1.) Outfield Seating (Very Possible)- The Chiefs have improved on getting seats filled in the ballpark. However, the outfield is extremely unappealing to the eye. The vacant lot, some trees, and the train tracks leave a lot to ask for. If the team wants to sell more tickets and offer the fans a better gameday experience, putting some stands behind the outfield could be a huge fix. It would cover up the bland setting, increase stadium capacity, and allow more fans to get up close to the action. Plus, home-run balls would finally be caught instead of ending up in no man's land.
2.) A Better Fun Park (Moderate Possibility)- Not everyone comes to the ballpark for just the games. Some people like baseball but want outside entertainment as well. Especially children. They want some fun and activity during the games. Right now, the Chiefs have some inflatable bounce houses and carnival games behind the right field wall for kids. It's something, but nothing unique. Altoona has a roller coaster, Louisville has a merry-go-round, Milwaukee has the giant slide, several parks have pools, and Houston has a working train. With all the tracks around the stadium, some type of train that takes action with scoring and home-runs would be cool. Expensive, that too. However, getting some sort of actual carnival ride or even a pool for our scorching and humid summer days would make fans of all ages very happy.
3.) More Local (Very Possible)- Not too long ago, some local companies had stands at the game. The most notable were Hoffmans, Carvel, and Byrne Dairy. However, they left and have been replaced with Ovations. Yes, the local products are still at the games, but it's negative to see them prepared by a national company. The Chiefs would do some good by bringing back the Hoffmans stand and the Byrne Dairy stand. That way, the Chiefs benefit themselves and the locals profit as well. The Buffalo Bills just made Dinosaur BBQ their official BBQ and will have an exclusive Dino stand at their stadium, why can't the Chiefs do the same with them or another local brand?
4.) Repaint and Redecorate (Moderate)- The stadium is clean and looks pretty good. However, it doesn't scream different and wow. Especially being off to the side in Syracuse, it needs to pop out more and catch attention easily. The white color of the stadium structure is nice, but maybe changing the color would liven it up. Outside the stadium, the team should so a repaint but also add some extras to really make it looks nice. I say adding some statues of notable Chiefs Wall of Famers around the front of the ballpark area or putting some large player or action photos up would be nice to see. The photos would also be cool to see around the inside the stadium or hung on the 200 Level railings. Even painting the seats with more than the blue color would be cool. Maybe add white and red to make it match with the Nationals or just be patriotic.
With some improvements, NBT Bank Stadium can become one of the amazing ballparks in the country. More people will be happy to come to the stadium and have a good time rooting on the Chiefs. Also, it would possibly lead to the Chiefs hosting an All-Star game in the coming years. No matter, I trust in Smorol and his staff. They will make the stadium wonderful and continue to bolster the team and the organization for years to come.
What do you think? Any suggestions or ideas? Don't be afraid to comment or voice your opinions!
Thanks/Credits:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Peoples_Natural_Gas_Field
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Louisville_Slugger_Field
http://www.syracuse.com/poliquin/index.ssf/2015/07/nbt_bank_stadium_pros_cons_downtown_location_reader_emails.html