A Place Apart, by Tom Griffin & Jon Marmor

HUSKY STADIUM

Husky Stadium. Click photo to enlarge.


Aerial photo by Mary Levin. Click photo to enlarge.
Every time I walk or drive by Husky Stadium, I have to look ... I just have to. Sports stadiums always have been magnets for my attention, especially those with the history and grandeur of the home of the Dawgs. For one thing, the setting is mesmerizing, with its signature view of Lake Washington and Mount Rainier from the north stands. But there's much more to it than the eye-catching appeal of the place, the cantilevered roofs and the oversized, corkscrew, concrete walkways. For this, as we all know, is a cathedral of football excellence, where the Huskies routinely run roughshod over their opponents (winning 61 of their past 70 games there and going 326-133-21 since play in Husky Stadium started in 1920 with a rare home loss to Dartmouth, of all teams). The stadium—routinely voted the most scenic football structure in the nation—is also an ear doctor's dream. The 72,500 fans (it is always full) create enough noise to not only make it impossible for the Huskies' opponents to hear themselves think—but also inflict pain and suffering on any and all eardrums inside the stadium. (In fact, the audible mayhem once was clocked at a headache-inducing 135 decibels in one ESPN measurement.) And why not? The memorable games and players that made their mark on Husky Stadium—from George Wilson to Hugh McElhenny to Steve Emtman to Marques Tuiasosopo—have left behind a loud legacy.—Jon Marmor


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