Football Stadiums (Sports Palaces)
Gr 5-9-An informative look at the economics, design, planning, and history of these popular arenas. Students can learn about architects who specialize in stadiums, model makers, and turf-management people, all of whom are essential in building sports palaces. Owens focuses on the HOK Sports Facilities Group, which designed 30 out of the 32 current pro-football stadiums. There are strong sections on choosing the site on which to build, planning with local government officials, following ADA guidelines, and designing the structures for the fans' comfort and viewing pleasure. The chapters on financing, the role of lobbyists, selling stock, and cities bidding against one another for rights to an NFL team may be building blocks for a unique lesson in economics. The controversy over preserving the past while creating the future is also part of this book. Quotes from players and fans bring a personal touch and an inside look at what a stadium means to people. A short chapter covers the Canadian Football League and alternate sites at which an NFL team may play. Color and black-and-white photographs enliven the presentation. While the immediate audience for this book may be limited to serious sports fans, there is a wealth of interesting turf covered here.-Michael McCullough, Byron-Bergen Middle School, Bergen, NYCopyright 2001 Cahners Business Information, Inc.