When first watching something close to the heart, the adrenaline and hype of seeing our favorite characters go through new adventures often dilutes our objectivity of what we are watching. Sex and the City fans raved over the major motion picture this past year while everyone not associated with the show realized what a piece of crap it was. Simpsons fans had the same problem this year and even some Indiana Jones fans had the same problem with the newest sequel.
Entourage was very good in it's first season and got better and even better in its second and third seasons (1a and 1b). The fourth season was good, but began to lack balance in its episodes. Too many episodes were only focused on business or only on partying. The first 3 seasons balanced the two well, while the fourth lost that great aspect of the show.
The fifth season of "Entourage" was completely implausible. Vince makes one bad indie film that isn't even released in theaters and is put in "movie jail." Vince was the star of the highest grossing film of all-time and another hit before that, he is a major sex-symbol, and has been in the tabloids week after week. A actor of this kind of notoriety would never be out of a job.
Besides Vince's unemployable situation, the fact that Ari passes up a $10 million deal to become a studio head simply because he cares about 1 of his hundreds of clients is a slap in the face to viewers with a brain or at least a sense of what the industry is truly like. Agents are sharks and they have no time nor can they afford to have emotional connections with there clients, at least not enough to pass up $10 million and the opportunity of a lifetime.
After giving Dana Gordon the job, they put the movie together in a heartbeat, we never see Edward Norton on the set of which he is the lead, and the entire movie falls apart because the director doesn't like Vince do to pure stubbornness. A $120 million action film does not become completely undone because of the animosity between a director and an actor. At worst, one of the two gets replaced.
Concluding the season, Vince for some reason feels like NOW is the time that he is done and moves back to Queens. He has been in worse situations. He even had an offer for a kid's movie (Bengie) from Warner Brothers. He could have easily gotten another offer in a kid's movie from the same Warner Brothers after Smoke Jumpers fell apart. After being home for a few days and blowing up at E, Vince gets a call from possibly the biggest director on the planet, Martin Scorsese, and gets an offer without a meeting from dailies of a movie that fell apart.
Besides the main story line, Jamie Lynn Sigler falls in love with Turtle, Drama is the star of a show that would tape every day for 3/4 of an entire day and we only see him on set once a month for an hour or two, and finally we never see Justine Chapin again after her and Vince decided to start dating.
All of this aside, the show had plenty of unforgettable lines, funny moments, and great cameos, but the Doug Ellin needs to get it together and make the story line more plausible and less torturous. Because frankly, watching Vince suffer for an entire season was miserable.
Thursday, December 18, 2008
Tuesday, December 16, 2008
My Bowl Predictions
EAGLEBANK BOWL
Wake Forest vs. Navy
With Wake Forest's struggling offense playing a Navy defense that hasn't given up a point since November 15th against Notre Dame, I like Navy to win this rematch just like the first game they played this season.
Navy 27, Wake Forest 17
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Fresno State vs. Colorado State
As much as Fresno State has underachieved and Colorado State overachieved this year, I will take Pat Hill's experience and game preparation over first year coach, Steve Fairchild any day.
Fresno State 31, Colorado State 27
ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
South Florida vs. Memphis
South Florida has a big home-field advantage in this game, and although they lost 5 of their last 7 games, I think they are far more talented and Matt Grothe will be the X-factor in a Bulls' win.
South Florida 38, Memphis 28
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Arizona vs. BYU
BYU seems to have mastered the Las Vegas Bowl, but this will be the year that they finally lose. Arizona is playing in their first bowl game since 1998 and they are going to be fired up. BYU's defense has struggled as of late and Arizona is going to grind them out with a steady rushing performance from Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin.
Arizona 30, BYU 24
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Troy vs. Southern Mississippi
Although Southern Miss has been streaking lately, this is the same Troy team that almost beat LSU in Death Valley and I like them to win a close one.
Troy 28, Southern Miss 27
POINSETTIA BOWL
Boise State vs. TCU
This is arguably the best non-BCS bowl this year and althogh most people think that this will be a great game, I think that their stellar play from Kellen Moore is going to be the difference and they will take care of, in my opinion, an overrated TCU team.
Boise State 38, TCU 24
HAWAII BOWL
Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame is in shambles and Hawaii is playing at home. That being said, Notre Dame is a more talented team and I think that their defense will step up and pull out a close victory.
Notre Dame 21, Hawaii 20
MOTOR CITY BOWL
Central Michigan vs. FAU
NFL quarterback prospect, Dan LeFevour will lead his pass-happy offense to his 2nd Motor City Bowl victory in his career over FAU.
Central Michigan 45, FAU 31
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
North Carolina vs. West Virginia
North Carolina plays at home against a West Virginia team that has underperformed this year and with North Carolina having beaten two other Big East teams this year handely, I like North Carolina over West Virginia.
North Carolina 34, West Virginia 24
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
Florida State vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin had one of the most disappointing seasons of the year and with no passing game, I don't see them being able to move the ball against a very good Florida State run-defense. Florida State wins this game running away.
Florida State 34, Wisconsin 13
EMERALD BOWL
California vs. Miami
This game is going to be closer than most people out west think. Cal has been inconsistent in big games this year and with an unproven QB in Kevin Riley, Cal will have to rely on their run game against a good Miami run-defense. Still, Cal should pull out a win and an essential home-field advantage should help them get the victory.
Cal 27, Miami 21
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
Both teams are coming off losing seasons and although Louisiana Tech has home-field advantage, NIU has been hot as of late, winning 5 of their last 7. I like the Wolves in this one in a close game.
Northern Illinois 27, Louisiana Tech 24
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
Rutgers vs. North Carolina State
This is a really intriguing matchup between two teams who didn't appear that they would even make a bowl game half way through the season. These two team have come on strong as of late, especially on the offensive side of the ball. I like Greg Schiano's coaching experience in this game, so I'll take the Rutgers winning this game in a shoot out.
Rutgers 48, North Carolina State 38
ALAMO BOWL
Missouri vs. Northwestern
Poor Northwestern is coming into a game against an angry Missouri team who has one of the best offenses in the country. It also doesn't help that Northwestern plays in the Big Ten and hasn't gotten to see an offense as dynamic as Missouri's this season. Chase Daniel will leaf Missouri to a blowout win over Northwestern.
Missouri 52, Northwestern 20
HUMANITARIAN BOWL
Maryland vs Nevada
Nevada will be playing in familiar territory and with WAC player of the year, Colin Kaepernick, the Wolfpack will beat a very inconsistent Maryland team.
Nevada 34, Maryland 30
TEXAS BOWL
Rice vs. Western Michigan
Casey Clement and Jarrett Dillard are one of the best QB-WR tandem in the country and not many people know about them. With Western Michigan's poor pass-defense and Rice playing at home, I'll take Owls in a route over the Broncos.
Rice 41, Western Michigan 21
HOLIDAY BOWL
Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
In my opinion (a biased one), this is the best non-BCS game this year with two of the country's top offenses and bottom defenses going head-to-head. This game should be an absolute barn-burner with the winner most likely finishing in the top 10 in the final rankings. Oregon has been coming on strong as of late and Oregon proved last year what they can do with 3 weeks of preparation. I'm going to take my Ducks to win a close game in a scoring barrage over the Cowboys.
Oregon 55, Oklahoma State 45
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Houston vs. Air Force
Houston comes in the game leading the nation total offense and most of the thanks can go to quarterback, Casey Keenum. Air Force's strong rushing game will not be able to keep up as the Cougars will beat the Falcons.
Houston 38, Air Force 24
SUN BOWL
Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
This game will feature two of the best young running backs in the country. The difference maker in this game will be the quarterback play and the edge in that department goes to Lyle Moevao who, last game, had the best game of his career in a loss to Oregon in the Civil War. The Beavers will take care of the Panthers to give themselves their 5th straight bowl victory.
Oregon State 35, Pittsburgh 24
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Boston College vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt hasn't won a bowl game since 195 and went 1-6 in their last 7 games while BC is coming of an ACC championship appearance. The Eagles will beat the Commodores in a blowout.
Boston College 38, Vanderbilt 20
INSIGHT BOWL
Minnesota vs. Kansas
Minnesota is coming off of their best regular season in year but faded near the end of the season. Kansas has been decimated by injuries this year but is coming off a big upset of rival Missouri. I'll take Kansas will the momentum in this game.
Kansas 34, Minnesota, 24
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
Georgia Tech vs. LSU
Georgia Tech brings one of the best running games in the country to the table against an LSU team who has provided no consistent quarterback play all season. Georgia tech wins this one, controlling the game from the start.
Georgia Tech 41, LSU 24
OUTBACK BOWL
Iowa vs. South Carolina
This game features two great defenses. The difference is that Iowa features a productive running game from the Doak Walker Award winner himself, Shonn Greene. Iowa has been hot lately and with South Carolina lacking an offense, I will take Iowa in a low scoring game.
Iowa 20, South Carolina 10
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
Georgia vs. Michigan State
This match-up features two of the top running backs in the country in Georgia's Knowshon Moreno and Michigan State's Javon Ringer. Georgia is not happy to be in this bowl game having started the season at #1, while Michigan State has performed above expectations and should be playing with more of a purpose. Michigan State will win a close game filled with lots of rushing yards.
Michigan State 31, Georgia 28
GATOR BOWL
Clemsonvs. Nebraska
Easily the least intriguing bowl game on January 1st features the most underachieving team in the country in Clemson and a recently perennial mediocre team in Nebraska. Clemson's running game, featuring James Davis and C.J. Spiller, will lead Clemson to victory.
Clemson 27, Nebraska 21
ROSE BOWL
USC vs. Penn State
Penn State is coming off an unexpected year of success while USC is yet again disappointed to be in the grandaddy of all bowl games. I expect a defensive or special teams score from USC in the game to offset their lack of offensive production.USC's defense will be too much for Penn State in the end, even if their inconsistent offenses doesn't perform brilliantly.
USC 31, Penn State 13
ORANGE BOWL
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Virginia Tech is coming off an ACC Championship Game victory while Cincinnati barely escaped from a mediocre Hawaii team. Virginia Tech will win the least intriguing of the BCS games.
Virginia Tech 30, Cincinnati 24
COTTON BOWL
Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss
Jevan Snead has led Ole Miss to their best season since Eli Manning was at the helm, but Texas Tech's prolific offense will be too much as the Red Raiders will role over the Rebels.
Texas Tech 45, Ole Miss, 24
LIBERTY BOWL
East Carolina vs. Kentucky
Kentucky was lucky to make a bowl game this year while ECU is coming off of their best season in school history after capturing their first Conference-USA championship. The Pirates will win big over the Wildcats
East Carolina 34, Kentucky 14
SUGAR BOWL
Alabama vs. Utah
As impressive as Utah's season has been, they haven't beaten anyone of true worth and Alabama still may be the second best team in the country. Their defense will dominate Utah and they will pound away at Utah's undersized and overmatched defense. Alabama will win this one over Utah in similar fashion of last year's Sugar Bowl.
Alabama 31, Utah 10
INTERNATIONAL BOWL
Connecticut vs. Buffalo
Buffalo's dream season will continue after beating Ball State by beating Connecticut in a close game. Buffalo has a great coach who amy be coaching his last game in the blue and white.
Buffalo 34, Connecticut 30
FIESTA BOWL
Texas vs. Ohio State
This game will be much closer than most people think. This isn't the same Ohio State team that lost to USC and Terrell Pryor's development has a lot to do with it. Albeit Ohio State's improvement, Texas may be the best team in the country and they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder. The Longhorns will beat the Buckeyes easily.
Texas 52, Ohio State 24
GMAC BOWL
Ball State vs. Tulsa
Ball State is coming off a heart-breaking loss which crushed their cinderella season. Tulsa has a very dynamic offense and I think Ball State will still be down about their loss to Buffalo and will lose to Tulsa in a high-scoring, close game.
Tulsa 38, Ball State 35
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Oklahoma vs. Florida
This is the most intriguing national championship game since 2005 and it should be a good one. Both teams have good defenses, but better offenses. The game features two Heisman quarterbacks in Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. I picked Oklahoma to win the national championship at the end of the year, but after watching Florida beat Alabama and witnessing Tim Tebow's passion and drive, I think Florida wins a classic.
Florida 45, Oklahoma 35
Wake Forest vs. Navy
With Wake Forest's struggling offense playing a Navy defense that hasn't given up a point since November 15th against Notre Dame, I like Navy to win this rematch just like the first game they played this season.
Navy 27, Wake Forest 17
NEW MEXICO BOWL
Fresno State vs. Colorado State
As much as Fresno State has underachieved and Colorado State overachieved this year, I will take Pat Hill's experience and game preparation over first year coach, Steve Fairchild any day.
Fresno State 31, Colorado State 27
ST. PETERSBURG BOWL
South Florida vs. Memphis
South Florida has a big home-field advantage in this game, and although they lost 5 of their last 7 games, I think they are far more talented and Matt Grothe will be the X-factor in a Bulls' win.
South Florida 38, Memphis 28
LAS VEGAS BOWL
Arizona vs. BYU
BYU seems to have mastered the Las Vegas Bowl, but this will be the year that they finally lose. Arizona is playing in their first bowl game since 1998 and they are going to be fired up. BYU's defense has struggled as of late and Arizona is going to grind them out with a steady rushing performance from Nic Grigsby and Keola Antolin.
Arizona 30, BYU 24
NEW ORLEANS BOWL
Troy vs. Southern Mississippi
Although Southern Miss has been streaking lately, this is the same Troy team that almost beat LSU in Death Valley and I like them to win a close one.
Troy 28, Southern Miss 27
POINSETTIA BOWL
Boise State vs. TCU
This is arguably the best non-BCS bowl this year and althogh most people think that this will be a great game, I think that their stellar play from Kellen Moore is going to be the difference and they will take care of, in my opinion, an overrated TCU team.
Boise State 38, TCU 24
HAWAII BOWL
Hawaii vs. Notre Dame
Notre Dame is in shambles and Hawaii is playing at home. That being said, Notre Dame is a more talented team and I think that their defense will step up and pull out a close victory.
Notre Dame 21, Hawaii 20
MOTOR CITY BOWL
Central Michigan vs. FAU
NFL quarterback prospect, Dan LeFevour will lead his pass-happy offense to his 2nd Motor City Bowl victory in his career over FAU.
Central Michigan 45, FAU 31
MEINEKE CAR CARE BOWL
North Carolina vs. West Virginia
North Carolina plays at home against a West Virginia team that has underperformed this year and with North Carolina having beaten two other Big East teams this year handely, I like North Carolina over West Virginia.
North Carolina 34, West Virginia 24
CHAMPS SPORTS BOWL
Florida State vs. Wisconsin
Wisconsin had one of the most disappointing seasons of the year and with no passing game, I don't see them being able to move the ball against a very good Florida State run-defense. Florida State wins this game running away.
Florida State 34, Wisconsin 13
EMERALD BOWL
California vs. Miami
This game is going to be closer than most people out west think. Cal has been inconsistent in big games this year and with an unproven QB in Kevin Riley, Cal will have to rely on their run game against a good Miami run-defense. Still, Cal should pull out a win and an essential home-field advantage should help them get the victory.
Cal 27, Miami 21
INDEPENDENCE BOWL
Louisiana Tech vs. Northern Illinois
Both teams are coming off losing seasons and although Louisiana Tech has home-field advantage, NIU has been hot as of late, winning 5 of their last 7. I like the Wolves in this one in a close game.
Northern Illinois 27, Louisiana Tech 24
PAPAJOHNS.COM BOWL
Rutgers vs. North Carolina State
This is a really intriguing matchup between two teams who didn't appear that they would even make a bowl game half way through the season. These two team have come on strong as of late, especially on the offensive side of the ball. I like Greg Schiano's coaching experience in this game, so I'll take the Rutgers winning this game in a shoot out.
Rutgers 48, North Carolina State 38
ALAMO BOWL
Missouri vs. Northwestern
Poor Northwestern is coming into a game against an angry Missouri team who has one of the best offenses in the country. It also doesn't help that Northwestern plays in the Big Ten and hasn't gotten to see an offense as dynamic as Missouri's this season. Chase Daniel will leaf Missouri to a blowout win over Northwestern.
Missouri 52, Northwestern 20
HUMANITARIAN BOWL
Maryland vs Nevada
Nevada will be playing in familiar territory and with WAC player of the year, Colin Kaepernick, the Wolfpack will beat a very inconsistent Maryland team.
Nevada 34, Maryland 30
TEXAS BOWL
Rice vs. Western Michigan
Casey Clement and Jarrett Dillard are one of the best QB-WR tandem in the country and not many people know about them. With Western Michigan's poor pass-defense and Rice playing at home, I'll take Owls in a route over the Broncos.
Rice 41, Western Michigan 21
HOLIDAY BOWL
Oregon vs. Oklahoma State
In my opinion (a biased one), this is the best non-BCS game this year with two of the country's top offenses and bottom defenses going head-to-head. This game should be an absolute barn-burner with the winner most likely finishing in the top 10 in the final rankings. Oregon has been coming on strong as of late and Oregon proved last year what they can do with 3 weeks of preparation. I'm going to take my Ducks to win a close game in a scoring barrage over the Cowboys.
Oregon 55, Oklahoma State 45
ARMED FORCES BOWL
Houston vs. Air Force
Houston comes in the game leading the nation total offense and most of the thanks can go to quarterback, Casey Keenum. Air Force's strong rushing game will not be able to keep up as the Cougars will beat the Falcons.
Houston 38, Air Force 24
SUN BOWL
Oregon State vs. Pittsburgh
This game will feature two of the best young running backs in the country. The difference maker in this game will be the quarterback play and the edge in that department goes to Lyle Moevao who, last game, had the best game of his career in a loss to Oregon in the Civil War. The Beavers will take care of the Panthers to give themselves their 5th straight bowl victory.
Oregon State 35, Pittsburgh 24
MUSIC CITY BOWL
Boston College vs. Vanderbilt
Vanderbilt hasn't won a bowl game since 195 and went 1-6 in their last 7 games while BC is coming of an ACC championship appearance. The Eagles will beat the Commodores in a blowout.
Boston College 38, Vanderbilt 20
INSIGHT BOWL
Minnesota vs. Kansas
Minnesota is coming off of their best regular season in year but faded near the end of the season. Kansas has been decimated by injuries this year but is coming off a big upset of rival Missouri. I'll take Kansas will the momentum in this game.
Kansas 34, Minnesota, 24
CHICK-FIL-A BOWL
Georgia Tech vs. LSU
Georgia Tech brings one of the best running games in the country to the table against an LSU team who has provided no consistent quarterback play all season. Georgia tech wins this one, controlling the game from the start.
Georgia Tech 41, LSU 24
OUTBACK BOWL
Iowa vs. South Carolina
This game features two great defenses. The difference is that Iowa features a productive running game from the Doak Walker Award winner himself, Shonn Greene. Iowa has been hot lately and with South Carolina lacking an offense, I will take Iowa in a low scoring game.
Iowa 20, South Carolina 10
CAPITAL ONE BOWL
Georgia vs. Michigan State
This match-up features two of the top running backs in the country in Georgia's Knowshon Moreno and Michigan State's Javon Ringer. Georgia is not happy to be in this bowl game having started the season at #1, while Michigan State has performed above expectations and should be playing with more of a purpose. Michigan State will win a close game filled with lots of rushing yards.
Michigan State 31, Georgia 28
GATOR BOWL
Clemsonvs. Nebraska
Easily the least intriguing bowl game on January 1st features the most underachieving team in the country in Clemson and a recently perennial mediocre team in Nebraska. Clemson's running game, featuring James Davis and C.J. Spiller, will lead Clemson to victory.
Clemson 27, Nebraska 21
ROSE BOWL
USC vs. Penn State
Penn State is coming off an unexpected year of success while USC is yet again disappointed to be in the grandaddy of all bowl games. I expect a defensive or special teams score from USC in the game to offset their lack of offensive production.USC's defense will be too much for Penn State in the end, even if their inconsistent offenses doesn't perform brilliantly.
USC 31, Penn State 13
ORANGE BOWL
Virginia Tech vs. Cincinnati
Virginia Tech is coming off an ACC Championship Game victory while Cincinnati barely escaped from a mediocre Hawaii team. Virginia Tech will win the least intriguing of the BCS games.
Virginia Tech 30, Cincinnati 24
COTTON BOWL
Texas Tech vs. Ole Miss
Jevan Snead has led Ole Miss to their best season since Eli Manning was at the helm, but Texas Tech's prolific offense will be too much as the Red Raiders will role over the Rebels.
Texas Tech 45, Ole Miss, 24
LIBERTY BOWL
East Carolina vs. Kentucky
Kentucky was lucky to make a bowl game this year while ECU is coming off of their best season in school history after capturing their first Conference-USA championship. The Pirates will win big over the Wildcats
East Carolina 34, Kentucky 14
SUGAR BOWL
Alabama vs. Utah
As impressive as Utah's season has been, they haven't beaten anyone of true worth and Alabama still may be the second best team in the country. Their defense will dominate Utah and they will pound away at Utah's undersized and overmatched defense. Alabama will win this one over Utah in similar fashion of last year's Sugar Bowl.
Alabama 31, Utah 10
INTERNATIONAL BOWL
Connecticut vs. Buffalo
Buffalo's dream season will continue after beating Ball State by beating Connecticut in a close game. Buffalo has a great coach who amy be coaching his last game in the blue and white.
Buffalo 34, Connecticut 30
FIESTA BOWL
Texas vs. Ohio State
This game will be much closer than most people think. This isn't the same Ohio State team that lost to USC and Terrell Pryor's development has a lot to do with it. Albeit Ohio State's improvement, Texas may be the best team in the country and they will be playing with a chip on their shoulder. The Longhorns will beat the Buckeyes easily.
Texas 52, Ohio State 24
GMAC BOWL
Ball State vs. Tulsa
Ball State is coming off a heart-breaking loss which crushed their cinderella season. Tulsa has a very dynamic offense and I think Ball State will still be down about their loss to Buffalo and will lose to Tulsa in a high-scoring, close game.
Tulsa 38, Ball State 35
BCS NATIONAL CHAMPIONSHIP GAME
Oklahoma vs. Florida
This is the most intriguing national championship game since 2005 and it should be a good one. Both teams have good defenses, but better offenses. The game features two Heisman quarterbacks in Sam Bradford and Tim Tebow. I picked Oklahoma to win the national championship at the end of the year, but after watching Florida beat Alabama and witnessing Tim Tebow's passion and drive, I think Florida wins a classic.
Florida 45, Oklahoma 35
Sunday, December 7, 2008
Winter Break Moviegoing
Last winter break, I saw 17 movies in theaters. Here are the movie I plan to see over this winter break:
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/theboyinthestripedpajamas/
Slumdog Millionaire
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/slumdogmillionaire/
Milk
http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/milk/
Changeling
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/changeling/
Happy-Go-Lucky
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/happygolucky/
Nobel Son
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/nobelson/
Australia
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/australia/
Four Christmases
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/fourchristmases/
Frost/Nixon
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/frostnixon/
Cadillac Records
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/cadillacrecords/
Doubt
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/doubt/
Gran Torino
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/grantorino/
Seven Pounds
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/sevenpounds/
The Spirit
http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/thespirit/
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton/
Marley and Me
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/marleyandme/
Valkyrie
http://www.apple.com/trailers/mgm/valkyrie/
Revolutionary Road
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/revolutionaryroad/
Defiance
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/defiance/
The Wrestler
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thewrestler/
There are 20 movies I plan to see. I plan to all 20 movies in 27 days.
The Boy in the Striped Pajamas
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/theboyinthestripedpajamas/
Slumdog Millionaire
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/slumdogmillionaire/
Milk
http://www.apple.com/trailers/focus_features/milk/
Changeling
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/changeling/
Happy-Go-Lucky
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/happygolucky/
Nobel Son
http://www.apple.com/trailers/independent/nobelson/
Australia
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/australia/
Four Christmases
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/fourchristmases/
Frost/Nixon
http://www.apple.com/trailers/universal/frostnixon/
Cadillac Records
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/cadillacrecords/
Doubt
http://www.apple.com/trailers/miramax/doubt/
Gran Torino
http://www.apple.com/trailers/wb/grantorino/
Seven Pounds
http://www.apple.com/trailers/sony_pictures/sevenpounds/
The Spirit
http://www.apple.com/trailers/lions_gate/thespirit/
Curious Case of Benjamin Button
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount/thecuriouscaseofbenjaminbutton/
Marley and Me
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox/marleyandme/
Valkyrie
http://www.apple.com/trailers/mgm/valkyrie/
Revolutionary Road
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/revolutionaryroad/
Defiance
http://www.apple.com/trailers/paramount_vantage/defiance/
The Wrestler
http://www.apple.com/trailers/fox_searchlight/thewrestler/
There are 20 movies I plan to see. I plan to all 20 movies in 27 days.
Thursday, December 4, 2008
My Take on The Giants' Offseason So Far
-I love the signings of Jeremy Affeldt and Bob Howry. The bullpen is looking MUCH better.
-Edgar Renteria just finished a physical with the Giants and will probably sign by the end of the week to a 2 year deal worth around 18 mil. This signing has actually grown on me...thanks to Stan.
This was written by Stan regarding problems with Renteria:
1. Old. Regarding the fact that he's 33, that's where a two-year deal comes in. There's not a single player he would be blocking as the Giants have zero realistic shortstop options. Burriss, while being a player I hope to see in the starting lineup for years to come, is not a shortstop. He would perform much better at second base. Having Renteria for two-years would fill a hole while other options were pursued.
