The Coolest Stadium Features in the NFL

Football fans are a sophisticated lot. There was a time when, if a fan had a ticket for a football game and found that his seat was not behind one of the support beams in the stadium, he was in heaven because he had a clear view of the game.

But that hasn't been good enough for a long time, and there are few stadiums that have those obstructed-view seats anymore. When fans attend a football game in person, they want a superb experience, and NFL teams are making sure they get it.

It has nothing to do with the team's owners wanting to make the fans happy—no matter what they say. It's simple, because fans can see the game clearly and have all the great food they want if they watch the game from home on their big-screen televisions.

NFL teams knew they had to up their games to make sure fans kept coming out to the stadium. As a result, they have delivered some very cool features to their stadium facilities.

Here's a look at the coolest.

7. Ford Field, Detroit Lions

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The Lions understand the kind of challenge they are up against.

While they made the playoffs in 2014, they have been a struggling team for many years, and it's just as easy for their fans to stay home and watch NFL football on television in their living room or family room.

So what have the Lions done? They have given their fans a "living room" experience when they come to plush Ford Field. 

In addition to serving the local cuisine found in surrounding Greek Town, Ford Field features comfortable lounges that house many local Michigan craft beers. So, even if the Lions are not playing spectacular football, fans can enjoy the best of the local beers in a comfortable environment.

6. Lucas Oil Stadium, Indianapolis Colts

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Lucas Oil Stadium is a remarkable bit of architecture, and those in attendance recognize what an intimate setting it is for an NFL game.

The glass window wall gives fans an opportunity to look out at downtown Indianapolis and the retractable roof allows fans to watch the game in comfort in rain, snow or otherwise-awful weather.

The seats are some of the widest and most comfortable in the league, and nearly every one of those seats is angled properly to give fans a superb view of the field.

This is a stadium that was created with thought and creativity, and Indianapolis fans are the beneficiaries.

5. Arrowhead Stadium, Kansas City Chiefs

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The Kansas City Chiefs fans have one of the best and most complete game-day experiences of any fans in the NFL.

Start off with the city's reputation for barbecue, and then cruise the parking lot prior to the game. It's a smorgasbord of culinary creations, and while ribs may be the meal of choice for most, you can get anything at a Chiefs' tailgate party.

Chiefs fans know their American Football League roots, and they can celebrate the franchise's glory days any time they want by heading to Arrowhead Stadium's Chiefs Hall of Honor. That feature looks back on the team's greatest years and performances with reverence.

The Chiefs represented the AFL in Super Bowl I against the Green Bay Packers and then defeated the Minnesota Vikings in Super Bowl IV, when they were coached by Hank Stram and led by legendary quarterback Len Dawson. Fans can see all the details from those teams in the Hall of Honor.

The sight lines at Arrowhead are brilliant, and it is also one of the loudest outdoor stadiums in the league.

4. Levi's Stadium, San Francisco 49ers

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Levi's Stadium opened in 2014 after the 49ers had played at Candlestick Park—later called 3Com Park at Candlestick Point and Monster Park—from 1971 through 2013.

With a stadium that is not far from the heart of Silicon Valley in Santa Clara, it is no surprise that the 49ers have the most technologically advanced stadium in the league. For example, say you want a beer as you're watching the game, but you don't want to get out of your seat because you don't want to miss any action.

You don't have to. Download the Levi's Stadium app and you can get your beer delivered along with anything else you want to eat or drink.

There are many distractions, and it seems like there are a lot of fans who attend who may be interested in things like the Art Collection and not watching the Niners. You can go to lounges that allow you to watch every other NFL game being played.

The 49ers have their own museum that features the great teams of the past. Fans can see all of the highlights from the Bill Walsh-Joe Montana era, and that's certainly a lot more pleasant than the team's performance in the last two years.

3. AT&T Stadium, Dallas Cowboys

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AT&T Stadium is the flashiest stadium in the NFL, and perhaps the world.

Cowboys owner Jerry Jones built the grandest stadium in the league at a cost of $1.3 billion, and it lives up to the hackneyed expression that "everything is bigger in Texas."

The stadium expands to hold 100,000 fans—with a listed seating capacity of 80,000— but there are a number of college stadiums that can also say that. However, "Jerry World" is not a college stadium. This behemoth features a huge HD Jumbotron that stretches between the 20-yard lines.

It also has a retractable roof, field-level luxury boxes and a Dallas Cowboys Hall of Fame.

2. CenturyLink Field, Seattle Seahawks

CenturyLink Field is the loudest venue in the NFL. While they may make a lot of noise in Kansas City or Denver, and those stadiums may be able to challenge when measurements are taken on the decibel meter, the Seattle Seahawks fans at CenturyLink Field make the most noise of any group in the NFL when it comes to staying loud from beginning to end in a football game.

In addition to the decibel level, the view from the field and the Pacific Northwest is spectacular. The stadium is right in the middle of the popular SoDo district of Seattle, and the facility is simply a perfect fit for the city.

The design of the stadium is also quite unique. It appears as if the game is being played between two towers that rise up from either sideline, making it perhaps the most intimidating stadium for visitors to play in.

1. Lambeau Field, Green Bay Packers

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There are stadiums that are bigger. There are stadiums that are louder. There are stadiums that have more modern-creature comforts. But there are no stadiums that are cooler than Lambeau Field in Green Bay.

The Green Bay Packers are one of the oldest franchises in the league, and the Packers may be from the smallest city in American sports, but they have a huge tradition.

The Packers are all about the history of the game. The great Green Bay teams of the 1960s, coached by Vince Lombardi, are still thought of as some of the best teams in NFL history.

Lambeau Field is all about history. When you walk down Lombardi Avenue to get to the stadium or visit the Packers Hall of Fame, you know you are in a place that is all football.

Every seat is a good one, and it ranks with Fenway Park and Wrigley Field as the most intimate stadiums in all of American sports.

It is not fancy, but it is a memorable and cool experience for any fan.