Article in Daily Northwestern says that demolition of Ryan Field Stadium will begin week of Jan 29. This is certainly a sad day for us old farts.
Sad day?
- Thread starter Seattle_Cat
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Yes, so many old farts headed for the landfill. I will have a chilli dog to celebrate the occasion.
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We only got to see the Secretary of the Interior, and he said: "Boy! You boys sure look civilized.!" he congratulated us and gave us medals for looking so civilized. We told him about how our land had been stolen and our people were dying. When we finished he shook our hands and said, "endeavor to persevere!" They stood us in a line: John Jumper, Chili McIntosh, Buffalo Hump, Jim Buckmark, and me - I am Lone Watie. They took our pictures. And the newspapers said, "Indians vow to endeavor to persevere."
-from "The Outlaw Josey Wales"
I'm sad about it. I got choked up at the Purdue game.
Now, two years of wandering like Israelites in the desert.
Now, two years of wandering like Israelites in the desert.
Totally. Me too. So many amazing memories with family and friends over the years… but it is time. Time for a modern venue that will pay dividends in recruiting.
No, the general assumption is still some combination of Wrigley Field, Soldier Field, and possibly SeatGeek Stadium.
Sad day? Yes and no. I grew up (and still live) 'down the street' from the stadium and have many fond memories of attending games as a kid. I'll miss having that direct connection to those days. I also really like some of the stadium architecture. The curving west facade framed by the towers is a nice look and provided a lot of great seats (and some terrible seats ) for watching games. But a lot of the elements of the stadium didn't age well, either due to changing times or lack of investment. The concourses were cramped and difficult to navigate. The scoreboard was small and hard to read. And so on. I'll miss the old stadium, but I'm excited for the new stadium.
Perfectly okay to be sad about the demolition.
The best part of the final chapter is that the 2023 team sent RF out the right way: on a terrific 5-1 record with plenty of highlights for the home fans. That's something we sorely missed over the past 5 years (in part due to Covid).
Tons of great memories over the past 30 years, and for some much longer than just the modern history of the program.
But it was also the right time; the stadium might have been passable in the 80s or 90s or even the 00s, but by modern standards, it just doesn't work. Fans expect a premium gameday experience if they're going to go to the stadium instead of watching on a modern HD TV at home.
And given the uncertainties in the future with NIL and upcoming financial challenges to the whole enterprise like paying players a portion of revenue, or what media money looks like past 2030; it makes all the sense in the world to get this project done now and have all the facilities at "best in class" status before the program has to deal with future challenges.
The best part of the final chapter is that the 2023 team sent RF out the right way: on a terrific 5-1 record with plenty of highlights for the home fans. That's something we sorely missed over the past 5 years (in part due to Covid).
Tons of great memories over the past 30 years, and for some much longer than just the modern history of the program.
But it was also the right time; the stadium might have been passable in the 80s or 90s or even the 00s, but by modern standards, it just doesn't work. Fans expect a premium gameday experience if they're going to go to the stadium instead of watching on a modern HD TV at home.
And given the uncertainties in the future with NIL and upcoming financial challenges to the whole enterprise like paying players a portion of revenue, or what media money looks like past 2030; it makes all the sense in the world to get this project done now and have all the facilities at "best in class" status before the program has to deal with future challenges.
Dislike it. As a native Evanstonian, there is simply too much history there - think of all the greats who have played there. The towers are irreplaceable and must there really be modern conveniences everywhere? If it's crumbling, let it crumble naturally and not by the wrecking ball. It's as if the Romans decided to tear down the Coliseum because one part of the wall collapsed and someone took the marble off the facade. And get off my lawn!
When the bough breaks the cradle will fall, Down tumbles Ryan, cradle and all.
This old fart was lucky to be given a huge commercially produced photo of the old stadium about 15 years ago. It is on the wall in my family room and will live on long after me. Brings back memories every time I walk by it. I still have to thank Gary Barnett for bringing NU into the national spotlight.
The Colosseum is so named because of a giant statue, the Colossus of Nero, that stood nearby.
The new stadium needs its own Colossus, a giant statue of Fitz. That should be part of the lolsuit settlement.