Giants Stadium is a
multi-purpose stadiumMulti-purpose stadiums are a type of stadium designed for use by multiple teams playing baseball, American football, soccer, and, in some cases, basketball and ice hockey or other sports...
located in
East Rutherford, New JerseyEast Rutherford is a borough in Bergen County, New Jersey. As of the United States 2000 Census, the borough population was 8,716. It is an inner-ring suburb of New York City, located 7 miles west of Midtown Manhattan....
, USA, in the
Meadowlands Sports ComplexThe Meadowlands Sports Complex is a sports and entertainment facility located in East Rutherford, New Jersey, USA, owned and operated by the New Jersey Sports and Exposition Authority...
. It primarily serves as the home
stadiumA modern stadium is a place, or venue, for outdoor sports, concerts or other events, consisting of a field or stage partly or completely surrounded by a structure designed to allow spectators to stand or sit and view the event.-History of the stadium:The word originates from the Greek word...
for the
New York GiantsThe New York Giants are a professional American football team based in East Rutherford, New Jersey. The team plays its home games at Giants Stadium, which also serves as its headquarters, and trains at an adjacent practice facility within the Meadowlands Sports Complex...
and
New York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the Northeastern New Jersey part of the tri-state New York metropolitan area. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays its home games in East...
American footballAmerican football, known in the United States and Canada simply as football, and often as Gridiron or Tackle football outside North America, is a competitive team sport known for combining strategy with physical play. The objective of the game is to score points by advancing the ball into the...
teams of the
NFLThe National Football League is the largest professional American football league in the world. It was formed by eleven teams in 1920 as the American Professional Football Association, with the league changing its name to the National Football League in 1922. The league currently consists of...
, and the New York Red Bulls soccer team of
MLSMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation . The league comprises 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada...
. Maximum
seating capacitySeating capacity refers to the number of people who can be seated in a specific space, either in terms of the physical space available, or in terms of limitations set by law. Seating capacity can be used in the description of anything ranging from an automobile that seats two to a stadium that...
is 78,741, making it the third-largest NFL stadium behind FedEx Field and the brand-new Cowboys Stadium. It is also the ninth-oldest stadium used by an NFL team. Giants Stadium will be closed and demolished in 2010 when the new Meadowlands Stadium opens.
The stadium is located at State Route 120 and State Route 3 (which is accessed from
Midtown ManhattanMidtown Manhattan, or simply Midtown, is an area of Manhattan, New York City home to world-famous commercial zones such as Rockefeller Center, Broadway, and Times Square...
via the
Lincoln TunnelThe Lincoln Tunnel is a 1.5 mile long tunnel under the Hudson River, connecting Weehawken, New Jersey and the borough of Manhattan in New York City.-History:...
). The
New Jersey TurnpikeThe New Jersey Turnpike is a toll road in New Jersey and is one of the most heavily traveled highways in the United States...
is also close by. It is also accessible by rail via
New Jersey Transit'sThe New Jersey Transit Corporation is a statewide public transportation system serving the state of New Jersey, United States, and Orange and Rockland counties in New York...
Meadowlands StationMeadowlands Sports Complex Station, or Meadowlands Station, is New Jersey Transit train station that is the western teminus for the Meadowlands Rail Line located at the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey....
, but only for events when more than 50,000 attendees are expected.
History
Giants Stadium was the first
major leagueMajor League or major league, first coined by Major League Baseball, can refer to a number of things.-Team sports:* Major League Baseball, the highest level of play in professional baseball in North America....
sporting venue in
New JerseyNew Jersey is a state in the Mid-Atlantic region of the United States. It is bordered on the north by New York, and to the east by the Hudson River, Upper New York Bay, the Kill Van Kull, Newark Bay, the Arthur Kill, Raritan Bay, Sandy Hook Bay, Westchester County, New York City, Long Island, and...
(though the Brooklyn Dodgers had played some home games in Jersey City in 1957), and its success, along with that of the Giants in the 1980s was a major impetus behind increased pride and enthusiasm among New Jersey residents.
The Jets officially refer to the site as simply
The Meadowlands, as do all official NFL and team game notes regarding Jets home games.
First year in business
Giants Stadium opened on October 10, 1976, as 76,042 fans witnessed a loss by the Giants to the
Dallas CowboysThe Dallas Cowboys are a professional American football team that plays in the Eastern Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League . They are headquartered in suburban Irving, Texas, which lies between Fort Worth and Dallas...
.
College footballCollege football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...
made its debut at Giants Stadium on October 23, 1976, with
Rutgers UniversityThe Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
defeating
ColumbiaThe Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M...
47–0.
The New York Giants played their first home opener in the stadium on September 25 of the
1977 seasonThe 1977 NFL season was the 58th regular season of the National Football League. The Seattle Seahawks were placed in the AFC West while the Tampa Bay Buccaneers were slotted in the NFC Central....
(a 20–12 loss to the
Baltimore ColtsThe Indianapolis Colts are a professional American football team based in Indianapolis, Indiana. They are members of the South Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League ....
).
Other pro football teams that have used Giants Stadium
Other professional football teams that have called Giants Stadium home over the years include the
New Jersey GeneralsThe New Jersey Generals were a franchise of the United States Football League established in 1982 to begin play in the spring and summer of 1983. The team played three seasons from 1983-85, winning 31 regular-season games and losing 25 while going 0-2 in postseason competition...
of the USFL; the
New York/New Jersey KnightsNew York-New Jersey Knights was a franchise in the World League of American Football for the 1991 and 1992 seasons. They played in the North American East division, which they won in the 1991 season. They were coached by Mouse Davis, an architect of the Run & Shoot offense.After 1992 the NFL ...
of the
World League of American FootballThe World League of American Football was founded in 1990 with support from the National Football League to play professional American football in North America, Europe and later possibly Asia...
; and the
New York/New Jersey HitmenThe New York/New Jersey Hitmen were a short-lived American football team based in the Giants Stadium of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey....
of the
XFLThe XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, better known as the owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment...
.
In the first game of the
2005 seasonThe 2005 season of the National Football League was the 86th season played by the major professional American football league in the United States. With the New England Patriots as the defending league champions, regular season play was held from September 8, 2005 to January 1, 2006...
, the
New Orleans SaintsThe 2005 New Orleans Saints season began with the season trying to improve from their 8-8 record from 2004. The Saints played 2 pre-season games in the Louisiana Superdome before being forced to evacuate New Orleans due to Hurricane Katrina...
used the stadium for a "home" game against the Giants because of extensive damage to the
Louisiana SuperdomeThe Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana...
after
Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
.
College football games
The stadium has also hosted numerous college football games, including the
Garden State BowlThe Garden State Bowl was an annual post-season college football bowl game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey, from 1978-1981...
from 1978–1981; the
Kickoff ClassicThe Kickoff Classic was a season-opening college football game played at Giants Stadium in East Rutherford, New Jersey from 1983 to 2002.-History:...
from 1983 to 2002; the New York Urban League Classic since 1981; a number of Rutgers homes games (including all their home games during the
1993 seasonThe 1993 NCAA Division I-A football season saw Florida State crowned National Champions, but not without controversy.Under the Bowl Coalition, undefeated Big 8 champ and #2 ranked Nebraska hosted ACC champ and #1 ranked Florida State in the Orange Bowl...
