[FarmBoy]

While enjoying a little schadenfreude over at Bearinsider.com, I cam across the following thread:

http://www.bearinsider.com/forums/showth...hp?t=61903

How do you screw up something so basic?

[FarmBoy]

While enjoying a little schadenfreude over at Bearinsider.com, I cam across the following thread:

http://www.bearinsider.com/forums/showth...hp?t=61903

How do you screw up something so basic?

[Farm93]

In an attempt to economize they probably had to buy cheaper seating software.  I am sure if the AD had an extra $50 million those mistakes could have been avoided.  Listen, as crump points out, these public schools just don't have mega billionaire donors so it is hard to do the stadium thing as well.

http://blog.sfgate.com/crumpacker/2012/0...athletics/

Funny, I thought Knight and T. Boone Pickens were the poster children for mega donations to football programs, and in both cases the donations were to public schools.  But why let a zinger to Stanford's wealth get disrupted by inconvenient truths.

FWIW - That $321 million also did not include funds for toilets on the East Side.

I know early on the East Side was going to be a unique phase of the project to be completed after this $321 million phase.  Not sure if that is the plan now, so maybe the port-a-potties are here to stay.

In any event, hopefully the missing seats don't impact Stanford sections, but based on the comment string it sounds like the missing seats impacted a lot of people.  I hope the Stanford Ticket Office sends a few employees over to Memorial in the next few days to verify that all of the seats really do exist.

[Farm93]

In an attempt to economize they probably had to buy cheaper seating software.  I am sure if the AD had an extra $50 million those mistakes could have been avoided.  Listen, as crump points out, these public schools just don't have mega billionaire donors so it is hard to do the stadium thing as well.

http://blog.sfgate.com/crumpacker/2012/0...athletics/

Funny, I thought Knight and T. Boone Pickens were the poster children for mega donations to football programs, and in both cases the donations were to public schools.  But why let a zinger to Stanford's wealth get disrupted by inconvenient truths.

FWIW - That $321 million also did not include funds for toilets on the East Side.

I know early on the East Side was going to be a unique phase of the project to be completed after this $321 million phase.  Not sure if that is the plan now, so maybe the port-a-potties are here to stay.

In any event, hopefully the missing seats don't impact Stanford sections, but based on the comment string it sounds like the missing seats impacted a lot of people.  I hope the Stanford Ticket Office sends a few employees over to Memorial in the next few days to verify that all of the seats really do exist.

[stan01]

I like how the Cal employees realized they had sold 21 seats that did not exist at 6pm the day before the game, but then proceeded to do nothing to notify the poor season ticket holders. 

[stan01]

I like how the Cal employees realized they had sold 21 seats that did not exist at 6pm the day before the game, but then proceeded to do nothing to notify the poor season ticket holders. 

[washingtonismoney]

Looks like there are turf complaints too: http://goo.gl/XHs8s I noticed Allen slipping a lot.

Sandy Barbour not executing on all the details? Hard to conceive, but it looks to be true.

[washingtonismoney]

Looks like there are turf complaints too: http://goo.gl/XHs8s I noticed Allen slipping a lot.

Sandy Barbour not executing on all the details? Hard to conceive, but it looks to be true.

[ChicagoCard]

Looks like there are turf complaints too: http://goo.gl/XHs8s I noticed Allen slipping a lot.

Have a look at the photo in the Chronicle article... What is that stuff that is presumably being kicked up by the receiver? Seems I've read about new artificial fields and stuff that is loose like that, sand or whatever. I don't know why they choose to go artificial there, T.edford's call? Also clashes with the old-style bowl stadium.

[ChicagoCard]

Looks like there are turf complaints too: http://goo.gl/XHs8s I noticed Allen slipping a lot.

Have a look at the photo in the Chronicle article... What is that stuff that is presumably being kicked up by the receiver? Seems I've read about new artificial fields and stuff that is loose like that, sand or whatever. I don't know why they choose to go artificial there, T.edford's call? Also clashes with the old-style bowl stadium.

[akCard]

[quote author=washingtonismoney link=topic=6345.msg46883#msg46883 date=1346608753]
Looks like there are turf complaints too: http://goo.gl/XHs8s I noticed Allen slipping a lot.

Have a look at the photo in the Chronicle article... What is that stuff that is presumably being kicked up by the receiver? Seems I've read about new artificial fields and stuff that is loose like that, sand or whatever. I don't know why they choose to go artificial there, T.edford's call? Also clashes with the old-style bowl stadium.
[/quote]

If Memorial Stadium's new turf field is anything like the turf soccer fields here in the Seattle area, it's ground up rubber pellets. It's supposed to give turf the "springy-ness" of playing on natural grass. From having played many, many soccer games on these fields in and around Seattle now for the last few years, I like turf much better than the now-all-gone grass fields because the turf conditions are more reliable no matter the weather.

