It will take a couple games to get to know your way around but I like it. No problems with parking. I did get there early and was able to park in the north garage and got out with no problem.Concessions were expensive but the pizza was good.Bathrooms were ok but if you're at midfield in the 100 level I don't know why they couldn't have put one in the middle and not just near the end lines.It is a little confusing getting around. I never did find the collonade level on the east side.Nice waterwall on north side and nice doughboy statue at south end.Although I sit in the first row of 108 mainly because of the wife and her girlfriends, the best view is from the 209 first row.
Clustermuck doesn't begin to explain getting into the stadium. I would understand if it was a regular game, but this was the first game back. The inside of SF is definetly a great setup. Parking was easy as well. Nice lines of sight, the layout is beautiful, but the outside still gets me...but I'll get over it. Good overall experience.
I'm not really impressed with the stadium. The view is great, and that's a definite plus. But, it wasn't loud like I was expecting. It could have been my location, behind and to the side of Section 8, but I could barely hear you guys tonight. I couldn't really hear any of the other sides either. If it's actually loud on the field, then that's good. But it's harder to get into the game like that. It's also very, spacious. It didn't look anything like 30K+, I was surprised. I'd hate to see 5K there like some of the old Wednesdays. Short beer lines = good.
The stadium looks cool, but it doesn't really work for soccer. I kind of liked the old layout. But this was my favorite game ever because I cought Razov's jersey at the end when he threw it I wish I could get it signed by him though.
Dont get me wrong I liked it, but overall it was about what I had expected. Are we really that quiet in Section 8?
I don't think we are that quiet its just the stadium, I know people who were siting in different sections and they said they had problems hearing the fanclub. And during the "whos the best" they said nobody heard it so nobody responded.
I heard it and I have bad hearing, people in my section did respond with "FIRE". Are bullhorns allowed in the stadium to lead cheers?
Regarding the stadium itself, I didn't think that my seat was all that much better than at OSF. Maybe I've been spoiled by the proximity at Cardinal. Secondly, I was disappointed by the noise level. The chanting stopped too often. I couldn't see the BB leader (I liked the podium at Cardinal). Maybe I'm too used to having Sec. 8 in the corner, where more of their projection hits me, rather than next to them. But it was great to see the lower bowl full. I wish that they would close off everything except the lower bowl except for matches when we sell enough tickets. I love having fans on all four sides, though the North side is really a long way away. Anyone know how many the bowl sits? Regarding food, anyone see any tacos? And what has the grilled *#*#*#*#*#s I smelled?
I think it is both the location and the small number of people cheering/singing that Section 8 was so quiet tonight. It was actually a disaster. The stadium is OK but I would never believe so much money was pumped into it. I don't care about the concession stands; they are only for all those stupid overshitweight fatherfucker Americans. What's worst is that the new stadium has the old management. They were extremely unfriendly and even though we fulfilled each and every point brought out at the security meeting, they denied that they allowed us to use some of the extra stuff during the game. Overall, I am marginally displeased about their part in the outcome of the game which was supposed to provide entertainment anyway. I am so disappointed about the quietness throughout the game, and so frustrated about what was going in Section 8, that I don't really see any good points in tonight's fest. Not even the win brought any better mood for me. I guess I am sorry that I had to post it here before I went to bed but I don't think I would have gotten any good sleep otherwise. Marcin
I think you guys are being a little too hard on yourselves. While section 8 maybe wasn't as loud as it was in small compact NCC, I think you could hear you guys. When I got home I turned on the tape delayed game and you could hear section 8 quite clearly. We may have to face the fact that in a 61,500 seat stadium you are not going to get the noise level when only a 1,000 or so are cheering.
I was sitting in section 239, row 1(great view), and I could see and hear you guys clearly. I responded to the "who's the best", but because this was my first game, my timing was off. I felt kinda stupid and didn't respond to the subsequent "who"s. Hopefully I'll have better luck next game.