); several
Notre DameNotre Dame Fighting Irish football team is the football team of the University of Notre Dame in Indiana, USA. The team competes as an Independent at the NCAA Football Bowl Subdivision level. The current head coach is Charlie Weis....
–
NavyThe Navy Midshipmen football team represents the United States Naval Academy in NCAA Division I-A college football. They are a Division I Football Bowl Subdivision independent school and coached by Ken Niumatalolo since December 2007...
and Notre Dame–
ArmyThe Army Black Knights football program represents the United States Military Academy. Army was recognized as the national champions in 1914, 1944, and 1945...
games; and the Army–Navy Game on three occasions, most recently in
2002The 2002 NCAA Division I-A football season ended the season with what most consider an exciting double overtime national championship game. Ohio State and Miami both came into the Fiesta Bowl undefeated. The underdog Buckeyes defeated the Hurricanes 31–24, ending Miami's 34 game winning...
.
SyracuseThe Syracuse Orange football program is a college football team that represents Syracuse University. The team is a member of the Big East Conference, which is a National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I conference that is part of the Football Bowl Subdivision. The program has one...
also played two home games at Giants Stadium during the
1979 seasonThe 1979 NCAA Division I-A football season saw the Alabama Crimson Tide bring home a national title with a perfect 12-0 season. The title was Alabama's 11th claimed, though the number is disputed. It was their 6th Associated Press awarded title....
, against
West VirginiaThe West Virginia Mountaineers football team represents West Virginia University in the NCAA FBS division of college football. The Mountaineers head coach as of 2008 is Bill Stewart, who is the team's 32nd head coach.-History:...
and Penn State, while the
Carrier DomeThe Carrier Dome is a 49,250-seat domed sports stadium located on the campus of Syracuse University in the University Hill neighborhood of Syracuse, New York, USA. It is home to the Syracuse Orange football, basketball, and lacrosse teams. High school football championships are also held in "The...
was under construction. Columbia also played some home games at Giants Stadium in
1983The 1983 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the University of Miami winning their first national championship over perennial power Nebraska in the Orange Bowl....
, due to construction at its home stadium.
TempleThe Temple Owls football team participates in the NCAA's Division I Football Bowl Subdivision as a member of the East Division of the Mid-American Conference . Temple is a football only affiliate of the MAC because their primary conference, the Atlantic Ten Conference, does not currently sponsor a...
, needing a home field due to a schedule conflict with
Veterans StadiumPhiladelphia Veterans Stadium was a professional sports facility located at the northeast corner of Broad Street and Pattison Avenue in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania as part of the South Philadelphia Sports Complex...
in Philadelphia, used Giants Stadium as their home field versus
Penn StatePenn State Nittany Lions football is a college football program from Penn State. It competes in the NCAA Division I Football Bowl Subdivision and the Big Ten Conference. It is one of the most tradition-rich and storied college football programs in the nation...
in September
1996The 1996 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with the Florida Gators crowned National Champions, but not as unanimously as the Bowl Alliance would have hoped....
.
PrincetonThe Princeton Tigers are the athletic teams of the Princeton University. The school sponsors 31 varsity sports. The school has won one NCAA national championships in men's fencing, six in men's lacrosse, three in women's lacrosse, and eight in men's golf....
also played one home game at Giants Stadium (against Yale) during the construction of Princeton's new stadium in
1997The 1997 NCAA Division I-A football season ended with a split championship for the third time in the 1990s. It was the final year under the predecessor to the Bowl Championship Series, the Bowl Alliance system...
.
New Jersey high school football finals
From its opening until 2000 (coinciding with the installation of grass) and again from 2003 to the present (coinciding with the installation of the
FieldTurfFieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Peachtree City, Georgia. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
surface), Giants Stadium has been host to six championship games in the New Jersey state football playoffs. The games are held in early December over two days, the first Friday and Saturday of the month, with a doubleheader on Friday and a quadrupleheader on Saturday. As is the case at the other large neutral site venue the state uses (
Rutgers StadiumRutgers Stadium is the home stadium for the football program at Rutgers, The State University of New Jersey. It is located in the Busch Campus of Rutgers University in Piscataway, New Jersey, USA, and overlooks the Raritan River. Rutgers Stadium was opened on 3 September 1994 when the Rutgers...
), it is not determined who plays at Giants Stadium until after the final matchups are set and the combined distances of the schools are calculated. (It should be noted that Giants Stadium and Rutgers Stadium are the only two venues where the state holds multiple games on championship weekend; in certain cases the state either holds games at other neutral sites or has the finalists play at the home stadium of the higher seeded finalist.)
Soccer at Giants Stadium
The
New York CosmosThe New York Cosmos , known simply as the Cosmos for the 1977 and 1978 seasons, was a soccer franchise based in New York City and its suburbs that operated in the North American Soccer League from 1971 to 1984. Founded by brothers Ahmet and Nesuhi Ertegün as well as Warner Bros...
of the
North American Soccer LeagueNorth American Soccer League was a professional soccer league with teams in the United States and Canada that operated from 1968 to 1984.-History:...
moved to Giants Stadium for the 1977 season and remained until the league folded in 1985.
Seven games of the
1994 FIFA World CupThe 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as hosts by FIFA in July 1988...
soccer tournament were held at Giants Stadium (including the
ItalyThe Italy national football team represents Italy in international football competition and is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio...
v
BulgariaThe Bulgaria national football team is the national football team of Bulgaria and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. Bulgaria's best World Cup performance was in the 1994 World Cup in USA, where they beat defending champions Germany to reach the semi-finals, losing to Italy, and...
semi-final), along with several games of the
1999 Women's World CupThe FIFA Women's World Cup 1999 was held on in the United States and won by the host team. The final between the U.S. and China, held at on July 10 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California was the most-attended women's sports event in history with an official attendance of 90,185. The final was...
. In 2003, the
SuperCoppa ItalianaThe Supercoppa Italiana is a pre-season football competition held the week before the season begins in Italy every year. It is contested by the winners of the Serie A and the Coppa Italia in the previous season, as a curtain raiser to the new season. It is usually played at the home of the Serie A...
, an annual match pitting the winners of
Serie ASerie A, called for sponsorship reasons as Serie A TIM, is a professional league competition for football clubs located at the top echelon of the Italian football league system operating for eighty years from 1929. It is organized by Lega Calcio until 2010, but a new league like the English Premier...
(
ItalyItaly , officially the Italian Republic , is a country located on the Italian Peninsula in Southern Europe and on the two largest islands in the Mediterranean Sea, Sicily and Sardinia. Italy shares its northern, Alpine boundary with France, Switzerland, Austria and Slovenia...
's top division) and the
Coppa ItaliaThe Coppa Italia is an Italian football annual cup competition. Its first edition was held in 1922, but the second champions were not crowned until 1936. Juventus and Roma lead the way with nine wins. Roma contested more finals: 15...
(Italian Cup), was held in Giants Stadium instead of in Italy because both clubs involved (Juventus and AC Milan) were touring the United States late in the summer, when the event is normally scheduled. In 2005, the stadium played host to several matches in the CONCACAF Gold Cup, including the final, which saw the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international football competitions and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, the sport has steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s...
defeat
PanamaThe Panama national football team is the national team of Panama and is controlled by the Federación Panameña de Fútbol.After being considered one of the weakest teams in CONCACAF for decades, Panama is currently undergoing a resurgence. It reached the 2006 World Cup CONCACAF Final Qualifiers and...