2. Suckitude. Since hitting .260 in 493 ABs with STL in 2001, Renteria has hit .299 over the past seven seasons. The only two times he has hit below .287 in that span were with Boston in 2005 (.276) and last season with Detroit (.270). Common denominator? AL teams. Two seasons ago, while in the NL with Atlanta, he hit .332. It's not exactly wishful thinking that he would bounce back with another stint in the NL. His career averages in the NL are: .293/.351/.409 I don't see Burriss or any other options doing better than that.
Furcal wants four years, so he can piss off. Orlando Cabrera reeks worse than my nuts do, so he can piss off. Any worthwhile trading option would probably cost Cain, so those guys can piss off. See if Edgar can piece it together for a couple years and check the market at a later date.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/03/SPCM14GU32.DTL&feed=rss.giants
-The Giants appear to be the favorite for Pat Burell. I'm not sure how much I like this. I would rather develop Schierholtz or Lewis.
http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/12/lining_up_for_burrell.html
-Ken Rosenthal states that he believes the Giants are the darkhorses for C.C. Sabathia and apparently his wife favors the Giants. If the Giants sign C.C., they will make Cain available for trade options.
-The Giants may trade Jonathan Sanchez for Jorge Cantu. I don't like this. If the Giants got more out of the deal, fine. But I don't like this trade straight up.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-hotstovenotes120308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
-Edgar Renteria just finished a physical with the Giants and will probably sign by the end of the week to a 2 year deal worth around 18 mil. This signing has actually grown on me...thanks to Stan.
This was written by Stan regarding problems with Renteria:
1. Old. Regarding the fact that he's 33, that's where a two-year deal comes in. There's not a single player he would be blocking as the Giants have zero realistic shortstop options. Burriss, while being a player I hope to see in the starting lineup for years to come, is not a shortstop. He would perform much better at second base. Having Renteria for two-years would fill a hole while other options were pursued.
2. Suckitude. Since hitting .260 in 493 ABs with STL in 2001, Renteria has hit .299 over the past seven seasons. The only two times he has hit below .287 in that span were with Boston in 2005 (.276) and last season with Detroit (.270). Common denominator? AL teams. Two seasons ago, while in the NL with Atlanta, he hit .332. It's not exactly wishful thinking that he would bounce back with another stint in the NL. His career averages in the NL are: .293/.351/.409 I don't see Burriss or any other options doing better than that.
Furcal wants four years, so he can piss off. Orlando Cabrera reeks worse than my nuts do, so he can piss off. Any worthwhile trading option would probably cost Cain, so those guys can piss off. See if Edgar can piece it together for a couple years and check the market at a later date.
http://www.sfgate.com/cgi-bin/article.cgi?f=/c/a/2008/12/03/SPCM14GU32.DTL&feed=rss.giants
-The Giants appear to be the favorite for Pat Burell. I'm not sure how much I like this. I would rather develop Schierholtz or Lewis.
http://hotstove.mlblogs.com/archives/2008/12/lining_up_for_burrell.html
-Ken Rosenthal states that he believes the Giants are the darkhorses for C.C. Sabathia and apparently his wife favors the Giants. If the Giants sign C.C., they will make Cain available for trade options.
-The Giants may trade Jonathan Sanchez for Jorge Cantu. I don't like this. If the Giants got more out of the deal, fine. But I don't like this trade straight up.
http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news?slug=ti-hotstovenotes120308&prov=yhoo&type=lgns
Friday, November 21, 2008
Professional American Sports Fan Bases
Keep in mind, these are my personal rankings based from my observations and experiences.
Overall Best
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Boston Celtics
5. Calgary Flames
Overall Worst
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Oakland Raiders
3. New York Yankees
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Atlanta Braves
Most Optimistic
1. Portland Trailblazers
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. San Diego Chargers
Most Pessimistic
1. New York Yankees
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Detroit Lions
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Dallas Cowboys
Most Loyal
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Portland Trailblazers
5. Detroit Red Wings
Biggest Bandwagon
(Majority of Fanbase, not the usual amount following championships)
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Anaheim Angels
5. Milwaukee Brewers
Most Likely to Show Up
1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Portland Trailblazers
5. Calgary Flames
Least Likely to Show Up
1. Florida Marlins
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Oakland Raiders
4. New York Knicks
5. Kansas City Royals
Overall Best
1. Green Bay Packers
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Boston Red Sox
4. Boston Celtics
5. Calgary Flames
Overall Worst
1. Los Angeles Dodgers
2. Oakland Raiders
3. New York Yankees
4. Philadelphia Eagles
5. Atlanta Braves
Most Optimistic
1. Portland Trailblazers
2. Seattle Seahawks
3. Los Angeles Lakers
4. Detroit Red Wings
5. San Diego Chargers
Most Pessimistic
1. New York Yankees
2. Chicago Cubs
3. Detroit Lions
4. San Jose Sharks
5. Dallas Cowboys
Most Loyal
1. Chicago Cubs
2. Boston Red Sox
3. Green Bay Packers
4. Portland Trailblazers
5. Detroit Red Wings
Biggest Bandwagon
(Majority of Fanbase, not the usual amount following championships)
1. Seattle Seahawks
2. Tampa Bay Devil Rays
3. Chicago White Sox
4. Anaheim Angels
5. Milwaukee Brewers
Most Likely to Show Up
1. Green Bay Packers
2. San Francisco Giants
3. Dallas Mavericks
4. Portland Trailblazers
5. Calgary Flames
Least Likely to Show Up
1. Florida Marlins
2. Oakland Athletics
3. Oakland Raiders
4. New York Knicks
5. Kansas City Royals
Big Game Pranks: The 100 Years War
Thanks to Andrew Gross and Sean Rouse for the article.
1893 Cal is a little upset after having lost the first Big Game to an underrated, upstart Stanford team the previous year. The night before the second Big Game, Cal ire is increased when some Stanfordites toot a fifteen foot tin horn to announce their presence in San Francisco. At dawn, a group of Californians promptly raids the hotel, 'lifts' the horn, and paints it blue. When Cal blows the horn at the game a battle ensues, crushing the horn beyond repair.
1898 Stanford conducts its first bonfire rally when students drag wood into the dry bed of Lake Laguanita to create a symbolic funeral pyre for the Golden Bear.
1899 Cal men capture an axe that was wielded by Stanford Yell Leader Billy Erb.
1905 The Big "C" is built atop Charter Hill by Cal freshmen and sophomores. It quickly becomes a popular target of Stanford raiders. The Berkeley Gazette reports on one of the first attacks. A student walking on campus notices that the "C" has been defaced. After climbing the hillside, the student finds that part of the cement structure has been destroyed, apparently by use of dynamite. The "C" is later repaired, but the culprits are never found.
1910s In what is believed to be the first-ever instance of aerial bombardment, an airplane dumps hundreds of anti-Cal flyers over the Berkeley campus.
1914 Cal fanatics prematurely burn the Stanford bonfire. Stanford paints the "C" red. Cal hits the Leland Stanford statue and Memorial Arch, turning them blue and gold. Each campus then takes a defensive posture, awaiting the onslaught of the other with barricades, bonfires, chains, and student guards.ALL OF A SUDDEN ... nothing happens.
1918 Stanford paints the Big "C", Campanile, and Sather Gate red.
1923 Several Cal students go to Stanford and help stack all the wood for the bonfire on Thursday night. They volunteer to relieve some of the guards that night and promptly burn down the stack of wood the day before the rally
1925 Cal students preburn the Stanford bonfire. The Cal Guardians of the "C" Committee uses hundreds of sophomore guards on three hour shifts to protect the "C".
1928 The woodpile again burns before the Stanford bonfire. Students join in scrounging for wood, collecting old railroad ties and anything else that would burn. However Stanford is later assessed $400 in damages for "wrongfully appropriated property."
1930 Stanford's Don Knopp leads twenty other Stanford seniors masquerading as reporters, photographers, and Cal freshies. When the Axe emerges from an armored car after the Axe Rally, the Stanfordites take the Axe with the aid of flash powder and tear gas. The 'Immortal 21' (or, depending on your perspective, the 'Immoral 21') are chased to the brand-new San Mateo drawbridge. The Stanfordites manage to raise the drawbridge, stranding their persuers.
1930s A band of Stanfordites paints the bear statue by the Delta Tau Delta fraternity red. The following year they try to repeat the prank, but are caught by several Cal students, who shave the vandals' heads into mohawks.
1938 Stanford burns a 20 by 30 foot "S" into the Memorial Stadium grass and paints Wheeler Hall, Sather Gate, and the Senior Men's Bench.
1939 Bowles Men paint blue and gold "C"s on buildings in the Stanford Quadrangle. Fifteen carloads of Stanford students attack the Big "C" but are repelled by Cal student guards.
1942 One hundred twenty layers of paint are scraped off of the Big "C". Eighty layers are gold, and forty are red.
1946 Raids on bonfires resume after the War. Cal paints "C"s on Hoover Tower. Stanford paints the Campanile and steals a bear rented by the California Rally Committee.
During a daring nighttime raid, six Cal students steal the Axe by maneuvering the entire display case into the back of a black '38 Chevy pickup. The Axe winds up in the back seat of a Palo Alto Police squad car.
1947 The Daily Californian complains of Cal rooting section abuses -- drinking and "rolling down" of late comers. A Stanford plane writes "Down Cal, Hail Stanford" in the sky and drops handbills. Eight Cal students are arrested for trying to start bonfire rallies on the streets.
1948 The Axe is stolen from Cal. One Monday in June a trio of horseback riders discover it leaning against a tree by the Stanford golf course.
1954 In June Stanfordites steal the Axe from the Cal display case. (According to the Stanford Axe Committee, they leave $5 in the case to pay for the broken glass.) The California Rally Committee publicly presents a very good copy of the Axe in an attempt to get the thieves to return the real Axe. The Axe is found in the car of Stanford team captain Norm Manoogian a few hours before the Big Game.
1950s Cal's Deutsch Hall begins its annual "Stanford Goalpost Hunt" tradition. This story shall unfortunately remain incomplete until we can obtain accounts from Deutsch Alums.
1960 Residents of Smyth Hall arange a "Redskin Funeral" with effigies of Prince Lightfoot (the Stanford mascot) and 'Cactus Jack' Curtice, the Stanford coach. The funeral procession is led by a black hearse, followed by two or three dozen cars with their lights on. A 'police escort' (students on Vespas in ROTC uniforms) stops cross traffic for the procession all the way up to the Big "C". The effigies are then buried with individual grave markers.
Early 1960'sThree Cal fans dress as Stanford students and infiltrate the Stanfurd rooting section. At halftime they cut down the STANFORD banner and run across the back of the endzone, chased by the Stanford cheerleaders and some band members. The bandits make it across the field and throw the banner into the Cal rooting section, where it is 'rolled up' to the top.
For many years, Stanford held their bonfire rally in the dried-up bed of Lake Lagunitas. Full of water in the springtime, the lake dries up in the fall, partly due to a dam upstream. One year some Cal students manage to open the dam, releasing the water downstream and flooding out the bonfire.
1960s Stanford students awake one morning to find large, blue footprints scaling up the outside of Hoover Tower. When Stanford officials order that the prints "must come down immediately," their wish comes true when -- two days later -- the large, blue footprints descend the other side of the tower.
Cal students use large quantities of rock salt to burn a "C" into the lawn on the Stanford Quad. The nighttime lawn sprinklers melt the salt, which leaches into the soil, leaving a gold "C" on the lawn for weeks. (Stanford has to dig up the entire lawn and bring in new topsoil and sod.
1961 Stanford engineering students assault the Big "C" in broad daylight. Using jack hammers and brute force, they turn it into a red "S".
The Monday of Big Game week, the Daily Californian is published on pink newsprint. Members of the Rally Committee and the Cal Band collect 12,000 copies of the "ghastly pink" issue, take them to the Berkeley dump, and deposit them in a puddle of very gooey mud. Although the Daily Cal complains of the financial loss, the campus agrees with the statement of one Cal Band member: "I don't mind 'yellow journalism,' but pink is too much."
1962 The Friday morning of Big Game week, Stanford steals all of the Daily Californians and replaces them with a mock version praising Stanford's football team. Inside, in four-inch block letters, is printed "BEAT CAL." The original Daily Cals are deposited on the Chancellor's lawn.
1964 The Treaty of Castle Lanes: In the winter after its debut, the California Victory Cannon is stolen by Stanford students. Cal students then steal the STANFORD banner, 17,000 stunt cards, and a 400 pound bronze bell from the old tower behind the Stanford Memorial Chapel. Stanford retaliates by taking Cal's cards and the ASUC banner. Members of the California Rally Committee meet with Stanford students at Castle Lanes in Alameda to negotiate and draft a treaty. As a sign of good faith, Rally Committee brings the 17,000 stunt cards in a truck. During the treaty negotiations, Stanford students surround the truck and tear-gas it. The truck driver promptly puts on his gas mask and, despite looking down the business end of a .45, rams one of the cars blocking his way. He escapes only to be later arrested by the police, who then make sure that everything is settled between the two schools. As a result, all items are returned to their respective owners -- except that Cal gets to keep all of Stanford's blue-and-gold cards.
1967 John Wellborn manages to steal the Axe from Stanford without damaging its display case and without triggering the alarm. The trophy then appears in several photographs, including one with a University of California Centenial banner and one atop the Oakland Tribune building. The Axe is returned just before the start of the Big Game, but Stanford has to return it a few hours later when Cal wins the game.
1973 Ming's Incident: Three Stanford fraternity members telephone Cal football coach Mike White and request that the Axe appear at the Northern California Football Writers Association luncheon at Ming's Chinese Restaurant in Palo Alto during Big Game Week. After receiving a notice, Rally Committee members confirm the request with Mike White's secretary. Disguised as Cal football players, the Stanfordites wait outside Ming's. After a quick scuffle they snatch the Axe from the three Rally Commers.
1970s Stanford students perform their last card stunt. (Alumni of Stanford's Card Stunts Committee claim the year was 1971, others claim a later year.) The cards are stored in an unsecure location on the Stanford campus.
1975 Following years of probation the Cal football team has a chance to go to the Rose Bowl. The Friday before the Big Game, all the Daily Californians are replaced by a bogus edition with the headline, "NCAA NIXES CAL ROSE BOWL BID; Bears Placed Back on Probation." The paper describes an unknown NCAA investigation that turned up irregularities and claims that Cal's star running back Chuck Muncie has been ruled ineligible to play. The Daily Cal staff confiscate the bogus issue, but enough copies circulate to start a buzz.
Following the Stanford bonfire at Lake Lagunita several drunken youths throw rocks and bottles at police and firefighters.
During the Big Game members of the Stanford Band remove the Axe head from its plaque. Following the Cal victory they give the Axe head to John Larrisou '77. Larissou is alleged to have held the blade high over his head while dashing across the field to the Cal side and yelling, "I'VE GOT THE AXE! I'VE GOT THE AXE!!!"
1977 Cal bandsmen Jay Huxman '76 and Jamie Rawson '77 carve a replica of the Axe in meticulous detail. During halftime of the Cal-Stanford basketball game, Huxman and Dan Blick '77 run across the Maples Pavillion court waving the "Axe" and taunting the Stanford fans. Several Stanford students give chase but to no avail. Shortly thereafter the getaway car carrying the "Axe" is stopped for speeding, but the police let the students go when they show that the object is a fake. Nevertheless the San Francisco Examiner reports the next day that a band of Cal "desperados" had swiped the Axe. In appreciation of the successful hoax, the Stanford Band sends the Cal Band a case of champagne.
All of Stanford's stunt cards (except for one blue-and-gold card) mysteriously disappear. (They are simply loaded onto a truck and carted away.)
A "Go Bears" banner is hung from the top of Hoover Tower; a photo of it later appears in the Oakland Tribune.
1978 UC Rally Committee is still trying to figure out who generously donated the stack of stunt cards before the previous year's Big Game. (One card stunt at the Big Game reads, "Hey Stanford ... these are YOUR cards!")
1979 Stanford limits the list of pre-game festivities to "singing, bowling, and... a record-breaking bunny hop." The rumba line is cancelled due to "potential security problems."
After the Big Game rally a large banner is hung over the Bay Bridge tunnel entrance on Yerba Buena Island. It reads, "GO BEARS! BEAT STANFORD!"
1982 On the hill overlooking South San Francisco, the C-A-L in the white concrete
SOUTH
SAN FRANCISCO
THE INDUSTRIAL CITY
sign turns blue and gold.
On the Wednesday following The Play, Cal students are shocked when the Daily Californian has the headline, "NCAA awards Big Game to Stanford." The Stanford Daily has printed up several thousand bogus editions of the Daily Californian. By sheer luck the hoax is aided by a four-hour delay in the distribution of the real Daily Californian. In the end the Daily Cal gains by collecting the copies of the bogus newspapers and selling them for a dollar each.
1983 Two weeks before Big Game Stanford paints red "S"s at various campus locations.
Mysteriously the Cal Band doesn't arrive at the Big Game until the start of the second quarter. (Someone had cancelled the buses that were supposed to take the Band to Palo Alto.)
1984 On April Fool's Day two members of the Cal Acacia house put a Mickey Mouse face and hands on the south clockface of the Campanile. Both students are captured by the police.
Members of a Cal fraternity release blue-and-gold dyed mice into a Stanford library. On the morning of the Big Game, two Stanford students hang a large banner -- painted with a tree and an "S" -- from the Campanile. The banner is burned at the 1985 Big Game Bonfire Rally.
1985 Following the previous year's Big Game, Stanford did not put the Axe in its display case in Tressider Union. Ken Raust '81 and Tim Sheridan '84 stage a hoax that the Axe has been stolen. In March various newspapers and living groups receive letters apparently signed by Stanford Athletic Director Andy Geiger. Stating that the Axe has been stolen, the letters ask for cooperation in returning the trophy. Local newspapers receive bogus ransom notes from the "Friends of Oski," announcing the theft of the Axe and demanding as a condition of its return that Stanford change its nickname to "Trees." A reporter from the San Francisco Examiner exposes the hoax.
The palm trees all along Stanford's Palm Drive are painted to spell out C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A. During the Big Game a large balloon, decorated to resemble a sheep, flies over the stadium. On one side of the sheep appears the message, Ram ewe Cal; on the other side is its name -- Lambo. Eventually it falls into the Stanford student section and is destroyed.
1986 During the summer the six-foot tall stuffed Kodiak Bear disappears from its display case in the ASUC Student Union. No one claims the theft.
1987 The UC Rally Committee receives a ransom note from the ASUC Bear's Stanford kidnappers. The note refers to the Bear as "Oskie" and demands a list of signatures in order for the Bear to be returned. The list includes the president of Stanford, the chancellor of Berkeley, one of the UC Regents, one thousand Cal students, several Cal football players... "and some real athletes," Lawrence Berkeley -- or one of his descendents, and the president of Round Table Pizza. Rally Committee chairman Wendy Withers '89 sends a reply letter refusing to comply with the demands.
About twenty Cal students plaster authentic-looking LSJU Engineering "Out of Order" signs on the doors of bathroom stalls in various buildings on the Stanford campus.
1988 Another ransom note making similar ridiculous demands is sent to the Rally Committee; this letter is ignored. The Monday following the Big Game the Bear is found chained to the concrete fountain near Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, wearing a Stanford shirt. The shirt is replaced with a Cal shirt and the Bear is brought back to Cal as part of a noon-time rally and parade.
The Stanford band uses a remote control car with a smoke bomb to disrupt the Cal Band's pregame show. After a Cal bandsman smashes the rear of the car, it lies on the 30 yard line, still smoking. Another Cal bandsman inadvertantly kicks the car upright, and the smoking vehicle resumes its route around the field.
1989 At the annual UC Davis Picnic Day, the Stanford Tree costume is stolen and ends up in the hands of the Berkeley chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. The Tree is burned at the Big Game Bonfire Rally.
An airplane drops hundreds of little flyers over the Stanford campus. The flyers read, "Oski says 'F--- Stanfurd!'"
1990 Members of a Cal fraternity discover the Stanford Tree lying outside the Stanford Band Shak and steal the costume. They now display the tree on their roof during every Big Game Week.
An airplane drops anti-Cal flyers over parts of the Cal campus, south Berkeley, and north Oakland.
1991 The spelling on most of the Stanford freeway exit signs on highways 101 and 280 is 'corrected' to read "Stanfurd."
1992 One thousand letters are posted around the Stanford campus announcing that Stanford's bonfire rally has been cancelled. The letters appear to be on official letterhead bearing the signature of Stanford President Donald Kennedy. The hoax has been organized by a group named BUST (which stands for "Burn the Ugly Stanford Tree".) The letters are so convincing that the San Francisco Examiner prints a bonfire cancellation story. After acknowledging the successful prank, Kennedy announces that the rally will be held at midnight.
The Tree costume is stolen from the Stanford Band Shak. However nothing is made of it by Stanford, and the Tree again ends up at the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
1994 A STANFORD banner brought to the Friday Big Game luncheon in San Jose somehow ends up at Cal's Bonfire Rally that evening. The UC Rally Committee returns it to Stanford the next day.
1995 Again a STANFORD banner brought to the Friday Big Game luncheon in San Jose ends up at the Bonfire Rally. As before, the Rally Committee returns it to Stanford the next day.
1996 Stink bombs are set off during Cal's bonfire rally. The posts supporting the Cannon platform are vandalized and a small section of wood is removed, rendering the platform useless.
1997 Cal student Ted Kelly figures out how to hack into the referee's microphone system at Stanford Stadium. During the season he purchases some radio equipment and then tests it at Stanford home games. At the Big Game Kelly's planning comes to fruition when the referee is about to call a second-half foul. The entire stadium hears the call: "Penalty for unsportsmanlike arrogance ... Stanford sucks!"
1998 One month before the Big Game a group of Cal students steals the Tree costume. Calling themselves the "Phoenix Five", the group insists that it was liberating the mascot from its life in the Band Shak, where it was found in a corner rocking back and forth in a fetal position. They release a video of the blindfolded Tree dancing around while the other four kidnappers demand a ransom. The next day a letter is sent, 'signed' by the Tree, declaring his happiness over his new freedom and that he no longer wants to be on the Farm. Nevertheless Stanford demands the return of the Tree, as the mascot's grandmother had made the costume. The Phoenix Five returns the Tree to Stanford after Chancellor Robert Berdahl promises immunity from criminal prosecution.
1999 A week before the Big Game a group of Cal students 'corrects' the spelling on several Stanford freeway exit signs.
2003 The Stanford Tree costume is stolen while the Cal and Stanford bands are performing in a rally at Pier 39 in San Francisco. While the thieves send a ransom note demanding $300 for the return of the Tree, the Cal Band manager sends an email advising students to return the costume or face legal action. The Tree is returned to the Stanford Band, which shreds the costume in a wood chopper during the Big Game.
1893 Cal is a little upset after having lost the first Big Game to an underrated, upstart Stanford team the previous year. The night before the second Big Game, Cal ire is increased when some Stanfordites toot a fifteen foot tin horn to announce their presence in San Francisco. At dawn, a group of Californians promptly raids the hotel, 'lifts' the horn, and paints it blue. When Cal blows the horn at the game a battle ensues, crushing the horn beyond repair.
1898 Stanford conducts its first bonfire rally when students drag wood into the dry bed of Lake Laguanita to create a symbolic funeral pyre for the Golden Bear.
1899 Cal men capture an axe that was wielded by Stanford Yell Leader Billy Erb.
1905 The Big "C" is built atop Charter Hill by Cal freshmen and sophomores. It quickly becomes a popular target of Stanford raiders. The Berkeley Gazette reports on one of the first attacks. A student walking on campus notices that the "C" has been defaced. After climbing the hillside, the student finds that part of the cement structure has been destroyed, apparently by use of dynamite. The "C" is later repaired, but the culprits are never found.
1910s In what is believed to be the first-ever instance of aerial bombardment, an airplane dumps hundreds of anti-Cal flyers over the Berkeley campus.
1914 Cal fanatics prematurely burn the Stanford bonfire. Stanford paints the "C" red. Cal hits the Leland Stanford statue and Memorial Arch, turning them blue and gold. Each campus then takes a defensive posture, awaiting the onslaught of the other with barricades, bonfires, chains, and student guards.ALL OF A SUDDEN ... nothing happens.
1918 Stanford paints the Big "C", Campanile, and Sather Gate red.
1923 Several Cal students go to Stanford and help stack all the wood for the bonfire on Thursday night. They volunteer to relieve some of the guards that night and promptly burn down the stack of wood the day before the rally
1925 Cal students preburn the Stanford bonfire. The Cal Guardians of the "C" Committee uses hundreds of sophomore guards on three hour shifts to protect the "C".
1928 The woodpile again burns before the Stanford bonfire. Students join in scrounging for wood, collecting old railroad ties and anything else that would burn. However Stanford is later assessed $400 in damages for "wrongfully appropriated property."
1930 Stanford's Don Knopp leads twenty other Stanford seniors masquerading as reporters, photographers, and Cal freshies. When the Axe emerges from an armored car after the Axe Rally, the Stanfordites take the Axe with the aid of flash powder and tear gas. The 'Immortal 21' (or, depending on your perspective, the 'Immoral 21') are chased to the brand-new San Mateo drawbridge. The Stanfordites manage to raise the drawbridge, stranding their persuers.
