(08-09-2016 03:58 PM)mrbig Wrote: I would love to see Rice's next set of HRS renovations to include something like what is in the LA Tech photo, but moved further down the upper stands so that the press box and suites aren't so far away from the field. Maybe leave 5-10 rows in front of the new area. I've never been in the press box, but numerous press members who have covered Rice over the years have complained about the press box. And mid-field suites could be put to multi-purpose uses at Rice. I'll let you know if I win the powerball...
My opinion isn't that the press box is too far away. It actually has a decent view of the entire field. The only reason someone would say it's too far away is because of the lack of fans in the stadium. If the stadium was full, there wouldn't be too much complaint. Has a better view than Reliant/Super Dome and many other stadiums I have been in.
I think the general complaint about the press box/club level is just the fact that it is super narrow and out dated. There is only one very slow elevator to get into the club level, then you have to take a flight of stairs to get up to the press box. This same elevator is shared between all media and club members. The only other option is taking the ramp to the upper deck, then climbing all the stairs to a door. Not ideal or quick at all. They do hold the elevator before the half and end of the game for media/coaches.
The radio/pa/coaches/tv rooms are on the same level as the club seats. The hallway here is super narrow and there is always some member of the media or coaches who gets caught behind some club member. This is very inconvenient and annoying for someone trying to do a job very quickly. I cannot count the number of times this has happened to myself.
It would be nice if the radio/tv/coaches were separate from the rest of the club.
The bathroom is very outdated and not very nice either. Just like the rest of the restrooms in the stadium before they started renovating them.
And then of course the common complaint with the media was the food. Thank goodness they finally got rid of Prince's. I know several people who would sneak food from the club level since it was connected.
Also, when I was last there a few years back, the stat tracker program/equipment they were using was very dated and pretty unreliable (bad signal). You were better off pulling up gametracker on your laptop for stats.
Thanks for the perspective. Part of my reasoning for moving this part of the facility lower in the stands was to accommodate a wider hallway (along with larger rooms). And because Rice would still have more than enough seats for just about all potential games, even if we sacrificed the top 20 rows or so in a width similar to the existing box.
(08-09-2016 05:33 PM)mrbig Wrote: Thanks for the perspective. Part of my reasoning for moving this part of the facility lower in the stands was to accommodate a wider hallway (along with larger rooms). And because Rice would still have more than enough seats for just about all potential games, even if we sacrificed the top 20 rows or so in a width similar to the existing box.
How would the construction logistics of redoing the pressbox at Rice Stadium actually work? Could they finish it in one offseason as La Tech is doing (maybe with Reliant on hold if Rice were to play in CUSA Championship?) Would they be able to do one half first and then the other half? Would they just renovate or would they have to completely demolish and start over?
Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
(This post was last modified: 08-09-2016 05:51 PM by Klobasnek.)
(08-09-2016 05:50 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
Good to see all eleven members of the MOB there...
(08-09-2016 05:50 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
Good to see all eleven members of the MOB there...
How could I forget, happiness and optimism are not allowed on Parliament under any circumstances. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I shall limit myself to Parliament's traditional nihilistic dispair and fingerpointing in the future.
(08-09-2016 05:50 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
Good to see all eleven members of the MOB there...
How could I forget, happiness and optimism are not allowed on Parliament under any circumstances. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I shall limit myself to Parliament's traditional nihilistic dispair and fingerpointing in the future.
(08-09-2016 05:50 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
Good to see all eleven members of the MOB there...
How could I forget, happiness and optimism are not allowed on Parliament under any circumstances. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I shall limit myself to Parliament's traditional nihilistic dispair and fingerpointing in the future.
Or just treat it like a joke.
Seriously. There's irony in a MOBster - of ALL people - getting worked up over mild sarcasm.
(08-09-2016 03:58 PM)mrbig Wrote: I would love to see Rice's next set of HRS renovations to include something like what is in the LA Tech photo, but moved further down the upper stands so that the press box and suites aren't so far away from the field. Maybe leave 5-10 rows in front of the new area. I've never been in the press box, but numerous press members who have covered Rice over the years have complained about the press box. And mid-field suites could be put to multi-purpose uses at Rice. I'll let you know if I win the powerball...
My opinion isn't that the press box is too far away. It actually has a decent view of the entire field. The only reason someone would say it's too far away is because of the lack of fans in the stadium. If the stadium was full, there wouldn't be too much complaint. Has a better view than Reliant/Super Dome and many other stadiums I have been in.
I think the general complaint about the press box/club level is just the fact that it is super narrow and out dated. There is only one very slow elevator to get into the club level, then you have to take a flight of stairs to get up to the press box. This same elevator is shared between all media and club members. The only other option is taking the ramp to the upper deck, then climbing all the stairs to a door. Not ideal or quick at all. They do hold the elevator before the half and end of the game for media/coaches.
The radio/pa/coaches/tv rooms are on the same level as the club seats. The hallway here is super narrow and there is always some member of the media or coaches who gets caught behind some club member. This is very inconvenient and annoying for someone trying to do a job very quickly. I cannot count the number of times this has happened to myself.
It would be nice if the radio/tv/coaches were separate from the rest of the club.
The bathroom is very outdated and not very nice either. Just like the rest of the restrooms in the stadium before they started renovating them.
And then of course the common complaint with the media was the food. Thank goodness they finally got rid of Prince's. I know several people who would sneak food from the club level since it was connected.
Also, when I was last there a few years back, the stat tracker program/equipment they were using was very dated and pretty unreliable (bad signal). You were better off pulling up gametracker on your laptop for stats.
Thanks for the perspective. Part of my reasoning for moving this part of the facility lower in the stands was to accommodate a wider hallway (along with larger rooms). And because Rice would still have more than enough seats for just about all potential games, even if we sacrificed the top 20 rows or so in a width similar to the existing box.
