Ballparks in Configuration for Football, Hockey, Boxing, etc.

[aqib]

Then what's the point? The whole marketing aspect of the game is thrown out the window. College games are played at NFL stadiums all the time.

Northwestern football isn't a draw by itself. They have played at Soldier Field when they play Notre Dame. They have their own stadium too. Playing at Wrigley was a gimmick that allowed them to sell more tickets and playing football, hockey, or whatever else they can come up with is another revenue stream for the guys who spent a billion on the Cubs and stadium.

[bandit12]

More like Thanksgiving with leisure suit-wearing, alcoholic, dysfunctional relatives that you give thanks you only have to see one a year.

Amen...and my weekend with them isn't done yet. I can't wait to leave Sunday morning.

[JohnCropp]

More like Thanksgiving with leisure suit-wearing, alcoholic, dysfunctional relatives that you give thanks you only have to see one a year.

Amen...and my weekend with them isn't done yet. I can't wait to leave Sunday morning.

That sounds more like Wrigley in the summer time than Wrigley in the fall!

[StanTheMan]

This is marketing we do not need.

"we don't need"... Does that translate to "you don't like", "you don't see the appeal" and/or "you choose not to comprehend."???

And who is this "we?" you are speaking for who exactly?

[Bulldog19]

I think this is one of those things that had it worked out correctly, most people would have A) not cared or B) been really excited about it. But now people are upset that it didn't work out. They didn't do the proper planning to make sure the field would fit correctly and so at the last minute they had to adjust the game. This is where I became upset-- when they turned the game into a schoolyard game essentially. "Losers Walk" and all..

[Goober]

I think this is one of those things that had it worked out correctly, most people would have A) not cared or B) been really excited about it. But now people are upset that it didn't work out. They didn't do the proper planning to make sure the field would fit correctly and so at the last minute they had to adjust the game. This is where I became upset-- when they turned the game into a schoolyard game essentially. "Losers Walk" and all..

Again, you are upset. Like I said before, 99% of the reviews I've read have been glowing. People that made fun of the "one endzone" (oh, and TD's were scored in both, in case you didn't notice) before the game, wrote stories on how great it turned out. Just because you didn't like it doesn't mean no one did, or most people didn't, or that it won't happen again - because it was a success.

[Wrigley Wax]

Here is a picture of the south end zone at Wrigley. You get a good look at the notch in the end zone because of the visitors dugout. The Andy Frain ushers are seated in front of pads that cover the dugout. The dugouts were lengthened in the late '70s, so a north south field for the Illinois - Northwestern game would have had even more of the end zone missing.

[Philtration]

Then what's the point? The whole marketing aspect of the game is thrown out the window. College games are played at NFL stadiums all the time.

That is correct.
They are played in football stadiums all the time for a reason.

You know.... football has been played at Soldier Field since 1924.
Is that not enough history or is it not cute enough?

Ryan Field (Northwestern's home) was opened in 1926.
Is that not enough history either? Was it too small even though the game at Wrigley had 41,000 in attendance while Ryan Field seats over 46,000?
This was not some Community College that was given a chance to play before a bigger crowd.
Northwestern is a Big Ten team, they have played in their home stadium for 84 years and to be honest their stadium is beautiful.
This is where they have their history and Wrigley has nothing to do with Northwestern.
This is where the game should have been played.

[J.R.]

This is where the game should have been played.

You mean the place that almost never sees Wrigley-sized crowds, despite the bigger capacity?

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/po...ance-struggles

[Matt The Hammer]

You mean the place that almost never sees Wrigley-sized crowds, despite the bigger capacity?

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/po...ance-struggles

Exactly:

Would you rather play in front of this:


or this?

[Paul W]

forbes field, 11/18/62...

[burroughsmvp]

A shot from the Notre Dame game at Yankee Stadium where you can see how part of the field had to be built over the existing dugout.

[buckeyejim]

The game was fine the way the ground rules were drawn up. No one got hurt. The fans and teams enjoyed the environment. It's obvious that the Chicago Bears "survived" in Wrigley in the North-South configuration (which was VERY tight) just fine. One game between Northwestern and Illinois is okay and not the end of the world. The East-West configuration works about as well as the North-South configuration according to the vintage photos I've seen. Frankly, I thought it was neat. I don't think a game will be played at Wrigley Field every season but I would think a game every 4-5 years would be fine. I wouldn't mind if Northwestern hosted Ohio State at Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field or Soldier Field in the future.

[Philtration]

You mean the place that almost never sees Wrigley-sized crowds, despite the bigger capacity?

http://espn.go.com/blog/ncfnation/po...ance-struggles

So does that mean that this was just a bunch of Wrigley fans who would have shown up for any event?