One trade-off, and this can be a biggy, is that the artificial surface holds in heat like a sponge. I've played in early evening soccer games during the summer months and even through my cleats, I've felt heat coming up off the turf.

And now that I think about it, another minor irritant is that those damn black pellets stuck to you like rubber cement.

[akCard]

[quote author=washingtonismoney link=topic=6345.msg46883#msg46883 date=1346608753]
Looks like there are turf complaints too: http://goo.gl/XHs8s I noticed Allen slipping a lot.

Have a look at the photo in the Chronicle article... What is that stuff that is presumably being kicked up by the receiver? Seems I've read about new artificial fields and stuff that is loose like that, sand or whatever. I don't know why they choose to go artificial there, T.edford's call? Also clashes with the old-style bowl stadium.
[/quote]

If Memorial Stadium's new turf field is anything like the turf soccer fields here in the Seattle area, it's ground up rubber pellets. It's supposed to give turf the "springy-ness" of playing on natural grass. From having played many, many soccer games on these fields in and around Seattle now for the last few years, I like turf much better than the now-all-gone grass fields because the turf conditions are more reliable no matter the weather.

One trade-off, and this can be a biggy, is that the artificial surface holds in heat like a sponge. I've played in early evening soccer games during the summer months and even through my cleats, I've felt heat coming up off the turf.

And now that I think about it, another minor irritant is that those damn black pellets stuck to you like rubber cement.

[Farm93]

The rubber pellets are definitely part of the deal.  New fields usually have more of the pellets bouncing around, but things usually settle over time.

Jerry Jones made green pellets for Cowboys Stadium, but most fields have black ones.  Even at Cowboys stadium the pellets stick to the athletes, they just look nicer on TV.

Seems most NFL players like the new turf designs.  The only real complaint I have heard recently was Ben Roethlisberger complaining in a post game interview that it looked like DeCastro was stuck in the turf when he tore his knee.

[Farm93]

The rubber pellets are definitely part of the deal.  New fields usually have more of the pellets bouncing around, but things usually settle over time.

Jerry Jones made green pellets for Cowboys Stadium, but most fields have black ones.  Even at Cowboys stadium the pellets stick to the athletes, they just look nicer on TV.

Seems most NFL players like the new turf designs.  The only real complaint I have heard recently was Ben Roethlisberger complaining in a post game interview that it looked like DeCastro was stuck in the turf when he tore his knee.

[yvonne]

There are a lot of complaints in the comments following this Chron story about the stadium renovations. Most of them seem to be about food or the lack of renovation (read: restrooms) on the east side. There seems to be a sense of the haves vs. the have nots, something that I suspected would happen due to the unequal renovation. The pitch between the seats other than those in the endowment seating section is as bad as it has always been. It generally was not well thought out as a project.

Here's a notebook that starts with comments from players about the slippery turf.

[yvonne]

There are a lot of complaints in the comments following this Chron story about the stadium renovations. Most of them seem to be about food or the lack of renovation (read: restrooms) on the east side. There seems to be a sense of the haves vs. the have nots, something that I suspected would happen due to the unequal renovation. The pitch between the seats other than those in the endowment seating section is as bad as it has always been. It generally was not well thought out as a project.

Here's a notebook that starts with comments from players about the slippery turf.

[yvonne]

According to the 59er Insider, 100 bogus seats were sold. How does that even happen? I really hope Muir is more like Bowlsby than he is like Barbour.

[yvonne]

According to the 59er Insider, 100 bogus seats were sold. How does that even happen? I really hope Muir is more like Bowlsby than he is like Barbour.

[Farm93]

According to the 59er Insider, 100 bogus seats were sold. How does that even happen? I really hope Muir is more like Bowlsby than he is like Barbour.

I don't really put this on Barbour.  This seems to be a more systemic problem.
Remember with Haas the floor was not strong enough to support the basketball hoops and then started to crack?  How did THAT happen?
How is it possible to spend $321 million on a stadium renovation and STILL need to use port-a-potties.  How does THAT happen?
This 100 seat problem is relative minor.  Once the Bears are 2-7 there will be plenty of spaces open for the displaced 100.

[Farm93]

According to the 59er Insider, 100 bogus seats were sold. How does that even happen? I really hope Muir is more like Bowlsby than he is like Barbour.

I don't really put this on Barbour.  This seems to be a more systemic problem.
Remember with Haas the floor was not strong enough to support the basketball hoops and then started to crack?  How did THAT happen?
How is it possible to spend $321 million on a stadium renovation and STILL need to use port-a-potties.  How does THAT happen?
This 100 seat problem is relative minor.  Once the Bears are 2-7 there will be plenty of spaces open for the displaced 100.