1930s A band of Stanfordites paints the bear statue by the Delta Tau Delta fraternity red. The following year they try to repeat the prank, but are caught by several Cal students, who shave the vandals' heads into mohawks.
1938 Stanford burns a 20 by 30 foot "S" into the Memorial Stadium grass and paints Wheeler Hall, Sather Gate, and the Senior Men's Bench.
1939 Bowles Men paint blue and gold "C"s on buildings in the Stanford Quadrangle. Fifteen carloads of Stanford students attack the Big "C" but are repelled by Cal student guards.
1942 One hundred twenty layers of paint are scraped off of the Big "C". Eighty layers are gold, and forty are red.
1946 Raids on bonfires resume after the War. Cal paints "C"s on Hoover Tower. Stanford paints the Campanile and steals a bear rented by the California Rally Committee.
During a daring nighttime raid, six Cal students steal the Axe by maneuvering the entire display case into the back of a black '38 Chevy pickup. The Axe winds up in the back seat of a Palo Alto Police squad car.
1947 The Daily Californian complains of Cal rooting section abuses -- drinking and "rolling down" of late comers. A Stanford plane writes "Down Cal, Hail Stanford" in the sky and drops handbills. Eight Cal students are arrested for trying to start bonfire rallies on the streets.
1948 The Axe is stolen from Cal. One Monday in June a trio of horseback riders discover it leaning against a tree by the Stanford golf course.
1954 In June Stanfordites steal the Axe from the Cal display case. (According to the Stanford Axe Committee, they leave $5 in the case to pay for the broken glass.) The California Rally Committee publicly presents a very good copy of the Axe in an attempt to get the thieves to return the real Axe. The Axe is found in the car of Stanford team captain Norm Manoogian a few hours before the Big Game.
1950s Cal's Deutsch Hall begins its annual "Stanford Goalpost Hunt" tradition. This story shall unfortunately remain incomplete until we can obtain accounts from Deutsch Alums.
1960 Residents of Smyth Hall arange a "Redskin Funeral" with effigies of Prince Lightfoot (the Stanford mascot) and 'Cactus Jack' Curtice, the Stanford coach. The funeral procession is led by a black hearse, followed by two or three dozen cars with their lights on. A 'police escort' (students on Vespas in ROTC uniforms) stops cross traffic for the procession all the way up to the Big "C". The effigies are then buried with individual grave markers.
Early 1960'sThree Cal fans dress as Stanford students and infiltrate the Stanfurd rooting section. At halftime they cut down the STANFORD banner and run across the back of the endzone, chased by the Stanford cheerleaders and some band members. The bandits make it across the field and throw the banner into the Cal rooting section, where it is 'rolled up' to the top.
For many years, Stanford held their bonfire rally in the dried-up bed of Lake Lagunitas. Full of water in the springtime, the lake dries up in the fall, partly due to a dam upstream. One year some Cal students manage to open the dam, releasing the water downstream and flooding out the bonfire.
1960s Stanford students awake one morning to find large, blue footprints scaling up the outside of Hoover Tower. When Stanford officials order that the prints "must come down immediately," their wish comes true when -- two days later -- the large, blue footprints descend the other side of the tower.
Cal students use large quantities of rock salt to burn a "C" into the lawn on the Stanford Quad. The nighttime lawn sprinklers melt the salt, which leaches into the soil, leaving a gold "C" on the lawn for weeks. (Stanford has to dig up the entire lawn and bring in new topsoil and sod.
1961 Stanford engineering students assault the Big "C" in broad daylight. Using jack hammers and brute force, they turn it into a red "S".
The Monday of Big Game week, the Daily Californian is published on pink newsprint. Members of the Rally Committee and the Cal Band collect 12,000 copies of the "ghastly pink" issue, take them to the Berkeley dump, and deposit them in a puddle of very gooey mud. Although the Daily Cal complains of the financial loss, the campus agrees with the statement of one Cal Band member: "I don't mind 'yellow journalism,' but pink is too much."
1962 The Friday morning of Big Game week, Stanford steals all of the Daily Californians and replaces them with a mock version praising Stanford's football team. Inside, in four-inch block letters, is printed "BEAT CAL." The original Daily Cals are deposited on the Chancellor's lawn.
1964 The Treaty of Castle Lanes: In the winter after its debut, the California Victory Cannon is stolen by Stanford students. Cal students then steal the STANFORD banner, 17,000 stunt cards, and a 400 pound bronze bell from the old tower behind the Stanford Memorial Chapel. Stanford retaliates by taking Cal's cards and the ASUC banner. Members of the California Rally Committee meet with Stanford students at Castle Lanes in Alameda to negotiate and draft a treaty. As a sign of good faith, Rally Committee brings the 17,000 stunt cards in a truck. During the treaty negotiations, Stanford students surround the truck and tear-gas it. The truck driver promptly puts on his gas mask and, despite looking down the business end of a .45, rams one of the cars blocking his way. He escapes only to be later arrested by the police, who then make sure that everything is settled between the two schools. As a result, all items are returned to their respective owners -- except that Cal gets to keep all of Stanford's blue-and-gold cards.
1967 John Wellborn manages to steal the Axe from Stanford without damaging its display case and without triggering the alarm. The trophy then appears in several photographs, including one with a University of California Centenial banner and one atop the Oakland Tribune building. The Axe is returned just before the start of the Big Game, but Stanford has to return it a few hours later when Cal wins the game.
1973 Ming's Incident: Three Stanford fraternity members telephone Cal football coach Mike White and request that the Axe appear at the Northern California Football Writers Association luncheon at Ming's Chinese Restaurant in Palo Alto during Big Game Week. After receiving a notice, Rally Committee members confirm the request with Mike White's secretary. Disguised as Cal football players, the Stanfordites wait outside Ming's. After a quick scuffle they snatch the Axe from the three Rally Commers.
1970s Stanford students perform their last card stunt. (Alumni of Stanford's Card Stunts Committee claim the year was 1971, others claim a later year.) The cards are stored in an unsecure location on the Stanford campus.
1975 Following years of probation the Cal football team has a chance to go to the Rose Bowl. The Friday before the Big Game, all the Daily Californians are replaced by a bogus edition with the headline, "NCAA NIXES CAL ROSE BOWL BID; Bears Placed Back on Probation." The paper describes an unknown NCAA investigation that turned up irregularities and claims that Cal's star running back Chuck Muncie has been ruled ineligible to play. The Daily Cal staff confiscate the bogus issue, but enough copies circulate to start a buzz.
Following the Stanford bonfire at Lake Lagunita several drunken youths throw rocks and bottles at police and firefighters.
During the Big Game members of the Stanford Band remove the Axe head from its plaque. Following the Cal victory they give the Axe head to John Larrisou '77. Larissou is alleged to have held the blade high over his head while dashing across the field to the Cal side and yelling, "I'VE GOT THE AXE! I'VE GOT THE AXE!!!"
1977 Cal bandsmen Jay Huxman '76 and Jamie Rawson '77 carve a replica of the Axe in meticulous detail. During halftime of the Cal-Stanford basketball game, Huxman and Dan Blick '77 run across the Maples Pavillion court waving the "Axe" and taunting the Stanford fans. Several Stanford students give chase but to no avail. Shortly thereafter the getaway car carrying the "Axe" is stopped for speeding, but the police let the students go when they show that the object is a fake. Nevertheless the San Francisco Examiner reports the next day that a band of Cal "desperados" had swiped the Axe. In appreciation of the successful hoax, the Stanford Band sends the Cal Band a case of champagne.
All of Stanford's stunt cards (except for one blue-and-gold card) mysteriously disappear. (They are simply loaded onto a truck and carted away.)
A "Go Bears" banner is hung from the top of Hoover Tower; a photo of it later appears in the Oakland Tribune.
1978 UC Rally Committee is still trying to figure out who generously donated the stack of stunt cards before the previous year's Big Game. (One card stunt at the Big Game reads, "Hey Stanford ... these are YOUR cards!")
1979 Stanford limits the list of pre-game festivities to "singing, bowling, and... a record-breaking bunny hop." The rumba line is cancelled due to "potential security problems."
After the Big Game rally a large banner is hung over the Bay Bridge tunnel entrance on Yerba Buena Island. It reads, "GO BEARS! BEAT STANFORD!"
1982 On the hill overlooking South San Francisco, the C-A-L in the white concrete
SOUTH
SAN FRANCISCO
THE INDUSTRIAL CITY
sign turns blue and gold.
On the Wednesday following The Play, Cal students are shocked when the Daily Californian has the headline, "NCAA awards Big Game to Stanford." The Stanford Daily has printed up several thousand bogus editions of the Daily Californian. By sheer luck the hoax is aided by a four-hour delay in the distribution of the real Daily Californian. In the end the Daily Cal gains by collecting the copies of the bogus newspapers and selling them for a dollar each.
1983 Two weeks before Big Game Stanford paints red "S"s at various campus locations.
Mysteriously the Cal Band doesn't arrive at the Big Game until the start of the second quarter. (Someone had cancelled the buses that were supposed to take the Band to Palo Alto.)
1984 On April Fool's Day two members of the Cal Acacia house put a Mickey Mouse face and hands on the south clockface of the Campanile. Both students are captured by the police.
Members of a Cal fraternity release blue-and-gold dyed mice into a Stanford library. On the morning of the Big Game, two Stanford students hang a large banner -- painted with a tree and an "S" -- from the Campanile. The banner is burned at the 1985 Big Game Bonfire Rally.
1985 Following the previous year's Big Game, Stanford did not put the Axe in its display case in Tressider Union. Ken Raust '81 and Tim Sheridan '84 stage a hoax that the Axe has been stolen. In March various newspapers and living groups receive letters apparently signed by Stanford Athletic Director Andy Geiger. Stating that the Axe has been stolen, the letters ask for cooperation in returning the trophy. Local newspapers receive bogus ransom notes from the "Friends of Oski," announcing the theft of the Axe and demanding as a condition of its return that Stanford change its nickname to "Trees." A reporter from the San Francisco Examiner exposes the hoax.
The palm trees all along Stanford's Palm Drive are painted to spell out C-A-L-I-F-O-R-N-I-A. During the Big Game a large balloon, decorated to resemble a sheep, flies over the stadium. On one side of the sheep appears the message, Ram ewe Cal; on the other side is its name -- Lambo. Eventually it falls into the Stanford student section and is destroyed.
1986 During the summer the six-foot tall stuffed Kodiak Bear disappears from its display case in the ASUC Student Union. No one claims the theft.
1987 The UC Rally Committee receives a ransom note from the ASUC Bear's Stanford kidnappers. The note refers to the Bear as "Oskie" and demands a list of signatures in order for the Bear to be returned. The list includes the president of Stanford, the chancellor of Berkeley, one of the UC Regents, one thousand Cal students, several Cal football players... "and some real athletes," Lawrence Berkeley -- or one of his descendents, and the president of Round Table Pizza. Rally Committee chairman Wendy Withers '89 sends a reply letter refusing to comply with the demands.
About twenty Cal students plaster authentic-looking LSJU Engineering "Out of Order" signs on the doors of bathroom stalls in various buildings on the Stanford campus.
1988 Another ransom note making similar ridiculous demands is sent to the Rally Committee; this letter is ignored. The Monday following the Big Game the Bear is found chained to the concrete fountain near Embarcadero Center in San Francisco, wearing a Stanford shirt. The shirt is replaced with a Cal shirt and the Bear is brought back to Cal as part of a noon-time rally and parade.
The Stanford band uses a remote control car with a smoke bomb to disrupt the Cal Band's pregame show. After a Cal bandsman smashes the rear of the car, it lies on the 30 yard line, still smoking. Another Cal bandsman inadvertantly kicks the car upright, and the smoking vehicle resumes its route around the field.
1989 At the annual UC Davis Picnic Day, the Stanford Tree costume is stolen and ends up in the hands of the Berkeley chapter of Lambda Chi Alpha. The Tree is burned at the Big Game Bonfire Rally.
An airplane drops hundreds of little flyers over the Stanford campus. The flyers read, "Oski says 'F--- Stanfurd!'"
1990 Members of a Cal fraternity discover the Stanford Tree lying outside the Stanford Band Shak and steal the costume. They now display the tree on their roof during every Big Game Week.
An airplane drops anti-Cal flyers over parts of the Cal campus, south Berkeley, and north Oakland.
1991 The spelling on most of the Stanford freeway exit signs on highways 101 and 280 is 'corrected' to read "Stanfurd."
1992 One thousand letters are posted around the Stanford campus announcing that Stanford's bonfire rally has been cancelled. The letters appear to be on official letterhead bearing the signature of Stanford President Donald Kennedy. The hoax has been organized by a group named BUST (which stands for "Burn the Ugly Stanford Tree".) The letters are so convincing that the San Francisco Examiner prints a bonfire cancellation story. After acknowledging the successful prank, Kennedy announces that the rally will be held at midnight.
The Tree costume is stolen from the Stanford Band Shak. However nothing is made of it by Stanford, and the Tree again ends up at the Lambda Chi Alpha fraternity.
1994 A STANFORD banner brought to the Friday Big Game luncheon in San Jose somehow ends up at Cal's Bonfire Rally that evening. The UC Rally Committee returns it to Stanford the next day.
1995 Again a STANFORD banner brought to the Friday Big Game luncheon in San Jose ends up at the Bonfire Rally. As before, the Rally Committee returns it to Stanford the next day.
1996 Stink bombs are set off during Cal's bonfire rally. The posts supporting the Cannon platform are vandalized and a small section of wood is removed, rendering the platform useless.
1997 Cal student Ted Kelly figures out how to hack into the referee's microphone system at Stanford Stadium. During the season he purchases some radio equipment and then tests it at Stanford home games. At the Big Game Kelly's planning comes to fruition when the referee is about to call a second-half foul. The entire stadium hears the call: "Penalty for unsportsmanlike arrogance ... Stanford sucks!"
1998 One month before the Big Game a group of Cal students steals the Tree costume. Calling themselves the "Phoenix Five", the group insists that it was liberating the mascot from its life in the Band Shak, where it was found in a corner rocking back and forth in a fetal position. They release a video of the blindfolded Tree dancing around while the other four kidnappers demand a ransom. The next day a letter is sent, 'signed' by the Tree, declaring his happiness over his new freedom and that he no longer wants to be on the Farm. Nevertheless Stanford demands the return of the Tree, as the mascot's grandmother had made the costume. The Phoenix Five returns the Tree to Stanford after Chancellor Robert Berdahl promises immunity from criminal prosecution.
1999 A week before the Big Game a group of Cal students 'corrects' the spelling on several Stanford freeway exit signs.
2003 The Stanford Tree costume is stolen while the Cal and Stanford bands are performing in a rally at Pier 39 in San Francisco. While the thieves send a ransom note demanding $300 for the return of the Tree, the Cal Band manager sends an email advising students to return the costume or face legal action. The Tree is returned to the Stanford Band, which shreds the costume in a wood chopper during the Big Game.
The Story of the Stanford Axe
Since it is Big Game week, my historical side has forced me to retell the story of the Axe. Enjoy.
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In 1899, the Stanford baseball team was considered to be highly rated. However, other Stanford sports had taken a big slump. Stanford had lost twice in a row to Cal in track, Stanford’s ’98 Freshman football team lost to Cal, and later the Golden Bears defeated Stanford in Varsity football by a score of 22-0 (Touchdowns were worth 5 points at the time).
The Stanford yell-leading squad decided that it would be a good idea to have something to help rally the student body to cheer their team to victory. A popular yell at the time was the Axe yell (a take-off of a passage from Sophocles’ "The Frog"). It was decided that an Axe would be the perfect instrument to help rally the students. The Axe was NOT custom made for the Stanford yell leaders, but was a standard lumberman’s axe weighing ten pounds with a fifteen inch blade (it was quite possibly ordered from Sears). When the Axe arrived, the handle was painted red.
In April of 1899, there was a best-of-three game series scheduled between Cal and Stanford. Cal upset Stanford 4-1 in the first game of the series.
On Thursday April 13, 1899, a rally was held on the Stanford campus to whip up spirit for the second game, to be played two days later. The Axe was displayed to the Stanford student body for the first time at this rally, and was used to decapitate a straw man dressed up in blue and gold.
The game itself was played at 16th Street and Folsom in San Francisco. Head Stanford yell leader, Billy Erb (whose nephew Charles would go on to play for The Wonder Teams), brought the Axe with him. Stanford took an early lead, and after every good Stanford play, Erb and the other yell leaders would use the axe to chop up some blue and gold ribbon, and then gleefully parade the axe in front of the Cal bleachers, shouting the Axe Yell. Needless to say, this upset the Cal fans, and convinced two separate groups that they should attempt to steal this annoying instrument.
Anyway, It looked like the yell leaders had succeeded as Stanford led 7-5 going into the ninth inning. However, a four run Cal rally in the ninth dashed Stanford’s hopes, as Cal won 9-7.
As fate would have it, the Cal section was the closest to the exit of the field, and so one group of planners decided to wait for the Axe. When it arrived, an "old-fashioned brawl" (or small riot, depending on the account) ensued as the Cal men jumped the Stanfordites with the Axe. At this point, the second group of Cal men jumped into the fray. The Axe was taken by Cal at the cost of a black eye, a torn suit, and a cut finger.
At the same time, a squad of police arrived, and Jack McGee ’99, succeeded in confusing the police by trying to convince them that some Stanford students were attempting to steal a California Axe. The Sergeant in charge, Michael Josephy Conboy decided "They are college byes. Let them foight it out."
The Axe was passed on to Cal sprinter Billy Drum ’00, who took the Axe along a winding route through the City. At one point, Drum accidently handed the Axe to two Stanford men who pretended to be Cal men, but he and some other Cal men helped retrieve the Axe from the two pretenders after chasing them for two blocks. Eventually the Axe reached a butcher shop at Scott and Oak streets where the Cal men were able to saw the handle off. The Axe and handle were then given to Clint Miller ’00, who stuffed the Axe under his overcoat and put the handle down his pants leg. On the way to the Ferry Building, Miller stopped at a Chinese hardware store on Clay St. to make the handle easier to hide.
At the ferry building, the police were searching all UC men taking the ferry to Berkeley. Miller kept the axe as close to his skin as possible, buttoned up his coat and overcoat, and looked quite innocent as he waved goodbye to the Cal men while grabbing the arm of an old girlfriend that he saw was in line to board the ferry to Oakland. Jimmy Hopper ’98 noticed what Miller was doing, bought Miller a ticket to Oakland, and handed the ticket to Miller just in time to board the ferry.
That night, the Axe was stored in the safe of Morris the Photographer, and the next night, under the pillow of Al Lean, the trainer of the baseball team.
Then, on Monday April 17th, the baseball team plus the men who helped steal the Axe, elected Loll Pringle as the "Custodian of the Axe", and the first Axe rally was held on the Cal campus.
The Axe was then moved to the Chi Phi house where a few days later, several Stanford students raided the house, but did not find the Axe, which was hidden in a space behind a sliding door. After this incident, the Axe was moved to one of the top floors of the Klaus Spreckels building at 3rd and Market in downtown San Francisco, under the care of Clint Miller.
In the Fall of 1899, a few days before the first Football Axe rally, Clint Miller transported the Axe back to Berkeley in a suit box. Miller, after boarding the ferry to Berkeley, ended up sitting down next to the only Stanford man that he knew. The Stanford man said "See here, Clint, I see by the papers you Berkeley guys are going to bring out that old Axe you’ve been crowing so much about. Well, if you do, you’ll be sorry."
Miller, with his legs starting to tremble, managed to reply, "Oh, by the way, where is the Stanford Axe?"
The Stanford man replied, "Never mind, Clint, we know where it is. You’re now warned never to bring it out in public."
After the first football Axe rally, the Stanfordites tried to make good their threat by attacking Clint Miller’s home at about two o’clock in the morning.
Miller was given just enough warning by Police Chief August Vollmer to get the Axe out of his basement and deliver it to a banker friend, Frank Naylor, who stored the Axe in a safe deposit box in one of the vaults at the American Trust Company.
The Axe was stored in the vault for 30 years, and was only brought out for Football and Baseball rallies, when it would be transported to and from the Greek Theatre by armored car.
While the Axe was kept in the bank vault, a search warrant for stolen property served on the bank only once. When that happened, the bank manager consulted the bank’s attorney, Judge Waste, who said "Pay no attention to the warrant. It has been issued from San Francisco County instead of Alameda County." This prompted the bank manager to ask what he should do if he was ever served a warrant from Alameda County. The Judge replied with "That’s easy! Give the Axe to me and I’ll put it in my private safe deposit box. They will never think to get a search warrant for my box."
Every year the baseball team would elect a new "Custodian of the Axe". The Axe would be ceremoniously passed from the old Custodian to the new Custodian at the annual Fall Ax Rally. The custodian of the Axe was responsible for displaying the Axe at the two Ax Rallies and safely transporting the axe to and from the bank. At some point in time before 1930, the California Rally Committee was given the responsibility for safely transporting the Axe.
On April 3, 1930, a group of twenty-one Stanford students, four of whom posed as photographers and reporters, stole the Axe as it was being transported back to the bank after the annual Baseball rally at the Greek. One man grabbed the Axe while his well-organized accomplices set off a smoke bomb (or a tear gas bomb, depending on the account of the story). The Axe was taken to three cars which sped off in different directions. Several of the thieves were caught, but the Axe had made it back to Stanford.
After several years of attempted raids, and retaliatory strikes, the presidents of the two student bodies signed an agreement stating that the Axe is an annual trophy to be awarded to the victor of the Big Game, and that in the event of a tie, the Axe would be kept by the side already possessing the Axe.
<In 1899, the Stanford baseball team was considered to be highly rated. However, other Stanford sports had taken a big slump. Stanford had lost twice in a row to Cal in track, Stanford’s ’98 Freshman football team lost to Cal, and later the Golden Bears defeated Stanford in Varsity football by a score of 22-0 (Touchdowns were worth 5 points at the time).
The Stanford yell-leading squad decided that it would be a good idea to have something to help rally the student body to cheer their team to victory. A popular yell at the time was the Axe yell (a take-off of a passage from Sophocles’ "The Frog"). It was decided that an Axe would be the perfect instrument to help rally the students. The Axe was NOT custom made for the Stanford yell leaders, but was a standard lumberman’s axe weighing ten pounds with a fifteen inch blade (it was quite possibly ordered from Sears). When the Axe arrived, the handle was painted red.
In April of 1899, there was a best-of-three game series scheduled between Cal and Stanford. Cal upset Stanford 4-1 in the first game of the series.
On Thursday April 13, 1899, a rally was held on the Stanford campus to whip up spirit for the second game, to be played two days later. The Axe was displayed to the Stanford student body for the first time at this rally, and was used to decapitate a straw man dressed up in blue and gold.
The game itself was played at 16th Street and Folsom in San Francisco. Head Stanford yell leader, Billy Erb (whose nephew Charles would go on to play for The Wonder Teams), brought the Axe with him. Stanford took an early lead, and after every good Stanford play, Erb and the other yell leaders would use the axe to chop up some blue and gold ribbon, and then gleefully parade the axe in front of the Cal bleachers, shouting the Axe Yell. Needless to say, this upset the Cal fans, and convinced two separate groups that they should attempt to steal this annoying instrument.
Anyway, It looked like the yell leaders had succeeded as Stanford led 7-5 going into the ninth inning. However, a four run Cal rally in the ninth dashed Stanford’s hopes, as Cal won 9-7.
As fate would have it, the Cal section was the closest to the exit of the field, and so one group of planners decided to wait for the Axe. When it arrived, an "old-fashioned brawl" (or small riot, depending on the account) ensued as the Cal men jumped the Stanfordites with the Axe. At this point, the second group of Cal men jumped into the fray. The Axe was taken by Cal at the cost of a black eye, a torn suit, and a cut finger.
At the same time, a squad of police arrived, and Jack McGee ’99, succeeded in confusing the police by trying to convince them that some Stanford students were attempting to steal a California Axe. The Sergeant in charge, Michael Josephy Conboy decided "They are college byes. Let them foight it out."
The Axe was passed on to Cal sprinter Billy Drum ’00, who took the Axe along a winding route through the City. At one point, Drum accidently handed the Axe to two Stanford men who pretended to be Cal men, but he and some other Cal men helped retrieve the Axe from the two pretenders after chasing them for two blocks. Eventually the Axe reached a butcher shop at Scott and Oak streets where the Cal men were able to saw the handle off. The Axe and handle were then given to Clint Miller ’00, who stuffed the Axe under his overcoat and put the handle down his pants leg. On the way to the Ferry Building, Miller stopped at a Chinese hardware store on Clay St. to make the handle easier to hide.
At the ferry building, the police were searching all UC men taking the ferry to Berkeley. Miller kept the axe as close to his skin as possible, buttoned up his coat and overcoat, and looked quite innocent as he waved goodbye to the Cal men while grabbing the arm of an old girlfriend that he saw was in line to board the ferry to Oakland. Jimmy Hopper ’98 noticed what Miller was doing, bought Miller a ticket to Oakland, and handed the ticket to Miller just in time to board the ferry.
That night, the Axe was stored in the safe of Morris the Photographer, and the next night, under the pillow of Al Lean, the trainer of the baseball team.
Then, on Monday April 17th, the baseball team plus the men who helped steal the Axe, elected Loll Pringle as the "Custodian of the Axe", and the first Axe rally was held on the Cal campus.
