Blair Kerkhoff had an interesting article in the KC Star about which city—Kansas City or St. Louis, presents the better neutral site atmosphere for football games.
As Kerkhoff points out, there are no better fans to answer this question than Mizzou fans who have witnessed huge games at both venues. Kerkhoff eventually comes to the conclusion that Kansas City has the better football atmosphere and I'd have to say I agree with him.
I didn't make it to Armageddon last year but I was fortunate enough to make it to this year's Arch Rivalry game. I thought the atmosphere was great. Both sides were pretty well represented. I had a blast tailgating and the game was phenomenal. But it seemed as though we were having a great time despite the venue. The Edward Jones Dome doesn't lend itself to a great tailgating atmosphere. We were in a gravel parking lot that wouldn't have had a football atmosphere at all if it weren't for the fans.
Then you have Arrowhead.
Like I said, I didn't make it to Armageddon last year but I'm a big Chiefs fan and was lucky enough to go to a game during the Derrick Thomas Era when Arrowhead was in its tailgating prime. You're probably never going to beat that. That's what football is all about. Green Bay could probably stack up to KC in the football atmosphere department but that's probably the only other city that could even come close. When the Chiefs were a perennial contender you just had a perfect storm of barbecue and football that was the ultimate combination. Oh how I long for those days.
I can only imagine what it was like when you coupled that atmosphere with the Mizzou/Kansas rivalry. That's the other thing KC has going for it (as Kerkhoff acknowledges). Even though the Arch Rivalry has heated up after the BCS fiasco last year, you're never going to match the intensity of the Border War. I mean, you're talking about stuff that goes back to Civil War days.
So when it comes to the StL/KC football atmosphere conversation, I don't think it's even a contest. St. Louis has KC's number when it comes to baseball and beer. But Kansas City has football and BBQ/tailgating.
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Technically, KC owns in Football and Barbecue, St. Louis owns in baseball, and Belgium owns in Beer, if you like Bud Light. For actual Missouri beer, that's going to be Boulevard which is...oh, that's right, another reason KC owns this thing like the turf owns Reesing's face.
KC in a laugher on this one. St. Louis is for shitty art galleries and tiny girl burgers.
I'm a St. Louis guy, but Boulevard > Bud anything. KC BBQ is horribly overrated, though.
I've always hated The Dome, mainly because I've always hated the Rams, but it's really a shitty place to watch a football game. There is no reason to have indoor football in the Midwest, the elements are part of the fun you pussies!
KC for football without a doubt, this coming from an StL guy. Camerohead has the huge tailgate lot, compared to the uppity Landing for StL.
And Arthur Bryants is hands down the best BBQ I've had from a restaraunt.
I'm not sure you can call yourself a fan of BBQ if you don't like KC BBQ. Arthur Bryants is where it's at.
My introduction into BBQ was in Texas and I haven't had any KC BBQ that tops it yet, although I have yet to try Arthur Bryants.
Then I'd argue your BBQ senses are skewed. KC is the home of BBQ.
Perhaps you need to take your BBQ eatin' on the road.
Do the original AB's on Brooklyn/14th (I think). Great, old atmosphere. The Ameristar one has good food, but it's in a damn casino. It is easier to get in and out of compared to the original though.
Super Smokers in StL isn't bad though.
Oh I'm familiar with other regions of the country's BBQ. I'll contend there's no such thing as bad BBQ, but I just like KC's the best. Surprised you don't like it.
And yeah, the ABs downtown is the coolest place in the world to eat. It's nationally renowned, a tourist attraction that has managed to avoid becoming overly commercialized.
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