Levi’s Stadium sucks for hockey. I was at the so-called Winter Classic on Feb. 28 along with 70,000 other fans to watch the Sharks and Kings play. The overall experience was a disaster.It wasn’t cold enough for outdoor hockey
Going into the stadium, the temperature was extremely warm,  which took away from the effect of the game being outdoors. The whole point of the stadium series is to relive the classic atmosphere of playing hockey outside. When I went to the third-ever Winter Classic at Fenway Park in 2010, I was buying extra long johns and a sweatshirt just minutes before entering the stadium. At Levi’s, I was wearing a T-shirt and sweating profusely. Blowing cold air into the stadium would have added to the atmosphere, but most Californians laugh at such a crazy thought. However, cold weather is essential to an outdoor game and Levi stadium was lacking even the slightest wind.
The fans were too quiet
With over 70,000 fans attending, the crowd couldn’t have been any quieter. I felt like I was at a wake and patiently waiting for someone to finally wake me up. The fans around me acted like they were watching the game at home on mute and showed no emotion toward each other. At Fenway, I was screaming at the opponent’s fans and shouting obscenities at anyone within 10 feet of me. You could hear chants from all across the stadium. At Levi’s there was no hatred for the other team displayed at all. Angry fans create a competitive atmosphere, especially during hockey games, but not if all the fans keep their mouths shut.
Free Wi-Fi at a sports venue is a bad idea
If you are a fan of hockey and you paid money to see this game, why the hell can’t you put your phone down? Taking pictures and posting them on social media is understandable, but not in the middle of the action. I was not able to use my phone during the game in Boston because I was wearing gloves and constantly worried about getting frostbite. Whether you’re a Kings or Sharks fan, your phone should be in your pocket and your eyes glued to the rink.
Leaving the stadium is an obstacle course
Once you leave the seats, your thoughts of going home need to be put on hold for several hours. The design of the new stadium limits crowds from moving, and the organization near the public transportation stop is beyond awful. Masses line-up to take the bus home, leaving a blob of people in the middle of the pathway for people walking to the many parking lots. With no direction, leaving the stadium was a complete mess and ruined the experience even further.
My last thought is that California should never ever attempt this again.