Just got back to Des Moines. I had a good time and I thought Section 8 was good. Was it the best, no... but it's night one. The intimacy of Naperville is gone. Yes, security sucked.. but again it's night one. I'm glad I made the drive. Afterward I was told that we "were f#cking great tonight" and that he could hear us up in the press booth. So that's a plus. Games do look good with the first two teirs pretty full as NSF doesn't look as cavernous. Still won't make an SSS less necessary tho.
Oh have to say this...the time to get into the stadium after getting inline to have tickets torn is horrendous. And I am watching part of the FSC broadcast now.. only a couple minutes in but Section 8 is clearly heard loudly so far.
I was in sec. 239 also. 3rd row. It was a good view,but I had difficulty hearing the rest of the crowd noise including Sec.8. I felt that the overhang of the next level up blocked crowd noise (and some of the view), and it seemed to amplify a lot of the casual conversation all around me. Any staff contact we had was courteous and helpful. I liked being able to walk all the way around the first level. It was fun to explore the new digs. It will take some time to get acquainted with all the ins and outs. The weather was perfect, but next summer those afternoon games might be brutally hot in the 200 level. I felt 1 small breeze the whole night. Most of the time it felt like we were in an indoor stadium. Maybe I mised the old place a little, but my buddy and I both commented that we weren't sure if we were even in Chicago. We need some good ale at the concession stands. I'd like to sit lower, or at the north or south end next time to see if there is any difference. Parking was good, including getting out south.
Take it easy there cowboy! Anyway our view from 215 was good. We could not hear sec. 8 very well and Marcin told me after the game that he could not hear us. But I think that is because we spent most of our time at the bar and concession stands. Arsonists....give us your overshitweight fatherfucker Americans.
"Yeah thats a shame. I thought the stadium would help us be louder...guess its the opposite Yeah, the same thing was said about Gillette Stadium, that the design would allow for things to be louder... ... uh-uh: place swallows up sound and is a friggin' tomb. Yet another reason for the Fire to get their own stadium... with a roof. The Magpie
We were in 215, our only match outside of Section 8 besides the "Silent Protest of '99". The section was filled with Arsonists and a great time was had by all. I don't know if it was because of our familiarity with the Section 8 repertoire, but it wasn't hard to follow what was going on. It sure was nice to see the south "terrace" filled to the top. The beer selection was poor and we'll have to take more time next Saturday to figure out what is where. The stadium club setting was a bit too much luxury wise. The kids were disappointed they weren't in Section 8 any more and I suppose I'll get used to it, but the wife likes the stadium club. Last, but not least, the lads played a fine match. I never felt that the Crew were capable of scoring & they didn't disappoint. The place feels like home already. Nice to see Gigi Rivera introduced pre-match. Does he live in the area?
I was sitting in section 150 on the goal directly opposite Section 8. I could hear them noticably all game. I think you are all being too hard on yourselves. We were sitting behind these 10 guys who were yelling in Polish all game. In fact, I have not heard so much Polish since I moved out of Williamsburg Brooklyn last year. My wife and I just moved here from New York and she noticed that it was quite nicer in terms of atmosphere than at Giants Stadium. The layout is unique and hopefully that will provide a better environment.
Personally, I wasn't expecting anything less than a clusterf***, so I wasn't quite as put off. For those of you IN Section 8, did the positioning of the drums work out? I had a couple people say they should have been down in front, and it was much more difficult to follow the cheers from the back, but I'm not sure about how easy/difficult it will be to set them up further down. The only two big security issues, in game, were people trying to get into the section without a ticket and the standing on the rail. The second one should go away once we get someting in place for Mirek or Marcin to stand on, and I tried to explain to the Monterrey guys that this was the key issue, and not to blow it up into something stupid and adversarial. We'll see if they got that message this week, I guess. Being up top did help in that regard, because I could talk to the Monterrey guys more easily. I'd love to get three podiums/nests/boxes to stand on. There was a point where Mirek, Marcin and Tomek were each up facing the crowd, and that seemed to work really well for as short a time as it lasted. Again, I'm out next week, so do continue to rock in my absence. Later, COZ