Fences in Michigan Stadium highlight M's Spring Game Expectations
I frequently check out M's Architecture, Engineering, and Construction site for access to live webcams of Michigan Stadium--so as to keep up with construction, of course.
Well, for those of you who do not do this (i.e., I can be honest, those that aren't hyper-obsessive) I thought I'd toss the link to the webcam map.
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/Stadium/webcam.html
As you can tell from this (below) webcam in particular, M staff have set up orange fences closing off roughly 3/5 of the capacity of the stadium (purportedly choosing the exact proportions they did under the--admittedly fair--guise of an excuse that they want to keep fans away from the construction).
There is almost zero chance that the Spring Game attendance tops 40,000.
http://www.umaec.umich.edu/projects/Stadium/webcam5.html
well 2/5 of the capacity is still over 40,000. also, don't you think they fenced in the stadium for this purpose? you know, to keep the fans close to the field..
It's construction-related. They wouldn't go to the expense of putting up fencing just to keep fans close to the action. A year from now, when the boxes will be finished (at least the exterior), there won't be fencing.
I'm arguing that there are two explanations ("at least", if I need to be flexible, technical) for the fences.
Firstly, they are there for construction-related safety concerns. Secondly, they are there due to the "keeping fans close to the field" factor you mention.
By the way, if you take that second factor and go with it to the next logical step, you will probably find yourself reasoning "Hmm, the athletic department--if I am to assume they do things (like fence placement) intelligently--must be expecting a maximum theoretical attendance of ~40,000 (because 2/5 of a few thousand more than 100,000 is marginally more than 40,000)."
I was stupid enough to check the sites to see the fence......I could not see the fences.....it is 9:45pm.....
Guilty....
Those fences were up during mid-season, and removed before game days. You do know we still did construction during the season right?
The fencing is for the construction workers, maybe the university doesnt want the construction workers past that fence. Saftey hazards, for tools.
I bet the fences will be removed by saturday.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:50 AM ^
Maybe I didn't use the word "hyper-obsessive" emphatically enough in my original post.
I've been checking this site almost daily. The fences are new this week. Before that, the only fences in the stadium provided a perimeter around the old press box, keeping people ~10 rows away from it.
Clearly, something caused "the change", and--given the timing--it doesn't take a great leap of faith to presume that the upcoming Spring Game provided that very impetus.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:41 AM ^
regardless, look at them. there is PLENTY of space. esp. since both of the ends are open all the way to the top. i dont think the attendance will be above 40k anyway, but it won't be from lack of space (fyi- i also checked after dark last night)
Even if the fences are there on Saturday, they're cordoning off: The top 21 of 94 rows on the west side, and the top 40-ish of 94 rows on the east side.
They've roped off far fewer than 3/5 the capacity of the stadium.
April 10th, 2009 at 11:37 PM ^
Now, there's a counterargument I can agree with. Thanks for the post, Tim.
I looked at all of the webcams earlier today and recognized my [relatively slight] mistake. That is, I originally looked at the East-webcam only and erroneously extrapolated that the whole stadium was similarly fenced--which it isn't. My badness.
Maybe 1/2 (as opposed to the 2/5, I originally guessed) of the stadium remains available. This suggests the AD likely expects a theoretical maximum of ~50,000.
I'll continue to predict something like 30,000 show up. I'll be happy with that, too--if true.
April 10th, 2009 at 10:12 PM ^
This is on the MGoLicious sidebar, but some don't look. They are planning for 40k.
http://www.michigandaily.com/content/2009-04-10/alumni-excited-come-bac…
I'm proud to have been wrong about all of this (the 40,000 cap, for instance, was a mistake I made by foolishly viewing on the West bleachers). We COULD have hit 50,000.
Awesomeness.