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Description
Home of the San Jose Sharks, and truly one of the worst venues in professional sports. People may like the "intimate" feeling of a smaller arena, but to me it just feels tiny. One concourse for both upper and lower deck means the concourse is twice as crowded and difficult to navigate at intermission. At least half of the upper deck seats have obstructed views due to the hideously designed staircases and railings, and some of them are severely obstructed. The ushers are nasty, rude people who delight in enforcing petty rules like no standing in the corridor (even when it's entirely empty), or my personal favorite - the no leaning forward rule. Yes, that's right. At a professional sporting event, they instruct fans not to lean forward in their seats at any time so that the people behind them can lean back and not have to move their heads a tiny bit to see every second of the action (except for the fucking rails of course). It's not just a suggestion, it's rigorously enforced. I saw someone kicked out of a PLAYOFF game once because he received a "warning" about leaning forward in his seat, and then did it again... I mean, come on. If you told someone in a real sports town like Boston or Chicago not to lean forward during the playoffs, you would get justifiably punched in the mouth. It's literally why the phrase "edge of your seat" exists, for God's sake. It's also located in a relatively vibrant commercial area of San Jose, yet has only one shitty, closet-sized dive bar within walking distance (unless you count Whole Foods).

Taken on June 12, 2016 before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins later beat the Sharks 3-1 and won the Stanley Cup.

Description
Home of the San Jose Sharks, and truly one of the worst venues in professional sports. People may like the "intimate" feeling of a smaller arena, but to me it just feels tiny. One concourse for both upper and lower deck means the concourse is twice as crowded and difficult to navigate at intermission. At least half of the upper deck seats have obstructed views due to the hideously designed staircases and railings, and some of them are severely obstructed. The ushers are nasty, rude people who delight in enforcing petty rules like no standing in the corridor (even when it's entirely empty), or my personal favorite - the no leaning forward rule. Yes, that's right. At a professional sporting event, they instruct fans not to lean forward in their seats at any time so that the people behind them can lean back and not have to move their heads a tiny bit to see every second of the action (except for the fucking rails of course). It's not just a suggestion, it's rigorously enforced. I saw someone kicked out of a PLAYOFF game once because he received a "warning" about leaning forward in his seat, and then did it again... I mean, come on. If you told someone in a real sports town like Boston or Chicago not to lean forward during the playoffs, you would get justifiably punched in the mouth. It's literally why the phrase "edge of your seat" exists, for God's sake. It's also located in a relatively vibrant commercial area of San Jose, yet has only one shitty, closet-sized dive bar within walking distance (unless you count Whole Foods).

Taken on June 12, 2016 before Game 6 of the Stanley Cup Finals. The Penguins later beat the Sharks 3-1 and won the Stanley Cup.