be reconfigured into various configurations for different sport venues and other purposes. Four movable 7, 000-seat sections, each 3.5 million pounds could move using air casters into a configuration for baseball. In January 2007, the stadium was locked into its football configuration due to cost. There have been numerous discussions with Hawaii lawmakers who are concerned with the condition of the stadium