The Axe was then moved to the Chi Phi house where a few days later, several Stanford students raided the house, but did not find the Axe, which was hidden in a space behind a sliding door. After this incident, the Axe was moved to one of the top floors of the Klaus Spreckels building at 3rd and Market in downtown San Francisco, under the care of Clint Miller.
In the Fall of 1899, a few days before the first Football Axe rally, Clint Miller transported the Axe back to Berkeley in a suit box. Miller, after boarding the ferry to Berkeley, ended up sitting down next to the only Stanford man that he knew. The Stanford man said "See here, Clint, I see by the papers you Berkeley guys are going to bring out that old Axe you’ve been crowing so much about. Well, if you do, you’ll be sorry."
Miller, with his legs starting to tremble, managed to reply, "Oh, by the way, where is the Stanford Axe?"
The Stanford man replied, "Never mind, Clint, we know where it is. You’re now warned never to bring it out in public."
After the first football Axe rally, the Stanfordites tried to make good their threat by attacking Clint Miller’s home at about two o’clock in the morning.
Miller was given just enough warning by Police Chief August Vollmer to get the Axe out of his basement and deliver it to a banker friend, Frank Naylor, who stored the Axe in a safe deposit box in one of the vaults at the American Trust Company.
The Axe was stored in the vault for 30 years, and was only brought out for Football and Baseball rallies, when it would be transported to and from the Greek Theatre by armored car.
While the Axe was kept in the bank vault, a search warrant for stolen property served on the bank only once. When that happened, the bank manager consulted the bank’s attorney, Judge Waste, who said "Pay no attention to the warrant. It has been issued from San Francisco County instead of Alameda County." This prompted the bank manager to ask what he should do if he was ever served a warrant from Alameda County. The Judge replied with "That’s easy! Give the Axe to me and I’ll put it in my private safe deposit box. They will never think to get a search warrant for my box."
Every year the baseball team would elect a new "Custodian of the Axe". The Axe would be ceremoniously passed from the old Custodian to the new Custodian at the annual Fall Ax Rally. The custodian of the Axe was responsible for displaying the Axe at the two Ax Rallies and safely transporting the axe to and from the bank. At some point in time before 1930, the California Rally Committee was given the responsibility for safely transporting the Axe.
On April 3, 1930, a group of twenty-one Stanford students, four of whom posed as photographers and reporters, stole the Axe as it was being transported back to the bank after the annual Baseball rally at the Greek. One man grabbed the Axe while his well-organized accomplices set off a smoke bomb (or a tear gas bomb, depending on the account of the story). The Axe was taken to three cars which sped off in different directions. Several of the thieves were caught, but the Axe had made it back to Stanford.
After several years of attempted raids, and retaliatory strikes, the presidents of the two student bodies signed an agreement stating that the Axe is an annual trophy to be awarded to the victor of the Big Game, and that in the event of a tie, the Axe would be kept by the side already possessing the Axe.
Wednesday, November 5, 2008
A Bittersweet Night
A night of hope, change, and sheer joy has overshadowed a sad ruling. California voted yes on proposition 8, to ban gay-marriage. I don't understand the intolerance and insecurity of some people in this country.
Some people say that gay-marriage will "devalue" the institution of marriage. What does that mean? How? You are basically saying, "WE can have this constitutional right, but YOU can't." What happened to the equality that this country was founded on?
Some people say that it's their belief that gays shouldn't marry because of their religion. Fine. Churches have the right to refuse ceremonies of marriage for gays. But marriage is not only a religious institution. It is the constitutional right as an American citizen that ANYONE can marry. Gays should be allowed to AT LEAST marry in court. People, we have this little thing called, "Separation of church and state."
Some people believe that gays choose to be so and that it is a sin. There is no where in the bible that states being gay is a sin. Jesus Christ never said anything about marriage being between a man and a woman, some old farts who wrote the bible did. Gays don't choose to be gay. No one would choose a lifestyle under so much scrutiny. Ask any gay person, they will not tell you that they chose the lifestyle.
To anyone who believes gay marriage should not exist, it's going to happen. It is a constitutional right to be married, regardless of sexual orientation. You cannot have an election challenging a Constitutional right, and this will be argued in court for years until the people in government finally have the balls to admit that it is their right as Americans to marry, just like politicians finally let women and blacks votes those many years ago...and look where it has taken us. We now have our first black president and I couldn't be prouder to have voted in this election an be a part of this historical moment in America.
Wake up people. Gays are people too, and they deserve every right that heterosexuals do.
Some people say that gay-marriage will "devalue" the institution of marriage. What does that mean? How? You are basically saying, "WE can have this constitutional right, but YOU can't." What happened to the equality that this country was founded on?
Some people say that it's their belief that gays shouldn't marry because of their religion. Fine. Churches have the right to refuse ceremonies of marriage for gays. But marriage is not only a religious institution. It is the constitutional right as an American citizen that ANYONE can marry. Gays should be allowed to AT LEAST marry in court. People, we have this little thing called, "Separation of church and state."
Some people believe that gays choose to be so and that it is a sin. There is no where in the bible that states being gay is a sin. Jesus Christ never said anything about marriage being between a man and a woman, some old farts who wrote the bible did. Gays don't choose to be gay. No one would choose a lifestyle under so much scrutiny. Ask any gay person, they will not tell you that they chose the lifestyle.
To anyone who believes gay marriage should not exist, it's going to happen. It is a constitutional right to be married, regardless of sexual orientation. You cannot have an election challenging a Constitutional right, and this will be argued in court for years until the people in government finally have the balls to admit that it is their right as Americans to marry, just like politicians finally let women and blacks votes those many years ago...and look where it has taken us. We now have our first black president and I couldn't be prouder to have voted in this election an be a part of this historical moment in America.
Wake up people. Gays are people too, and they deserve every right that heterosexuals do.
Thursday, October 30, 2008
Food Talk: My Top 10 Favorite Restaurants
1. Crustacean (San Francisco, CA)
This is my favorite restaurant ever. I love Asian food and seafood and this place is the best fusion of the two I have had. I always get their Garlic Dungeoness Crab and Garlic Noodles. It is simply amazing.
Official Website
2. Koi (Los Angeles, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
This is one of the trendier spots in LA. This Japanese restaurant is very hard to get reservations to, but is worth the struggle. The portions are decent, but the food is orgasmic. The best item on the menu is the Crispy Rice.
Official Website
3. Geta (Oakland, CA)
It's a family-owned restaurant with amazing, cheap Japanese food. It's all about the Crispy California Roll.
Unofficial Website
4. Acme Chophouse (San Francisco, CA)
This restaurant, inside AT&T Park, features incredible steak and seafood. I don't go here before games because it is too crowded, but when the Giants are out of town, I like to go their on special occasions. Their Flat Iron Steak is incredible.
Official Website
5. Spago (Beverly Hills, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
This restaurant is considered by many, the best in LA. This is Wolfgang Puck's pride of his restaurants. I try something new every time because everything is amazing.
Official Website
6. Il Sole (West Hollywood, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
This is the best Italian restaurant in LA. I always start off with an anti-pasta, usually the Berrata Cheese and Tomato appetizer. I usually get the Lobster Raviolis for dinner and the Carmel Gelato for desert.
Unofficial Website
7. Asia de Cuba (West Hollywood, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
Located in the Mondrian Hotel, this resturant is the best Asian-Cuban fusion food I have ever had. I have only been here once, so I can't recommend anything because it was all good, but it was a great experience and an amazing dinner. The decor was very modern and white and it came with a wonderful view of LA. Right next to the restaurant is the hotel's famous Sky Bar, where many celebrities party after hours.
Official Website
8. Ketchup (West Hollywood, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
By far the hottest spot in LA right now, this restaurant attracts many celebrities with it's prime location on Sunset Boulevard and very hip decor. The restuarant describes its type of food as, "Classic American food with a twist." The best thing to get here is the appetizer, The Threesome. It is a trio of types of french fries: Spicy, Parmesan Garlic, and Sweet Potato (with light cinnamon sugar sprinkled in). The Threesome comes with 5 kinds of ketchup: Regular, Chipotle, Ranch, Mango, and Maple. For entrees, try the Shake N' Bake Chicken with Plum sauce. It's incredible.
Official Website
9. The Infield (Sherman Oaks, CA)
This outdoor hot dog restaurant is the best I've ever had. The place has stadium seating, a field painted on the ground, and baseball music over the speakers. On top of that, they have around 50 types of hot dogs. They have specialty hot dogs from all around the country. My personal favorite is the Ballpark Classic. It just snaps when you bite into it.
Unofficial Website
10. Little Shin Shin (Oakland, CA)
This is my favorite Chinese Restaurant. It is only a few blocks from my house and it wins the best East Bay Chinese Restaurant by many different publications every year. I don't have a favorite dish, but I usually get some combination of 6 dishes every time, but I have 10 dishes that I love. So, choosing can be tough.
Unofficial Website
Just missed the list:
Zachary's Pizza (Berkeley, CA)
Genova Deli (Oakland, CA)
Smokehouse (Berkeley, CA)
Cut (Beverly Hills, CA)
Barney Greengrass (Beverly Hills, CA)
This is my favorite restaurant ever. I love Asian food and seafood and this place is the best fusion of the two I have had. I always get their Garlic Dungeoness Crab and Garlic Noodles. It is simply amazing.
Official Website
2. Koi (Los Angeles, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
This is one of the trendier spots in LA. This Japanese restaurant is very hard to get reservations to, but is worth the struggle. The portions are decent, but the food is orgasmic. The best item on the menu is the Crispy Rice.
Official Website
3. Geta (Oakland, CA)
It's a family-owned restaurant with amazing, cheap Japanese food. It's all about the Crispy California Roll.
Unofficial Website
4. Acme Chophouse (San Francisco, CA)
This restaurant, inside AT&T Park, features incredible steak and seafood. I don't go here before games because it is too crowded, but when the Giants are out of town, I like to go their on special occasions. Their Flat Iron Steak is incredible.
Official Website
5. Spago (Beverly Hills, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
This restaurant is considered by many, the best in LA. This is Wolfgang Puck's pride of his restaurants. I try something new every time because everything is amazing.
Official Website
6. Il Sole (West Hollywood, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
This is the best Italian restaurant in LA. I always start off with an anti-pasta, usually the Berrata Cheese and Tomato appetizer. I usually get the Lobster Raviolis for dinner and the Carmel Gelato for desert.
Unofficial Website
7. Asia de Cuba (West Hollywood, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
Located in the Mondrian Hotel, this resturant is the best Asian-Cuban fusion food I have ever had. I have only been here once, so I can't recommend anything because it was all good, but it was a great experience and an amazing dinner. The decor was very modern and white and it came with a wonderful view of LA. Right next to the restaurant is the hotel's famous Sky Bar, where many celebrities party after hours.
Official Website
8. Ketchup (West Hollywood, CA) Celebrity Hotspot
By far the hottest spot in LA right now, this restaurant attracts many celebrities with it's prime location on Sunset Boulevard and very hip decor. The restuarant describes its type of food as, "Classic American food with a twist." The best thing to get here is the appetizer, The Threesome. It is a trio of types of french fries: Spicy, Parmesan Garlic, and Sweet Potato (with light cinnamon sugar sprinkled in). The Threesome comes with 5 kinds of ketchup: Regular, Chipotle, Ranch, Mango, and Maple. For entrees, try the Shake N' Bake Chicken with Plum sauce. It's incredible.
Official Website
9. The Infield (Sherman Oaks, CA)
This outdoor hot dog restaurant is the best I've ever had. The place has stadium seating, a field painted on the ground, and baseball music over the speakers. On top of that, they have around 50 types of hot dogs. They have specialty hot dogs from all around the country. My personal favorite is the Ballpark Classic. It just snaps when you bite into it.
Unofficial Website
10. Little Shin Shin (Oakland, CA)
This is my favorite Chinese Restaurant. It is only a few blocks from my house and it wins the best East Bay Chinese Restaurant by many different publications every year. I don't have a favorite dish, but I usually get some combination of 6 dishes every time, but I have 10 dishes that I love. So, choosing can be tough.
Unofficial Website
Just missed the list:
Zachary's Pizza (Berkeley, CA)
Genova Deli (Oakland, CA)
Smokehouse (Berkeley, CA)
Cut (Beverly Hills, CA)
Barney Greengrass (Beverly Hills, CA)
Friday, October 24, 2008
Sunday, September 28, 2008
MLB Award Predictions
NL Cy Young:
Tim Lincecum
AL Cy Young:
Cliff Lee
NL MVP:
Albert Pujols
AL MVP:
Dustin Pedroia
NL Rookie of the Year:
Geovanni Soto
AL Rookie of the Year:
Evan Longoria
NL Coach of the Year:
Lou Pinella
AL Coach of the Year:
Joe Maddon
Tim Lincecum
AL Cy Young:
Cliff Lee
NL MVP:
Albert Pujols
AL MVP:
Dustin Pedroia
NL Rookie of the Year:
Geovanni Soto
AL Rookie of the Year:
Evan Longoria
NL Coach of the Year:
Lou Pinella
AL Coach of the Year:
Joe Maddon
Friday, September 26, 2008
My Predictions for the Weekend
Winning team in italics.
$= Correct
X= Wrong
NCAA FOOTBALL
Maryland @ No. 20 Clemson X
North Carolina @ Miami $
Arkansas @ No. 7 Texas $
No. 9 Wisconsin @ Michigan X
Tennessee @ No. 15 Auburn $
Houston @ No. 23 East Carolina $
Colorado @ Florida State X
Purdue @ Notre Dame X
No. 24 TCU @ No. 2 Oklahoma $
No. 8 Alabama @ No. 3 Georgia $
No. 22 Illinois @ No. 12 Penn State $
No. 25 Fresno State @ UCLA $
Colorado State @ California $
Oregon @ Washington State $
Stanford @ Washington$
Weekend Record: 11-4
NFL
Cleveland at Cincinnati $
Minnesota at Tennessee X
Denver at Kansas City X
San Francisco at New Orleans X
Arizona at NY Jets $
Green Bay at Tampa Bay X
Atlanta at Carolina $
Houston at Jacksonville $
San Diego at Oakland $
Buffalo at St. Louis $
Washington at Dallas X
Philadelphia at Chicago X
Baltimore at Pittsburgh X
Weekend Record: 6-7
MLB
NL EAST: Phillies $
NL WILD CARD: Brewers $
AL CENTRAL: Twins X
AL EAST: Rays $
AL WILD CARD: Red Sox $
Weekend Record: 4-1
$= Correct
X= Wrong
NCAA FOOTBALL
Maryland @ No. 20 Clemson X
North Carolina @ Miami $
Arkansas @ No. 7 Texas $
No. 9 Wisconsin @ Michigan X
Tennessee @ No. 15 Auburn $
Houston @ No. 23 East Carolina $
Colorado @ Florida State X
Purdue @ Notre Dame X
No. 24 TCU @ No. 2 Oklahoma $
No. 8 Alabama @ No. 3 Georgia $
No. 22 Illinois @ No. 12 Penn State $
No. 25 Fresno State @ UCLA $
Colorado State @ California $
Oregon @ Washington State $
Stanford @ Washington$
Weekend Record: 11-4
NFL
Cleveland at Cincinnati $
Minnesota at Tennessee X
Denver at Kansas City X
San Francisco at New Orleans X
Arizona at NY Jets $
Green Bay at Tampa Bay X
Atlanta at Carolina $
Houston at Jacksonville $
San Diego at Oakland $
Buffalo at St. Louis $
Washington at Dallas X
Philadelphia at Chicago X
Baltimore at Pittsburgh X
Weekend Record: 6-7
MLB
NL EAST: Phillies $
NL WILD CARD: Brewers $
AL CENTRAL: Twins X
AL EAST: Rays $
AL WILD CARD: Red Sox $
Weekend Record: 4-1
Thursday, September 25, 2008
My Unbiased Take on Every Pac-10 School's Football Program and Fanbase
Arizona
-Not a team you want to play in November.
-When playing in months not named "November," they don't matter.
-Mike Stoops is a jackass.
-Ugly stadium.
-Uneducated football fans and not very classy.
-Cool modern uniforms.
Arizona State
-Classy fans, great gameday atmosphere, hot girls.
-Consistently competitive football team.
-Hasn't been able to get over the hump since 1997.
-Dennis Erickson is a dirty recruiter.
-Stadium needs a renovation, but it's in a great spot.
-Has the ability to become the next USC.
California
-Fans aren't used to winning and thus think they are more important in the college football world than they really are.
-Students are loud, rest of the stadium appears asleep.
-Beautiful spot for a stadium, but it's falling apart.
-Too many hippies, not enough parking spaces.
-Jeff Tedford is a great coach and has his most successful years ahead of him with the new training facilities being built.
-Needs real tailgating areas.
-Having a "yell leader" is really lame.
-Band does awesome halftime shows.
-Really dumb mascot.
Oregon
-With consistent success since 1994, fans have become arrogant and unjustly so, as Oregon has not been to a BCS game since 2001.
-Fans are loud, hospitable, loyal, and create the best atmosphere in the Pac-10.
-Tailgating atmosphere is great.
-Uniforms have gotten downright silly.
-Facilities are the best in the country.
-Mike Bellotti's career is coming to an end, where Chip Kelly looks to take over should have ample success with Oregon's recent successin recruiting.
-Very fun offense to watch.
-Best stadium on the west coast.
Oregon State
-Mike Riley has proven his worth. He consistently takes talent-lacking teams and gets the most out of them.
-Stadium is more fit for a high school.
-Can't sell out games, even with only 45,000 seats.
-Fans aren't used to winning and they show it with their lack of class and humility.
-Drunk hicks flood the stadium.
-Tailgating areas smell like manure.
Stanford
-Beautiful new stadium with great acoustics.
-Classy uniforms.
-Jim Harbaugh has done a good job improving the program.
-Academic standards are too high to keep up with other schools in recruiting. Although, harbaugh is doing a great job with recruiting this year.
-Least enthusiastic fans in the Pac-10.
-Away teams outnumber them in tailgating at their own stadium.
-Great tradition, but recent woes.
-Awesome band.
UCLA
-Best coaching staff in the Pac-10, but not enough talent to succeed right now.
-Football stadium is way too far from the campus.
-Beautiful stadium, but needs renovations.
-Nonexistent football program since 2000.
-Students are very docile.
-Not enough fans in the seats.
USC
-Dirty program.
-Dirty, annoying, arrogant, but really good coach.
-Great tradition and great success.
-Too many bandwagon fans.
-Fans are obnoxious.
-Ugly stadium and surrounding area.
-Classy uniforms.
-Annoying band.
-Fun team to watch.
Washington
-Beautiful spot for a stadium, needs serious renovations and needs to get rid of the track.
-Sterngating is cool.
-Decent tradition, no recent success.
-Fan arrogance is slowly dying.
-Fans always have too high of expectations at the beginning of every year and then take a complete 180 during season and bash the team all year long.
-Brag too much about the past.
-Imaginary championships.
-Students and fans can get very loud.
-Great band.
Washington State
-Loud fans, just not very many.
-Middle of nowhere.
-Ugly uniforms.
-Who really cares?
-Not a team you want to play in November.
-When playing in months not named "November," they don't matter.
-Mike Stoops is a jackass.
-Ugly stadium.
-Uneducated football fans and not very classy.
-Cool modern uniforms.
Arizona State
-Classy fans, great gameday atmosphere, hot girls.
-Consistently competitive football team.
-Hasn't been able to get over the hump since 1997.
-Dennis Erickson is a dirty recruiter.
-Stadium needs a renovation, but it's in a great spot.
-Has the ability to become the next USC.
California
-Fans aren't used to winning and thus think they are more important in the college football world than they really are.
-Students are loud, rest of the stadium appears asleep.
-Beautiful spot for a stadium, but it's falling apart.
-Too many hippies, not enough parking spaces.
-Jeff Tedford is a great coach and has his most successful years ahead of him with the new training facilities being built.
-Needs real tailgating areas.
-Having a "yell leader" is really lame.
-Band does awesome halftime shows.
-Really dumb mascot.
Oregon
-With consistent success since 1994, fans have become arrogant and unjustly so, as Oregon has not been to a BCS game since 2001.
-Fans are loud, hospitable, loyal, and create the best atmosphere in the Pac-10.
-Tailgating atmosphere is great.
-Uniforms have gotten downright silly.
-Facilities are the best in the country.
-Mike Bellotti's career is coming to an end, where Chip Kelly looks to take over should have ample success with Oregon's recent successin recruiting.
-Very fun offense to watch.
-Best stadium on the west coast.
Oregon State
-Mike Riley has proven his worth. He consistently takes talent-lacking teams and gets the most out of them.
-Stadium is more fit for a high school.
-Can't sell out games, even with only 45,000 seats.
-Fans aren't used to winning and they show it with their lack of class and humility.
-Drunk hicks flood the stadium.
-Tailgating areas smell like manure.
Stanford
-Beautiful new stadium with great acoustics.
-Classy uniforms.
-Jim Harbaugh has done a good job improving the program.
-Academic standards are too high to keep up with other schools in recruiting. Although, harbaugh is doing a great job with recruiting this year.
-Least enthusiastic fans in the Pac-10.
-Away teams outnumber them in tailgating at their own stadium.
-Great tradition, but recent woes.
-Awesome band.
UCLA
-Best coaching staff in the Pac-10, but not enough talent to succeed right now.
-Football stadium is way too far from the campus.
-Beautiful stadium, but needs renovations.
-Nonexistent football program since 2000.
-Students are very docile.
-Not enough fans in the seats.
USC
-Dirty program.
-Dirty, annoying, arrogant, but really good coach.
-Great tradition and great success.
-Too many bandwagon fans.
-Fans are obnoxious.
-Ugly stadium and surrounding area.
-Classy uniforms.
-Annoying band.
-Fun team to watch.
Washington
-Beautiful spot for a stadium, needs serious renovations and needs to get rid of the track.
-Sterngating is cool.
-Decent tradition, no recent success.
-Fan arrogance is slowly dying.
-Fans always have too high of expectations at the beginning of every year and then take a complete 180 during season and bash the team all year long.
-Brag too much about the past.
-Imaginary championships.
-Students and fans can get very loud.
-Great band.
Washington State
-Loud fans, just not very many.
-Middle of nowhere.
-Ugly uniforms.
-Who really cares?
Saturday, September 20, 2008
Just got back from the Oregon/Boise State game, My Thoughts...
Good from Oregon:
-The run-game was good, despite Boise State stacking 8 and 9 in the box. .
-Darron Thomas looks like Oregon’s QB for the next 4 years.
-Oregon receivers stepped up.
Bad from Oregon:
-Chip Kelly’s play-calling until Thomas came into the game.
-Nick Allioti’s play-calling in the first half.
-Linebackers did not pick up the Boise receivers when playing zone.
-Not enough pressure on freshman QB, Kellen Moore.
-The defense showed no heart.
-8 missed points on special teams.
Good from Boise:
-Great play-action passing, Oregon bit every time.
-Major props to Kellen Moore for staying poised at Autzen Stadium.
-The offensive line provided lots of time for Moore.
-Boise State’s kicker had a great game.
-Boise State fans made their presence felt and weren’t disrespectful.
Bad from Boise:
-Cheap shots and dirty play.
-Bad tackling against Oregon’s run game.
Congrats, Boise. You guys deserved it. I was embarrassed today to have the Oregon football team representing my school. The defense showed no heart and Patrick Chung should not let that happen.
-The run-game was good, despite Boise State stacking 8 and 9 in the box. .
-Darron Thomas looks like Oregon’s QB for the next 4 years.
-Oregon receivers stepped up.
Bad from Oregon:
-Chip Kelly’s play-calling until Thomas came into the game.
-Nick Allioti’s play-calling in the first half.
-Linebackers did not pick up the Boise receivers when playing zone.
-Not enough pressure on freshman QB, Kellen Moore.
-The defense showed no heart.
-8 missed points on special teams.
Good from Boise:
-Great play-action passing, Oregon bit every time.
-Major props to Kellen Moore for staying poised at Autzen Stadium.
-The offensive line provided lots of time for Moore.
-Boise State’s kicker had a great game.
-Boise State fans made their presence felt and weren’t disrespectful.
Bad from Boise:
-Cheap shots and dirty play.
-Bad tackling against Oregon’s run game.
Congrats, Boise. You guys deserved it. I was embarrassed today to have the Oregon football team representing my school. The defense showed no heart and Patrick Chung should not let that happen.
Monday, September 15, 2008
Good Weekend
Ducks beat Purdue 32-26 in 2 OT
The Ducks looked lethargic in the first half, giving up 20 points and only putting up 6, but the Ducks woke up in the second half, holding Purdue to a FG while scoring 13 themselves. The offensive line did not play consistently, rarely giving Jeremiah Johnson holes to run through. The receivers all appear to be wearing gloves, laced with butter. They could not catch, and it was making Roper look bad. The Ducks won in overtime and they really needed a close win like this. It will make them work much harder. Major props to Legarrette Blount for picking up the slack in the run-game.
Game ball goes to: Jarius Byrd. His 87-yard punt return for a TD, his interception, and his continuous lock-down coverage was a huge key in the Ducks win.