, 3–1 in a
penalty shootoutPenalty shootouts, properly named kicks from the penalty mark, are a method sometimes used to decide which team progresses to the next stage of a tournament following a draw in a game of association football...
after the sides played to a scoreless draw. It again held the final 4 years later for the
CONCACAF Gold CupThe 2009 CONCACAF Gold Cup was the tenth edition of the Gold Cup competition, and the twentieth association football championship of North America, Central America and the Caribbean . It was contested from July 3 to July 26, 2009 in the United States. This competition was the fourth tournament...
which saw
MexicoThe Mexico national football team represents Mexico in international football competition and is managed by the Mexican Football Federation Association...
defeat the
USAThe United States men's national soccer team represents the United States in international football competitions and is controlled by U.S. Soccer. Though soccer has not traditionally had a high profile in American sporting life, the sport has steadily grown in popularity since the 1970s...
5-0. It has seen many European soccer tours in recent years, hosting games involving such major soccer clubs as
Manchester UnitedManchester United Football Club is an English football club, one of the most popular football clubs in the world, based at Old Trafford in Greater Manchester. The club was a founding member of the Premier League in 1992, and has played in the top division of English football since 1938, with the...
, Glasgow Rangers, Celtic F.C,
ChelseaChelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club Chelsea Football Club (are a professional English football club based in West London. The team, founded in 1905, play in the Premier League and have spent most of their history in the top tier of English football...
,
LiverpoolLiverpool Football Club is a professional football club based in Liverpool, England. The club plays in the Premier League, and has won more trophies than any other English club...
,
F.C BarcelonaBarcelona is the capital, most populous city of the Autonomous Community of Catalonia and the second largest city in Spain, with a population of 1,615,908 in 2008. It is the 11th-most populous municipality in the European Union and sixth-most populous urban area in the European Union after Paris,...
, and many others.
New York Red Bulls (formerly the New York/New Jersey MetroStars) of
Major League SoccerMajor League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation . The league comprises 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada...
is playing its 14th and final Giants Stadium season in 2009. They will move to the soccer-specific Red Bull Arena in nearby
Harrison, New JerseyHarrison is a town in Hudson County, New Jersey, United States. As of the United States 2000 Census, the town population was 14,424. The town is a suburb of the nearby city of Newark.-Geography:Harrison is located at ....
in 2010.
Pope John Paul II at Giants Stadium
The second largest crowd to ever attend an event at Giants Stadium was 82,948, as
Pope John Paul IIPope John Paul II , born Karol Józef Wojtyła served as Supreme Pontiff of the Catholic Church and Sovereign of Vatican City from 16 October 1978 until his death almost 27 years later. His was the second-longest pontificate; only Pope Pius IX served longer...
celebrated Mass during a rainstorm on October 5, 1995. The record was broken on September 24, 2009 with an attendance of 84,472 at the
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
concert.
Concerts
Concerts have also been a part of the Giants Stadium experience, with notable acts such as
MadonnaMadonna is an American recording artist, actress and entrepreneur. Born in Bay City, Michigan, and raised in Rochester Hills, Michigan, she moved to New York City in 1977, for a career in modern dance...
, The Jacksons, The Eagles,
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
,
The WhoThe Who are an English rock band formed in 1964. The primary lineup consisted of guitarist Pete Townshend, vocalist Roger Daltrey, bassist John Entwistle, and drummer Keith Moon. They became known for energetic live performances including the pioneering spectacle of instrument destruction...
,
The Rolling StonesThe Rolling Stones are an English rock band formed in 1962 in London when multi-instrumentalist Brian Jones and pianist Ian Stewart were joined by vocalist Mick Jagger and guitarist Keith Richards. Bassist Bill Wyman and drummer Charlie Watts completed the early lineup...
,
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
,
Bon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , Bon Jovi formed in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Other than the departure of Alec John Such in 1994 and...
,
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
,
Paul McCartneySir James Paul McCartney, MBE , is an English singer-songwriter, poet, composer, multi-instrumentalist, entrepreneur, record and film producer, painter, and animal rights and peace activist. Formerly of The Beatles and Wings, McCartney is the most successful songwriter in the history of popular music...
,
The CureThe Cure are an English alternative rock band formed in Crawley, West Sussex in 1976 by Robert Smith, Lawrence Tolhurst and Michael Dempsey. The band has experienced several line-up changes, with frontman, vocalist, guitarist and principal songwriter Robert Smith being the only constant member...
,
Grateful DeadThe Grateful Dead were an American rock band formed in 1965 in the San Francisco Bay Area. The band was known for its unique and eclectic style, which fused elements of rock, folk, bluegrass, blues, reggae, country, jazz, psychedelia, and space rock—and for live performances of long musical...
,
David BowieDavid Bowie is an English musician, actor, record producer and arranger. Active in five decades of popular music and frequently reinventing his music and image, Bowie is widely regarded as an innovator, particularly for his work in the 1970s...
,
Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is an American band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. Founding members include singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, violinist Boyd Tinsley, and drummer Carter Beauford. Founding-member saxophonist LeRoi...
,
The PoliceThe Police were an English rock trio, from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The trio consisted of Gordon Sumner, CBE , widely known by his stage name of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
,
Depeche ModeDepeche Mode are an English electronic band who formed in 1980, in Basildon, Essex. The group's original line-up consisted of Dave Gahan , Martin Gore , Andrew Fletcher and Vince Clarke...
,
MetallicaMetallica is an American heavy metal band from Los Angeles, California, formed in 1981. Founded when drummer Lars Ulrich posted an advertisement in a local newspaper, Metallica's line-up has primarily consisted of Ulrich, rhythm guitarist and vocalist James Hetfield, and lead guitarist Kirk...
,
Billy JoelBilly Joel is an American rock musician, singer-songwriter, and classical composer. Since releasing his first hit song, "Piano Man", in 1973, Joel has become the sixth best-selling recording artist in the United States, according to the RIAA....
,
RadioheadRadiohead are an English rock band from Abingdon, Oxfordshire, formed in 1985. The band consists of Thom Yorke , Jonny Greenwood , Ed O'Brien , Colin Greenwood and Phil Selway .Radiohead released their first single, "Creep", in 1992...
,
Elton JohnSir Elton Hercules John, CBE is an English singer-songwriter, composer and pianist.In his four-decade career, John has sold more than 200 million records, making him one of the most successful artists of all time. His single, Candle in the Wind 1997, has sold over 37 million copies, becoming the...
,
GenesisGenesis are a Grammy Award-winning English rock band formed in 1967, and are among the top 30 highest-selling recording artists of all time with approximately 150 million albums sold worldwide, including 21.5 million albums sold in the United States. In 1988, the band won the Grammy Award for Best...
,
AerosmithAerosmith is an American hard rock band, sometimes referred to as "The Bad Boys from Boston" and seen by some as America's greatest rock and roll band. Their style, which is rooted in blues-based hard rock, has come to also incorporate elements of pop, heavy metal, and rhythm and blues,, and has...
