Are the seats in the stadium being repainted or replaced?
I know that at some point they're giving each seat an extra 2" of width, so whether that involves repainting numbers on the seats, or all of the bleachers, I don't know. Come to think of it, aren't the seat numbers engraved into the metal bleachers? Not sure how they'll do it...
Back in my undergrad days, I worked at Crisler and the Stadium. I got to spend a summer on the fiberglass bleachers peeling off the old numbers, repainting, and putting down new adhesive numbers. This was probably '97 or '98 and they were shrinking seat size by a couple of inches. That was a horrible summer.
I'm not sure what they would do with the metal bleachers, but my guess is that they would just wait to widen the aisles and replace the entire bleacher when the time came.
If they replace them I hope they offer to sell them to season ticket holders first and then anyone else that might want them. I would like to have the seat I have been sitting in the last 16 years
I have to imagine for nostalgic reasons, certainly not to sit on!
Yeah, as far as comfort goes, they might be the worst bleacher seats I've ever used. That might be more because of how close the rows are to eachother... I'm 6'6", and it's hard not to knee the people in front of me in the back while I'm sitting.
I'm only about 6'3", but it's still a struggle sometimes. The big problem is when you get the huge 300 lb. (or more) guy walking down the aisle. You then say to god "Don't you test me god, I will kill myself if he is in my row." Of course, the fat guy comes right to your row and sits right next to you. "FML"
Yup. I don't know what's worse... that or the 80 year old (at least) man that was in front of me last year. He had a knitted Michigan beret on, a heavy duty metal cane, and a giant glob of sunscreen on his ear that never got rubbed in. I really didn't want to knee him in the kidney, because he probably wouldn't have made it.
Of course, then I tried to stand up for a bit to avoid that altogether and got yelled at. I'll only buy tickets in/near the student section from now on if I have any choice.
the key is to just get shit canned before the game so you don't feel anything... kind of like when you stand in the student section and by the end of the third quarter you feel like a 90 year old women with arthritis.
There is an old lady that sits about 5 rows in front of my brother's seats that always turns around and glares holes into my head whenever I yell anything. There was one game I was actually nervous that she might have reported me to security via the text message number. But then again she probably has no idea how to text message, so I'm probably safe.
I hope her seats get moved.
I THINK they are replacing some, but not all.
I doubt they will replace them.
I was under the impression that the bowl would be totally "re-formatted," with wider aisles, more leg room and yes wider seats. Part of the controversy was that people's long-time seats would be dislocated and the overall capacity would be lowered. Does anyone know if and when this will happen?
How many seats will the luxury boxes add? I know we are supposed to pass Penn State in seating capacity.
The widening of seats will reduce the number in the bowl, but like you said, the luxury boxes will put us back over Penn State. I think there could also be some new seats where the Press Box currently is.
EDIT: A full explanation of seating changes is available at http://mgoblue.com/facilities/page.aspx?id=98924
Ruh-roh,
Talking to the Athletic Dept a year ago about this particular issue, it seems that in the aftermath of the ADA ruling to improve the access for fans with disabilities (and eliminating ~2000 seats?), the goal to widen aisles, add handrails to the aisles and widen seats may slide by the wayside.
One of the arterial blockages, IME, was the portals were going to stay the same size, so even if the aisles were widened/improved, there's only so many people to squeeze through a particular portal.
Looking at my notes from that call:
-Concourses were to be built by the 2009 season, but maybe not all concessions and restrooms would be functioning
-Aisle widening was to be one of the last phases originally, but may be implemented later, on a partial basis
-Same with widening the seats (and this dovetails into the etched seat number comment)
-The new luxury box and club seat structures could seat ~5000 fans
Regardless, the stadium is looking great. Can't wait to get in there on September 5th...hoping that the glass and glazed facings will reflect noise (and even the MMB onto my SW corner seats) and give all 180 commenters from the RAWK MUSIC post a breath of relief.
Now for the Godzilla-tron HDTV in their own bricked enclosures, closing out the Big Colossus Hous-seum architectural extravaganza, ca. 2014! STAY TUNED!
Cloverfield-tron FTW!
http://www.maizenbrew.com/2009/7/2/935551/godzillatron-your-time-has-co…
August 1st, 2009 at 11:09 AM ^
We can has this?
(1) The bowl's bleachers will be reformatted (all seats widened by 1" or 2") and aisles widened.
(2) Why do you (the O.P.) believe the bleachers need to be repainted? They recently were. Additionally, if you are making your "faded and weathered" claim based on webcams 5 & 6 on the UMAEC Michigan Stadium site (e.g.: http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/Stadium/webcam6.html), then you should know that those two cams are frozen on a previous day during the beginning of a rain storm. Consequently, the cement below the bleachers is only partially rain-spotted. This--artifactually, I might add--gives the bowl an added feeling of "being weathered".
obesity is screwing us out of seat #s too.
I guess the fatties make up for it, buy purchasing more food.
