BC Lions 2011

[LotusBlossom]

I'm not going to complain.

I'm also going to forgive the staff because they too are re-learning BC Place all over again and didn't have a ton of time to do so. This is also the first event, so they are still working the kinks out of their systems.

I bucked up for the club seats (really not that much $1000 per seat for the season) so I could avoid big beer line-ups, have 4 bars to my disposal on both sides of the club lounge section. We also had two concessions of our own and we had beer coming to us if we wanted. We also had hot dog vendors going up and down the section for us as well.

I have very nice padded seats so my ass didn't hurt. We had our own private bathrooms for the area (no TVs either but neither does Rogers Arena, unless you're in the hospitality suites). The River Rock Clubs don't even have TV in the bathrooms. I was thoroughly impressed with the amount of monitors around the concourse as you were lined up for beer though. I was just down there to check out some merchandise kiosks.

The roof being open 'that little bit' also helped with the temperature of the stadium. The breeze was nice to have with the 50,000 people in the joint. The windows that were put in at the ramp corners that were nothing but concrete before gives the place some nice natural light.

I suspect the attendance is going to significantly drop the next game in, so I am also suspecting the beer line ups in the regular areas won't be as long.

In reality, the beer is about 50 cents more than it was at Empire $8 instead of $7.50 for Bud or Bud Lite and the premiums are at $9? Rogers Arena is about the same and we now only get Bud products ( no more Rickards and Canadian).

As far as the game goes, it was a good game, especially in the second half. I didn't appreciate the few 'pass interference' calls on the Lions late in the 4th quarter, but eh, didn't affect the outcome. Lions tied for 1st and Lulay looked good again last night, as did the defense for the most part.

My only complaint was it's not even near as intimate as Empire Field, but I'll trade that in any day not to have to use a porta-potty again. That and the cheesy-ass half-time show. I guess all the budget was blown on having Sarah M singing the anthem.

[Eddy Punch Clock]

I guess all the budget was blown on having Sarah M singing the anthem.

After that one comatose dude from Nashville (or maybe it was San Jose) I'd didn't think it was possible to sing the Anthem any slower. But she found a way.

[Topper]

A lot of money to spend on a trade show venue.

[CFP!]

Renovating BC Place was a waste of Money. We just put half a billion dollars of lipstick on a pig. The Lower bowl seats are too shallow, you still need binoculars to watch the game itself cause your miles from the action. The players look like minions on the field.

Weren't all the seats replaced?

[ukcanuck]

I guess all the budget was blown on having Sarah M singing the anthem.

After that one comatose dude from Nashville (or maybe it was San Jose) I'd didn't think it was possible to sing the Anthem any slower. But she found a way.

Are you talking about that guy who butchered the anthem in Vegas, singing it to "Oh Christmas Tree"
that and Rosanne Barr have to be the worst ever

[LotusBlossom]

A lot of money to spend on a trade show venue.

I understand that is the concern of many BC citizens for sure, Topper. I don't remember the figure to build a new stadium and knock that one down, but I believe it was more than double the $500,000,000 to renovate BC Place.

Rumour had it, 160 concession workers quit after that night. There was a guy recruiting outside of Stadium Skytrain before the Canucks game saying they will pay $13/hr to have people work the Whitecaps game today.

Like I said previously, the workers of BC Place didn't even get to know the stadium well enough, they were given less than a week to train on the PC system. I just hope they are just as prompt about dealing with the problems as the staff of Rogers Arena is when one arises.

[ukcanuck]

Does anyone really get TSN's power rankings? It seems the Lions are now first in that ranking system. Finally after only their 6th consecutive win and at least third stomping of an opponent. Seems to me they should have been higher sooner but the thing is I don't really get the NHL one on TSN either, last year the Canucks weren't at the top for as long as their record showed if i recall correctly and besides, what do they use to figure it all out, chicken bones and newt eyes?

The other thing that is cool however is the reaction from the TSN CFL crew and Chris Shultz, both have been hugely complimentary about BC Place, the crew pointed out the trouble other communities in Canada hat are having difficulty coming up with funds for stadium renos and new construction. Apparantly in Ottawa with all those rich fat f*ck retired politicians they cant seem to find 30 million to reno Frank Clair...when I think of all the things that BC has managed to do without major assistance from the feds or crying from the bureaucrats it makes me feel proud for my province

Here's an example of whats been said about the new BC place stadium by a guy who has seen plenty of football stadiums on both sides of the border http://tsn.ca/columnists/chris_schultz/?id=377342

[dhabums]

Here's an example of whats been said about the new BC place stadium by a guy who has seen plenty of football stadiums on both sides of the border http://tsn.ca/columnists/chris_schultz/?id=377342

Lots of bluster from a guy who doesn't buy tickets and won't be paying for the stadium for 50 years.