,
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation...
,
BostonBoston is an American rock band from Boston, Massachusetts that achieved its most notable successes during the 1970s and 1980s. Centered on guitarist, keyboardist, songwriter, and producer Tom Scholz, the band is a staple of classic rock radio playlists...
and
Green DayGreen Day is an American rock trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tré Cool for the majority of its existence....
, taking the stage before appreciative audiences.
Most of all, Giants Stadium as a concert venue is associated with
Bruce SpringsteenBruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
, who played there six nights in the summer of 1985 during his
Born in the U.S.A. TourThe Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteen's massively popular Born in the U.S.A. album. It was his longest and most successful tour to date. It featured a physically transformed Springsteen. After two years of bodybuilding, Springsteen had bulked up...
and an even greater ten nights on his
The Rising TourThe Rising Tour was a lengthy, worldwide, top-grossing concert tour featuring Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band that took place in arenas and stadiums over 2002 and 2003...
during the summer of 2003. Springsteen returned to Giants Stadium on July 27, 28 and 31, 2008 in support of his
Magic TourThe Magic Tour was Bruce Springsteen and the E Street Band's 2007–2008 concert tour of North America and Western Europe.On August 28, 2007, it was announced on Bruce Springsteen's website that there would be a tour with the E Street Band immediately concurrent with the release of his album Magic. ...
. Springsteen returned to perform on September 30, October 2, 3, 8 and 9, 2009 for a special final season event for the stadium.
On Sunday, June 25, 1978, the "First Concert Ever" hosting
The Beach BoysThe Beach Boys are an American rock band. Formed in 1961, the group gained popularity for its close vocal harmonies and lyrics reflecting a Southern California youth culture of cars, surfing, and romance...
,
Steve Miller BandSteve Miller Band is an American rock band formed in 1967 in San Francisco, California. The band is managed by Steve Miller on guitar and lead vocals.-History:...
,
Pablo CruisePablo Cruise is a Pop/Rock Rock band currently composed of David Jenkins , Cory Lerios , Steve Price and George Gabriel .-History:...
, and Stanky Brown was held here. The concert was named "Almost Summer". It kicked off at 12:30 with
Endless SummerEndless Summer or The Endless Summer may refer to:In film and television:* The Endless Summer, an influential 1966 documentary film about surfers directed by Bruce Brown** The Endless Summer II, a 1994 sequel to the 1966 film...
playing beforehand on the big screen as the gates had opened at approximately 8:30 that morning.
On Saturday, June 15, 1986, Amnesty International's Conspiracy of Hope Tour ended at Giants Stadium. The final show at Giants Stadium show was a sold-out, all-day event, running from noon until 11 p.m., broadcast on MTV, and at an outdoor stadium rather than the indoor arenas used for the first five stops. As such, these additional artists played there: John Eddie with Max Weinberg, Third World, The Hooters, Peter Paul & Mary, Little Steven with Bob Geldof, Stanley Jordan, Joan Armatrading, Jackson Browne, Rubén Blades with Fela and Carlos Santana, Yoko Ono, Howard Jones, Miles Davis, and Joni Mitchell. Spoken introductions were made by Bill Graham, Bill Bradley, Darryl Hannah, Robert DeNiro, Christopher Reeve, Michael J. Fox, and Muhammed Ali.
Pete Townshend was scheduled to play the Giants Stadium show, but cancelled at the last moment when his father, Cliff Townshend, became gravely ill. This would have been Pete Townshend's first ever US solo appearance.
In July 1994, Pink Floyd performed their last ever North American concerts at this venue in support of their album
The Division BellThe Division Bell is the final studio album by Pink Floyd, released in 1994 , and their second album without Roger Waters. It was recorded at a number of studios, including guitarist/vocalist David Gilmour's houseboat studio called The Astoria...
. These concerts are noted as it was one of two U.S. venues where the band played
The Dark Side of the MoonThe Dark Side of the Moon is the sixth studio album by English progressive rock group Pink Floyd. Released in March 1973, the concept built on the ideas that the band had explored in their live shows and previous recordings, but it lacks the extended instrumental excursions that characterised their...
in its entirety on the US leg of the tour. These shows are available on bootleg.
On October 9, 1999, Giants stadium hosted the US side of
NetAidNetAid is an anti-poverty initiative. It started as a joint venture between the United Nations Development Programme and Cisco Systems. It became an independent nonprofit organization in 2001. In 2007, NetAid became a part of Mercy Corps...
, showcasing bands such as The Counting Crows and
Jimmy PageJames Patrick Page OBE is an Englishcomposer and record producer.Page has been described as "unquestionably one of the all-time most influential, important, and versatile guitarists and songwriters in rock history". In 2003, Rolling Stone magazine ranked Page #9 in its list of the 100 Greatest...
.
On July 7, 2007 Giants Stadium was one of the hosts to the
Live EarthLive Earth is an annual event developed to combat climate change.-Background:The plans for the first Live Earth concerts were announced at a media event in Los Angeles on 15 February 2007 by Al Gore, Kevin Wall and other celebrities...
concerts. Several artists performed at the concert including
Bon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , Bon Jovi formed in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Other than the departure of Alec John Such in 1994 and...
,
KT TunstallKate Victoria Tunstall better known as KT Tunstall is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. She broke into the public eye with a live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
,
Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
,
Roger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English rock musician. He is best known as the bass player and one of the main songwriters and lead singers in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985...
of
Pink FloydPink Floyd were an English rock band who, in the late 1960s, earned recognition for their psychedelic and space rock music, and in the 1970s, as they evolved, for their progressive rock music. Pink Floyd's work is marked by philosophical lyrics, sonic experimentation, innovative album cover art,...
, Smashing Pumpkins and
The PoliceThe Police were an English rock trio, from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The trio consisted of Gordon Sumner, CBE , widely known by his stage name of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
, just to name a few.
The majority of the "
Paradise City"Paradise City" is a song written by the hard rock band Guns N' Roses. It is included on the 1987 album Appetite for Destruction and was released as a single in 1988. It is also the only song on the album to use a synthesizer...
" music video by
Guns N' RosesGuns N' Roses is an American rock band that was formed in Los Angeles, California in 1985. The band, led by frontman and co-founder Axl Rose, has gone through numerous line-up changes and controversies since its formation...
was filmed at the stadium in 1988.
AC/DCAC/DC are an Australian rock band formed in Sydney in 1973 by Scottish-born brothers Malcolm and Angus Young. Although the band are commonly classified as hard rock and are considered pioneers of heavy metal, they have always classified their music as "rock and roll".AC/DC underwent several line-up...
and
AnvilAnvil is a Canadian heavy metal band comprising Steve "Lips" Kudlow , Robb Reiner , and Glenn Five...
performed at Giants Stadium on July 31, 2009 on the
Black Ice World TourThe Black Ice World Tour is a current concert tour by Australian rock band AC/DC. The trek is in support of the group's 15th studio album, Black Ice, which was released in October 2008....
.
In 2009,
Hot 97Hot 97 could refer to:* KBCQ-FM, a radio station licensed to Roswell, New Mexico* WQHT, a radio station licensed to New York, New York...
had their last Summer Jam in Giants Stadium.