49ers beat Seahawks 33-30 in OT
The 49ers finally came together today in a big win over their conference rival, Seattle. The Seahawks were hosting the 49ers for their home-opener in Seattle at Quest field, considered the NFL's loudest stadium. A very efficient passing game from J.T. O'Sullivan, a couple good bounces, and a great runback by Patrick Willis quieted the "12th Man" in a hurry. JTO looked like the QB that Martz praised in the preseason and he tore apart the Seahawks secondary, while getting help from some veteran receivers. Joe Nedney missed a FG at the end of regulation, which sent the game to overtime, but he redeemed himself by hitting the game-winner in OT. The 49ers looked good, but they need to get better penetration on defense and protect JTO better. Matt Hasselback came into the game with back problems and almost all of his receivers injured. That is an opportunity the 49ers need to capitalize on and put pressure on him. The 49ers offensive line gave up 8 sacks today, which is obviously way too much.
Game ball goes to: J.T. O'Sullivan. He looked like a veteran out there and led the 49ers down the field twice late in the game to give the 49ers the opportunity to win.
Giants win series over Padres 3-1
The Giants have really come together late in the season, winning 9 of their last 11. This young team is showing a lot of promise for next year. Pablo Sandoval, Eugenio Velez, Travis Ishikawa, and Nate Schierholtz continue to impress and make a case for starting next year. On Sunday, the Giants came back from a 4-run deficit in the 6th innings and won the gam in the 10th inning, 10-8.
Game ball goes to: Tim Licnecum. Lincecum sent a message to Cy Young voters on Saturday, by throwing a complete game shutout, giving up only 4 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 12 in 7-0 Giants' win on Saturday.
The Ducks looked lethargic in the first half, giving up 20 points and only putting up 6, but the Ducks woke up in the second half, holding Purdue to a FG while scoring 13 themselves. The offensive line did not play consistently, rarely giving Jeremiah Johnson holes to run through. The receivers all appear to be wearing gloves, laced with butter. They could not catch, and it was making Roper look bad. The Ducks won in overtime and they really needed a close win like this. It will make them work much harder. Major props to Legarrette Blount for picking up the slack in the run-game.
Game ball goes to: Jarius Byrd. His 87-yard punt return for a TD, his interception, and his continuous lock-down coverage was a huge key in the Ducks win.
49ers beat Seahawks 33-30 in OT
The 49ers finally came together today in a big win over their conference rival, Seattle. The Seahawks were hosting the 49ers for their home-opener in Seattle at Quest field, considered the NFL's loudest stadium. A very efficient passing game from J.T. O'Sullivan, a couple good bounces, and a great runback by Patrick Willis quieted the "12th Man" in a hurry. JTO looked like the QB that Martz praised in the preseason and he tore apart the Seahawks secondary, while getting help from some veteran receivers. Joe Nedney missed a FG at the end of regulation, which sent the game to overtime, but he redeemed himself by hitting the game-winner in OT. The 49ers looked good, but they need to get better penetration on defense and protect JTO better. Matt Hasselback came into the game with back problems and almost all of his receivers injured. That is an opportunity the 49ers need to capitalize on and put pressure on him. The 49ers offensive line gave up 8 sacks today, which is obviously way too much.
Game ball goes to: J.T. O'Sullivan. He looked like a veteran out there and led the 49ers down the field twice late in the game to give the 49ers the opportunity to win.
Giants win series over Padres 3-1
The Giants have really come together late in the season, winning 9 of their last 11. This young team is showing a lot of promise for next year. Pablo Sandoval, Eugenio Velez, Travis Ishikawa, and Nate Schierholtz continue to impress and make a case for starting next year. On Sunday, the Giants came back from a 4-run deficit in the 6th innings and won the gam in the 10th inning, 10-8.
Game ball goes to: Tim Licnecum. Lincecum sent a message to Cy Young voters on Saturday, by throwing a complete game shutout, giving up only 4 hits and 3 walks, while striking out 12 in 7-0 Giants' win on Saturday.
Thursday, September 11, 2008
Best Ballparks, Stadiums, and Arenas in Professional and College Sports
I am going to list the top five ballparks, stadiums, and arenas in 3 of the major 4 American professional sports (Who really cares about the NHL? I like the Sharks and all, but I don't care that much.) and college football. None of the lists will be in order of 1-5 because each of the five in each respective sport has its own uniqueness.
MLB
AT&T Park
San Francisco Giants
Located at the edge of downtown San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay, AT&T Park is one of the best ballparks in baseball with its design and breathtaking views. The idea and planning for new ballpark to replace Candlestick Park dates back 1976 when Bob Lurie bought the Giants. Lurie wanted to build a new downtown stadium for the Giants because of the financial losses they were suffering at Candlestick Park. Interest in a ballpark peaked in 1984 when Lurie nearly sold the team. Instead of building a downtown ballpark, city officials proposed placing a dome over Candlestick Park. That plan failed and in 1987 and 1989 San Francisco voters rejected plans to build a ballpark. Both plans were barely defeated and Lurie began threatening to move the Giants. Lurie looked to Santa Clara in 1990 and San Jose in 1992 for public funding, but citizens rejected both referendums. With the threatened move to Florida, Peter Magowan bought the Giants in 1992, keeping the team in the Bay City. In 1995, the Giants announced plans to build the first privately financed Major League ballpark since Dodger Stadium. It would be located in downtown San Francisco in the China Basin area. Construction of the steel, concrete and brick ballpark began on December 11, 1997. Naming rights were sold to Pacific Bell for $50 million over 24 years, thus the ballpark was named Pacific Bell Park. After the 2003 season, Pacific Bell Park was renamed SBC Park after SBC Communications Inc. acquisition of Pacific Bell. In February 2006, the ballpark was renamed AT&T Park after SBC Communications changed its named after its acquisition of AT&T.
On April 11, 2000, the Giants played their first regular season baseball game at AT&T Park. Nestled in the China Basin area on the outskirts of downtown San Francisco, as fans approach the ballpark they see a magnificent steel and brick structure. At the main entrance gate, a statue of one of the greatest players in baseball history, Willie Mays, can be found. Making up part of the exterior architecture of AT&T Park are the the King Street clock towers. The two towers are 122 feet tall and feature pyramid-shaped roofs topped by 45-foot tall flagpoles. Once inside, fans are engulfed with views of the Bay Area and the smells of garlic fries and crab cake sandwiches. The main three tier grandstand consists of 41,600 green seats that extend from behind homeplate to both the foul poles. Bleachers are located behind the left field fence. There are no seats behind the right field wall because of McCovey Cove, part of the San Francisco Bay. However a sidewalk outside the ballpark, adjacent to right field, commemorates historical moments in Giants history. A screened fence that is part of the right field fence, allows fans without tickets to see the action inside AT&T Park.
The main scoreboard is located behind the centerfield fence. There are numerous entertainment options to keep fans entertained at AT&T Park. The Coca Cola Fan Lot is an interactive play area for children and adults. Fans of all ages can enjoy a slide into home plate from one of the four slides inside the 80-foot wooden Coca-Cola contour bottle. Fans can stroll up to the world's largest baseball glove or check out the views of the San Francisco Bay area from the outfield area. When a Giant player hits a homerun, strobes flash inside the Coca Cola bottle, bubbles appear to float from the bottle's mouth, and green and white lights flash up and down the neon tubes running along its ribs. Prior to the start of the 2007 the Giants installed 103 foot wide high definition scoreboard. AT&T Park has become an excellent place to watch a baseball game because of the of the beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and the surrounding area.
Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs
Nicknamed the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field is one of baseball's oldest ballparks where fans come out to see the Cubs play whether they are winning or not. Unlike nearly every team in Major League Baseball either having or wanting a new ballpark, the Cubs continue to play at Wrigley Field without wanting one built. Before the start of World War I, Charles Weeghman bought the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. Weeghman constructed his team a new ballpark in the largely undeveloped north side area of Chicago along Addison and Clark Streets. Zachary Taylor Davis was hired to develop plans for the ballpark that was initially known as North Side Park until Weeghman named it after himself. Construction of the 14,000 seat ballpark began on March 14, 1914. The ballpark had only a one deck of grandstand in a V-shape, with wooden bleachers in the outfield. Construction on the $250,000 ballpark was completed by April 23, 1914 when the Whales played their first game at the ballpark. Original dimensions at Weeghman Field were 310 ft. (left), 440 (center), and 356 (right). It was the first ballpark to have permanent concession stands. Weeghman Field was home to the Chicago Whales for two years before the Federal League went bankrupt.
Located on the west side of Chicago, the Cubs played at the 14,000 seat West Side Grounds. They had played here since 1893 and by 1915 were struggling to attract fans. After the 1915 season Weeghman bought the Cubs and moved them to his ballpark on the north side for the 1916 season. The first Cubs game at Weeghman Field was on April 20, 1916. In 1920, Weeghman Field was renamed Cubs Park and Weeghman sold the club to William Wrigley Jr. Beginning in 1922 and then 1923, Cubs Park underwent several renovations. The grandstands were moved back 60 feet and wooden bleachers were added, increasing the capacity to 20,000. Major renovations began in 1926, when Cubs Park was renamed Wrigley Field. The grandstand was double decked, the playing field was lowered, and the bleachers in left field were removed. The capacity increased to 38,396. More renovations were completed at Wrigley Field in 1937. Bleachers were added in the outfield and the famous 27 by 75 foot hand operated scoreboard was placed behind the bleachers in centerfield. The most distinct feature was the planting of ivy at the base of the outfield wall. Before World War II, the grandstand in left field was circled so all the seats faced home plate instead of centerfield. Lights for Wrigley Field were originally to be installed for the 1942 season. However because of the United States involvement in World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Phil Wrigley donated the lights to the government.
Since the 1940s Wrigley Field has changed little. In 1981, the Tribune Company bought the Cubs. The company began talking about installing lights after the 1981 season. However, a fan group fought to keep night baseball away from Wrigley Field. On May 13, 1982, Illinois Legislature made baseball after midnight a violation in a facility that had not had night sports played before July 1, 1982. Also that year, an electronic message board was placed under the scoreboard in centerfield. In 1984 when the Cubs made the playoffs, MLB threatened that if the team made the postseason in the future, games would be moved to a location that had lights. Finally on February 23, 1988, the Cubs decided to install lights at Wrigley Field. The first night game scheduled for Wrigley Field was on August 8, 1988. However, rain cancelled the game after four innings, postponing it to the next day. In 1989, private boxes were constructed on the mezzanine level that was originally occupied by the press box and broadcasting booths. A press box and broadcasting booths were constructed in the upper deck directly behind home plate. After the 2003 season, the Cubs added 200 seats directly behind home plate bringing fans even closer to the playing field. Tradition was not lost with this addition, as the brick wall behind home plate remains. After the 2005 season, the Cubs added nearly 1,800 seats to the bleachers increasing the capacity to just over 41,000. For many years, Wrigley Field had been known as having one of the worst grass fields in the game because there was a crown in the infield that extended 40 feet into the outfield. Because of the crown, players would literally be running slightly up or down a hill on the field. After the 2007 season, the entire field was dug up and replaced with a new drainage system and bluegrass playing field. Throughout the 2007 off-season there was continuous discussion on the future of Wrigley Field as the Cubs and the ballpark are in the process of being sold. Topics included the possible sale of the naming rights and a complete renovation/overhaul of the ballpark. Talk also continues on construction of a multipurpose building housing a themed restaurant and batting and pitching cages for players to be built on the west side of Wrigley Field in the future. No changes are imminent.
Today, Wrigley Field is the last Federal League ballpark standing. Even with lights, Wrigley Field remains one of baseball's most old-fashioned parks. Wrigley Field has basically remained advertisement free, with advertisements on nearby buildings and a few in the ballpark. The neighborhood around Wrigley Field, called Wrigleyville is filled with fans on game day. Ballhawks as they are called wait on Waveland Avenue to catch homeruns during the game. Fans sit atop buildings behind Wrigley Field and watch the game. Ivy still covers the brick walls in the outfield, the scoreboard is still manually operated, and bleacher bums still sit in the bleachers in the outfield. Flags atop the scoreboard still remind fans whether or not the Cubs won the day before, and where they are in the standings. Because Wrigley Field is surrounded by the Wrigleyville neighborhood, parking can be a nightmare for games. It is recommended that fans take the CTA red line train to the Addison stop to Cubs games. Although it has been the exclusive home of the Cubs for many years now, Wrigley Field has hosted more professional football games than any other stadium in the nation. The one thing missing from Wrigley Field today, is former Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, who used to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch.
Fenway Park
Boston Red Sox
In today's society some of the best things are ones that undergo little change and remain basically the same as they have for decades. Fenway Park is an example of this as the Boston Red Sox are committed to staying at this classic ballpark that they have called home since 1912. It is the oldest major league ballpark in use and Fenway Park still looks much as it did when it opened. The history of the Red Sox dates back to 1901 when they became a charter member of the American League. Instead of opting to play at the Boston Braves home, South End Grounds, the Red Sox, then known as the Somersets (1901-1902), later called the Pilgrims (1903-1906) built Huntington Avenue Grounds on site of a wasteland in 1901. This rickety wooden ballpark had a seating capacity of just over 11,000 and was home to the team for a decade.
Because of possible fires and embarrassment to the team and the City of Boston, Red Sox owner John Taylor decided to build a new ballpark to replace Huntington Avenue Grounds. Taylor, a real estate magnet, sold himself cheap land in "The Fens" of Boston to construct a new ballpark. The construction of the ballpark led to an increase in the value of the team. Taylor capitalized on this and sold the team to Jim McAleer and Robert McRoy before Fenway Park was completed. Construction of the ballpark began in September 1911. It took one year for the 27,000 seat ballpark to be constructed. Named Fenway Park and built of steel and concrete, it had only one level of seating. Wooden bleachers were located in parts of left, right and centerfield. The facade consisted of red brick. Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912 and original dimensions were 321 ft. (left), 488 ft. (center), and 314 ft. (right). In front of the left field fence until 1934 was Duffy's Cliff, a 10foot embankment.
The 1920s were not the best times at Fenway Park. Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees and then the team was sold. In 1926, the wooden bleachers along the left field foul line burned and were not rebuilt. However, better times came to Fenway Park in the 1930s when Thomas A. Yawkey bought the Red Sox in 1933. Beginning that Fall, renovations began at Fenway Park. Duffy’s Cliff was removed, wooden seats in right and center field were replaced by concrete stands and the entire grandstand was enlarged. The seating capacity increased from 27,642 to 33,817. The most significant feature added to the ballpark was the 37 foot high wall in left field. The wall was covered with advertisements and at the base was a hand operated scoreboard. A fire in January 1934 destroyed most of the construction, however the ballpark was complete when it reopened on April 17, 1934.
Throughout its history there have been small expansions and changes to Fenway Park. In 1936, a 23 foot net was placed on the left field wall to prevent baseballs from breaking windows in nearby shops. In 1940, bullpens were constructed directly behind the right field wall. The "Green Monster" was created in 1947 when the advertisements were removed from the left field wall and it was painted dark green. Night baseball at Fenway Park was first played in 1947. After the 1975 season, a $1.3 million video/scoreboard was erected behind the bleachers in centerfield and the press box was enlarged, enclosed in glass and air-conditioned. The same year, the tin that made up the "Green Monster" was replaced by a hard plastic surface. In the 1980s luxury boxes were added where the press box was located moving the press box. Additional seating has been added along parts of the rooftop, down each baseline creating a small upper deck consisting of several rows. New teal and red seats have been added replacing many of the old wooden seats.
In 2002 the Red Sox were sold to John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. Prior to the sale of the team, their had been discussion of building a new Fenway Park. This ballpark would have had the same distinct features of Fenway Park but with modern amenities found in ballparks recently built. However, the current owners of the Red Sox are committed to preserving and improving Fenway Park for the foreseeable future. Throughout the past six years numerous improvements have been completed at the Red Sox's home. After the 2002 season, 250 bar style seats were added atop the Green Monster in left field, giving fans a new view of Fenway Park. The following year the team added additional seats atop the roof in right field. After the 2005 season, the Red Sox began work on the latest improvements to Fenway Park. The .406 Club, once enclosed, was renamed the EMC Club and features 406 open-air seats directly behind home plate in the same location where the .406 Club seats were located. Additionally, a pavilion level of 400 open-air club seats above the EMC club and more pavilion level seats down the baselines were added during the off-season increasing the seating capacity to over 38,000. The latest upgrades to Fenway Park were completed before the 2008 season. These upgrades included the Coca-Cola Corner that is located where the left field foul line meets the Green Monster. The Coca-Cola Corner replaces luxury seats built for the 1999 All-Star Game and includes a 100 person standing room only section and 412 pavilion level seats. New luxury suites have been added to the expanded State Street Pavilion. The Red Sox have stated that the seating capacity of Fenway Park will not exceed 40,000 and has a current seating capacity of 39,928. Today, Fenway Park along with Wrigley Field are two of the last remaining classic ballparks in baseball.
Yankee Stadium
New York Yankees
Throughout the world there are buildings or structures, that over time have become famous, legendary and popular for a variety of reasons. The 2008 baseball season marks the end of one of the most famous stadiums in the world, Yankee Stadium. Since its opening more than eight decades ago, the stadium has been the home of one of the greatest teams in sports, the New York Yankees with legendary players such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle and today's stars of Alex Rodriquez and Derek Jeter. The Yankees have a long history that dates back to Baltimore at the turn of the 20th century. They moved to New York in 1903, were known as the New York Highlanders and played at Hilltop Park until 1912 when their lease expired. They accepted an invitation to play at the New York Giants home, Polo Grounds and changed their name to the Yankees. They signed a ten year lease at the Polo Grounds in 1913 and began to outdraw the Giants at the end of the decade with the acquisition of Babe Ruth. By 1920 the Yankees became the first team to attract more than one million fans. The Giants evicted the Yankees after the 1922 season hoping that the Yankees would have to move to a borough far away so the Giants could attract more fans.
The Yankees looked at several locations across the city to construct a new stadium. Various sites were explored including in Queens, upper Manhattan and along 5th Avenue and 32nd Street. Yankees co-owners Colonel Jacobs Ruppert and Colonel T.L. Huston paid $600,000 for land in the Bronx, less than a mile from Polo Grounds to build the stadium on. Designed by Osborn Engineering, original plans called for a triple-decked stadium with grandstands circling the entire field. However, because the stadium seemed to foreboding the original plans were scaled back. Instead, the ballpark became the first to have three tiers of seating consisting of 58,000 seats. It was also the first ballpark to be called a stadium because of its enormous size. Construction of the stadium began on May 5, 1922 and completed in just 284 days. The stadium was built of mainly steel and concrete. The triple decked grandstand extended behind homeplate and up the base lines. The lower deck continued until it met the wooden bleachers behind the outfield fence. A 15-foot copper facade was erected to adorn the stadium's third deck that became one of its most recognized and grandest features. The scoreboard was located beyond the bleachers in right field. Given the name Yankee Stadium, it was completed in only 284 days, opening on April 18, 1923. Original dimensions at Yankee Stadium were 295 ft. (right), 490 ft. (center), and 281 ft. (left). Centerfield became known as "Death Valley" because of its distance from homeplate.
Because of the Yankees success in attracting fans at Yankee Stadium, it was not long before the stadium was expanded after its opening. The triple decked grandstand was extended into left field in 1928 and the same extension was completed down the right field line in 1937. Concrete bleachers replaced the wooden bleachers beyond the outfield fence. With the addition of the grandstands, the capacity of Yankee Stadium grew to nearly 80,000, depending on the amount of people that stood while watching games. The first of many monuments and plaques was added in 1932. This area became known as "Monument Park" in fair territory in dead center field when a monument to former manager Miller Huggins was erected. Monuments of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and others were erected in years following 1932. Night baseball came to Yankee Stadium on May 28, 1946 and a new scoreboard was installed in 1959. Other sports, such as boxing and football were played at Yankee Stadium until the early 1970s.
In the early 1970s Yankee Stadium began showing its age. In 1971, Yankees owner Mike Burke began exploring the possibility of building a new stadium in New Jersey. However New York City Mayor John Lindsay announced that the city would buy and renovate Yankee Stadium, purchasing it for $24 million in 1972. The same year George Steinbrenner bought the team. The Yankees played in Yankee Stadium one more year before drastic changes were made.
Renovations to Yankee Stadium began immediately after the 1973 season. While Yankee Stadium was renovated the Yankees played at Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets. Parts of Yankee Stadium were completely demolished. Changes were made to eliminate posts and columns that supported the upper deck. The copper facade atop the upper deck was removed and replicated at the top of the scoreboard that runs from center field to right field. New 22 inch blue plastic seats replaced the old 18 inch wooden green seats reducing the capacity to 54,000. New luxury suites and concessions were added along with the remodeling of the press box and restrooms. To eliminate climbs to the third level, escalators and elevators were added to parts of the exterior of the stadium. The facade of Yankee Stadium was repainted and a 138 foot tall replica of a Louisville Slugger baseball bat was placed near the entrance of the stadium.
After two years of renovations Yankee Stadium reopened on April 15, 1976. The stadium went from being known as "The House that Ruth Built" to "The House Steinbrenner Rebuilt". One thing that most people noticed was that the monuments in centerfield were no longer there. They had been moved to Monument Park behind the centerfield wall. Since the late 1970s very few changes have occurred at Yankee Stadium. It still remains the home to many great ballplayers and an excellent place to see a game. Since its opening in 1923, Yankee Stadium has been home to 26 World Championship teams. Over the past five years, the Yankees have been looking to build a new ballpark to replace Yankee Stadium. In June 2005, the team announced plans to construct a new Yankee Stadium adjacent to the current one that will open in April 2009. Yankee Stadium will be demolished in spring 2009 and converted into a public park area featuring a baseball and softball field. Nearly 12,000 trees will be planted in the shape of the stadium. For more than eight decades Yankee Stadium has been the home to some of the greatest players in baseball. The Yankees will play their last regular season game at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008.
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates
Although the Pirates have struggled on the field for many years, one thing that fans of the Pirates can never complain about is PNC Park as it is one of the most beautiful ballparks in baseball. As the landscape in baseball changed in the 1990s many small market teams began seeking new ballparks to create additional revenue. This included the Pirates as they demanded that a ballpark be built or they would move to another city. As early as 1990, Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff proposed a new 44,000 seat ballpark for the Pirates on the northside of the city near Three Rivers Stadium. Over the next five years discussion remained ongoing on whether to build a new stadium while the Pirates suffered financially and on the field. By 1994, the Pirates were for sale and it became a possibility that the team could be sold to an out of town buyer and moved. Kevin McClatchy purchased the team and worked with the city to get a new ballpark built for the Pirates. Dubbed Forbes Field II, the team began drawing plans for a new ballpark that would be similar to their previous home before Three Rivers Stadium, Forbes Field. Bonds were approved for $216 million to build a ballpark for the Pirates in 1997 and construction began in April 1999. The ballpark was named PNC Park after PNC Bank bought the naming rights in August 1998.
The Pirates christened PNC Park on April 9, 2001 when they played the Cincinnati Reds. From the outside PNC Park looks like a classic ballpark from bygone years. Fans walk to PNC Park from various parking facilities around the ballpark, walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge from downtown Pittsburgh or even drive their boat to the ballpark. Once outside the main entrance of the ballpark, fans see a brick front, steel structure, terra cotta tiled pilasters, dramatic masonry arches along the home plate entryway, and a flat green steel roof. Statues of Honus Wagner and Roberto Clemente are also outside the ballpark. Once inside fans must take stairs, ramps or the escalator to reach the main concourse and upper levels. However after the upward trip, fans are greeted with perhaps the best view of any in MLB, a view of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline.
With a capacity of 38,496, PNC Park is baseball’s second smallest ballpark. The ballpark has only two decks of seats that extend from the right field foul pole to homeplate and around to the left field foul pole. Club seats, located on the lower section of the upper deck; and the press box, located at the top of the upper deck, allow for the upper level seats to be much closer to the field. Luxury suites are wedged between the lower and upper decks. Fans can walk around the entire main concourse of the stadium without losing sight of the field. In the outfield, fans can sit in the section of bleachers in left field, or sit in right field and try to catch a homerun ball if it is not hit into the river. Fans can overlook the bullpens and catch an excellent view of the field from left centerfield. An out of town scoreboard is part of the 21 foot high right field fence, in honor of Roberto Clemente who wore number 21. A 42 ft. by 24 ft. scoreboard video board is located behind the bleachers in left field.
From the main grandstand at PNC Park, Pirate fans receive magnificent views of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline and the Roberto Clemente bridge. The light standards are toothbrush style and are patterned after the ones that were at Forbes Field. PNC Park has many amenities that could not be found at Three Rivers Stadium. They include a restaurant located above the left field bleachers with casual dining and a bar atmosphere with wait staff service for all fans, that overlooks both the playing field and the city. PNC Park has two elaborate food courts; Smorgasburgh that offers popular items from some of Western Pennsylvania's favorite eateries and Pop's Plaza, that offers more traditional ballpark food. Other areas include shops along General Robison Street such as Vincent's Pizza and Atria's Restaurant, which are accessible from inside and outside PNC Park. The outer promenade at PNC Park is known as the River Walk and gives fans views of the city, the river, and the field. A life-size replica of a pirate ship contains virtual reality pitching and batting cages, rope courses and other games gives parents and their children another form of recreation other than the Pirates game. The Roberto Clemente bridge which is next to the ballpark is closed on game days to allow fans to walk from downtown Pittsburgh across the river to the ballpark. Since 2001, multiple ballparks have opened throughout baseball and none compare with the views that fans receive at PNC Park.
