An Interview w/ John Pollack of "Save the Big House"

I can't get the link to open at the moment, so I'll have to read the article later, but that group seemed stuck in the past to me.  You know what they say, "You're either growing or you're dying."

Being the leaders and the best requires the best facilities, including the most money making facilities. Luxury boxes make more money than regular seats. 'Nuff said.

Read the article earlier and he seems really bitter about the whole thing. I know it's the written word, and you never know how he really meant it, but man, that dude can't get over it. 

Back when the debate was raging I sent him a couple of emails arguing the point with him. The thing is, he would contradict his previous arguments every time. He came off, and still does, as someone who is against the project and will twist his argument in any way to oppose it. 

I've never met one Michigan fan who isn't happy with the project. I know it's anecdotal, but everyone I've talked to not only likes it, but raves about it. 

I like the renovation, but I can respect his opinion. Interesting read indeed.

This guy is delusional.  Does this really look like "every other stadium in the country?"

I wish Dooley had asked him about the extra benefit of more noise being kept inside the stadium as a result of the renovation. 

that the renovation makes it look like every other stadium.  I loved the old stadium, but prior to the renovation, its major distinction was its lack of distinction.

I was completely against the renovations before the project started, but I think it has turned out great. I lived in view of the stadium from my apt window and was able to see the steel and subsequent masonry go up. The stadium is well set for the coming generations o enjoy Michigan football from the best venue in college sports.

BUT

I'm still pissed at the removal of the troughs from the bathrooms.

Anyone else think this guy secretly likes how the renovations turned out but because he led the cause agasint he has to bad mouth them.

This guy doesn't really seem to know/care about the economic motivation behind the additions.

As long as the suites don't "cap" the capacity, and we can still add more seats if someone threatens our Big House status, I'm all for the boxes.

I'm glad I read it. It just reaffirmed my already low opinion of him.

He said it himself, several times in the article -- everyone is entitled to their own opinion -- and he is just unhappy that his is in the very small minority.

Also, he often touts the "alternative plan" they presented. The current plan cost $226 million, but the revenue generated from the luxury suites and club seats pay for 100% of it. Their alternative plan would have cost over $60 million (their figures, not mine) with no way to pay for it because there was no premium seating to generate extra money. He then has the balls to mislead people by suggesting that the current renovation has forced some people to give up their season tickets due to cost. Their alternative plan would have had to have been paid for somehow, most likely through increased ticket prices for everyone.

It is also disingenous for him to say that Michigan Stadium now looks like very other stadium in the country and he knows it. Yes, it looks different than it did three years ago and he clearly does not like the changes, but Michigan Stadium is still is as unique as it has always been. It has never been perfectly unique or totally one of a kind. Michigan Stadium was modeled after the Yale Bowl and was largely copied by ND Stadium. The Rose Bowl is also very similar. Michigan Stadium has always been the largest bowl, but never the only one. If anything, the renovations make it more "unique" because it looks less like those other bowls (although ND Stadium and the Rose Bowl have added luxury suites too over the years).

The new Michigan Stadium is much improved IMO. And that is all we are talking about, opinion. He just refuses to accept the fact that most highly interested people simply don't agree with his.

for doing the interview.  I think it was a smart and timely interview.

For my own part, I started out in Pollack's camp, opposing the renovation.  I changed.  The reason that I changed was because of an absolutely brilliant one-night presentation given to Victors Club members in the Junge Center, by Bill Martin, Joe Parker and the architects and engineers.  Their plan was brilliant.

And now we see Martin's execution of the plan, which has been equally brilliant.

Bo was the strongest supporter of this renovation.  I agree strongly with John Bacon; Old Man Yost would have joined Bo as a strong supporter of the renovation.

Let's go over, one more time, some of the bona fide concerns about the renovation.  Because Pollack deserves to get intelligent answers to his intelligent concerns.

Light.  This was my biggest concern.  That the new West-side structure would ruin the light on the field.  It hasn't; at least not by much.  Noon games (the proper time for games) are virtually all unaffected.  Night games go without saying.  In September and early October, most 3:30 games are okay.  Only in later October and November do the 3:30 games end up in shadow.  

Noise.  I really don't give a damn about trying to increase the noise level in the stadium.  For those who really want it to be noisier, I think it will be.  Eh.  Whatever.  Knock yourselves out.

Infrastructure.  This was the main point of the whole enterprise.  Not "luxury," not "money," not "noise," not anything else.  We needed more access.  We needed more bathrooms.  We needed elevators.  We need better aisles, etc.  The more this project has progressed, the more I am convinced that we achieved that goal in exactly the right way.

Architecture.  The beauty of what has been accomplished has simply exceeded my highest expectations.  The jewel of our athletic campus has unified the architecture of that campus.  It is both funny and revealing that Schembechler Hall now looks like the red-headed stepchild of the atheltic campus.  Its day will come.

Atmosphere.  The funny thing about this interview with Pollack is that nobody mentioned one of the biggest negatives about the renovation.  And it has nothing whatsoever to do with anything inside of the Stadium gates.  It is the new "Champions" level parking for suiteholders.  And that is a problem.  It is the next, biggest, most urgent problem for Dave Brandon.  Most if not all the premium seatholders will be afforded special parking, in what we all have known as the Blue Lot.  If they park, and then proceed to their suites, it leaves a social desert in the Blue Lot.  If they all drive in 15 minutes before the game, to get into parking that is and will be reserved for them, we will see a big empty hole in the Blue Lot.   Bill Martin and Brandon know very well that tailgating is a big part of the game day experience.  We'll see what a problem this becomes.  I think it will be a big headache, for the Victors Club (with lots of angry longtime supporters) and for the Athletic Department.  This is a problem they need to fix.

Fundraising.  Do not lose sight of the fact that luxury boxes are highly useful for special fundraising with special hig-end donors.  Every school that has boxes (most, now) makes use of them for fundraising.  It's a good thing, for that class of donor.  It will help Michigan.

I understand the strong sense of nostalgia that goes with wanting to keep the stadium in its historic form.  However things do move on and it is imperative for a University like Michigan to stay with the times in all areas, including athletics.

At one point in history the Yale Bowl and Michigan Stadium were considered comparable venues.  Both large bowls on prestigious campuses housing storied football teams.  Yale, for very good reasons, decided not to take its athletics into the modern era of big-time sports.  Michigan did.  Yale more or less kept its stadium as it has been for many, many years.

If you are ever in the New Haven area go by the Yale Bowl and consider whether that is the image you want in the future for Michigan Stadium relative to other campus facilities.  I don't think it is.

Michigan Stadium, with the incredible renovation, is still a uniquely beautiful place.

Here's to the future!

One thing that I haven't understood, with the night game coming next year, and the use of portable lights for late afternoon games deep into the season, why not add lights to the towers?

They have been brought in over the past two seasons temporarily, but in looking at the most recent shots of the stadium there appear to be no lights...It seems cost prohibitive to bring them in for a game and then remove them...

Anyone know/ heard of there is a plan or reason for this?