U2U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
played two nights at Giants Stadium on September 23th and 24th, 2009 as part of their 360° Tour. The concert tour had the band playing on a center stage, enabling the entire stadium to be utilized. This allowed the concerts to set a Giants Stadium attendance record, as over 82,000 people attended each night. Both shows sold out in a matter of minutes from the public onsale.
The Jimmy Hoffa urban legend
For some years, a popular urban legend purported that the remains of
Jimmy HoffaJames Riddle Hoffa was an American trade unionist.Hoffa served as the General President of the International Brotherhood of Teamsters from 1958–1971 despite being incarcerated during the latter four years of his tenure...
, whose disappearance coincided with construction of the stadium, had been buried under one of the end zones at the field. This led a
Sports IllustratedSports Illustrated is an American sports magazine owned by media conglomerate Time Warner. It has over 3 million subscribers and is read by 23 million adults each week, including over 18 million men, 19% of the adult males in the United States. It was the first magazine with circulation over one...
writer to suggest that "This lends new meaning to the term
coffin cornerIn the game of American football, a coffin corner may refer to the corner of the playing field just in front of the end zone. A punter may try to place the ball so that it lands and goes out of bounds, or is downed, near this corner, thus forcing difficult field position for the receiving team on...
!" In a similar vein, sportscaster
Marv AlbertMarv Albert is an American television and radio sportscaster. Honored for his work as a member of the Basketball Hall of Fame, he is commonly referred to as "the voice of basketball." From 1967–2004, he was also known as "the voice of the New York Knicks."Albert grew up in Brooklyn, where he...
once said that a team was "kicking towards the Hoffa end of the field." This urban myth was tested and concluded to be false in an episode of the television show
MythbustersMythBusters is a popular science television program produced by Australian company Beyond Television Productions originally for the Discovery Channel in the United States. The series has since been distributed by a number of international broadcasters, including SBS in Australia and BBC2 in the UK...
.
Film
In the 2008 remake of
The Day the Earth Stood StillThe Day the Earth Stood Still is a 2008 American science fiction film, a remake of the 1951 film of the same name. The screenplay is based on the 1940 classic science fiction short story "Farewell to the Master" by Harry Bates and the 1951 screenplay adaptation by Edmund H. North...
a scene shows the stadium being destroyed.
Changes and co-tenants
To accommodate these varied events, Giants Stadium has sported various playing surfaces in its history.
AstroTurfAstroTurf is a brand of artificial turf. Though the term is a registered trademark, it is sometimes used as a generic description of any kind of artificial turf...
was the original surface for the playing field. This surface was covered by Bermuda grass
sodSod or turf is grass and the part of the soil beneath it held together by the roots, or a piece of this material.The term sod may be used to mean turf grown and cut specifically for the establishment of lawns...
for the World Cup in 1994, identical to that at the
Rose BowlThe Rose Bowl is an outdoor American Football stadium in Pasadena, California, near Los Angeles. The stadium is the site of the annual college American football bowl game, the Rose Bowl Game, held at the beginning of the New Year. In 1982, it became the home field of the UCLA Bruins college...
where the other semifinal and the finals were held (so that both teams in the finals would have played on identical surfaces). The grass was removed after the World Cup, as it would have died in the New Jersey winter. The MetroStars, however, installed a grass field each spring, but was removed prior to the football season, forcing the team to play its final home games each year on AstroTurf. The AstroTurf was removed in 2000 and a system of interchangeable
grassGrasses, or more technically graminoids, are monocotyledonous, usually herbaceous plants with narrow leaves growing from the base. They include the "true grasses", of the Poaceae family, as well as the sedges and the rushes . The true grasses include cereals, bamboo and the grasses of lawns...
trays was implemented from 2000 to 2002, but was considered a failure, since the quality of the field worsened as the NFL season progressed. Notably, this was the era when the
New York/New Jersey HitmenThe New York/New Jersey Hitmen were a short-lived American football team based in the Giants Stadium of the Meadowlands Sports Complex in East Rutherford, New Jersey....
of the
XFLThe XFL was a professional American football league that played for one season in 2001. The league was founded by Vince McMahon, better known as the owner of the World Wrestling Entertainment...
played their games; XFL regulations required a grass surface, which Giants Stadium normally did not have. (Part of the problem may have stemmed from the fact that the original AstroTurf field was kept in place under the grass, to help in drainage.) It was replaced by a new artificial surface,
FieldTurfFieldTurf is a brand of artificial turf playing surface. It is manufactured and installed by the FieldTurf Tarkett division of Tarkett Inc., based in Peachtree City, Georgia. In the late 1990s, the artificial surface changed the industry with a design intended to replicate real grass...
, in 2003.
When the
New York JetsThe New York Jets are a professional American football team based in the Northeastern New Jersey part of the tri-state New York metropolitan area. They are members of the Eastern Division of the American Football Conference in the National Football League . The team plays its home games in East...
left
Shea StadiumWilliam A. Shea Municipal Stadium, usually shortened to Shea Stadium or just Shea , was a stadium located in the New York City borough of Queens, in Flushing Meadows–Corona Park. It was the home baseball park of Major League Baseball's New York Mets from 1964 to 2008...
and moved to Giants Stadium in 1984, many predicted the stadium would be renamed. Understandably, the Jets organization preferred not to reside in a facility named after another team. However, under the terms of the stadium lease, changing the name of the stadium requires the Giants' approval, and the Giants refused to change the name. The Jets officially refer to their home field as "The Meadowlands," not "Giants Stadium." The proposed new stadium is expected to bear a sponsor's name as bids for the
naming rightsNaming rights are the right to name a piece of property, either tangible property or an event, usually granted in exchange for financial considerations. Institutions like schools, places of worship and hospitals have a tradition of granting donors the right to name facilities in exchange for...
are currently being accepted - it is not yet known if such an agreement will include renaming the current stadium if and when it is finalized.
Thanks largely to the dual occupancy of Giants Stadium by two NFL teams since 1984, it has surpassed
Wrigley FieldWrigley Field is a baseball stadium in Chicago, Illinois, United States that has served as the home ballpark of the Chicago Cubs since 1916. It was built in 1914 as Weeghman Park for the Chicago Federal League baseball team, the Chicago Whales...
(home of the
Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
for fifty seasons) as the venue to have hosted more NFL games than any other in league history. The game played between the
JetsThe 2003 New York Jets season was the 44th season for the team, and the 34th in the National Football League. The team tried to improve upon its 9-7 record from 2002 and defend its AFC East title. The Jets finished the season with a record of 6-10....
and
Miami DolphinsThe 2003 Miami Dolphins season was the team's 38th as a member of the National Football League. The Dolphins improved upon their previous season's output of 9-7, instead winning 10 games. This marked the second consecutive winning season for the team, however, they failed to clinch a playoff berth...
on September 14, 2003 was the 366th regular season NFL game at Giants Stadium breaking Wrigley's regular season record.
While the stadium has a decidedly blue atmosphere, matching the Giants' team colors, when the Jets play there, the walls are covered with green banners, matching their colors. In addition, the gates outside the stadium are covered with green Jets logos to hide the standard blue and red. As of 2007, both the Jets and Giants have returned to using color in the endzones (the
Jets script is now a dark green, the
Giants script is now blue), so the grounds crew must paint one logo on over the other when the stadium is being converted.