They just sold out the game against Iowa (47,130) November 13th and had another 41,115 at the game against Michagan State on October 23rd. and 33,847 vs. Purdue the week before that.
Of course photos from those games would not back up your point so I guess that none could be found anywhere on the Internet.

[J.R.]

Read up my man - thanks to the Wrigley game, they just had their best season ticket sales in the history of the program. The Ryan Field totals are inflated over what they would have been as a result.

[Matt The Hammer]

The game was fine the way the ground rules were drawn up. No one got hurt. The fans and teams enjoyed the environment. It's obvious that the Chicago Bears "survived" in Wrigley in the North-South configuration (which was VERY tight) just fine. One game between Northwestern and Illinois is okay and not the end of the world. The East-West configuration works about as well as the North-South configuration according to the vintage photos I've seen. Frankly, I thought it was neat. I don't think a game will be played at Wrigley Field every season but I would think a game every 4-5 years would be fine. I wouldn't mind if Northwestern hosted Ohio State at Wrigley Field, US Cellular Field or Soldier Field in the future.

I think this will be an annual event in some capacity.

[Matt The Hammer]

So does that mean that this was just a bunch of Wrigley fans who would have shown up for any event?

They just sold out the game against Iowa (47,130) November 13th and had another 41,115 at the game against Michagan State on October 23rd. and 33,847 vs. Purdue the week before that.
Of course photos from those games would not back up your point so I guess that none could be found anywhere on the Internet.

I believe you. I looked for pictures of Ryan Field with fans there without much luck. Honestly I never cared about Northwestern or Illinois football - but I watched because they were playing at Wrigley.

All the pictures I found were not during a game. Just a huge metal stadium.

Hell, I watched the UFL championship game because it was at Rosenblatt.

[RoadWarrior7]

If UIC were to ever resurrect its football program, and I hope it does, the Flames would be better off playing their home games in Soldier Field...which is relatively close to the UIC campus.

[StanTheMan]

If UIC were to ever resurrect its football program, and I hope it does, the Flames would be better off playing their home games in Soldier Field...which is relatively close to the UIC campus.

A resurrected or start-up college football program playing at Soldier Field? Not gonna happen.

[Bulldog19]

A resurrected or start-up college football program playing at Soldier Field? Not gonna happen.

Georgia State is playing at the Georgia Dome, home of the Falcons, in their first year of football. Tennessee State, who plays in the Ohio Valley Conference, plays at LP Field in Nashville. Why not?

[StanTheMan]

Don't know about the Georgia State situation or the Tennessee State situation, but when the Chicago Fire moved back to new (and butt ugly) Soldier Field after playing briefly out in Naperville, all kinds of stick was raised about the lack of attendance, 17,000 in a huge stadium, parking costs, cost of staff to run a big stadium, city footing some bills (security being one iirc)... etc. This was for seasons that had VERY little overlap as well. The Fire soon built their own Stadium of course.

Alos, Chicago Fire football draws better than Northwestern Football, much less a new UIC team (an assumption on my part, but feel pretty good about it).

[Bulldog19]

I'm not saying it would actually happen. I'm just saying that other (smaller) schools are doing it elsewhere in the country. And both of those schools compete in the Football Championship Series. They don't get a ton of fans at those games..

[btown12]

Alos, Chicago Fire football draws better than Northwestern Football, much less a new UIC team (an assumption on my part, but feel pretty good about it).

What's that they say about assuming

Even last year when Northwestern's attendance was horrible, they still averaged about 6,000 more fans per game. Now in total attendance, since the MLS season has more home games, the Fire outdrew them. This year's bump in attendance though has widened the gap for Northwestern. Still, I was shocked to see how poorly NU draws for football.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/stats
http://hailtopurple.com/cde/attendance.html

[Philtration]

What's that they say about assuming

Even last year when Northwestern's attendance was horrible, they still averaged about 6,000 more fans per game. Now in total attendance, since the MLS season has more home games, the Fire outdrew them. This year's bump in attendance though has widened the gap for Northwestern. Still, I was shocked to see how poorly NU draws for football.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/stats
http://hailtopurple.com/cde/attendance.html

True.
The Fire drew an average of 15,814 this year.
Northwestern was just awful in football for 20 years including a 34 game losing streak.
Now that they have become respectable attendance is up but they can do a better job of promoting the team with out a gimmick game.
There is a lot of pro sports to compete with in the area not to mention other college teams so they have their work cut out for them.
Notre Dame is only 90 miles from Chicago and they have had a large following here for decades.

It is easy to draw fans in a small college town that live and breaths for their local team.

[Lpeters199]

http://www.mearsonlineauctions.com/L...ginal-Type-1-9