i do think you are talking apples and oranges in some of these points. i mean, comparing the history of the timbers to the red sox... but to go back to the main point, i only said that i wished the renovaton had included funds to redo the roof, getting rid of the posts. as was done, for example, when the original yankee stadium was redone in 1976. so maybe this comparison to how yankee st was renovated, might have been somewhat more pertinent. except that frankly that too would be too much of a stretch, imo. i just wish they didn't have those roof pillars, that's all. life obviously goes on.
Bethlehem Steele Stadium http://maps.google.com/maps?f=q&sou...004,-75.376366&spn=0.002459,0.004672&t=k&z=18 Triborough Stadium http://maps.google.com/maps?client=...539,-73.924674&spn=0.002555,0.004672&t=h&z=18 Alex G. Spanos Stadium http://maps.google.com/maps?client=...32,-120.664864&spn=0.002754,0.004672&t=h&z=18
All in All, I think it is a fare comparison. Boston and Portland have impressive followings, and years of futility. Of course, Boston has now tasted the brass ring, and Portland is still waiting.
portland has what? the timbers like the red sox? all i said is that since they were doing work on pge, i wish they had redone the east-stands roof. i didn't say it's the only stadium in the land with support pillars, and i really don't care about fenway, wrigley, or the rest of the motley family of old ballparks. eighty years ago they used support pillars. i understand that. really. no more pictures please... i just thought that new west stand + new roof on the old east stand would have been a complete, awesome job at pge. i guess the cost was prohibitive. i don't mind the artificial turf. i do care about (and have asked previously but never got an answer) about the size of the playing field in the new pge. the old one, iirc, was of the 'bowling-alley' variety. i do hope we won't have another narrow field in the league, as it's truly lousy for the game of soccer.
Well, thing is though, they achieved all that history in a stadium with obstructed view seats. The stadium they played in before that was so old that the 'base ball' in the name was actually still two words. And the team wasn't even called the Red Sox the majority of their time in that stadium (they were the 'Boston Americans'.) In most straightforward ways, I agree with you, obstructed views suck. But funny thing, sometimes the character of a stadium is in its imperfections.
Mixed metaphor police, here: One normally grabs, reaches for, or grabs a brass ring. Though I could understand if long-suffering Red Sox fans went a bit further than that.
remember that mls slogan from a couple of years ago? 'you're already a fan, you just don't know it yet?' they were building a sss. they just didn't know it yet.
It's not apples to oranges at all. In a world of new SSS in MLS, Portland has the opportunity to create a fantastic atmosphere in a unique stadium that frankly CAN represent the same thing in soccer that Wrigley and Fenway represent in baseball. I don't know if you have any experience viewing sporting events in these older stadia. I have had seats behind the row of poles more times than I can count at Wrigley. I have also sat behind the poles at Comiskey, Fenway, Tigers Stadium and Upton Park in East London. As a fan, you barely notice them. On the plus side, it allows for either: a) an upper deck that is right on top of the action (the upperdeck boxes are some of the best seats at Wrigley) or b) that big roof everyone always wants. I was too young to ever go to a game at Yankees stadium before the mid-70s renovation, but I have been there many times since. Like all newer stadiums, you gain a better view for a few thousand lower deck seats at the expense of many thousand upper deck seats that are higher up and farther from the field. If I could turn back the clock, I would spend $50 million to renovate old Comiskey Park in a heartbeat over the monstrosity that they built across the street. They have made cosmetic changes to make it less sterile, but unless you have great box seats or club level seats, you were better off in the old place with poles. The only new stadium I have seen that comes close to what you are talking about is new Soldier Field. The upper decks are cantalievered (sp?) so that you are much closer to the field. Of course, that added to the cost tremendously resulting in a stadium that cost nearly a billion dollars and actually seats 5,000 less than the old Soldier Field. Of all of the MLS SSS, Portland will be on my list to visit just behind NYRB Arena.
As far as obstructed views go, here's a picture of some seats in Yankee Stadium: Yes, that's the new Yankee Stadium.
The combination of the downtown locale, public transport, and an astonishing selection of great beer bars will be damned hard to beat. I've been meaning to get out to Bend to visit my sister. Think I'll delay the trip a year or so.
I know Wrigley Field and Fenway park. I have consumed many beers in Wrigley Field and Fenway Park. Wrigley Field and Fenway Park are my friends. PGE Park, you are no Wrigley Field or Fenway Park.
i 'grew up' in the original yankee stadium, with pillars galore, but frankly i always managed to sit in front of the obstructions (crowds were about 12k at yankee games when i was a kid, best seats $4). the refurbished stadium did away with the pillars, without sacrificing the proximity of the mezz/upper deck to the field. it had absolutely none of the character of the original, imo, but the improvement of taking away the obstructions may have been the best thing about it. the new yankee stadium, otoh, is exactly as you say. the mezz/upper stands are a mile from the field. this results in a much bigger footprint for the stadium as a whole, with huge concourses downstairs where they've put all the restaurants etc. i do think obstructed view may be worse for soccer than baseball, as soccer uses the whole of the field much more. as for the newest yankee stadium (or citifield, as i can attest) also having some posts, that's true. but now it affects a very small number of seats, as compared to the old types.
When the city founders named Portland, wasn't it down to either 'Portland' or 'Boston'? I heard that last time I was up there. Regardlass of all this stadium comparison crap, I'm just happy that Portland will have a top flight team other than the Blazers, no disrespect...I'm just not a Basketball fan. I feel like were gonna get the same type of fervor from Portland that we did from Seattle. It might not be on as big of a scale as Seattle, but your average Portlander is gonna idenity with this team. The Timbers have such a great supporters group and it will only grow. Some posters seemed to miss the simple fact that this stadium is old, has history along with nostalgia. It is surrounded by a great neighborhood that will serve as a great romping ground for both pre and post games. There is also public transit so some stupid ass drunk (could be me) gets his ass home safely. Once the PR department starts their 2011 campaign it will really gain some momentum. Even watchin gthe Timbers games on TV will be fun.......
People people, pull your panties out from within your asscracks. PGE Park is no Wrigley or Fenway, it has nowhere near the history that those two venues have. However, it is soccers equivalent within the Unites States and Canada. SOCCER'S EQUIVALENT. Now, as for history, it was where Pele played his last competitive match. That certainly adds to its mystique. It's a great place. plain and simple, has a shit ton of charm that no other SSS's in this country or Canada has because it is completely unique and older than my damn grandmother. When it's finished, PGE Park (or whatever it's called come 2011) will be the oldest SSS in the country by some 73 years, having had professional top tier soccer dating back to 1975, or 35 years, which in top tier soccer terms in this country is like a soccer equivalent of the early 1900's for baseball. One of the 5 best players in history ended his career in the stadium. The Women's World Cup was held in the stadium. The soccer team that plays in the stadium and will continue to has the 3rd or 4th longest history of any professional soccer team in the United States or Canada. Like I said, Soccer's equivalent, not an equal.
2-1 Final actually, where Stevie Hunt stole the ball from goalie Chursky who decided to dribble the ball in his own box and then Chinaglia broke the tie later with a header of all things. Stadium should be nice, too bad about fake grass though.
Has not been discussed internally at this point. They know it's a preference for the Timbers Army but they consider it a "cosmetic" issue and they're still in the design stage.