It is the end of an era in Pittsburgh, as the venue formerly known as Heinz Field overnight removed one of the more iconic features of their stadium.
Since the ground opened in 2001, a pair of massive Heinz Ketchup bottles sat atop the scoreboard at the river end of the stadium as a part of the naming rights deal with the condiment company.
However with the recently announced new name for the venue of Acrisure Stadium, the sauce bottles have been taken down.
Whether they wind up on eBay, Facebook Marketplace or another resale site, they will be remembered as a part of the ground and Pittsburgh sporting history.
Plenty of stadiums around the world have iconic features and we’re taking you on a tour of some of the best.
Ballymore’s Hill
Another iconic Aussie sporting feature that has been lost to the redevelopment is the hill at Ballymore.
Packed out by the rowdy fans of the Queensland Reds when they played out of the Herston venue, The Hill was the place to be on a Saturday night in the early days of Super Rugby.
However with the venue undergoing a massive redevelopment ahead of the 2027 Rugby World Cup in Brisbane and the presence of Suncorp Stadium, Ballymore is going to look a lot different in its new primary function of a high performance centre.
Central Coast Stadium’s Palm Trees
On gameday for the Central Coast Mariners, the Gosford stadium has its own, Masterfoods sauce bottles in mascot suits but the one mainstay regardless of the sport is the palm trees at one end of the ground.
Not to mention the spectacular view of the water beyond that too.
Adelaide Oval’s Scoreboard
While the ground itself underwent a massive redevelopment, one thing they had to keep from the Adelaide Oval was its manually operated scoreboard.
And doesn’t it just look excellent.
SCG’s Yabba Statue
A recent addition to the SCG but one with an entertaining history behind it nonetheless.
In the early part of the 20th century, Stephen Gascoigne, otherwise known as Yabba was a heckler who set up station on the hill of the SCG and gave it to opposing players.
While there are a few excellent lines to choose from, his best might have been directed at English captain Douglas Jardine, “Leave our flies alone… they’re the only friends you’ve got here.”
For pearlers like that, Yabba was immortalised with a statue in his traditional heckling pose.
Wembley’s Arch
The original iteration of Wembley, built in 1923 had many iconic features that made it special, including the Twin Towers at the entry from the Wembley Park tube station and the 39 steps to the royal box.
However the new version (opened in 2007) is famous for its massive arch over the stands and playing surface.
At night the arch will be lit up in the colours of whatever relevant event is coming up, be it an English national team match, a concert or even the winning side in an FA Cup final.
Anfield’s The Kop
It’s not a true staple, but The Kop in full voice at a Liverpool home game is a sight to behold.
The home end was buzzing after the Reds Champions League comeback win over Barcelona in 2019 and gave us one of the best footballing sights you will see.
Signal Iduna Park’s Yellow Wall
One of the few home supporters sections to rival Liverpool, 25000 fans, usually decked out in yellow fill out Borussia Dortmund’s home grounds and create an intimidating atmosphere.
Bayern Munich’s Bastian Schweinsteiger once said that out of every aspect of a visit to Signal Iduna Park, the element he hated facing the most was not the coaching staff or players, but the fans.
It’s easy to see why.
Even when playing in front of empty stands over the last few seasons, Dortmund still saluted the Yellow Wall.
Raymond James Stadium’s Pirate Ship
The home of a team nicknamed the Buccaneers had to have a 31 metre pirate ship at one end of the stadium, right?
With cannons that fire after every Tampa Bay touchdown (and there have been a few since that Brady guy showed up), they certainly bring a unique aspect to a Bucs home game.
TIAA Bank Field’s Pool
It’s Florida, it’s hot so why not cool off by watching the Jaguars in a pool?
Admittedly that price tag sounds pretty steep to have to sit through an entire Jags game over the last few but maybe you can keep busy by playing Marco Polo?
Mile High Field’s Bucky the Bronco Statute
A staple of the old Mile High Stadium, the statue of Bucky the Bronco moved over to the new venue when it opened and still sits atop the scoreboard to this day.
Gillette Stadium’s Lighthouse
Opened in 2002, the home of the New England Patriots and Revolution was headlined by a massive lighthouse and bridge at the northern end of the stadium, with a fog horn also used during games.
It will look a bit different going forward however with renovations currently in progress and the lighthouse being taken down for the 2022 NFL season.
Once it’s done though, we will have another lighthouse located in the middle of the coon to be closed off end of the stadium.
LA Coliseum’s Cauldron
Built for the Olympics in 1932, the façade of the Cauldron with the torch still remains at this iconic Los Angeles venue, no matter what sporting event is taking place there.
Albertsons Stadium’s Blue Field
Dipping into the college ranks here, but the artificial surface at the home of Boise State is a near perfect match for the college’s home uniforms.
It has confused some of the local wildlife however.
Nationwide Arena’s Cannon
Whenever the Columbus Blue Jackets score a goal, the cannon inside the arena goes off which is certainly something unique when watching the NHL in Ohio.
New signing Johnny Gaudreau is going to have to get used to it every time he scores for his new team, which will probably be quite often.
Fenway Park’s Green Monster & Red Seat
The dirty little secret about Fenway Park is that in spite of its history and novelty, the place is actually kind of a dump.
However with features like the Green Monster, it will always hold a special place amongst the Red Sox fan base.
Then there’s this one chair that stands out in right field.
Kauffman Stadium’s Water Fountain
You may not want to go to see the Royals play at home because of this water feature but if you do make your way to the Midwest, it will be well worth it, especially if it looks like this.
It isn’t a foolproof system however…
Comerica Park’s Merry Go Round and Ferris Wheel
You may start to see a bit of a theme here amongst the baseball stadiums, in that they tend to have extra features to keep you engaged during the game.
After all, baseball is a slow sport, but who would turn down the chance to go on a baseball styled ferris wheel during the seventh inning stretch?
If that isn’t your style, then there’s always a merry go round (or carousel as the locals say).
Wrigley Field’s Outfield Ivy
Some baseball teams decorate their walls with sponsors logo, but the Chicago Cubs opted to plant ivy in the 1930’s and, well it’s still there!
At least it offers some cushioning from the bricks behind it when a player runs into it now.
Minute Maid Park’s Train
Yep, there’s a novelty train at the baseball stadium in Houston, on tracks, and it actually moves after someone hits a home run.
American Family Field’s Slide
Saving the best till last, the Milwaukee Brewers have a freaking slide in their ball park!
The good news is that it is not just the exclusive domain of the mascot Bernie and fans can buy their way onto the slide before home games.