Way too much money for a facelift on a building that, as RD said, needs binoculars to see the field. Now on a good note, the slightly graded stands are nice to walk down after drinking. Try that at a Seahawks game, holy crap.

[ukcanuck]

Here's an example of whats been said about the new BC place stadium by a guy who has seen plenty of football stadiums on both sides of the border http://tsn.ca/columnists/chris_schultz/?id=377342

Lots of bluster from a guy who doesn't buy tickets and won't be paying for the stadium for 50 years.

Way too much money for a facelift on a building that, as RD said, needs binoculars to see the field. Now on a good note, the slightly graded stands are nice to walk down after drinking. Try that at a Seahawks game, holy crap.

You have been there, I haven't so I can hardly argue with you about the total experience, but it seems a safe bet that the sight lines are unchanged from before the reno. With the size of the field and the need for room between sidelines and the first row of seats it seems to me that the problem is inherent to CFL football. An NFL field would mean seats would be 15 yards closer on the sides and 30 yards closer in the endzones, plus you would save an additional 10 in the middle..However, BC would have to give the title to the property to an NFL owner, plus a tax holiday for twenty years and a bus load of cash to get a franchise to consider it. Not sure Canadian taxpayers would stand for it...

[BCReefer]

Here's an example of whats been said about the new BC place stadium by a guy who has seen plenty of football stadiums on both sides of the border http://tsn.ca/columnists/chris_schultz/?id=377342

Lots of bluster from a guy who doesn't buy tickets and won't be paying for the stadium for 50 years.

Way too much money for a facelift on a building that, as RD said, needs binoculars to see the field. Now on a good note, the slightly graded stands are nice to walk down after drinking. Try that at a Seahawks game, holy crap.

Your comments would be correct if only they played football in the stadium, even adding the 30+ games for soccer there is still only 40 events per year. What makes more money for the stadium are concerts and events, there has been a lot of discussion that the $$ spent will be paid off. I am not sure how long but it is not 5 years nor is it 20 years.

[LotusBlossom]

IMO, there is no use in complaining about a decision about BC Place that has been made. We have to live with it. Do I like as a province we're stuck paying the $500 million? No, not really. I didn't like that about the fast ferries either, but it happened. I also understood that it would have cost about double that to build a new stadium and to knock down BC Place.

Shits sake, it costs over a million dollars for a small lot and house in Vancouver these days. That's about 2400 square feet! Did we expect something along the $35 million dollar mark? Really?

As far as the whole there will only be 40 events in the building in a year, there are a few publicly owned arenas and stadiums all across North America that have that problem, we're not the only ones.

No nothing was perfect, it wasn't even close, but there are still crews working on BC Place as we speak from the inside and the concession workers are now getting some time under their belts.

Perhaps our expectations were too high going in there?


Now back to the Lions. Big game this weekend. Calgary in town and top two teams in the West going at it. I'll be in my seats in the $500 million dollar building. Burris vs Lulay. It will be a good one.

[dhabums]

Here's an example of whats been said about the new BC place stadium by a guy who has seen plenty of football stadiums on both sides of the border http://tsn.ca/columnists/chris_schultz/?id=377342

Lots of bluster from a guy who doesn't buy tickets and won't be paying for the stadium for 50 years.

Way too much money for a facelift on a building that, as RD said, needs binoculars to see the field. Now on a good note, the slightly graded stands are nice to walk down after drinking. Try that at a Seahawks game, holy crap.

Your comments would be correct if only they played football in the stadium, even adding the 30+ games for soccer there is still only 40 events per year. What makes more money for the stadium are concerts and events, there has been a lot of discussion that the $$ spent will be paid off. I am not sure how long but it is not 5 years nor is it 20 years.

Many of my comments would be correct if they were correct.

As for building usage, the Lions and Whitecaps would have been there anyway. The car show too. Same goes for trade shows, etc. While I am sure a few more big concerts will be attracted, it hardly seems worth the cost. While my earliest complaints were made under the influence of crappy beer, long lines and a boring first half, the sentiment remains. Too much money spent on a pretty sunroof.

[Cornuck]

Too much money spent on a pretty sunroof.

Sunroof? Has the weather changed that much since I left?

[Topper]

The marshmallow in bondage was a dog from the beginning. We were sold a multisport, multiuse building.

No grass, no soccer.

Remember when the Canadians were Milwaukee's AAA team and the Brewers/Jays plated a few preseason games and we discovered that home plate could not be seen from many of the seats. No Baseball.

CFL, no football either.

That sunroof will be great for the boat show in February.

[ukcanuck]

CFL, no football either.

Doesn't take a genius to catch the slight there Topper and its true there's no American football, but there's a great CANADIAN football game on tonight