It’s no secret MetLife Stadium ranks among the worst NFL venues in the league, as players and fans alike have ripped it in the past.
But a recent player poll by The Athletic showed everyone how players really feel about the stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, that’s home to the New York Giants and Jets.
The poll’s results were clear: MetLife is the worst of all NFL stadiums, getting an 18.4% vote when asked to choose the bottom-of-the-barrel venue.
The Washington Commanders’ FedEx Field came in second at 13.9%.
CLICK HERE FOR MORE SPORTS COVERAGE ON FOXNEWS.COM
If the vote wasn’t enough, specific complaints were available as well.
One player said MetLife’s “turf sucks and the whole place is lame,” while another called out the fan base.
“Fans are horrible. Everything about that place is horrible,” the player said.
FROM OUTKICK: JETS AND FALCONS MAKE QUARTERBACK CHANGES WITH TIM BOYLE AND DESMOND RIDDER
First, regarding the turf, MetLife Stadium has notoriously been bad in the eyes of players, especially with the amount of injuries that have occurred on it over the years. Artificial turf instead of real grass has been a hot debate in the NFL, as the former has been studied to have a higher chance of players suffering injury.
The Giants and Jets had a new turf put into the stadium this year after receiving complaints, but there hasn’t been much love for it.
“I foresee a day, my hope is we can get to a day at some point in the future when we can have a grass field that we’re able to maintain with two different teams and all the other events we have,” Giants owner John Mara said during the NFL meetings in March. “I think we can get there at some point. Maybe it’s a hybrid product or something.”
Players were very vocal about changing something heading into the 2023 season after seeing multiple season-ending injuries occur on the field, including Giants wide receiver Sterling Shepard’s torn ACL.
But there’s also the fan experience side of the $1.6 billion stadium that opened in 2010. The Jets have attempted to add different things like fireworks, LED bracelets and more over the years to help engage the fans in the stands, though the Giants have played things more conservative.
However, no matter what teams try to do to boost engagement, fans know MetLife Stadium doesn’t have the wow factor recent new venues like SoFi Stadium in Los Angeles or Allegiant Stadium in Las Vegas can offer.
Players obviously appear to have the same reaction when they’re traveling to play there as well.
Article Source: Sports From Fox News Read More