"Put a lid on it!": Wizards Stadium Thread v.08.03

I just hope they take into account where the sun sets throughout the year when the lay out the stadium. Please put the roofed sections facing east and west, and leave the open end sections facing north/south. That way, everyone gets to watch without dealing with the sun. More importantly, the sun never sets due north or due south, so the goalies don't stare into the sun for a half.

Other than that, something that makes the Cauldron stand out even at 2:00 AM in January would be nice. A cauldron specific entrance, low walls between it and the neighboring sections, something, anything, that makes it hallowed ground compared to everywhere else. Side benefit to a Cauldron specific entrance is they could have the same security folks work that section every game and build up a relationship (see also:learn to look the othe way occassionally) with the folks in the cauldron.

 

I don't care where the section is, but it has to have a roof or covering. To bad it probably won't happen because of the cost of putting a roof overtop of section. It to bad because the games would have a completely different atmosphere than what we have now. BTW did anyone read my blog posting?

 

While I'm not sure how much of this is actually being said in any seriousness, I do think it's worth thinking about. Would people be ok with paying a bit more for Cauldron seats in order to sit on the side? I think it's pretty obvious that GA seats can't be placed at the same price point that reserved seats would be (the whole not-knowing-where-you-are-going-to-sit thing being the main thing that brings down the price).. but how much does the quality of seat matter or is worth to everyone?

Not that I expect much or anything anyways... just because the crazy/diehard/passionate fans always seem to be on the ends, in all sports. But I figure that I might as well state my feelings and see how things go.

A good, quality and 'viewable' jumbotron could do wonders by itself even. The one at CAB is, unfortunately, too small and not suited for what we're asking it to do - that's fine, it's only temporary... but I suppose I hope that there would be one which was suited for following the action when it's on the far side of the field.

 

I did, thought you did a good post.

Is one of the problems with putting a roof over the Cauldron being that the Cauldron (end section) is one place that may be expanded some day?

IF they ever go from 18.5k up to 20k or so, it would be by adding seats where there is no roof.

 

Question for anyone of you who would know....

When does actual destruction/construction start? Are we within a month of actual beginning of this project?

 

I don't know if official dates have been announced for it, or if official dates will be announced until the funds are released by the state. Again they are suppose to meet next on like the 19th.

 

i think you basically got your answer by the number of cauldronites that bought season tix for the berm.

 

Oh man, I hate doing the company line!

That is why I quit the company.

 

What 8-10 people?? You act like half of the section jumped ship to the berm.

 

I've always thought there could be Cauldron Blue & Cauldron White with the difference being reserved and GA sections. Many have talked about wanting to have reserved so they could tailgate and/but still sit with a bunch of the yahoo types that wave flags, chant, heckle and stand and deliver every game night. Have them merely 2 (maybe 1) sections apart and they could influence everyone in between. One GA section behind the goal and the other around the curve at the 6 or the 18. In that configuration, all kinds of call and response type cheers/chants could go on and you would absolutely dominate and end goal plus a nerve rattling corner kick for opponents. The filler in between would have no choice but to get more involved with both sides of them chanting in unison and waving flags etc... Now you have a party "end" and not just a section.

Family zone of course is on the opposite corner where the language is controlled a bit more.

 

Correct me if I'm wrong, but didn't the Flaming Cow Pies (or whatever they call themselves down in Dallas) have their supporters section at mid-field on the sunny side of the stadium when the Burn played at the Cotton Bowl?

 

first of all, i didn't "act" like anything. you chose to interpret my post as if that's what i meant. i knew it wasn't half, but even 10 is a fairly significant portion of the actual cauldron members. how many people sing and chant like hardcore cauldronites in that section? i'd guess, and mind you i may be way off on this because i haven't stood with y'all this year yet, but the actual number of regular "chanters" is no more than 50. so, you think that 20% of the section moving because of a price difference isn't significant?

again, i'm willing to allow that i could be completely wrong on my assumptions of the makeup of the cauldron, so please, someone correct me if i'm misguided here. i see the cauldron packed with blue, and it looks great, but all i hear about is the hardcore cauldronites complaining about the people who are there to be there and not there to contribute. i'd guess there's no more than 50 in that group (and this doesn't count the sudakas... which, by the way, are they even regular attendees anymore?) that sing on every song like the cauldronites on this board. that's the cauldron section, not the people that are just standing to be there, not the section as a whole just because everyone's section says the same thing on their ticket.

that's the section i'm talking about. so maybe i wasn't clear enough with my explanation of my view of what the cauldron is.