In mid-December, traditionally the stadium hosts a Saturday-Sunday NFL doubleheader, with the Giants playing a home game one day and the Jets playing the other. The night between the games is a challenge for the stadium grounds crew, as they have only hours to convert the stadium from one team's colors to the other. As per the NFL schedule, the Giants and the Jets play each other once every four years. In that case, there is a predetermined home team, and a predetermined away team. In those games, the "away" team gets a rare away game in their own home stadium. The Giants and Jets typically play each other every year in the third week of the
NFL PreseasonThe National Football League exhibition season refers to the period each year during which NFL teams play several not-for-the-record exhibition games before the actual "championship" or "regular" season starts. Beginning with the featured Pro Football Hall of Fame game in early August, five...
, and the teams annually rotate the "home" and "away" teams.
Notable moments
- October 10, 1976: 76,042 fans witness the Giants losing to the Cowboys in the first game ever played at Giants Stadium.
- October 1, 1977: Soccer
Association football, more commonly known as football or soccer, is a team sport played between two teams of eleven players using a spherical ball...
legend PeléEdison Arantes do Nascimento , , best known by his nickname Pelé is a Brazilian football player. He was given the title "Athlete of the Century" by the International Olympic Committee...
played his last game, an exhibition match between the Cosmos and SantosSantos Futebol Clube, usually known simply as Santos, is a Brazilian football team from the city Santos, State of São Paulo. It has been nicknamed Peixe for decades, but the usual mascot is a whale. The nickname evokes that the city of Santos is a seaport, when all other big clubs from the state...
. He played the first half for the Cosmos and the second half for his old BrazilBrazil , officially the Federative Republic of Brazil , is a country in South America. It is the fifth largest country by geographical area, occupying nearly half of South America, the fifth most populous country, and the fourth most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Atlantic Ocean...
ian team.
- October 28, 1978: Rutgers
The Rutgers Scarlet Knights football team represents Rutgers, the State University of New Jersey in National Collegiate Athletic Association Division I Football Bowl Subdivision play...
beats ColumbiaThe Columbia University Lions are the collective athletic teams and their members from Columbia University, an Ivy League institution in New York City, United States. The current director of athletics is M...
69–0. The Lions' humiliating defeat was the last game in one of the oldest rivalries in college footballCollege football is American football played by teams of student athletes fielded by American universities, colleges, and military academies. It was the venue through which American football first gained popularity in the United States...
. Columbia's young coach Bill Campbell retired from coaching after the game and went on to a vastly more successful career in Silicon ValleySilicon Valley is the southern part of the San Francisco Bay Area in Northern California, United States. The term originally referred to the region's large number of silicon chip innovators and manufacturers, but eventually came to refer to all the high-tech businesses in the area; it is now...
.
- November 19, 1978: Giants quarterback Joe Pisarcik
Joseph Anthony Pisarcik is a former American football quarterback who played in the National Football League for eight seasons, from 1977 through 1984 after playing college football at New Mexico State University. His first professional team was the Calgary Stampeders of the Canadian Football...
fumbles the handoff to Larry CsonkaLarry Richard Csonka is a former collegiate and professional American football fullback.One of six children, Csonka was born in Stow, Ohio. He was raised on a farm by his Hungarian family in Stow, learning out of necessity to stoically endure injuries and pain. He weighed almost ten pounds at...
with just seconds remaining in the game, allowing Herman EdwardsHerman "Herm" Edwards, Jr. is an American football analyst who most recently coached in the National Football League. He held the head coaching position of the Kansas City Chiefs until 2008. He was fired from this position on January 23, 2009. Since then, he has been hired as a football analyst...
(later a Jets head coach) to scoop it up and run it back for a touchdown, giving the Philadelphia Eagles an improbable 19–17 win. This play would be known as "The FumbleThe Miracle at the Meadowlands is the term used by sportscasters and Philadelphia Eagles fans for a fumble recovery by cornerback Herman Edwards that he returned for a touchdown at the end of a November 19, 1978 NFL game against the New York Giants in Giants Stadium...
," and helped lead to the hiring of Ray PerkinsWalter Ray Perkins is a former American football wide receiver and coach at both the collegiate and professional levels.-Playing career:...
as head coach, and later George Young as general manager.
- September 6, 1984: The New York Jets move into Giants Stadium.
- July 1984: Michael Jackson
Michael Joseph Jackson , known as the "King of Pop", was an American musician and one of the most commercially successful and influential entertainers of all time...
performs three sold out shows of his Victory TourThe Victory Tour was the biggest and final concert tour of the United States and Canada in 1984 by The Jacksons. Beginning July 6 and ending on December 9, the tour included 100 concerts to an audience of approximately 2 million. It was named after the newly released Jacksons' album Victory...
.
- July 14, 1985: The Baltimore Stars
The Philadelphia/Baltimore Stars were a professional American football team which played in the United States Football League in the mid-1980s. They were owned by real estate magnate Myles Tanenbaum. They were the league's dominant team, playing in all three championship games and winning two of...
defeat the Oakland InvadersOakland Invaders were a professional American football team that played in the United States Football League from 1983 through 1985.-In reaction to the Raiders relocating to Los Angeles:...
, 28–24, in the 1985 USFL Championship Game, the final game in league history.
- August - September 1985: Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
and The E Street BandThe E Street Band is a musical group that has periodically toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Sting,...
perform six sold out shows on the final leg of their Born in the U.S.A. TourThe Born in the U.S.A. Tour was the supporting concert tour of Bruce Springsteen's massively popular Born in the U.S.A. album. It was his longest and most successful tour to date. It featured a physically transformed Springsteen. After two years of bodybuilding, Springsteen had bulked up...
.
- January 11, 1987: The New York Giants
The 1986 New York Giants season was one of the most successful seasons in the professional American football franchise's history. The Giants, who play in the National Football Conference of the National Football League , won their fifth championship—and first Super Bowl—in franchise history during...
shut out the Washington RedskinsThe 1986 Washington Redskins began with the team trying to improve on their 10-6 record from 1985.-Schedule:-Division standings:-NFC Wild Card Game:* Washington Redskins 19, Los Angeles Rams 7at RFK Stadium, Washington, D.C....
17–0 in the NFC Championship game. Two weeks later, the Giants would win Super Bowl XXISuper Bowl XXI was an American football game played on January 25, 1987 at the Rose Bowl in Pasadena, California to decide the National Football League champion following the 1986 regular season...
, their first Super Bowl victory.
- June-July 1994: Giants Stadium serves as a venue for the 1994 FIFA World Cup
The 1994 FIFA World Cup, the 15th staging of the FIFA World Cup, was held in the United States from 17 June to 17 July 1994. The United States was chosen as hosts by FIFA in July 1988...
, opening with IrelandThe Republic of Ireland national football team represents Ireland in Association Football. It is run by the Football Association of Ireland and currently plays home fixtures at Croke Park in Dublin....
's 1–0 win over ItalyThe Italy national football team represents Italy in international football competition and is controlled by the Federazione Italiana Giuoco Calcio...
, and concluding with Italy's 2–1 win over BulgariaThe Bulgaria national football team is the national football team of Bulgaria and is controlled by the Bulgarian Football Union. Bulgaria's best World Cup performance was in the 1994 World Cup in USA, where they beat defending champions Germany to reach the semi-finals, losing to Italy, and...
in the semifinals.
