Home Sweet Home
Among all the excitement of Kickoff Weekend, the Giants and Jets open the New Meadowlands Stadium while the Chiefs will show off the renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Here's a look at all of the stadiums that these three storied franchises have called home over the years.
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The Kansas City Chiefs are also opening a fully renovated Arrowhead Stadium. Beginning in 2007, the team infused $375 million into improvements to the 38-year old venue. The many updates to the stadium include new field suites and box seats, increased concourse space for fans, enhanced stadium technology and a Founder's Plaza recognizing Hall of Famer Lamar Hunt's numerous innovations and American Football League legacy.
As these three teams set to kick off their season in new digs, here's a look at all the stadiums in which the franchises have played.
Kansas City Chiefs
Team was founded as the Dallas Texans on August 15, 1959 and began play during the 1960 season. The franchise relocated to Kansas City before the 1963 season.
First Stadium: Cotton Bowl
Location: Texas State Fairgrounds - Dallas, Texas
Dates of Use: 1960-62
Capacity: 75,504
Notes: The Cotton Bowl was opened in 1932. An upper deck was added in 1948-49. The Texans shared the stadium with the NFL's expansion Dallas Cowboys. After the Texans relocated to Kansas City, the Cowboys continued to use the stadium through the 1970 season. The Texans' first game in the Cotton Bowl was a 17-10 victory over the Los Angeles Chargers on Sept. 25, 1960.
Second Stadium: Municipal Stadium
Location: 22nd and Brooklyn - Kansas City, Missouri
Dates of Use: 1963-1971
Capacity: 49,002
Notes: Municipal Stadium served as the Chiefs original home in Kansas City after previously housing two short-lived NFL franchises, the Kansas City Blues (1924) and the Kansas City Cowboys (1925-26). The last football game ever played in the stadium was the Chiefs' 27-24 double-overtime playoff loss to the Miami Dolphins on Christmas Day, 1971. The contest which lasted 82 minutes and 40 seconds is the longest in NFL history.
Third Stadium: Arrowhead Stadium
Location: One Arrowhead Drive - Kansas City, Missouri
Dates of Use: 1972-Present
Capacity: 76,416 approx. (Present)
Notes: Arrowhead Stadium underwent a $375 million renovation project that was fully completed in 2010. It is part of the Harry S. Truman Sports Complex, which also includes the 42,000-seat Kauffman Stadium, home of Major League Baseball's Kansas City Royals. Since the stadium's original dedication on August 12, 1972, more that 22 million fans have attended Chiefs games.
New York Giants
Team was founded on Aug. 1, 1925 and began play that season.
{GALLERY}First Stadium: Polo Grounds
Location: Eighth Ave., West 157th Street in Manhattan
Dates of Use: 1925-1955
Capacity: 52,000
Notes: The stadium, as the name suggests, was originally built for the sport of polo. The Polo Grounds also served as the host for the New York Giants (1921); the New York Bulldogs (1949); and the New York Titans/Jets (1960-63). The Giants shared the Polo Grounds with the New York Baseball Giants from the time they entered the league in 1925 until 1955. The Giants' first home game was a 14-0 loss to the Frankford Yellow Jackets on Oct. 18, 1925. The last contest played by the team in the venue ended in a 35-35 tie against the Cleveland Browns on Nov. 27, 1955.
Second Stadium: Yankee Stadium
Location: East 161st Street, Ruppert Place in the Bronx
Dates of Use: 1956-Sept. 23, 1973
Capacity: 62,892
Notes: The Giants opened their first season at Yankee Stadium with a bang as the team went on to win the NFL championship. Yankee Stadium also served as the home for the AFL New York Yankees (1926); NFL New York Yankees (1927-28); AAFC New York Yankees (1946-49); and the New York Yanks (1950-51). The city of New York announced that Yankee Stadium was planning a two-year renovation after the 1973 baseball season. The Giants were allowed to play their first two games of the 1973 season at Yankee Stadium before moving to a new location. Yankee Stadium served as the home for one of pro football's most famous games, the 1958 NFL Championship Game.
Third Stadium: Yale Bowl
Location: Chapel Street, Yale Avenue – Yale University Campus
Dates of Use: 1973-74
Capacity: 70,896
Notes: When the Giants were forced to leave Yankee Stadium, the team's first choice was the Yale Bowl, but the venue's representatives turned down the team's request because it would have meant a blackout for the local broadcasts due to the blackout rule. The Giants' next choice was to play at Princeton University, but they also turned down the Giants. Things were so bad that when the league announced the 1973 schedule, it didn't even indicate where the games would be played. In light of the Giants' problems, Commissioner Pete Rozelle, with the help from national politicians, modified the blackout rule. The change alleviated the concerns of Yale officials who then welcomed the Giants to play at their stadium.
Fourth Stadium: Shea Stadium
Location: 126th Street, Whitestone Expressway - Flushing Meadow, New York
Dates of Use: 1975
Capacity: 52,000
Notes: Shea Stadium was used by the Giants for only one season (1975). That year the team compiled a 5-9 record and a meager 2-5 record at home. The Giants' co-habitants, the New York Jets, fared even worse as they registered a dreadful 1-6 home record.
Fifth Stadium: Giants Stadium
Location: Route 20, New Jersey Turnpike - East Rutherford, New Jersey adjacent to Meadowlands Racetrack
Dates of Use: 1976-2009
Capacity: 80,242 (2009)
Notes: The site upon which the stadium sat was a former Revolutionary War battle ground and later a pig farm. The Giants played the first four games of the 1976 season on the road just in case there were any delays with the opening of the new stadium. The team's debut at Giants Stadium was a 24-14 loss to the Dallas Cowboys on Oct. 10, 1976.
New York Jets
Team was founded as the New York Titans on August 14, 1959 and began play during the 1960 season. The team changed its nickname to the Jets before the 1963 season.
First Stadium: Polo Grounds
Location: Eighth Ave., West 157th Street in Manhattan
Dates of Use: 1960-63
Capacity: 52,000
Notes: The stadium, as the name suggests, was originally built for the sport of Polo. The Polo Grounds also served as the host for the New York Giants (1921); New York Giants (1925-1955); and the New York Bulldogs (1949). The Titans first game in the Polo Grounds was a 27-3 victory over the Buffalo Bills in front of a crowd of 10,250 spectators on Sept. 11, 1960
Second Stadium: Shea Stadium
Location: 126th Street, Whitestone Expressway - Flushing Meadow, New York
Dates of Use: 1964-1983
Capacity: 52,000
Notes: The stadium was built for approximately $24 million. Aside from serving as the Jets home as well as the New York Giants for one season in 1975, the stadium served as a venue for the Beatles first major tour in 1965 and a visit by Pope John Paul II in 1979.
Third Stadium: Giants Stadium
Location: Route 20, New Jersey Turnpike - East Rutherford, New Jersey adjacent to Meadowlands Racetrack
Dates of Use: 1984-2009
Capacity: 80,242 (2009)
Notes: The stadium cost approximately $340 million to build. The Jets first game in the stadium was a 23-17 loss to the Pittsburgh Steelers on Sept. 6, 1984. The team's last game was a 37-0 victory over the Cincinnati Bengals on Jan. 2, 2010. The victory enabled the Jets to enter that season's playoffs.
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