They also probably do their part adding to the crowd noise by screaming "DOWN IN FRONT!" so they don't have to stand up.
For the entire project:
http://www.umich.edu/stadium/faq/
Seriously. Has anyone just tried to act deaf when the "down in front!"s coming raining down on them?
You have no idea what you're suggesting... This is a tradition we must fight to uphold. Someday we will all need to rise up to sit down and keep this staple of Michigan football alive.
how does one act like Chris Martin?
Yes, I did actually. That, mi amigo, was a mistake. This was the first game of the season, first play after the return.
I was standing and I got told all of this in a 5 minute time frame. 1- (had on an anthony thomas jersey) I was asked if 32 was my IQ. 2- asked what high school I went to. 3- told that this guy would kick my ass. (all 3 of those were by a 75 yr. old man, literally, 75. 4- I was told my a cop from somewhere in MI (not AA) that he would have me kicked out. 5- told that my season tix dont mean as much as their season tix because I haven't had mine as long by the cops wife, who also made sure I heard that she does cancer research ... in which I responded well you're doing a shitty job. Enough was enough at that point. So I went and grabbed the usher and told him that I was being degraded and yelled at. His response, well you pay for the seat, NOT to stand, so you have to sit in it, you're not allowed to stand and if you do I will kick you out.
A couple minutes later a guy in front of me stood and was told he would be kicked out to by the same usher.
There were a lot of fans around me that made fun of the entire strawberry scented douches, not just the nozzles behind me. Too bad it didn't make a difference.
that is ridiculous. all us youngins should stand this year (and older people if you want to). i don't care if they can't see, they can't kick you out for standing.
August 1st, 2009 at 12:46 AM ^
It'd be a Lord of the Rings type of battle for the right to stand or not.
August 1st, 2009 at 11:13 AM ^
I would instantly become the biggest dick the world has ever seen if I was involved in that scene. Foshizzle
August 1st, 2009 at 10:22 AM ^
I stood all game @ Penn State last year. Not much heat from their fans. Some Penn State guy behind me came up in the 2nd quarter and said his wife water was about to break and asked me to sit down. Told him they must have a hospital in happy valley.
Not a chance though at Michigan Stadium. I am in section 34, and the folks there are so lame. Maybe Rich Rod pumping music through the stands will get our silverbacks standing. It does work at Penn State.
And the guy said that even after the new structures are completed that there will still be construction in the off-season past 2010 because they will be replacing some of the seats. Now I'm not 100% sure on this next part but if I remember correctly I think he said that in some small parts of the stadium there will be actual seat back chairs (just in a very small section) and the rest of the seats are going to get widened.
I have been wondering this for a while. The previous 4-5 off-seasons before the boxes went up saw a different section of the bowl replaced. The concrete was removed, re-poured and completely new bleachers installed. The only bleachers that were not replaced were rows a-c and anything above ground level (steel structure). I cannot imagine that all of the bleachers would be replaced and the isles widened again as this would be really poor planning. I would expect the upper 20-30 rows of bleachers to be replaced/ painted/ cleaned, but not everything again.
Seat back chairs would only replace the old press box and the new rows added by the skyboxes, I believe
Without out replacing all of the bleachers, coupled with the new seating, I think we are in line for a decent capacity bump.
They went through the bowl and replaced the concrete/bleachers prior to the renovation. The only seats that probably need to be replaced or fixed are probably the top rows. Some of them are pretty rusty and are a different color than the rest of the bowl.
...with widening the seats. If people don't fit in them now, an extra inch isn't going to do a whole lot. To me, it isn't worth sacrificing the loss of even more seats.
Because they don't want people to question why they spent upwards of $50 to be packed like a sardine, especially in inclement weather. Anyway, don't underestimate the impact of that extra inch.
What they should do is take the seats out all together and if any of the old fogies get tired standing the whole game give them standing adjustable arm rests so they can take the strain off their knees. Then we wouldn't have to worry about anyone sitting.
August 1st, 2009 at 10:16 AM ^
Widening the seats to cater to individuals who already bought the seats makes no sense. The old sales adage is stop selling once you sold the product. And besides, if the silverbacks turn in their tickets, there are thousands on the wait list.
Not a smart move Charlie Brown.
August 1st, 2009 at 11:52 AM ^
You are NEVER done selling the product.
In this instance the "product" is Michigan Athletics.
You keep selling until someone starts a steel company and decides to build you a brand new indoor practice facility!
You still don't stop; you want Michigan in their will, and you want every member of their frikin family to grow up, create more steel companies, and donate a fucking 3 level rotating stadium that seats a quarter of a million people.
See how that works.
Bill Martin IS in sales.
Now down in front.
August 1st, 2009 at 11:59 AM ^
And sellin' aint talkin', it's listenin'.
Funny the steel company owner is probably one of the silverbacks that yells down in front to me.
but his donations are higher, so let's give him what he wants.