- October 19, 1997: Following the Jets
The 1997 New York Jets season began with the team trying to improve upon its league-worst and franchise-worst 1-15 record from 1996. Sparked by the arrival of head coach Bill Parcells, who replaced Rich Kotite, and was coming off a Super Bowl berth the previous season, the Jets improved to 9-7, but...
defeating the PatriotsThe 1997 New England Patriots season was the 28th season for the team in the National Football League and 38th season overall. They finished the season with a 10–6 record and a division title but lost in the playoffs to the Pittsburgh Steelers....
, two individuals are violently accosted and stabbed by an underage and drunken Patriots fan. The incident would lead to various lawsuits and the establishment of higher security standards and no alcohol being served after the 3rd quarter at Giants Stadium.
- December 13, 1998: The New York Giants
The 1998 New York Giants season was the team's 74th season in the National Football League. The team failed to improve upon their previous season's output of 10-5-1, winning only eight games and missing the playoffs.-Schedule:-Standings:-References:...
defeated the then-13–0 Denver BroncosIn 1998 the Denver Broncos had a record of 14-2, second best in the NFL, and won Super Bowl XXXIII. It was John Elway's final season and the season Terrell Davis ran for 2,008 yards, making him only the fourth player to rush for over 2,000 yards in a single season.In 2007, the 1998 Broncos were...
.
- October 23, 2000: In what has been called the greatest game on Monday Night Football
Monday Night Football is a live television broadcast of the National Football League. Originally airing on the ABC network from to , Monday Night Football was the second longest running prime time show on American broadcast network television and one of the highest-rated, particularly among male...
, the New York Jets come back from a 30–7 deficit by scoring 30 points in the fourth quarter and another 3 in overtime to beat the Miami Dolphins 40–37. The game is known as the Monday Night MiracleIn the National Football League, "The Monday Night Miracle" refers to a Monday night game between the New York Jets and Miami Dolphins played at The Meadowlands on October 23, 2000.-Background:...
.
- January 14, 2001: On a field of painted mud, the New York Giants defeat the Minnesota Vikings 41–0 in the NFC Championship Game to send the Giants to their third Super Bowl.
- July-August 2003: Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
and the E Street BandThe E Street Band is a musical group that has periodically toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Sting,...
break their own record with 10 sold-out shows on the Rising tour.
- September 1, 2005: The punk rock band Green Day
Green Day is an American rock trio formed in 1987. The band has consisted of Billie Joe Armstrong , Mike Dirnt , and Tré Cool for the majority of its existence....
sold out Giants Stadium with Against Me!Against Me! is a punk rock band formed in 1997 in Gainesville, Florida. Their first full-length album, released on No Idea Records in 2002, is Reinventing Axl Rose. They have released music on Misanthrope Records, Crasshole Records, Plan It X Records, Sabot Productions, No Idea Records, and Fat...
and Jimmy Eat WorldJimmy Eat World is an American alternative rock band from Mesa, Arizona, formed in 1993. The band is comprised of lead vocalist and guitarist Jim Adkins, guitarist and backing vocalist Tom Linton, bassist Rick Burch and drummer Zach Lind....
. It was their biggest concert of all time (80,000 people)
- September 19, 2005: The New Orleans Saints
The New Orleans Saints are a professional American football team based in New Orleans, Louisiana. The Saints play in the South Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League ....
played as the home team at Giants Stadium versus the Giants (in name only, of course; no more than a few thousand Saints fans had been evacuated to the area or otherwise traveled to New Jersey). The game was relocated from the Louisiana SuperdomeThe Louisiana Superdome, often informally referred to simply as the Superdome, The Dome or the New Orleans Superdome is a large, multi-purpose sports and exhibition facility located in the Central Business District of New Orleans, Louisiana...
due to damage caused by Hurricane KatrinaHurricane Katrina of the 2005 Atlantic hurricane season was the costliest hurricane, as well as one of the five deadliest, in the history of the United States...
, and the inability to prepare one of the team's eventual temporary homes in time. Note the Saints used Giant Stadiums visitors locker rooms despite being the "Home" team.
- December 26, 2005: The New York Jets & The New England Patriots fight each other in a classic battle on the last Monday Night Football game on ABC. The Patriots defeat gang green 31–21.
- January 8, 2006: The largest crowd to witness a Giant game, 79,378, witness a Giants 23-0 playoff loss to the Carolina Panthers.
- July 29, 2006: Bon Jovi
Bon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , Bon Jovi formed in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Other than the departure of Alec John Such in 1994 and...
Plays their 8th consecutive sell-out of Giants Stadium. This was also the last concert of their Have a Nice Day Tour.
- July 7, 2007: The "New York" portion of Live Earth
Live Earth is an annual event developed to combat climate change.-Background:The plans for the first Live Earth concerts were announced at a media event in Los Angeles on 15 February 2007 by Al Gore, Kevin Wall and other celebrities...
, a worldwide series of concerts of pop and rock music featuring various bands and musical artists planned to inspire global warming activism, was held at Giants Stadium. KennaKenna Zemedkun , the Grammy Nominated artist, known professionally as simply Kenna, is an Ethiopian-born American musician. The eldest son of an immigrant family that relocated to Cincinnati, Ohio , Kenna began to express an interest in music upon receiving a copy of U2's The Joshua Tree...
, KT TunstallKate Victoria Tunstall better known as KT Tunstall is a singer-songwriter and guitarist. She broke into the public eye with a live solo performance of her song "Black Horse and the Cherry Tree" on Later... with Jools Holland...
, Taking Back SundayTaking Back Sunday is an American rock band from Amityville, Long Island, New York, formed in 1999. The current members are vocalist Adam Lazzara, guitarist/back-up vocalist Matthew Fazzi, guitarist Eddie Reyes, drummer Mark O'Connell, and bassist/back-up vocalist Matt Rubano.They have released...
, Keith UrbanKeith Lionel Urban is an Australian country music singer, songwriter and guitarist whose commercial success has been mainly in the United States and Australia. Urban began his career in Brisbane having moved to Caboolture, Australia at an early age...
, LudacrisChristopher Brian Bridges better known by his stage name Ludacris, is an American rapper and actor. Along with his manager, Chaka Zulu, Ludacris is the co-founder of Disturbing tha Peace, an imprint distributed by Def Jam Recordings...
, AFIAFI is an American rock band from Ukiah, California, formed in 1991. They have consisted of the same lineup since 1998, lead vocalist Davey Havok, drummer and backup vocalist Adam Carson, with bassist Hunter Burgan and guitarist Jade Puget, who both play keyboard and contribute backup vocals..AFI...
, Fall Out BoyFall Out Boy is an American Grammy-nominated rock band from Wilmette, Illinois, formed in 2001. The band consists of vocalist-rhythm guitarist Patrick Stump, lead guitarist Joe Trohman, bassist Pete Wentz and drummer Andy Hurley....
, AkonAliaune Badara Akon Thiam, better known by his middle and stage name Akon , is a Senegalese-American R&B singer-songwriter, record producer, businessman, and philanthropist. He rose to prominence in 2004 following the release of "Locked Up”, the first single from his debut album Trouble...
