2. Tropicana Field – St. Petersburg

Here’s a sure-fire way to get your stadium on this list – have it be a dome in the year 2010. Nothing looks more dated and awful than the “futuristic” domes from the 70’s and 80’s. Most of these guys have gone by the wayside since the era of single-use venues was ushered in.
When one thinks of a “day at the ballpark,” images of sunshine and summer breezes come to mind. Being the only non-retractable dome in all of the MLB, Tropicana field is the only place where you are guaranteed not to experience either of those things. Here’s a decent rule of thumb – if your city is so prone to hot, humid weather and frequent summer thunderstorms, it doesn’t deserve a baseball team.
Beyond the general shittiness of simply being a dome, Tropicana Field falls short in other areas as well, which leads me to the second-fastest way to get your team’s stadium on this list. Have it be woefully empty at all times. Nothing sucks the life out of the sporting experience like a 25% full venue. Not only does it dull the excitement of the event, but empty seats have a way of magnifying the worst flaws of a venue. Stadiums are designed with the assumption that they will be filled. Nobody designs a stadium that is supposed to look good empty.
Couple the barren environment with a horrendous sound system that regularly shrieks with feedback and we’ve got our number two entry on the list.

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