For over 50 years, the Buffalo Bills played in the same stadium. With the surging popularity of the franchise amid a seven-year playoff streak, it was finally time for an upgrade.
The Bills debuted the new Highmark Stadium this season, and the reviews have been great. The new $2.2 billion stadium is still in Orchard Park and has added many state-of-the-art features. From heated grass to a canopy roof that helps cover fans from severe weather, the Bills have thought of it all.
There are plenty of teams with newer stadiums around the NFL, but even a New England Patriots legend couldn't deny that the Bills nailed it with Highmark Stadium.
Rob Gronkowski discusses experience at Highmark Stadium
The Bills had to wait until Week 2 against the Detroit Lions to show off the new stadium, but they made sure to bring out some big names. One of the people invited for the first game at Highmark Stadium was legendary Patriots tight end Rob Gronkowski.
He spent years terrorizing the Bills, so he knows the old field well. Even the longtime rival couldn't deny that Highmark Stadium is an impressive structure in a recent interview with FanSided.
"It definitely ranks as one of the top stadiums in the NFL," Gronkowski told FanSided when asked about his experience at Highmark Stadium. "The reason why I love the old stadium was because it felt like a true football atmosphere. Like you're going to battle, you're going to war. The fans are on top of you. Like you're playing the game of football when you step into it, and that was the thing I was scared about with the new stadium, but they hit that feel exactly. It was spot on. A lot of these new stadiums are too gaudy. Like there's too much going on. They're built for entertainment. They're built for concerts as well."
"Well, not with this new stadium, not Highmark. This stadium is top of the line. It feels like a football atmosphere when you come out of the tunnel. You're going to war. The fans are on top of you. It's loud, and that's what you want as a football player to play in a stadium like that. And they did a great job with that, and the fans are wild. They love it. It's a great atmosphere. Spectacular views all around, and they did a good job in Buffalo. There's no doubt about it."
Bills' new Highmark Stadium is exactly the way it should be
The Bills could've easily built a dome with the new stadium. Buffalo is subject to some extreme weather in the winter, which can make it very difficult to play football. However, that's an advantage past teams have had.
Ownership could've easily justified buidling a dome so that they could have concerts and other big shows during the winter. Instead, they decided to embrace tradition and keep the stadium open air. There hasn't been a game played in Highmark Stadium during a snowstorm yet, but it'll be very interesting to see how the new features help combat that being a problem. Regardless, as Gronkowski pointed out, Highmark Stadium was built for football, not entertainment.
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