NFL
Lambeau Field
Green Bay Packers
Call it one of the NFL's most historic stadiums, Lambeau Field has been the home of the Green Bay Packers for more than four decades. From the Packers inception in the 1920s until 1956, the team played at East (old City) Stadium. After the 1952 season, the team began playing some of their games at the new County Stadium in Milwaukee, that became home of the Milwaukee Braves (MLB) and later the Milwaukee Brewers. By 1955 the NFL threatened to move the Packers permanently to Milwaukee's County Stadium if a new stadium was not built for the team in Green Bay to replace City Stadium, as it was to small with a seating capacity of 25,000. In 1956, a bond was approved allowing construction of a new football stadium in Green Bay. Named City Stadium, the facility was completed in just one year. The Packers played their first game at City Stadium on September 29, 1957 against the Chicago Bears. City Stadium had a capacity of 32,000 when it opened and was the first stadium built specifically for a NFL team. Although a new stadium was built for the Packers in Green Bay, the team continued to play several games at County Stadium in Milwaukee until 1994.
Since its opening in 1957, fans attending games have seen many expansions occur. By 1961, the capacity at City Stadium increased to over 38,000. Two years later the capacity was once again increased to over 42,000. In 1965, City Stadium was renamed Lambeau Field, after the death of the Packers founder, E.L. Lambeau. During the same year the capacity was increased to 50,852. Once this addition was completed, Lambeau Field got its basic shape as the entire field was enclosed by seats. In 1985, 72 luxury suites were added along with additional seating areas, bringing the capacity to over 56,000. Again in 1990, 80 more luxury suites were added along with over 1,900 club seats along the top rim of the stadium. In 1993, the first video/scoreboard was installed above the south endzone and in 1995 90 more luxury suites were added.
Instead of opting to build a new stadium, the Packers announced in January of 2000, that they would extensively renovate and expand Lambeau Field. Between 2001 and the start of the 2003 season, Lambeau Field underwent an extensive renovation to make it more fan and player friendly. The main concourse was expanded, a new upper concourse was added with ramps and elevators, and more restrooms were added. In addition, nearly 12,000 seats were added along the top of the stadium. This included club seats and new luxury suites. An atrium, known as "Titletown" was built as part of the new facade of Lambeau Field. Here fans find a Packers Hall of Fame and a team store. A new Packers locker room, football operations facility and administrative offices were also constructed. These renovations at Lambeau Field were completed by the start of the 2003 season. Today, Lambeau Field has a capacity of over 72,000. One tier of bleachers circle the entire field. Luxury boxes, club seats and press boxes are atop the stadium rim. Over its 40 years of existence, Lambeau Field has been the site of many historical moments including the first NFL Championship game in Green Bay in 1961and the "Ice Bowl" in December of 1967, when the temperature was 13 degrees below zero. Lambeau Field is by far one of the NFL's most recognizable stadiums.
Soldier Field
Chicago Bears
Located in the Windy City along the shores of Lake Michigan is Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. When fans think of Soldier Field, they may think that it is the oldest stadium in the NFL. However, it is one of the newer stadiums in the league. The original Soldier Field opened in 1924 and had a seating capacity of 74,000. The Bears moved here from Wrigley Field in 1971. In the mid 1980s discussions of new stadiums was the talk of the city. The Chicago White Sox (MLB) wanted a new stadium, Wrigley Field was over 70 years old and Soldier Field was over 60 years old. In 1985 there were discussions of building a new domed stadium in downtown for the city's sports teams. By 1986 the Bears and the city began studying plans to tear down Soldier Field to build a new stadium south of it for $120 million. Financing issues and where to build a new stadium delayed a new home for the Bears for years. Over the next decade there were talks of building a stadium for the Bears in Arlington Heights, McCormick Place, Elk Grove, in Gary, Indiana, in downtown Chicago and the west side of the city. Finally in November 2000 the Bears and the City of Chicago announced plans to build a new stadium on the same site of their current home, Soldier Field. The Bears had a rich tradition of playing football at Soldier Field, the NFL's oldest stadium. Because of its historical presence in Chicago, the Bears decided to leave the historic Greek colonnades that Soldier Field is best known. The rest of the stadium would be completely demolished and a new stadium would be built inside the exterior shell.
In order for a new stadium to be built, the Bears had to play the 2002 NFL season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. At the conclusion of the 2001 season, demolition and construction on the new stadium began. The Bears new stadium continues to carry the name Soldier Field. It has 61,500 blue seats in several tiers, improved seating, better sightlines, enlarged concourses, two 96-foot-by-23-foot video-boards, 8,000 club seats and 133 luxury suites. To preserve Soldier Field, the classic colonnades remain intact as a lasting monument to Soldier Field's glorious past and a 250-foot granite-wall sculpture still serves as a memorial to the men and women who served in the armed forces. Fans also are able to walk among the colonnades and the horseshoe promenade. The Chicago Bears played their first game at Soldier Field II on September 29, 2003 against the Green Bay Packers. With the opening of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2008, Soldier Field is now the smallest stadium in the NFL.
Qwest Field
Seattle Seahawks
After more than two decades of playing at one of the most sterile, boring stadiums in the country, the Kingdome, the Seahawks moved into one of the best stadiums in the NFL in 2002. Founded in 1974, the Seahawks played over 20 years at the Kingdome, sharing it with the Seattle Mariners (MLB). In the mid 1990s the Mariners followed the trend of other baseball teams and wanted a new retro ballpark built. A new ballpark for the Mariners would allow the Seahawks to have the Kingdome to themselves. In October 1994 a $120 million renovation plan was announced to upgrade the Kingdome to a football only facility if the Mariners moved into a new ballpark. This plan did not come to fruition and then owner of the Seahawks, Ken Behring, wanted to move the club to Los Angeles for the 1996 after the Rams departed for St. Louis. The NFL opposed the Seahawks relocation and in 1997 Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen bought the team. Allen wanted to demolish the Kingdome and build a new stadium for the Seahawks on its site. In June 1997 voters approved referendums for two new stadiums to be built. A new baseball only stadium, Safeco Field, was constructed adjacent to the Kingdome and a new stadium for the Seahawks was constructed on the site of the Kingdome after its implosion. The Mariners moved into Safeco Field in 1999 and the Kingdome was demolished March 2000. While the Seahawks stadium was constructed, they played at Husky Stadium, home of the Washington Huskies (NCAA). Originally named Seahawks Stadium when it opened in 2002, Qwest Communications International Inc. purchased the naming rights to the stadium in 2004, giving the stadium its name, Qwest Field.
The Seahawks christened their new state of the art facility on September 15, 2002. Qwest Field is configured in a horse shoe shape, with three tiers of 68,000 seats. The north end of the stadium is open, allowing superb views of the surrounding Seattle area. A 13-story tower with a scoreboard at the top and bleacher seats for up to 3,000 fans, known as the "Hawk Nest" is also located on the north side. Qwest Field is the first of its kind to have luxury suites on the field directly behind the north endzone to provide an in-your-face experience. The stadium has a total of 82 luxury suites and over 7,000 club seats. One of the most unique features of the stadium is the overhanging roof design and rainbow tri-chord trusses that rise 260 feet above the field. The roof covers 70 percent of the seats keeping many fans dry during inclement weather. The exterior of the stadium consists of red brick, and brick-accented colored concrete, tan pre-cast concrete and white painted steel for the roofing supports; blending in with other surround facilities. Fans attending games at Qwest Field have some of the best views than at any other stadium in the NFL.
University of Phoenix Stadium
Arizona Cardinals
For the first time in their history, dating back to 1898, the Cardinals have a stadium to call their own. From their formation as a football club in Chicago in 1898 to their move to St. Louis in 1960 and move to Arizona after the 1987 season, the team has never had a stadium of their own, most recently playing at a collegiate stadium, Sun Devil Stadium. Through the late 1990s the Cardinals began seeking a new stadium. After several years of debate, in August 2002, the Arizona State Tourism and Sports Authority voted to build a new retractable roof stadium in Glendale, AZ for the Arizona Cardinals. At a cost of $455 million, the stadium not only features a retractable roof, but features a retractable side and field that moves in and out of the structure. The stadium is built on 28 acres that is owned by the sports authority, while the district owns the remaining 152 acres that parking, parks and amenities were built through privately issued bonds. In order to build the stadium the Cardinals paid for 25% of the stadium, $109 million, including cost overruns and the state Tourism and Sports Authority paid for 75% of the stadium. The Cardinals also bought the land for the stadium at a cost of $18.5 million.
The retractable roof at the University of Phoenix Stadium is comprised of two 180-feet long by 240-feet wide retractable panels that will remain closed to allow for air conditioning during the hot summer months and then open during the cooler months to take advantage of the Valley's abundant sunshine. The fabric roof will allow light to fill the stadium and provide an open, airy feel even when the roof panels are closed. The roof system is designed to close in approximately 12 minutes. University of Phoenix Stadium features a unique rollout natural-grass playing field, contained in a single tray measuring 234 feet wide by 403 feet long and weighing a hefty 18.9 million pounds. The first completely retractable field in North America, it will be positioned inside the stadium on game days to offer the preferred natural-grass playing surface for football and outside the stadium the remaining 350+ days of the year to receive the needed sunlight and water to grow. A total of 462 steel wheels riding on 13 parallel steel rails are used to slide the field tray in and out of the facility.
Construction of University of Phoenix Stadium began in July 2003. Originally expected to be completed in time for the 2005 NFL season, the stadium opened August 12, 2006 when the Cardinals played the Pittsburgh Steelers in a preseason game. The Cardinals played their inaugural first game at the stadium when they hosted the San Francisco 49ers on September 10, 2006. The new stadium features a modern futuristic look and seats 63,000 fans for football. The capacity can be expanded to 72,800 for other events at the stadium. Not only is the stadium he home of the Arizona Cardinals, but hosted the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four Championships. During the first month of its opening, the facility was known as Cardinals Stadium. In September 2006, the University of Phoenix purchased the naming rights for 20 years.
Invesco Field
Denver Broncos
Home of the Denver Broncos for more than 30 years, for many Bronco fans is was hard to picture the team playing anywhere else other than Mile High Stadium. In the mid 1990s, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen wanted a new stadium built for the team. Many Bronco fans were content with Mile High Stadium, however the Broncos wanted a new state-of-the-art stadium. In November 1998, voters approved a plan to construct a new stadium. Construction on the stadium began in August 1999. Fans attending games at Mile High Stadium could watch the new stadium being constructed because it was built adjacent to it. Invesco Funds purchased the naming rights to the stadium. However, to keep the spirit of Mile High Stadium alive, the facility was named Invesco Field at Mile High. Many fans were outraged that the new stadium was not named the same as its predecessor.
Construction of Invesco Field at Mile High was completed in just over two years. The Denver Broncos first game at Invesco Field at Mile High was on September 10, 2001. Over 76,000 seats are located throughout the stadium. Incorporating part of the team name, the main three tier grandstand is in the shape of a horseshoe. The lower grandstand circles the entire field. Above the seats in the south endzone is the main video/scoreboard. Atop the scoreboard is a replica of a bronco named "Bucky". Using blue, white and orange seats, the Broncos team logo has been incorporated into the upper deck above the endzone on the north side of the stadium. Two video boards are also located in the upper deck of the north endzone. Invesco Field at Mile High has many amenities, including the Sports Legends Mall Legacy Walk, which host pre-game activities, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and a Broncos team store.
NBA
Staples Center
Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers
Located in the entertainment capital of the world and with superstars such as Kobe Bryant, the Staples Center is one venue where fans can see NBA basketball on a nightly basis during the season with two teams calling the city and arena home. The Los Angeles Lakers moved from Minneapolis after the 1959-60 season and called the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena their home before moving into the Great Western Forum in 1967. The Clippers have called Los Angeles their home since moving from San Diego after the 1983-84 season. Always being known as LA’s second NBA team, the Clippers played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena for 15 seasons, occasionally playing games in Anaheim at the Arrowhead Pond.
By the 1990s both the Great Western Forum and the LA Memorial Sports Arena had become second rate arenas in the NBA. A new modern state of the art arena with more amenities including luxury boxes and club seats was needed for the Lakers and Clippers. Privately financed, construction of the $375 million Staples Center began in March 1998. Staples Inc. purchased the naming rights for $100 million over 20 years. Built near downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center became the home of the Lakers and Clippers in 1999. With a seating capacity of just under 19,000, the Staples Center has many amenities that the Lakers and Clippers former home’s did not have. It has 160 luxury suites, 2,500 club seats and 32 party suites. Fans attending games at the Staples Center can check out the Fox Sports SkyBox Restaurant, the City View Grille, the Grand Reserve Club and the Team LA store. Since its opening, the Lakers have won three NBA Championships while the Clippers have had one winning season. Thus, the Clippers are still known as LA’s second team. Other than being the home of two NBA teams, the Staples Center is home of the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and many other events.
Pepsi Center
Denver Nuggets
The Can as it is known to Denver Nuggets fans, the Pepsi Center is the place to be during the winter months in the Mile High City. The Nuggets have been a part of the NBA since 1974 when they moved from the American Basketball Association. One year after becoming part of the NBA the Nuggets began playing at McNichols Sports Arena. The 17,000 seat arena was the home of the Nuggets and two NHL teams, the Colorado Rockies and later the Colorado Avalanche. Like every other team in the NBA and NHL, a new arena was needed for both teams in order to remain competitive in both leagues. Construction began in November 1997 and was named after Pepsi bought the naming rights for $68 million.
In 1999 the Nuggets played their first game at the Pepsi Center. The arena has a seating capacity of just over 19,000. It features 95 luxury suites, 1,800 club seats, the Lexus Club, the Blue Sky Grill featuring western crusine and The Denver Post Newsroom. Outside, the Pepsi Center’s façade reflects the neighborhood brick buildings and old rail yard. Fans enter through two atriums that have sculptures of basketball and hockey athletes in poses. Inside the Pepsi Center fans can see the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver. Since the 2003-04 season the Nuggets have had four consecutive winning seasons. With stars such as Carmelo Anthony, the future looks bright for the Nuggets.
Oracle Arena
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have one of the longest history’s in the NBA, dating back more than 60 years to Philadelphia. The Warriors were formed in 1946 playing in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Arena and Philadelphia Convention Hall for 16 seasons. Franklin Mieuli bought the team and moved the team to San Francisco after the 1961-62 season. The team was known as the San Francisco Warriors and played their games at the USF War Memorial Gym. Across the Bay in Oakland, the city constructed a new sporting complex that included a baseball/football stadium and a new basketball arena.
Completed in 1966, the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum was a state of the art basketball arena. The same year, the San Francisco Warriors began playing some of their games in Oakland. For nine seasons the Warriors played in games in Oakland and San Francisco. After the 1970-71 season the team moved all of their games to Oakland and changed their name to the Golden State Warriors. Since then the Warriors have called Oakland home. Thirty years after the arena opened, it was completed renovated in 1996. Over $121 million was spent rebuilding and renovating the coliseum. A new octagonal shaped seating bowl was constructed adding 4,000 seats to the arena. Today the arena has a seating capacity of 19,596 with 72 luxury suites. In October 2006, the Oracle Corporation bought the naming rights to the arena.
US Airways Center
Phoenix Suns
Although the Phoenix Suns home is 15 years old, it looks as if it is one of the newest arenas in the NBA. Prior to moving into US Airways Center, the Suns played at the 13,000 seat Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team had played there since their inception in 1968. By the late 1980s a new large state of the art basketball only arena was needed for the Suns. Construction on the $90 million arena began in 1988 and was paid for through city bonds and loans. Officials from the team toured NBA arenas across the league looking for the best features to incorporate into their new arena. America West paid $26 million over 30 years in 1992 to buy the naming rights to the facility.
On November 3, 1992, the Phoenix Suns played their first game at America West Arena winning against the Los Angeles Clippers. In November 2005, America West Arena was renamed US Airways Center after US Airways bought America West. The arena has a seating capacity of over 19,000 that includes 2,270 clubs seats and 88 luxury suites. Most fans enter US Airways Center through the Casino Arizona Pavilion that features soaring glass walls that serves as a gathering location. US Airways Center features many amenities including the Lexus Club Lounge and the Verizon Wireless Jungle, an interactive fun and games area for kids. With players such as Steve Nash, fans of the Suns hope that the team can bring a NBA Championship to the City of Phoenix.
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers
Unlike Major League Baseball where the trend has been to build ballparks that reflected ones of the early 20th century, most NBA arenas built have been constructed with sleek modern designs. However, the Indiana Pacers decided to go with the retro look with their home, Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers became a NBA team in 1976-77 after the ABA folded and were playing at Market Square Arena. This arena had a capacity of nearly 17,000 but lacked luxury suites and many other amenities that prompted the Pacers to begin looking into building a new arena in the 1990s. A retro style fieldhouse was designed by Ellerbe Becket that reflected high school fieldhouses in Indiana for the Pacers. This design was similar to the retro ballparks that were being built by Major League Baseball teams at the timeConstruction began in July 1997 and was completed two years later. At a cost of $183 million, the Pacers contributed $57 million, $79 million came from taxes and the rest from private contributions.
The Pacers debuted at Conseco Fieldhouse on November 6, 1999 winning against the Boston Celtics. As fans approach the Pacers home from the outside, they see a structure that truly resembles classic basketball fieldhouses from the past. The façade consist of brick and glass fitting in with its surroundings. Many fans enter through the Entry Pavilion, the main gathering place before and after games. Conseco Fieldhouse has a nostalgic look all around including the Grand Staircase that takes fans to the different levels of the building. The Pacers home has a seating capacity of 18,345 for basketball with 69 luxury suites and 2,400 club seats. Some of the best seats are in the Founders Level, seats that are 16 rows from the court. Over the past three years, Conseco Fieldhouse has been ranked the number one venue in the NBA.
College Football
Autzen Stadium
University of Oregon
With its latest expansion complete, Autzen Stadium looks like a new modern stadium. For almost a half a century from 1919 until 1967 the Oregon Ducks played at the 15,000 seat Hayward Field. By the 1960s as the football team became more successful it was apparent that a new stadium need to be built for the Ducks. Oregon athletic director Leo Harris along with Thomas J. Autzen, whom the stadium was named after, spearheaded the project by giving the school $250,000 for the new stadium project. By the 1967 season, the $2.5 million Autzen Stadium was complete and had a capacity of around 41,000.
The Ducks played their first game at Autzen Stadium on September 23, 1967, a loss against Colorado. Although the stadium originally had a grass field, it was replaced with AstroTurf before the 1969 season. Until 2002, Autzen Stadium had underwent very few renovations. In 1982 the Barkers Stadium Club was added at the east end zone of the stadium. A three story building on the north side of the stadium containing 381 club seats and 12 luxury seats was constructed in 1989. A new press box was also constructed prior to the 1989 season. The most recent addition came prior to the 2002 season when 12,000 seats were added to the south rim of the stadium. Also included in this addition was the expansion of the press box that included 32 luxury suites. This also provided a cantilevered roof to cover some fans from inclement weather. Today the stadium has a capacity of 54,000 today. Throughout college football, Autzen Stadium has become known as one of the most intimidating college football stadiums with its crowd noise.
Tiger Stadium ("Death Valley")
Louisiana State University
"It's Saturday Night in Death Valley and here come your Fighting Tigers of LSU." This is how every home game begins for the Louisiana State Tigers. The Bayou Bengals play ball in front of some of the most passionate and raucous fans in college football. LSU’s Tiger Stadium houses an impressive 91,600 fans. What’s more impressive is that on game day, Tiger Stadium transforms into the sixth largest city in Louisiana. Like many other places in the country, LSU football is more than sports. It’s a way of life. People in this part of the country are as passionate about their Tigers as any other fans in the country. It’s been called “the most feared road game in the country” and “Death Valley” for a reason.
Tiger Stadium was constructed in the early 1920s and opened on November 25, 1924 when LSU battled Tulane. The original stadium seated 24,000 fans with grandstands on both sides of the gridiron. Six major expansions have been completed at the stadium over its eight decades of existence. Two additions were completed in the 1930s, the first in 1931 when the capacity increased by 10,000 and the second in 1936 when the north endzone was enclosed increasing the seating capacity to 46,000. The south endzone was enclosed in 1953 and the first of two upper decks was added in 1978 pushing the capacity to over 78,000. The 11,600 seat addition in 2000 allowed the Tigers to pack even more screaming fans into Tiger Stadium. Throughout the 2005 season, the Tigers continued to expand Tiger Stadium with the west side expansion. This $60 million expansion added 3,255 club seats, a new press box and upper deck on the west side of the stadium. Completed by the 2006 season, this expansion increased the seating capacity of Tiger Stadium to 92,400. This addition will allow LSU to continue to average over 90,000 fans per game, as has been the average for the past three consecutive years. As the sixth largest stadium in the country, Tiger Stadium will continue to be one of the most exciting places to watch a game in the country.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ("The Swamp")
University of Florida
Heeeeeeeeere come the Gators, is just one of the many traditions found at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, nicknamed "the swamp." Football at the University of Florida began in 1906, led by Coach James Forsythe. Towards the end of the 1920s, the University of Florida decided to build a new stadium for its football team, the Gators. On April 16, 1930 construction on the stadium began and was completed by October 27, 1930 when the Gators played their first game. Originally known as Florida Field, the stadium had a capacity of 21, 769. The original section of seating now encompasses the lower half of the current stadium. By 1950, the first of many additions to the stadium was in the works and by the start of the 1950 season 10,000 bleachers were built on the west side. The Gators also hosted the first night game at Florida Field on September 23, 1950.
Fifteen years later an additional 10,000 seats were added to the east side and bleachers were constructed on the south end zone bring the capacity to 62,800. In 1971, the team replaced the grass field with Astroturf, but two decades later the surface returned to grass. The south end zone with a skyboxes and a press box was completed increasing the capacity of Florida Field to 72,000. In 1991, Florida Field was named after Ben Hill Griffin a donor to the University of Florida. The stadium was renamed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field. Once again in 1991, construction was completed on the north end zone bring the capacity to 83,000. The most recent addition to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium came in 2001 when $50 million was spent expanding the press box, installing chair back seats on the club level and building new luxury suites. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is now the largest stadium in the state of Florida with a capacity of just over 88,548. Various levels of seating enclose the playing field. The Florida Gators have had years of success at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, including a 30 game winning streak between 1994 and 1999. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is one of the most formidable venues for opposing teams to play at as the stadium is one of the loudest in the nation, the temperature on the field often reaches 100 degrees and the passion of the Gators fans, selling out every game since 1989.
Michigan Stadium ("The Big House")
University of Michigan
One word can describe Michigan Stadium, huge. From the time it opened in 1927 until today, Michigan Stadium has been one of the largest stadiums in college football. Prior to playing at Michigan Stadium the Wolverines played at Ferry Field. The team had been playing there since 1906 and continually had to expand the stadium as interest in the team grew. As attendance grew, a new stadium was needed to accommodate the fans. Fielding Yost, coach of the team designed a new stadium and the University of Michigan approved construction in April 1926. Built at a cost of $950,000, Michigan Stadium was modeled after the Yale Bowl and was built of steel and concrete. When completed the stadium could seat nearly 72,000 fans. Yost designed the stadium so it could be expanded to seat up to 200,000 fans one day. Prior to its opening in 1927, Yost lobbied the university to add an additional 10,000 seats to the stadium. The university approved and the stadium was completed in October 1927.
The Michigan Wolverines played their inaugural first game at Michigan Stadium on October 1, 1927 against Ohio Wesleyan. The entire single tier grandstand circled the playing field. The official capacity when Michigan Stadium when it opened was 84,401, an enormous number for this time. It was the largest stadium in the nation in 1927. However as support for the team grew so did the stadium. By 1928 the capacity was increased to 85,753. In 1930 new electronic scoreboards were added at each end zone. Michigan Stadium was expanded yet again by the 1949 season when the stadium was expanded to seat 97,239 fans. In 1956, A new press box was constructed that increased the seating capacity over 100,000 to 101,001.
Michigan Stadium’s current look with the blue bleachers and the famous yellow Block M were completed before the 1965 season. Prior to the 1969 season, the grass field was replaced with Tartan, a type of Astroturf. This allowed for easier maintenance to the field. By the 1973 season the box seats that were located in the first three rows of the stadium were removed and replaced with bleacher seats increasing the capacity slightly. Before the start of the 1991 season, the field at Michigan Stadium was lowered with the installation of natural grass and two new rows of seats were installed allowing 102,501 fans to enjoy the game. Additional renovations came in 1997 when more seats were added and new video/scoreboards. In 1998 5,000 seats where added bringing the current capacity to 107,501. Recently, Fieldturf has replaced the grass field. Today, Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the nation. It is nicknamed “The Big House” because of its enormous size. For nearly 200 games the Wolverines have attracted more than 100,000 fans and hosted 111,238 fans in a game against Michigan State on November 20, 1999. In May 2006 the Michigan Board of Regents voted to construct new luxury boxes and renovate Michigan Stadium. This $226 million renovation will be completed by the 2010 season and include 83 suites, 3,200 club seats and widen seats and isles increasing the seating capacity to 108,000. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons Michigan Stadium will be the second largest stadium in the nation behind Penn State's Beaver Stadium with a seating capacity of 106,201.
Notre Dame Stadium
University of Notre Dame
Perhaps one of the most well known sports team's in the nation, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish also play at one of the most well known stadiums in the nation, Notre Dame Stadium. Prior to the building of Notre Dame Stadium, Cartier Field, a 30,000 seat stadium, was home to the football team. Because of the team's continued success, games regularly sold out. Led by the success of Coach Knute Rockne, he decided that a new stadium needed to be built for the Fighting Irish. By the mid to late 1920s plans were drawn up for a new stadium at Notre Dame. Constructed at a cost of $750,000, construction began in late 1929. Patterned after Michigan Stadium, Notre Dame Stadium was completed by October 1930.