 

Oh, there are exceptions - but I mean... like the Raiders have their crazies in the endzone, Student sections are generally behind the baskets in basketball... and then obviously in soccer throughout the world (again, for the most part)

I figure the reality of it is that nobody would want those seats normally, so they put all the 'crazies' there. It's not all bad either - by having them there, you're less likely to get exactly what has been driving me crazy at the CAB - hand sitters in the Cauldron. You don't get people who really don't care about cheering and singing but want to sit there b/c it's better than the ends... you only get the crazies.

Still, I like Beech's idea with a coordinated effort with a GA and reserved section.

 

Do you remember the old saying about what happens when you assume?


There are about 100 folks who sing along to 85% of the chants. Alot of them are younger folks who probably haven't stood in the section until this year. Which is great but some of the main problems with this new group of hardcore cauldronites is the constant F-bomb dropping and non stop cussing. You would know that though if you took the time to stand in the section once or twice. Hey now you know and knowing is half the battle.

The main problem with the section is it has become a draw and ticket seller for the FO. Like SombraAla said there are way to many people in the section that don't do a damn thing. They are there for one reason and one reason alone and that is the atmopshere. Heaven forbid that atleast clap along or sing just a little bit. What is really sad is when you have ST holders for that section who can't get a seat because the FO oversold the section. Or the ticket checkers up top telling you can't go down there because you have kids and shouldn't be down there.

Would it be nice to have those 8-10 people back? Yes it would but I completely understand why they did it and hold nothing against them for doing it.

 

So the ticket checkers know what's best for your kid now too?

 

Yes it would . Now I would love to see 3 sides of the new park covered with the other end uncovered so you could expand that end of the ground. In the pictures that I saw. Where the cauldron is going to be there will be no room for expansion with all the other things be built above and behind it.

If we ever out grew a 2,500 seat section. Then section will have to be moved to the midfield in the upperdeck under the roof.

 

Yes they do apparently. It is to bad they can't give me any useful information like winning lottery numbers.

 

The real question Mark, is do we want you back?

 

It's well more than 100 who would sing regularly if the conditions are right (it's in English and someone close knows the words and is loud). There are more season tickets in the section even than that.

If the section is oversold, that's 700+ people I believe. It's at least 300+ in the main stand. We just aren't organized enough to leverage it consistently. The tailgate is way more spread out than in the past, and that's where most coordination took place at Arrowhead.

If we set the drums up in the center every time, and have 3 or 4 people spread out who look to each other every now and again, we'll certainly improve on that participation.

The other thing I'd like to see are the words to the spanish songs on a big white card in front that can be held up whenever that song starts. The most successful spanish chants are those that even have little bits that the gringos know. If we can just learn a few more lines, that participation will skyrocket.

The Sudakas are certainly still there every game, but some of their leaders have moved on (Noel works for the team now) so it's not as organized as they were last year.

I personally would put the Cauldron on the away TV side. It's going to look like PHP, Chicago, and all the rest even if we average 16k in season one of the new digs. The first empty seats always show up on that side, and that's the side shown on TV for most of the game.

It's not my money to give up per ticket, but I think this would help the team sell more tickets in the short and long term.

PS - I was at the meeting (asked as a late replacement for a no-show), and told them the same. If the Cauldron doesn't have a roof, but is as-shown - walls that come up each side - that should help focus some of the sound that is escaping at CAB. A lid would amplify that more obviously.

 

Just a thought that I'm sure has been discussed before, but it would solve two problems: build the Cauldron end without seats -- concrete terracing and handrails only.

1) The money saved could help fund a roof.

2) You would be assured that only the hardcore supporters would be there -- no handsitters if there is no place to sit!

 

I endorse this idea from Portland.

 

Two for terracing, maybe with the capacity for removable benches/seating. Then the section would certainly be behind the goal. You couldn't really do terracing on a main stand.