Hi everyone, Despite mad weather and a dissapointing game/result on saturday I really enjoyed my first outing to the Rapids. Will definitely be showing up again on thursday. The DICKS park is excellent - but what's this ? I was sat in various parts of the 118 section (moving slowly backwards to avoid the rain) - and you can't see the touchline!!! The advertising hoardings are so close to the pitch that they obscure the view. So right in front of us - the fans can't see whether the ball is in or out. As I'm sure everyone agrees - whether the ball is out for a throw or not is a big deal - and creates alot of "touchline tension". The solution is simple - the advertising needs to go back a couple of yards - then everyone will be able to see the full pitch. The present situation is completely unacceptable. My question is - how do we communicate this to the Rapids management or whoever is responsible - and get it rectified ? For soccer to be a success at DICKS we need new soccer supporters (like myself) paying week in week out. Someone needs to point out that not being able to see the touchline is a BIG mistake !! Cheers, George.
This topic has been discussed many times on here. THey boards are where they have to be...The MLS dictates where the fieldboards are placed.
Is the MLS dictating that fans shouldn't be able to see the touchline ? ..or presumably that TV cameras are more important ? Is it the same at all MLS grounds ? Sorry for being old to the topic - but that sucks. If the MLS wants to make football a success then it needs to get real with such issues. Is there somewhere at DICKS where I can sit and see the whole pitch ? G.
Scheck Agreed - the situation gets better as you get higher - but I was amazed that even pretty near the back you can still not see the touchline. I could understand if this situation was just (say) the first 6 rows or so - but this isn't what I'm talking about.
I sat in row 8 on the opening day and didn't have a problem. I'll be in row 4 on thursday so I hope it's not too bad. I also hope i'm not sitting directly behind an ESPN camera. grrrrrrrr
Hmm, It might be different in the different stands. I was in section 118 (opposite the team benches and also opposite the TV cameras). Originally in row 12, I moved back to row 20 or so (because of the rain). In neither place could I see the touchline.
Here's an idea -- look at that HUGE, MOTHER F******* scoreboard with the live video on it if you really must know if the ball is in/out between the 18s... nit pick nit pick
I don't think it's nit picking. If watching it on TV did the trick, why bother going to the game in the first place?
In reply to nit pick nit pick, This is nothing of the sort. My point is this: In order for the MLS to grow it needs to give people - the fans - the real excitement and adrenalin of real soccer. By not allowing the touchline crowd to actually see the err, touchline, the MLS is throwing away a huge amount of the passion that goes with the game: Disputes as to whether the ball is out - or not out - are common and very heated. The players are at it - the ref is at - the linesmen are at it - and the crowd is most defintely at it. I'm not "nit picking" as to whether the ball is in or out - and yes, I suppose I could just watch the video screen (err ?) All I'm actually saying is that if the crowd can see the touchline there will be more passion, more fans, more money, more Rapids, more MLS. Try putting up boards like that at Arsenal or Man U and then tell the crowd they are nit pickers. I'm actually trying to help here....
The problem with that method is that last night anyway there wasn't a very good causal relationship between what was happening on the pitch and what was happening with the ARs' flags and the Center's whistle. ;>) I did notice the problem and it looks like it would be easy to fix ... and probably won't be. In conspiracy mode I wonder if the reason for it is that so many people don't know that the ball is not in touch until it completely passes beyond the vertical plane of the outside of the white line and just keeping them from seeing the ball and the line when they are close helps them not look so soccer ignorant. The problem with that explanation of course is that it assumes MLS 'deciders' are not soccer ignorant. ;>) O_ O _O _ O If as you look at those the pitch is on the left and the not-the-pitch or in touch or outside the touchline, is on the right, only the last one is out. In the others all of or a part of the ball is still not outside the vertical plane of the outside (to the right in this example) of the line.
Who cares if the ball goes out for a throw in when the ball is nowhere near either goal ? It doesn't matter if YOU see that the ball fully crossed the plane of the touchline or not, as the refs will call it as THEY see it. This dude just needs to get over it.
I guess people are going to start realizing that the best seats at a soccer match are not in the first three rows.
That's why I have my season tix at the top row. I can see plays develop, and watch off ball movement. I can't stand sitting at field level.
Sorry Bonji - Not the point. We are talking about soccer in America at the highest level. It is amateurish to place advertising boards in a location that blocks view of the touchline from any seat in the house. No excuse is adequate. A remedy is required either by the Rapids or by the league!!!
Hi there, The idea that this is "nit picking" and something I "need to get over" clearly misses the point entirely. I am not talking about a single person (me) wanting to see the touchline. What I'm pointing out is that with the present situation, the crowd - in many parts of the stands - are not physically able to see an important aspect of the game. This leads to a rather sterile situation. The stadium atmosphere is desparately important to the game and this issue is absolutely critial for the (relatively) fledgling MLS - with a clear need to get bigger crowds and a bigger buzz going. It's also worse than I thought. It is not just "if the ball goes out for a throw when the ball is nowhere near either goal". It's also the case that you can't see the touchline at the ends of the pitch either (not if you are at that end). So fans sitting at the ends can't see whether the ball is out for a corner or a goal kick !! Relying on the ref or linesman's decisions is also not the point. The home crowd is supposed to dispute every decision made by the ref - when it goes against their team. That's one of the big advantages to playing at home. Big clubs like Manchester United do well at home because every single refereeing decision is challenged by 50,000 plus people - pretty intimidating - but definitely a very big part of the sport. As some have pointed out - you do, in general, get a better view when you are further back in the stands. But yes, that isn't the point. In a brand new stadium every person should have a full view of the full field. As someone from the UK I've had lots of experience of the Premier League and the Coca Cola league. Now living in Colorado I went down to see the Rapids with some other UK mates. Immediate reaction: Great stadium, good team, good football - reasonable crowd - Err, field boards - too near the pitch - WRONG. It's as simple as that. We should be teaming up to get it changed - which is what I was trying to do. The solution is simple - move the boards back !!
I called David with customer service and he told me they moved them back as far as the league will allow. they are currently 8 feet from the touchline. and cannot be moved any further. So I guess we will have to live with it...But they way I see it, it is alot like going to a lacrosse game or hockey game the sideboards cover everything on the side you sit unless the ball of puck is in play on the side opposite you the view of what is happening is blocked...so the same in soccer...the view is blocked and there is no getting around it!
..or persuade the MLS that the max distance needs to be 10 feet - that's probably all we're talking here.
I watched the LA game the other night on HDNET and it sure looked like the boards were further than 8 feet. More like 10 yards.
My wife sat down and watched the RBNY game with me on Sunday and being of a "television mind" (she is a producer for the Colorado Springs CBS channel) she made an observation that I never would have. She commented that MLS will never show on a major network because there is insufficient time for sponsors, at least not the commercial time that sponsors want. So as far as the boards are concerned we are lucky they are as far back as they are. Commercial dollars are where the league makes their money. Keep your fingers crossed we don't see "TV throw-ins" in the coming seasons.