Are first game is April 13th, what will the capacity be for the first game. I here that just the East stands are only going to be up, if that's right capacity is only going to be about 7,000 with standing room only. The second game in May 10th will the stadium be to full capacity for that game, if so is there anyway the it could be increased. Last year the largest crowd we got was 15,919 if we could add about 2,500 more seat and the last three games possiably at SF we could get a decent average in 2003.
Peter Wilt told me the first couple games only the east stand would be up. Of course thar was before schedule came out. Peter, if you are monitering these boards perhaps you can fill in timetable.
Nowak's return to Chicago: seen by only a chosen few. (if i'm mistaken that NE is playing Chi in one of their first two home games, just call me a schmuck and be done with it)
Re: Re: Stadium Capacity? You're not wrong, NE is our home opener. Our second home game is San Jose's only visit to us this season.
I assume we have to wait for bears schedule to come out. Any of the 3 fire home games in October can be played at Soldier Field as long as the Bears are not playing at home that weekend.
Why couldn't, wouldn't we swap those home games? Perhaps NE and SJ would be willing to take those April games on the road and change the May 17 v. NE and the May 31 game v. SJ to home games. It seems pretty silly to play games in a 5,000 seat stadium particularly since there should be a great deal of interest in seeing how the new team is shaping up.
The October part gives me a queezy feeling. I assume that when the Bears schedule comes out, we will play October games that are scheduled on road weekends for the Bears. What about 2004? The timing of schedules will be the same with MLS releasing its schedule well in advance of the NFL. Pre-season starts in early August. I also seem to remember (but I can't honestly remember where) reading that the Bears new deal in SF gives them an even larger bubble around their games in which other events can't be scheduled. That would mean that 2 1/2 months of our schedule and playoffs each year would be subject to change pending the release of the Bears schedule. I know that this has been the case in the past, but I don't think we can simply move from Saturday night to Friday night anymore, and our schedule runs much later into October/November.
Re: Re: Stadium Capacity? Yes every year once the bears schedule comes out adjustments will have to be made as was done in the past.I wonder if the fire couldn't get some advance knowledge about what dates the bears will request. I thought the new contract actually gives the fire some leeway in scheduling games. Peter---maybe you can clarify this.
Re: Re: Re: Stadium Capacity? i believe the nfl does scheduling entirely upon ranks so once the season is over, you automatically know the schedule for next year that said... the exact times (and sunday, monday) might not be known... but it could be (bears were great last year and got some monday night games this year abc wishes they didn't)
Re: Re: Re: Re: Stadium Capacity? Who you will play is known but each team can make requests like opening at home etc. The bears requested to be on the road the first few games this year and got their request. In the past the bears always played the first two games at home. this changed recently.
It's the MLS version of releasing your movie in select theaters in a handful of cities a couple weeks before the full opening. Yah, right.