The Fighting Irish played their first game at Norte Dame Stadium on October 4, 1930 against SMU. Originally with a capacity of 54,000, the main one tier grandstand circled the entire playing field. Throughout its more than seven decades of existence, Notre Dame Stadium has seen only one main addition. Prior to the 1997 season, the stadium was expanded to its current capacity of 80,795. Nearly 21,000 seats were added along the top rim around the stadium. In addition, the first three rows of seats were eliminated, a new grass field was installed, new scoreboards were placed above the rim of the stadium in the north and south end zones and a new three tier press box was built. Notre Dame Stadium remains one of the most unique stadiums in college football with its brick exterior and setting. Over the years seven Heisman Trophy winners have played at Notre Dame Stadium and the Fighting Irish have sold out every game since 1964. Touchdown Jesus, located on the Hesburgh Library, looms over the endzone of Notre Dame Stadium.
Thanks to:
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com
http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com
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http://www.collegegridirons.com/
MLB
AT&T Park
San Francisco Giants
Located at the edge of downtown San Francisco and the San Francisco Bay, AT&T Park is one of the best ballparks in baseball with its design and breathtaking views. The idea and planning for new ballpark to replace Candlestick Park dates back 1976 when Bob Lurie bought the Giants. Lurie wanted to build a new downtown stadium for the Giants because of the financial losses they were suffering at Candlestick Park. Interest in a ballpark peaked in 1984 when Lurie nearly sold the team. Instead of building a downtown ballpark, city officials proposed placing a dome over Candlestick Park. That plan failed and in 1987 and 1989 San Francisco voters rejected plans to build a ballpark. Both plans were barely defeated and Lurie began threatening to move the Giants. Lurie looked to Santa Clara in 1990 and San Jose in 1992 for public funding, but citizens rejected both referendums. With the threatened move to Florida, Peter Magowan bought the Giants in 1992, keeping the team in the Bay City. In 1995, the Giants announced plans to build the first privately financed Major League ballpark since Dodger Stadium. It would be located in downtown San Francisco in the China Basin area. Construction of the steel, concrete and brick ballpark began on December 11, 1997. Naming rights were sold to Pacific Bell for $50 million over 24 years, thus the ballpark was named Pacific Bell Park. After the 2003 season, Pacific Bell Park was renamed SBC Park after SBC Communications Inc. acquisition of Pacific Bell. In February 2006, the ballpark was renamed AT&T Park after SBC Communications changed its named after its acquisition of AT&T.
On April 11, 2000, the Giants played their first regular season baseball game at AT&T Park. Nestled in the China Basin area on the outskirts of downtown San Francisco, as fans approach the ballpark they see a magnificent steel and brick structure. At the main entrance gate, a statue of one of the greatest players in baseball history, Willie Mays, can be found. Making up part of the exterior architecture of AT&T Park are the the King Street clock towers. The two towers are 122 feet tall and feature pyramid-shaped roofs topped by 45-foot tall flagpoles. Once inside, fans are engulfed with views of the Bay Area and the smells of garlic fries and crab cake sandwiches. The main three tier grandstand consists of 41,600 green seats that extend from behind homeplate to both the foul poles. Bleachers are located behind the left field fence. There are no seats behind the right field wall because of McCovey Cove, part of the San Francisco Bay. However a sidewalk outside the ballpark, adjacent to right field, commemorates historical moments in Giants history. A screened fence that is part of the right field fence, allows fans without tickets to see the action inside AT&T Park.
The main scoreboard is located behind the centerfield fence. There are numerous entertainment options to keep fans entertained at AT&T Park. The Coca Cola Fan Lot is an interactive play area for children and adults. Fans of all ages can enjoy a slide into home plate from one of the four slides inside the 80-foot wooden Coca-Cola contour bottle. Fans can stroll up to the world's largest baseball glove or check out the views of the San Francisco Bay area from the outfield area. When a Giant player hits a homerun, strobes flash inside the Coca Cola bottle, bubbles appear to float from the bottle's mouth, and green and white lights flash up and down the neon tubes running along its ribs. Prior to the start of the 2007 the Giants installed 103 foot wide high definition scoreboard. AT&T Park has become an excellent place to watch a baseball game because of the of the beautiful views of the San Francisco Bay and the surrounding area.
Wrigley Field
Chicago Cubs
Nicknamed the Friendly Confines, Wrigley Field is one of baseball's oldest ballparks where fans come out to see the Cubs play whether they are winning or not. Unlike nearly every team in Major League Baseball either having or wanting a new ballpark, the Cubs continue to play at Wrigley Field without wanting one built. Before the start of World War I, Charles Weeghman bought the Chicago Whales of the Federal League. Weeghman constructed his team a new ballpark in the largely undeveloped north side area of Chicago along Addison and Clark Streets. Zachary Taylor Davis was hired to develop plans for the ballpark that was initially known as North Side Park until Weeghman named it after himself. Construction of the 14,000 seat ballpark began on March 14, 1914. The ballpark had only a one deck of grandstand in a V-shape, with wooden bleachers in the outfield. Construction on the $250,000 ballpark was completed by April 23, 1914 when the Whales played their first game at the ballpark. Original dimensions at Weeghman Field were 310 ft. (left), 440 (center), and 356 (right). It was the first ballpark to have permanent concession stands. Weeghman Field was home to the Chicago Whales for two years before the Federal League went bankrupt.
Located on the west side of Chicago, the Cubs played at the 14,000 seat West Side Grounds. They had played here since 1893 and by 1915 were struggling to attract fans. After the 1915 season Weeghman bought the Cubs and moved them to his ballpark on the north side for the 1916 season. The first Cubs game at Weeghman Field was on April 20, 1916. In 1920, Weeghman Field was renamed Cubs Park and Weeghman sold the club to William Wrigley Jr. Beginning in 1922 and then 1923, Cubs Park underwent several renovations. The grandstands were moved back 60 feet and wooden bleachers were added, increasing the capacity to 20,000. Major renovations began in 1926, when Cubs Park was renamed Wrigley Field. The grandstand was double decked, the playing field was lowered, and the bleachers in left field were removed. The capacity increased to 38,396. More renovations were completed at Wrigley Field in 1937. Bleachers were added in the outfield and the famous 27 by 75 foot hand operated scoreboard was placed behind the bleachers in centerfield. The most distinct feature was the planting of ivy at the base of the outfield wall. Before World War II, the grandstand in left field was circled so all the seats faced home plate instead of centerfield. Lights for Wrigley Field were originally to be installed for the 1942 season. However because of the United States involvement in World War II and the bombing of Pearl Harbor, Phil Wrigley donated the lights to the government.
Since the 1940s Wrigley Field has changed little. In 1981, the Tribune Company bought the Cubs. The company began talking about installing lights after the 1981 season. However, a fan group fought to keep night baseball away from Wrigley Field. On May 13, 1982, Illinois Legislature made baseball after midnight a violation in a facility that had not had night sports played before July 1, 1982. Also that year, an electronic message board was placed under the scoreboard in centerfield. In 1984 when the Cubs made the playoffs, MLB threatened that if the team made the postseason in the future, games would be moved to a location that had lights. Finally on February 23, 1988, the Cubs decided to install lights at Wrigley Field. The first night game scheduled for Wrigley Field was on August 8, 1988. However, rain cancelled the game after four innings, postponing it to the next day. In 1989, private boxes were constructed on the mezzanine level that was originally occupied by the press box and broadcasting booths. A press box and broadcasting booths were constructed in the upper deck directly behind home plate. After the 2003 season, the Cubs added 200 seats directly behind home plate bringing fans even closer to the playing field. Tradition was not lost with this addition, as the brick wall behind home plate remains. After the 2005 season, the Cubs added nearly 1,800 seats to the bleachers increasing the capacity to just over 41,000. For many years, Wrigley Field had been known as having one of the worst grass fields in the game because there was a crown in the infield that extended 40 feet into the outfield. Because of the crown, players would literally be running slightly up or down a hill on the field. After the 2007 season, the entire field was dug up and replaced with a new drainage system and bluegrass playing field. Throughout the 2007 off-season there was continuous discussion on the future of Wrigley Field as the Cubs and the ballpark are in the process of being sold. Topics included the possible sale of the naming rights and a complete renovation/overhaul of the ballpark. Talk also continues on construction of a multipurpose building housing a themed restaurant and batting and pitching cages for players to be built on the west side of Wrigley Field in the future. No changes are imminent.
Today, Wrigley Field is the last Federal League ballpark standing. Even with lights, Wrigley Field remains one of baseball's most old-fashioned parks. Wrigley Field has basically remained advertisement free, with advertisements on nearby buildings and a few in the ballpark. The neighborhood around Wrigley Field, called Wrigleyville is filled with fans on game day. Ballhawks as they are called wait on Waveland Avenue to catch homeruns during the game. Fans sit atop buildings behind Wrigley Field and watch the game. Ivy still covers the brick walls in the outfield, the scoreboard is still manually operated, and bleacher bums still sit in the bleachers in the outfield. Flags atop the scoreboard still remind fans whether or not the Cubs won the day before, and where they are in the standings. Because Wrigley Field is surrounded by the Wrigleyville neighborhood, parking can be a nightmare for games. It is recommended that fans take the CTA red line train to the Addison stop to Cubs games. Although it has been the exclusive home of the Cubs for many years now, Wrigley Field has hosted more professional football games than any other stadium in the nation. The one thing missing from Wrigley Field today, is former Cubs broadcaster Harry Caray, who used to sing "Take Me Out To The Ballgame" during the 7th inning stretch.
Fenway Park
Boston Red Sox
In today's society some of the best things are ones that undergo little change and remain basically the same as they have for decades. Fenway Park is an example of this as the Boston Red Sox are committed to staying at this classic ballpark that they have called home since 1912. It is the oldest major league ballpark in use and Fenway Park still looks much as it did when it opened. The history of the Red Sox dates back to 1901 when they became a charter member of the American League. Instead of opting to play at the Boston Braves home, South End Grounds, the Red Sox, then known as the Somersets (1901-1902), later called the Pilgrims (1903-1906) built Huntington Avenue Grounds on site of a wasteland in 1901. This rickety wooden ballpark had a seating capacity of just over 11,000 and was home to the team for a decade.
Because of possible fires and embarrassment to the team and the City of Boston, Red Sox owner John Taylor decided to build a new ballpark to replace Huntington Avenue Grounds. Taylor, a real estate magnet, sold himself cheap land in "The Fens" of Boston to construct a new ballpark. The construction of the ballpark led to an increase in the value of the team. Taylor capitalized on this and sold the team to Jim McAleer and Robert McRoy before Fenway Park was completed. Construction of the ballpark began in September 1911. It took one year for the 27,000 seat ballpark to be constructed. Named Fenway Park and built of steel and concrete, it had only one level of seating. Wooden bleachers were located in parts of left, right and centerfield. The facade consisted of red brick. Fenway Park opened on April 20, 1912 and original dimensions were 321 ft. (left), 488 ft. (center), and 314 ft. (right). In front of the left field fence until 1934 was Duffy's Cliff, a 10foot embankment.
The 1920s were not the best times at Fenway Park. Babe Ruth was sold to the Yankees and then the team was sold. In 1926, the wooden bleachers along the left field foul line burned and were not rebuilt. However, better times came to Fenway Park in the 1930s when Thomas A. Yawkey bought the Red Sox in 1933. Beginning that Fall, renovations began at Fenway Park. Duffy’s Cliff was removed, wooden seats in right and center field were replaced by concrete stands and the entire grandstand was enlarged. The seating capacity increased from 27,642 to 33,817. The most significant feature added to the ballpark was the 37 foot high wall in left field. The wall was covered with advertisements and at the base was a hand operated scoreboard. A fire in January 1934 destroyed most of the construction, however the ballpark was complete when it reopened on April 17, 1934.
Throughout its history there have been small expansions and changes to Fenway Park. In 1936, a 23 foot net was placed on the left field wall to prevent baseballs from breaking windows in nearby shops. In 1940, bullpens were constructed directly behind the right field wall. The "Green Monster" was created in 1947 when the advertisements were removed from the left field wall and it was painted dark green. Night baseball at Fenway Park was first played in 1947. After the 1975 season, a $1.3 million video/scoreboard was erected behind the bleachers in centerfield and the press box was enlarged, enclosed in glass and air-conditioned. The same year, the tin that made up the "Green Monster" was replaced by a hard plastic surface. In the 1980s luxury boxes were added where the press box was located moving the press box. Additional seating has been added along parts of the rooftop, down each baseline creating a small upper deck consisting of several rows. New teal and red seats have been added replacing many of the old wooden seats.
In 2002 the Red Sox were sold to John Henry, Tom Werner and Larry Lucchino. Prior to the sale of the team, their had been discussion of building a new Fenway Park. This ballpark would have had the same distinct features of Fenway Park but with modern amenities found in ballparks recently built. However, the current owners of the Red Sox are committed to preserving and improving Fenway Park for the foreseeable future. Throughout the past six years numerous improvements have been completed at the Red Sox's home. After the 2002 season, 250 bar style seats were added atop the Green Monster in left field, giving fans a new view of Fenway Park. The following year the team added additional seats atop the roof in right field. After the 2005 season, the Red Sox began work on the latest improvements to Fenway Park. The .406 Club, once enclosed, was renamed the EMC Club and features 406 open-air seats directly behind home plate in the same location where the .406 Club seats were located. Additionally, a pavilion level of 400 open-air club seats above the EMC club and more pavilion level seats down the baselines were added during the off-season increasing the seating capacity to over 38,000. The latest upgrades to Fenway Park were completed before the 2008 season. These upgrades included the Coca-Cola Corner that is located where the left field foul line meets the Green Monster. The Coca-Cola Corner replaces luxury seats built for the 1999 All-Star Game and includes a 100 person standing room only section and 412 pavilion level seats. New luxury suites have been added to the expanded State Street Pavilion. The Red Sox have stated that the seating capacity of Fenway Park will not exceed 40,000 and has a current seating capacity of 39,928. Today, Fenway Park along with Wrigley Field are two of the last remaining classic ballparks in baseball.
Yankee Stadium
New York Yankees
Throughout the world there are buildings or structures, that over time have become famous, legendary and popular for a variety of reasons. The 2008 baseball season marks the end of one of the most famous stadiums in the world, Yankee Stadium. Since its opening more than eight decades ago, the stadium has been the home of one of the greatest teams in sports, the New York Yankees with legendary players such as Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, Joe Dimaggio, Mickey Mantle and today's stars of Alex Rodriquez and Derek Jeter. The Yankees have a long history that dates back to Baltimore at the turn of the 20th century. They moved to New York in 1903, were known as the New York Highlanders and played at Hilltop Park until 1912 when their lease expired. They accepted an invitation to play at the New York Giants home, Polo Grounds and changed their name to the Yankees. They signed a ten year lease at the Polo Grounds in 1913 and began to outdraw the Giants at the end of the decade with the acquisition of Babe Ruth. By 1920 the Yankees became the first team to attract more than one million fans. The Giants evicted the Yankees after the 1922 season hoping that the Yankees would have to move to a borough far away so the Giants could attract more fans.
The Yankees looked at several locations across the city to construct a new stadium. Various sites were explored including in Queens, upper Manhattan and along 5th Avenue and 32nd Street. Yankees co-owners Colonel Jacobs Ruppert and Colonel T.L. Huston paid $600,000 for land in the Bronx, less than a mile from Polo Grounds to build the stadium on. Designed by Osborn Engineering, original plans called for a triple-decked stadium with grandstands circling the entire field. However, because the stadium seemed to foreboding the original plans were scaled back. Instead, the ballpark became the first to have three tiers of seating consisting of 58,000 seats. It was also the first ballpark to be called a stadium because of its enormous size. Construction of the stadium began on May 5, 1922 and completed in just 284 days. The stadium was built of mainly steel and concrete. The triple decked grandstand extended behind homeplate and up the base lines. The lower deck continued until it met the wooden bleachers behind the outfield fence. A 15-foot copper facade was erected to adorn the stadium's third deck that became one of its most recognized and grandest features. The scoreboard was located beyond the bleachers in right field. Given the name Yankee Stadium, it was completed in only 284 days, opening on April 18, 1923. Original dimensions at Yankee Stadium were 295 ft. (right), 490 ft. (center), and 281 ft. (left). Centerfield became known as "Death Valley" because of its distance from homeplate.
Because of the Yankees success in attracting fans at Yankee Stadium, it was not long before the stadium was expanded after its opening. The triple decked grandstand was extended into left field in 1928 and the same extension was completed down the right field line in 1937. Concrete bleachers replaced the wooden bleachers beyond the outfield fence. With the addition of the grandstands, the capacity of Yankee Stadium grew to nearly 80,000, depending on the amount of people that stood while watching games. The first of many monuments and plaques was added in 1932. This area became known as "Monument Park" in fair territory in dead center field when a monument to former manager Miller Huggins was erected. Monuments of Babe Ruth, Lou Gehrig, and others were erected in years following 1932. Night baseball came to Yankee Stadium on May 28, 1946 and a new scoreboard was installed in 1959. Other sports, such as boxing and football were played at Yankee Stadium until the early 1970s.
In the early 1970s Yankee Stadium began showing its age. In 1971, Yankees owner Mike Burke began exploring the possibility of building a new stadium in New Jersey. However New York City Mayor John Lindsay announced that the city would buy and renovate Yankee Stadium, purchasing it for $24 million in 1972. The same year George Steinbrenner bought the team. The Yankees played in Yankee Stadium one more year before drastic changes were made.
Renovations to Yankee Stadium began immediately after the 1973 season. While Yankee Stadium was renovated the Yankees played at Shea Stadium, home of the New York Mets. Parts of Yankee Stadium were completely demolished. Changes were made to eliminate posts and columns that supported the upper deck. The copper facade atop the upper deck was removed and replicated at the top of the scoreboard that runs from center field to right field. New 22 inch blue plastic seats replaced the old 18 inch wooden green seats reducing the capacity to 54,000. New luxury suites and concessions were added along with the remodeling of the press box and restrooms. To eliminate climbs to the third level, escalators and elevators were added to parts of the exterior of the stadium. The facade of Yankee Stadium was repainted and a 138 foot tall replica of a Louisville Slugger baseball bat was placed near the entrance of the stadium.
After two years of renovations Yankee Stadium reopened on April 15, 1976. The stadium went from being known as "The House that Ruth Built" to "The House Steinbrenner Rebuilt". One thing that most people noticed was that the monuments in centerfield were no longer there. They had been moved to Monument Park behind the centerfield wall. Since the late 1970s very few changes have occurred at Yankee Stadium. It still remains the home to many great ballplayers and an excellent place to see a game. Since its opening in 1923, Yankee Stadium has been home to 26 World Championship teams. Over the past five years, the Yankees have been looking to build a new ballpark to replace Yankee Stadium. In June 2005, the team announced plans to construct a new Yankee Stadium adjacent to the current one that will open in April 2009. Yankee Stadium will be demolished in spring 2009 and converted into a public park area featuring a baseball and softball field. Nearly 12,000 trees will be planted in the shape of the stadium. For more than eight decades Yankee Stadium has been the home to some of the greatest players in baseball. The Yankees will play their last regular season game at Yankee Stadium on September 21, 2008.
PNC Park
Pittsburgh Pirates
Although the Pirates have struggled on the field for many years, one thing that fans of the Pirates can never complain about is PNC Park as it is one of the most beautiful ballparks in baseball. As the landscape in baseball changed in the 1990s many small market teams began seeking new ballparks to create additional revenue. This included the Pirates as they demanded that a ballpark be built or they would move to another city. As early as 1990, Pittsburgh Mayor Sophie Masloff proposed a new 44,000 seat ballpark for the Pirates on the northside of the city near Three Rivers Stadium. Over the next five years discussion remained ongoing on whether to build a new stadium while the Pirates suffered financially and on the field. By 1994, the Pirates were for sale and it became a possibility that the team could be sold to an out of town buyer and moved. Kevin McClatchy purchased the team and worked with the city to get a new ballpark built for the Pirates. Dubbed Forbes Field II, the team began drawing plans for a new ballpark that would be similar to their previous home before Three Rivers Stadium, Forbes Field. Bonds were approved for $216 million to build a ballpark for the Pirates in 1997 and construction began in April 1999. The ballpark was named PNC Park after PNC Bank bought the naming rights in August 1998.
The Pirates christened PNC Park on April 9, 2001 when they played the Cincinnati Reds. From the outside PNC Park looks like a classic ballpark from bygone years. Fans walk to PNC Park from various parking facilities around the ballpark, walk across the Roberto Clemente Bridge from downtown Pittsburgh or even drive their boat to the ballpark. Once outside the main entrance of the ballpark, fans see a brick front, steel structure, terra cotta tiled pilasters, dramatic masonry arches along the home plate entryway, and a flat green steel roof. Statues of Honus Wagner and Roberto Clemente are also outside the ballpark. Once inside fans must take stairs, ramps or the escalator to reach the main concourse and upper levels. However after the upward trip, fans are greeted with perhaps the best view of any in MLB, a view of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline.
With a capacity of 38,496, PNC Park is baseball’s second smallest ballpark. The ballpark has only two decks of seats that extend from the right field foul pole to homeplate and around to the left field foul pole. Club seats, located on the lower section of the upper deck; and the press box, located at the top of the upper deck, allow for the upper level seats to be much closer to the field. Luxury suites are wedged between the lower and upper decks. Fans can walk around the entire main concourse of the stadium without losing sight of the field. In the outfield, fans can sit in the section of bleachers in left field, or sit in right field and try to catch a homerun ball if it is not hit into the river. Fans can overlook the bullpens and catch an excellent view of the field from left centerfield. An out of town scoreboard is part of the 21 foot high right field fence, in honor of Roberto Clemente who wore number 21. A 42 ft. by 24 ft. scoreboard video board is located behind the bleachers in left field.
From the main grandstand at PNC Park, Pirate fans receive magnificent views of the downtown Pittsburgh skyline and the Roberto Clemente bridge. The light standards are toothbrush style and are patterned after the ones that were at Forbes Field. PNC Park has many amenities that could not be found at Three Rivers Stadium. They include a restaurant located above the left field bleachers with casual dining and a bar atmosphere with wait staff service for all fans, that overlooks both the playing field and the city. PNC Park has two elaborate food courts; Smorgasburgh that offers popular items from some of Western Pennsylvania's favorite eateries and Pop's Plaza, that offers more traditional ballpark food. Other areas include shops along General Robison Street such as Vincent's Pizza and Atria's Restaurant, which are accessible from inside and outside PNC Park. The outer promenade at PNC Park is known as the River Walk and gives fans views of the city, the river, and the field. A life-size replica of a pirate ship contains virtual reality pitching and batting cages, rope courses and other games gives parents and their children another form of recreation other than the Pirates game. The Roberto Clemente bridge which is next to the ballpark is closed on game days to allow fans to walk from downtown Pittsburgh across the river to the ballpark. Since 2001, multiple ballparks have opened throughout baseball and none compare with the views that fans receive at PNC Park.
NFL
Lambeau Field
Green Bay Packers
Call it one of the NFL's most historic stadiums, Lambeau Field has been the home of the Green Bay Packers for more than four decades. From the Packers inception in the 1920s until 1956, the team played at East (old City) Stadium. After the 1952 season, the team began playing some of their games at the new County Stadium in Milwaukee, that became home of the Milwaukee Braves (MLB) and later the Milwaukee Brewers. By 1955 the NFL threatened to move the Packers permanently to Milwaukee's County Stadium if a new stadium was not built for the team in Green Bay to replace City Stadium, as it was to small with a seating capacity of 25,000. In 1956, a bond was approved allowing construction of a new football stadium in Green Bay. Named City Stadium, the facility was completed in just one year. The Packers played their first game at City Stadium on September 29, 1957 against the Chicago Bears. City Stadium had a capacity of 32,000 when it opened and was the first stadium built specifically for a NFL team. Although a new stadium was built for the Packers in Green Bay, the team continued to play several games at County Stadium in Milwaukee until 1994.
Since its opening in 1957, fans attending games have seen many expansions occur. By 1961, the capacity at City Stadium increased to over 38,000. Two years later the capacity was once again increased to over 42,000. In 1965, City Stadium was renamed Lambeau Field, after the death of the Packers founder, E.L. Lambeau. During the same year the capacity was increased to 50,852. Once this addition was completed, Lambeau Field got its basic shape as the entire field was enclosed by seats. In 1985, 72 luxury suites were added along with additional seating areas, bringing the capacity to over 56,000. Again in 1990, 80 more luxury suites were added along with over 1,900 club seats along the top rim of the stadium. In 1993, the first video/scoreboard was installed above the south endzone and in 1995 90 more luxury suites were added.
Instead of opting to build a new stadium, the Packers announced in January of 2000, that they would extensively renovate and expand Lambeau Field. Between 2001 and the start of the 2003 season, Lambeau Field underwent an extensive renovation to make it more fan and player friendly. The main concourse was expanded, a new upper concourse was added with ramps and elevators, and more restrooms were added. In addition, nearly 12,000 seats were added along the top of the stadium. This included club seats and new luxury suites. An atrium, known as "Titletown" was built as part of the new facade of Lambeau Field. Here fans find a Packers Hall of Fame and a team store. A new Packers locker room, football operations facility and administrative offices were also constructed. These renovations at Lambeau Field were completed by the start of the 2003 season. Today, Lambeau Field has a capacity of over 72,000. One tier of bleachers circle the entire field. Luxury boxes, club seats and press boxes are atop the stadium rim. Over its 40 years of existence, Lambeau Field has been the site of many historical moments including the first NFL Championship game in Green Bay in 1961and the "Ice Bowl" in December of 1967, when the temperature was 13 degrees below zero. Lambeau Field is by far one of the NFL's most recognizable stadiums.