, John Mayer, Melissa EtheridgeMelissa Lou Etheridge is an American rock singer-songwriter and musician.* * Etheridge will be featured in UniGlobe Entertainment's breast cancer docu-drama titled 1 a Minute scheduled for release in 2010...
, Alicia KeysAlicia Augello Cook , better known by her stage name Alicia Keys, is an American recording artist, musician and actress. She was raised by a single mother in the Hell's Kitchen area of Manhattan in New York, where Keys made a television appearance on The Cosby Show at the age of four. She attended...
, Dave Matthews BandDave Matthews Band, sometimes shortened to DMB, is an American band formed in Charlottesville, Virginia in 1991. Founding members include singer-songwriter and guitarist Dave Matthews, bassist Stefan Lessard, violinist Boyd Tinsley, and drummer Carter Beauford. Founding-member saxophonist LeRoi...
, Kelly ClarksonKelly Brianne Clarkson is an American pop singer, songwriter, and occasional actress. Clarkson made her debut under RCA Records after she won the first season of the television series American Idol in 2002....
, Kanye WestKanye West is an American singer/rapper. He released his debut album The College Dropout in 2004, his second album Late Registration in 2005, his third album Graduation in 2007, and his fourth album 808s & Heartbreak in 2008. His first three albums have received numerous awards and critical acclaim...
, The Smashing PumpkinsThe Smashing Pumpkins are an American alternative rock band that formed in Chicago, Illinois in 1988. Formed by Billy Corgan and James Iha , the band has included D'arcy Wretzky , Jimmy Chamberlin , and Melissa Auf der Maur among its membership.Disavowing the punk rock roots shared by...
, Roger WatersGeorge Roger Waters is an English rock musician. He is best known as the bass player and one of the main songwriters and lead singers in the English rock band Pink Floyd from 1964 to 1985...
, Bon JoviBon Jovi is an American rock band from Sayreville, New Jersey. Fronted by lead singer and namesake Jon Bon Jovi , Bon Jovi formed in 1983 with guitarist Richie Sambora, keyboardist David Bryan, bassist Alec John Such and drummer Tico Torres. Other than the departure of Alec John Such in 1994 and...
and The PoliceThe Police were an English rock trio, from London, England, formed originally in 1977. The trio consisted of Gordon Sumner, CBE , widely known by his stage name of Sting , Andy Summers and Stewart Copeland...
all performed.
- August 18, 2007: 66,237 attended as the largest crowd ever for a regular-season MLS
Major League Soccer is a professional soccer league based in the United States and sanctioned by United States Soccer Federation . The league comprises 15 teams, 14 in the U.S. and one in Canada...
match at Giants Stadium (or any match between two MLS teams here). The MetroStars/Red Bulls previously had several matches with 50,000-65,000, and this day's match was also their highest attendance home or away for a regular-season match. This LA GalaxyLos Angeles Galaxy is an American, professional soccer club based in the Los Angeles suburb of Carson, California. The club is a member of Major League Soccer . It is one of the ten charter franchises of MLS and is the league's second most-decorated club, after D.C. United...
versus Red Bulls match also set a new high for an MLS match that was not a part of a double-header, even beating the highest MLS Cup Final attendance (in 2002: 61,316).
- September 9, 2007: New England Patriots
The New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
CB Ellis Hobbs set an NFL record by taking the second-half kickoff 108 yards for a touchdown Sunday against the New York Jets. The play also tied the record for the longest play in NFL history at the time, matching the 108-yard missed field goal returns by the Chicago BearsThe Chicago Bears are a professional American football team based in Chicago, Illinois. They are members of the NFC North Division of the National Football Conference in the National Football League...
' Devin HesterDevin Hester is an American football wide receiver and return specialist for the Chicago Bears of the National Football League. He is an alumnus of the University of Miami, where he became the first person in the university’s recent history to play on all three teams of American football...
against the Giants in 2006, and the Bears' Nathan VasherNathaniel deWayne Vasher is an American football cornerback, who plays for the Chicago Bears.-Early life:...
the previous season against San Francisco.
- December 29, 2007: The New England Patriots closed out their undefeated 16-0 regular season at Giants Stadium. In the fourth quarter, Tom Brady
Thomas Edward "Tom" Brady, Jr. is an American football quarterback for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. After playing college football at Michigan, Brady was drafted by the Patriots in the sixth round of the 2000 NFL Draft.He has played in four Super Bowls, winning three...
threw a 65-yard touchdown pass to wide receiver Randy MossRandall Gene Moss is an American football wide receiver for the New England Patriots of the National Football League. He was originally drafted by the Minnesota Vikings 21st overall in the 1998 NFL Draft...
, setting the NFL all-time record for most passing touchdowns in a single season at 50. On the same play, Moss set the record for most touchdown receptions in a single season at 23, breaking the record held previously by Jerry RiceJerry Lee Rice is an American former football player. He is widely regarded as the greatest wide receiver ever and one of the greatest players in National Football League history...
. The Giants, eventually would defeat the Patriots in Super Bowl XLIISuper Bowl XLII was an American football game that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
.
- February 5, 2008: The New York Giants have a ceremony celebrating their Super Bowl XLII
Super Bowl XLII was an American football game that featured the National Football Conference champion New York Giants and the American Football Conference champion New England Patriots to decide the National Football League champion for the 2007 season...
victory 2 days after a 17-14 victory over the New England PatriotsThe New England Patriots, commonly called the "Pats", are a professional American football team based in the Greater Boston area, playing their home games in the town of Foxborough, Massachusetts at Gillette Stadium. The team is part of the East Division of the American Football Conference in the...
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- September 23-24, 2009: U2
U2 are a rock band that formed in Dublin, Ireland. The band consists of Bono , The Edge , Adam Clayton , and Larry Mullen, Jr...
play two consecutive sold out shows at Giants Stadium, their last two shows of the famous venue, as part of their U2 360 tour. On the second night of the performance, Bono announces that the attendance record has been broken. He also jokes that "not even the pope had as many people there." The final attendance was 84,467.
- October 9, 2009: Bruce Springsteen
Bruce Frederick Joseph Springsteen , nicknamed "The Boss", is an American singer-songwriter. He records and tours with the E Street Band...
and the E Street BandThe E Street Band is a musical group that has periodically toured and recorded with rock musician Bruce Springsteen since 1972.The band has also recorded with a wide range of other artists including Bob Dylan, Meat Loaf, Bonnie Tyler, Air Supply, Dire Straits, David Bowie, Peter Gabriel, Sting,...
play the final concerts to be performed at Giants Stadium, playing five nights, highlighting Springsteen's classic albums, Born To RunBorn to Run is the third album by the American rock singer-songwriter Bruce Springsteen. It was released on August 25, 1975 through Columbia Records. It captured the heaviness of Springsteen's earlier releases while displaying a more diverse range of influences.Born to Run was a critical and...
, Darkness on the Edge of TownDarkness on the Edge of Town is the fourth album by Bruce Springsteen, released in 1978 .-History:Recovering from legal troubles and the stress of the breakthrough success of Born to Run, Springsteen released a somewhat less commercial album, Darkness on the Edge of Town...
, and Born In The USA as well as debuting a new song in honor of New Jersey, the Giants, and Giants Stadium entitled, "Wrecking Ball."
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