Soldier Field
Chicago Bears
Located in the Windy City along the shores of Lake Michigan is Soldier Field, the home of the Chicago Bears. When fans think of Soldier Field, they may think that it is the oldest stadium in the NFL. However, it is one of the newer stadiums in the league. The original Soldier Field opened in 1924 and had a seating capacity of 74,000. The Bears moved here from Wrigley Field in 1971. In the mid 1980s discussions of new stadiums was the talk of the city. The Chicago White Sox (MLB) wanted a new stadium, Wrigley Field was over 70 years old and Soldier Field was over 60 years old. In 1985 there were discussions of building a new domed stadium in downtown for the city's sports teams. By 1986 the Bears and the city began studying plans to tear down Soldier Field to build a new stadium south of it for $120 million. Financing issues and where to build a new stadium delayed a new home for the Bears for years. Over the next decade there were talks of building a stadium for the Bears in Arlington Heights, McCormick Place, Elk Grove, in Gary, Indiana, in downtown Chicago and the west side of the city. Finally in November 2000 the Bears and the City of Chicago announced plans to build a new stadium on the same site of their current home, Soldier Field. The Bears had a rich tradition of playing football at Soldier Field, the NFL's oldest stadium. Because of its historical presence in Chicago, the Bears decided to leave the historic Greek colonnades that Soldier Field is best known. The rest of the stadium would be completely demolished and a new stadium would be built inside the exterior shell.
In order for a new stadium to be built, the Bears had to play the 2002 NFL season at Memorial Stadium in Champaign, IL. At the conclusion of the 2001 season, demolition and construction on the new stadium began. The Bears new stadium continues to carry the name Soldier Field. It has 61,500 blue seats in several tiers, improved seating, better sightlines, enlarged concourses, two 96-foot-by-23-foot video-boards, 8,000 club seats and 133 luxury suites. To preserve Soldier Field, the classic colonnades remain intact as a lasting monument to Soldier Field's glorious past and a 250-foot granite-wall sculpture still serves as a memorial to the men and women who served in the armed forces. Fans also are able to walk among the colonnades and the horseshoe promenade. The Chicago Bears played their first game at Soldier Field II on September 29, 2003 against the Green Bay Packers. With the opening of Lucas Oil Stadium in Indianapolis in 2008, Soldier Field is now the smallest stadium in the NFL.
Qwest Field
Seattle Seahawks
After more than two decades of playing at one of the most sterile, boring stadiums in the country, the Kingdome, the Seahawks moved into one of the best stadiums in the NFL in 2002. Founded in 1974, the Seahawks played over 20 years at the Kingdome, sharing it with the Seattle Mariners (MLB). In the mid 1990s the Mariners followed the trend of other baseball teams and wanted a new retro ballpark built. A new ballpark for the Mariners would allow the Seahawks to have the Kingdome to themselves. In October 1994 a $120 million renovation plan was announced to upgrade the Kingdome to a football only facility if the Mariners moved into a new ballpark. This plan did not come to fruition and then owner of the Seahawks, Ken Behring, wanted to move the club to Los Angeles for the 1996 after the Rams departed for St. Louis. The NFL opposed the Seahawks relocation and in 1997 Microsoft cofounder Paul Allen bought the team. Allen wanted to demolish the Kingdome and build a new stadium for the Seahawks on its site. In June 1997 voters approved referendums for two new stadiums to be built. A new baseball only stadium, Safeco Field, was constructed adjacent to the Kingdome and a new stadium for the Seahawks was constructed on the site of the Kingdome after its implosion. The Mariners moved into Safeco Field in 1999 and the Kingdome was demolished March 2000. While the Seahawks stadium was constructed, they played at Husky Stadium, home of the Washington Huskies (NCAA). Originally named Seahawks Stadium when it opened in 2002, Qwest Communications International Inc. purchased the naming rights to the stadium in 2004, giving the stadium its name, Qwest Field.
The Seahawks christened their new state of the art facility on September 15, 2002. Qwest Field is configured in a horse shoe shape, with three tiers of 68,000 seats. The north end of the stadium is open, allowing superb views of the surrounding Seattle area. A 13-story tower with a scoreboard at the top and bleacher seats for up to 3,000 fans, known as the "Hawk Nest" is also located on the north side. Qwest Field is the first of its kind to have luxury suites on the field directly behind the north endzone to provide an in-your-face experience. The stadium has a total of 82 luxury suites and over 7,000 club seats. One of the most unique features of the stadium is the overhanging roof design and rainbow tri-chord trusses that rise 260 feet above the field. The roof covers 70 percent of the seats keeping many fans dry during inclement weather. The exterior of the stadium consists of red brick, and brick-accented colored concrete, tan pre-cast concrete and white painted steel for the roofing supports; blending in with other surround facilities. Fans attending games at Qwest Field have some of the best views than at any other stadium in the NFL.
University of Phoenix Stadium
Arizona Cardinals
For the first time in their history, dating back to 1898, the Cardinals have a stadium to call their own. From their formation as a football club in Chicago in 1898 to their move to St. Louis in 1960 and move to Arizona after the 1987 season, the team has never had a stadium of their own, most recently playing at a collegiate stadium, Sun Devil Stadium. Through the late 1990s the Cardinals began seeking a new stadium. After several years of debate, in August 2002, the Arizona State Tourism and Sports Authority voted to build a new retractable roof stadium in Glendale, AZ for the Arizona Cardinals. At a cost of $455 million, the stadium not only features a retractable roof, but features a retractable side and field that moves in and out of the structure. The stadium is built on 28 acres that is owned by the sports authority, while the district owns the remaining 152 acres that parking, parks and amenities were built through privately issued bonds. In order to build the stadium the Cardinals paid for 25% of the stadium, $109 million, including cost overruns and the state Tourism and Sports Authority paid for 75% of the stadium. The Cardinals also bought the land for the stadium at a cost of $18.5 million.
The retractable roof at the University of Phoenix Stadium is comprised of two 180-feet long by 240-feet wide retractable panels that will remain closed to allow for air conditioning during the hot summer months and then open during the cooler months to take advantage of the Valley's abundant sunshine. The fabric roof will allow light to fill the stadium and provide an open, airy feel even when the roof panels are closed. The roof system is designed to close in approximately 12 minutes. University of Phoenix Stadium features a unique rollout natural-grass playing field, contained in a single tray measuring 234 feet wide by 403 feet long and weighing a hefty 18.9 million pounds. The first completely retractable field in North America, it will be positioned inside the stadium on game days to offer the preferred natural-grass playing surface for football and outside the stadium the remaining 350+ days of the year to receive the needed sunlight and water to grow. A total of 462 steel wheels riding on 13 parallel steel rails are used to slide the field tray in and out of the facility.
Construction of University of Phoenix Stadium began in July 2003. Originally expected to be completed in time for the 2005 NFL season, the stadium opened August 12, 2006 when the Cardinals played the Pittsburgh Steelers in a preseason game. The Cardinals played their inaugural first game at the stadium when they hosted the San Francisco 49ers on September 10, 2006. The new stadium features a modern futuristic look and seats 63,000 fans for football. The capacity can be expanded to 72,800 for other events at the stadium. Not only is the stadium he home of the Arizona Cardinals, but hosted the Tostitos Fiesta Bowl, the 2008 Super Bowl and NCAA Final Four Championships. During the first month of its opening, the facility was known as Cardinals Stadium. In September 2006, the University of Phoenix purchased the naming rights for 20 years.
Invesco Field
Denver Broncos
Home of the Denver Broncos for more than 30 years, for many Bronco fans is was hard to picture the team playing anywhere else other than Mile High Stadium. In the mid 1990s, Broncos owner Pat Bowlen wanted a new stadium built for the team. Many Bronco fans were content with Mile High Stadium, however the Broncos wanted a new state-of-the-art stadium. In November 1998, voters approved a plan to construct a new stadium. Construction on the stadium began in August 1999. Fans attending games at Mile High Stadium could watch the new stadium being constructed because it was built adjacent to it. Invesco Funds purchased the naming rights to the stadium. However, to keep the spirit of Mile High Stadium alive, the facility was named Invesco Field at Mile High. Many fans were outraged that the new stadium was not named the same as its predecessor.
Construction of Invesco Field at Mile High was completed in just over two years. The Denver Broncos first game at Invesco Field at Mile High was on September 10, 2001. Over 76,000 seats are located throughout the stadium. Incorporating part of the team name, the main three tier grandstand is in the shape of a horseshoe. The lower grandstand circles the entire field. Above the seats in the south endzone is the main video/scoreboard. Atop the scoreboard is a replica of a bronco named "Bucky". Using blue, white and orange seats, the Broncos team logo has been incorporated into the upper deck above the endzone on the north side of the stadium. Two video boards are also located in the upper deck of the north endzone. Invesco Field at Mile High has many amenities, including the Sports Legends Mall Legacy Walk, which host pre-game activities, the Colorado Sports Hall of Fame and a Broncos team store.
NBA
Staples Center
Los Angeles Lakers and Los Angeles Clippers
Located in the entertainment capital of the world and with superstars such as Kobe Bryant, the Staples Center is one venue where fans can see NBA basketball on a nightly basis during the season with two teams calling the city and arena home. The Los Angeles Lakers moved from Minneapolis after the 1959-60 season and called the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena their home before moving into the Great Western Forum in 1967. The Clippers have called Los Angeles their home since moving from San Diego after the 1983-84 season. Always being known as LA’s second NBA team, the Clippers played at the Los Angeles Memorial Sports Arena for 15 seasons, occasionally playing games in Anaheim at the Arrowhead Pond.
By the 1990s both the Great Western Forum and the LA Memorial Sports Arena had become second rate arenas in the NBA. A new modern state of the art arena with more amenities including luxury boxes and club seats was needed for the Lakers and Clippers. Privately financed, construction of the $375 million Staples Center began in March 1998. Staples Inc. purchased the naming rights for $100 million over 20 years. Built near downtown Los Angeles, the Staples Center became the home of the Lakers and Clippers in 1999. With a seating capacity of just under 19,000, the Staples Center has many amenities that the Lakers and Clippers former home’s did not have. It has 160 luxury suites, 2,500 club seats and 32 party suites. Fans attending games at the Staples Center can check out the Fox Sports SkyBox Restaurant, the City View Grille, the Grand Reserve Club and the Team LA store. Since its opening, the Lakers have won three NBA Championships while the Clippers have had one winning season. Thus, the Clippers are still known as LA’s second team. Other than being the home of two NBA teams, the Staples Center is home of the Los Angeles Kings (NHL) and many other events.
Pepsi Center
Denver Nuggets
The Can as it is known to Denver Nuggets fans, the Pepsi Center is the place to be during the winter months in the Mile High City. The Nuggets have been a part of the NBA since 1974 when they moved from the American Basketball Association. One year after becoming part of the NBA the Nuggets began playing at McNichols Sports Arena. The 17,000 seat arena was the home of the Nuggets and two NHL teams, the Colorado Rockies and later the Colorado Avalanche. Like every other team in the NBA and NHL, a new arena was needed for both teams in order to remain competitive in both leagues. Construction began in November 1997 and was named after Pepsi bought the naming rights for $68 million.
In 1999 the Nuggets played their first game at the Pepsi Center. The arena has a seating capacity of just over 19,000. It features 95 luxury suites, 1,800 club seats, the Lexus Club, the Blue Sky Grill featuring western crusine and The Denver Post Newsroom. Outside, the Pepsi Center’s façade reflects the neighborhood brick buildings and old rail yard. Fans enter through two atriums that have sculptures of basketball and hockey athletes in poses. Inside the Pepsi Center fans can see the Rocky Mountains and downtown Denver. Since the 2003-04 season the Nuggets have had four consecutive winning seasons. With stars such as Carmelo Anthony, the future looks bright for the Nuggets.
Oracle Arena
Golden State Warriors
The Golden State Warriors have one of the longest history’s in the NBA, dating back more than 60 years to Philadelphia. The Warriors were formed in 1946 playing in Philadelphia at the Philadelphia Arena and Philadelphia Convention Hall for 16 seasons. Franklin Mieuli bought the team and moved the team to San Francisco after the 1961-62 season. The team was known as the San Francisco Warriors and played their games at the USF War Memorial Gym. Across the Bay in Oakland, the city constructed a new sporting complex that included a baseball/football stadium and a new basketball arena.
Completed in 1966, the Oakland Alameda County Coliseum was a state of the art basketball arena. The same year, the San Francisco Warriors began playing some of their games in Oakland. For nine seasons the Warriors played in games in Oakland and San Francisco. After the 1970-71 season the team moved all of their games to Oakland and changed their name to the Golden State Warriors. Since then the Warriors have called Oakland home. Thirty years after the arena opened, it was completed renovated in 1996. Over $121 million was spent rebuilding and renovating the coliseum. A new octagonal shaped seating bowl was constructed adding 4,000 seats to the arena. Today the arena has a seating capacity of 19,596 with 72 luxury suites. In October 2006, the Oracle Corporation bought the naming rights to the arena.
US Airways Center
Phoenix Suns
Although the Phoenix Suns home is 15 years old, it looks as if it is one of the newest arenas in the NBA. Prior to moving into US Airways Center, the Suns played at the 13,000 seat Arizona Veterans Memorial Coliseum. The team had played there since their inception in 1968. By the late 1980s a new large state of the art basketball only arena was needed for the Suns. Construction on the $90 million arena began in 1988 and was paid for through city bonds and loans. Officials from the team toured NBA arenas across the league looking for the best features to incorporate into their new arena. America West paid $26 million over 30 years in 1992 to buy the naming rights to the facility.
On November 3, 1992, the Phoenix Suns played their first game at America West Arena winning against the Los Angeles Clippers. In November 2005, America West Arena was renamed US Airways Center after US Airways bought America West. The arena has a seating capacity of over 19,000 that includes 2,270 clubs seats and 88 luxury suites. Most fans enter US Airways Center through the Casino Arizona Pavilion that features soaring glass walls that serves as a gathering location. US Airways Center features many amenities including the Lexus Club Lounge and the Verizon Wireless Jungle, an interactive fun and games area for kids. With players such as Steve Nash, fans of the Suns hope that the team can bring a NBA Championship to the City of Phoenix.
Conseco Fieldhouse
Indiana Pacers
Unlike Major League Baseball where the trend has been to build ballparks that reflected ones of the early 20th century, most NBA arenas built have been constructed with sleek modern designs. However, the Indiana Pacers decided to go with the retro look with their home, Conseco Fieldhouse. The Pacers became a NBA team in 1976-77 after the ABA folded and were playing at Market Square Arena. This arena had a capacity of nearly 17,000 but lacked luxury suites and many other amenities that prompted the Pacers to begin looking into building a new arena in the 1990s. A retro style fieldhouse was designed by Ellerbe Becket that reflected high school fieldhouses in Indiana for the Pacers. This design was similar to the retro ballparks that were being built by Major League Baseball teams at the timeConstruction began in July 1997 and was completed two years later. At a cost of $183 million, the Pacers contributed $57 million, $79 million came from taxes and the rest from private contributions.
The Pacers debuted at Conseco Fieldhouse on November 6, 1999 winning against the Boston Celtics. As fans approach the Pacers home from the outside, they see a structure that truly resembles classic basketball fieldhouses from the past. The façade consist of brick and glass fitting in with its surroundings. Many fans enter through the Entry Pavilion, the main gathering place before and after games. Conseco Fieldhouse has a nostalgic look all around including the Grand Staircase that takes fans to the different levels of the building. The Pacers home has a seating capacity of 18,345 for basketball with 69 luxury suites and 2,400 club seats. Some of the best seats are in the Founders Level, seats that are 16 rows from the court. Over the past three years, Conseco Fieldhouse has been ranked the number one venue in the NBA.
College Football
Autzen Stadium
University of Oregon
With its latest expansion complete, Autzen Stadium looks like a new modern stadium. For almost a half a century from 1919 until 1967 the Oregon Ducks played at the 15,000 seat Hayward Field. By the 1960s as the football team became more successful it was apparent that a new stadium need to be built for the Ducks. Oregon athletic director Leo Harris along with Thomas J. Autzen, whom the stadium was named after, spearheaded the project by giving the school $250,000 for the new stadium project. By the 1967 season, the $2.5 million Autzen Stadium was complete and had a capacity of around 41,000.
The Ducks played their first game at Autzen Stadium on September 23, 1967, a loss against Colorado. Although the stadium originally had a grass field, it was replaced with AstroTurf before the 1969 season. Until 2002, Autzen Stadium had underwent very few renovations. In 1982 the Barkers Stadium Club was added at the east end zone of the stadium. A three story building on the north side of the stadium containing 381 club seats and 12 luxury seats was constructed in 1989. A new press box was also constructed prior to the 1989 season. The most recent addition came prior to the 2002 season when 12,000 seats were added to the south rim of the stadium. Also included in this addition was the expansion of the press box that included 32 luxury suites. This also provided a cantilevered roof to cover some fans from inclement weather. Today the stadium has a capacity of 54,000 today. Throughout college football, Autzen Stadium has become known as one of the most intimidating college football stadiums with its crowd noise.
Tiger Stadium ("Death Valley")
Louisiana State University
"It's Saturday Night in Death Valley and here come your Fighting Tigers of LSU." This is how every home game begins for the Louisiana State Tigers. The Bayou Bengals play ball in front of some of the most passionate and raucous fans in college football. LSU’s Tiger Stadium houses an impressive 91,600 fans. What’s more impressive is that on game day, Tiger Stadium transforms into the sixth largest city in Louisiana. Like many other places in the country, LSU football is more than sports. It’s a way of life. People in this part of the country are as passionate about their Tigers as any other fans in the country. It’s been called “the most feared road game in the country” and “Death Valley” for a reason.
Tiger Stadium was constructed in the early 1920s and opened on November 25, 1924 when LSU battled Tulane. The original stadium seated 24,000 fans with grandstands on both sides of the gridiron. Six major expansions have been completed at the stadium over its eight decades of existence. Two additions were completed in the 1930s, the first in 1931 when the capacity increased by 10,000 and the second in 1936 when the north endzone was enclosed increasing the seating capacity to 46,000. The south endzone was enclosed in 1953 and the first of two upper decks was added in 1978 pushing the capacity to over 78,000. The 11,600 seat addition in 2000 allowed the Tigers to pack even more screaming fans into Tiger Stadium. Throughout the 2005 season, the Tigers continued to expand Tiger Stadium with the west side expansion. This $60 million expansion added 3,255 club seats, a new press box and upper deck on the west side of the stadium. Completed by the 2006 season, this expansion increased the seating capacity of Tiger Stadium to 92,400. This addition will allow LSU to continue to average over 90,000 fans per game, as has been the average for the past three consecutive years. As the sixth largest stadium in the country, Tiger Stadium will continue to be one of the most exciting places to watch a game in the country.
Ben Hill Griffin Stadium ("The Swamp")
University of Florida
Heeeeeeeeere come the Gators, is just one of the many traditions found at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, nicknamed "the swamp." Football at the University of Florida began in 1906, led by Coach James Forsythe. Towards the end of the 1920s, the University of Florida decided to build a new stadium for its football team, the Gators. On April 16, 1930 construction on the stadium began and was completed by October 27, 1930 when the Gators played their first game. Originally known as Florida Field, the stadium had a capacity of 21, 769. The original section of seating now encompasses the lower half of the current stadium. By 1950, the first of many additions to the stadium was in the works and by the start of the 1950 season 10,000 bleachers were built on the west side. The Gators also hosted the first night game at Florida Field on September 23, 1950.
Fifteen years later an additional 10,000 seats were added to the east side and bleachers were constructed on the south end zone bring the capacity to 62,800. In 1971, the team replaced the grass field with Astroturf, but two decades later the surface returned to grass. The south end zone with a skyboxes and a press box was completed increasing the capacity of Florida Field to 72,000. In 1991, Florida Field was named after Ben Hill Griffin a donor to the University of Florida. The stadium was renamed Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field. Once again in 1991, construction was completed on the north end zone bring the capacity to 83,000. The most recent addition to Ben Hill Griffin Stadium came in 2001 when $50 million was spent expanding the press box, installing chair back seats on the club level and building new luxury suites. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is now the largest stadium in the state of Florida with a capacity of just over 88,548. Various levels of seating enclose the playing field. The Florida Gators have had years of success at Ben Hill Griffin Stadium, including a 30 game winning streak between 1994 and 1999. Ben Hill Griffin Stadium is one of the most formidable venues for opposing teams to play at as the stadium is one of the loudest in the nation, the temperature on the field often reaches 100 degrees and the passion of the Gators fans, selling out every game since 1989.
Michigan Stadium ("The Big House")
University of Michigan
One word can describe Michigan Stadium, huge. From the time it opened in 1927 until today, Michigan Stadium has been one of the largest stadiums in college football. Prior to playing at Michigan Stadium the Wolverines played at Ferry Field. The team had been playing there since 1906 and continually had to expand the stadium as interest in the team grew. As attendance grew, a new stadium was needed to accommodate the fans. Fielding Yost, coach of the team designed a new stadium and the University of Michigan approved construction in April 1926. Built at a cost of $950,000, Michigan Stadium was modeled after the Yale Bowl and was built of steel and concrete. When completed the stadium could seat nearly 72,000 fans. Yost designed the stadium so it could be expanded to seat up to 200,000 fans one day. Prior to its opening in 1927, Yost lobbied the university to add an additional 10,000 seats to the stadium. The university approved and the stadium was completed in October 1927.
The Michigan Wolverines played their inaugural first game at Michigan Stadium on October 1, 1927 against Ohio Wesleyan. The entire single tier grandstand circled the playing field. The official capacity when Michigan Stadium when it opened was 84,401, an enormous number for this time. It was the largest stadium in the nation in 1927. However as support for the team grew so did the stadium. By 1928 the capacity was increased to 85,753. In 1930 new electronic scoreboards were added at each end zone. Michigan Stadium was expanded yet again by the 1949 season when the stadium was expanded to seat 97,239 fans. In 1956, A new press box was constructed that increased the seating capacity over 100,000 to 101,001.
Michigan Stadium’s current look with the blue bleachers and the famous yellow Block M were completed before the 1965 season. Prior to the 1969 season, the grass field was replaced with Tartan, a type of Astroturf. This allowed for easier maintenance to the field. By the 1973 season the box seats that were located in the first three rows of the stadium were removed and replaced with bleacher seats increasing the capacity slightly. Before the start of the 1991 season, the field at Michigan Stadium was lowered with the installation of natural grass and two new rows of seats were installed allowing 102,501 fans to enjoy the game. Additional renovations came in 1997 when more seats were added and new video/scoreboards. In 1998 5,000 seats where added bringing the current capacity to 107,501. Recently, Fieldturf has replaced the grass field. Today, Michigan Stadium is the largest college football stadium in the nation. It is nicknamed “The Big House” because of its enormous size. For nearly 200 games the Wolverines have attracted more than 100,000 fans and hosted 111,238 fans in a game against Michigan State on November 20, 1999. In May 2006 the Michigan Board of Regents voted to construct new luxury boxes and renovate Michigan Stadium. This $226 million renovation will be completed by the 2010 season and include 83 suites, 3,200 club seats and widen seats and isles increasing the seating capacity to 108,000. During the 2008 and 2009 seasons Michigan Stadium will be the second largest stadium in the nation behind Penn State's Beaver Stadium with a seating capacity of 106,201.
Notre Dame Stadium
University of Notre Dame
Perhaps one of the most well known sports team's in the nation, the Notre Dame Fighting Irish also play at one of the most well known stadiums in the nation, Notre Dame Stadium. Prior to the building of Notre Dame Stadium, Cartier Field, a 30,000 seat stadium, was home to the football team. Because of the team's continued success, games regularly sold out. Led by the success of Coach Knute Rockne, he decided that a new stadium needed to be built for the Fighting Irish. By the mid to late 1920s plans were drawn up for a new stadium at Notre Dame. Constructed at a cost of $750,000, construction began in late 1929. Patterned after Michigan Stadium, Notre Dame Stadium was completed by October 1930.
The Fighting Irish played their first game at Norte Dame Stadium on October 4, 1930 against SMU. Originally with a capacity of 54,000, the main one tier grandstand circled the entire playing field. Throughout its more than seven decades of existence, Notre Dame Stadium has seen only one main addition. Prior to the 1997 season, the stadium was expanded to its current capacity of 80,795. Nearly 21,000 seats were added along the top rim around the stadium. In addition, the first three rows of seats were eliminated, a new grass field was installed, new scoreboards were placed above the rim of the stadium in the north and south end zones and a new three tier press box was built. Notre Dame Stadium remains one of the most unique stadiums in college football with its brick exterior and setting. Over the years seven Heisman Trophy winners have played at Notre Dame Stadium and the Fighting Irish have sold out every game since 1964. Touchdown Jesus, located on the Hesburgh Library, looms over the endzone of Notre Dame Stadium.
Thanks to:
http://www.ballparksofbaseball.com
http://www.stadiumsofnfl.com
http://www.insidearenas.com/
http://www.collegegridirons.com/
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