I totally agree. My dream renovation would be to rip that entire upper deck off on that side and put in suites, club area, and new press/coaches level. We would still have enough seats. It will probably not be to that extreme though.
You're suggestion, yeah there is plenty of room to build a deeper area there.
Seriously though, you should see the current "President's Suite" at the end of the press box. Embarrassing. There were hardly anyone ever in there. We would take the snacks cause they were better than the media meal.
(08-09-2016 05:50 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
Good to see all eleven members of the MOB there...
How could I forget, happiness and optimism are not allowed on Parliament under any circumstances. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I shall limit myself to Parliament's traditional nihilistic dispair and fingerpointing in the future.
Or just treat it like a joke.
Seriously. There's irony in a MOBster - of ALL people - getting worked up over mild sarcasm.
Who Knew?
By the way I think it looks great. Let's hope that some of that funding goes toward pest control. Not even joking.
(This post was last modified: 08-09-2016 09:01 PM by Pan95.)
(08-09-2016 06:06 PM)loki_the_bubba Wrote: Good to see all eleven members of the MOB there...
How could I forget, happiness and optimism are not allowed on Parliament under any circumstances. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I shall limit myself to Parliament's traditional nihilistic dispair and fingerpointing in the future.
Or just treat it like a joke.
Seriously. There's irony in a MOBster - of ALL people - getting worked up over mild sarcasm.
Who Knew?
By the way I think it looks great. Let's hope that some of that funding goes toward pest control. Not even joking.
Only after we see if the less-than-six-legged ones can play an instrument.
i think you leave the pressbox and elevator etc for fans... build a new one in front of the old one... they could even 'open' to the old section... suites on the bottom... press/coaches on the top. Build a new higher speed elevator shaft... reserved for coaches around halftime... cut one hole in the concrete...
Lose a few thousand relatively low usage seats... pick up suites and the press boxes. A little closer, but not so close that you push out your current higher prices fans who like to sit lower on the upper deck
Don't waste the money demolishing it. Make the narrow halls less of an issue by having new wide halls and pushing the traffic down by 90%
(This post was last modified: 08-10-2016 12:11 AM by Hambone10.)
(08-09-2016 06:26 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: How could I forget, happiness and optimism are not allowed on Parliament under any circumstances. Mea culpa, mea culpa, mea maxima culpa. I shall limit myself to Parliament's traditional nihilistic dispair and fingerpointing in the future.
Or just treat it like a joke.
Seriously. There's irony in a MOBster - of ALL people - getting worked up over mild sarcasm.
Who Knew?
By the way I think it looks great. Let's hope that some of that funding goes toward pest control. Not even joking.
Only after we see if the less-than-six-legged ones can play an instrument.
Agreed. It's time that those student-rodents started earning their room and board.
(This post was last modified: 08-10-2016 10:27 AM by Pan95.)
(08-10-2016 12:10 AM)Hambone10 Wrote: i think you leave the pressbox and elevator etc for fans... build a new one in front of the old one... they could even 'open' to the old section... suites on the bottom... press/coaches on the top. Build a new higher speed elevator shaft... reserved for coaches around halftime... cut one hole in the concrete...
Lose a few thousand relatively low usage seats... pick up suites and the press boxes. A little closer, but not so close that you push out your current higher prices fans who like to sit lower on the upper deck
Don't waste the money demolishing it. Make the narrow halls less of an issue by having new wide halls and pushing the traffic down by 90%
I'm not sure about leaving the old one unless it had a distinct (and worthy) purpose. But generally agree with the rest. If they really felt like going crazy, they could incorporate an indoor/outdoor beer jail into the same facility (at a different level then the private suites and media/coaches).
(08-09-2016 05:50 PM)Klobasnek Wrote: Chuck announced to the MOB that renovations are officially underway in the old weight room to turn it into the new band hall. He even dropped an architect's rendering. It looks fantastic. I don't know whether I should be thanking Dr K or Leebron or somebody else, but this would be a MASSIVE step in the right direction. It would easily be the best band hall The MOB has ever had.
That is great news! And in Loki's defense, I was about to make the same joke before he did.
(08-10-2016 10:06 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote: The nighttime view on the EZF cam of the new activated scoreboard looks like a giant irradiated amoeba from a bad sci-fi movie.
Good gosh. Did we buy a nuclear powered scoreboard?
(08-10-2016 10:06 PM)Tomball Owl Wrote: The nighttime view on the EZF cam of the new activated scoreboard looks like a giant irradiated amoeba from a bad sci-fi movie.
Good gosh. Did we buy a nuclear powered scoreboard?
What would JJ Abrams think of an incomplete lens flare?
(08-09-2016 03:58 PM)mrbig Wrote: I would love to see Rice's next set of HRS renovations to include something like what is in the LA Tech photo, but moved further down the upper stands so that the press box and suites aren't so far away from the field. Maybe leave 5-10 rows in front of the new area. I've never been in the press box, but numerous press members who have covered Rice over the years have complained about the press box. And mid-field suites could be put to multi-purpose uses at Rice. I'll let you know if I win the powerball...
My opinion isn't that the press box is too far away. It actually has a decent view of the entire field. The only reason someone would say it's too far away is because of the lack of fans in the stadium. If the stadium was full, there wouldn't be too much complaint. Has a better view than Reliant/Super Dome and many other stadiums I have been in.
I think the general complaint about the press box/club level is just the fact that it is super narrow and out dated. There is only one very slow elevator to get into the club level, then you have to take a flight of stairs to get up to the press box. This same elevator is shared between all media and club members. The only other option is taking the ramp to the upper deck, then climbing all the stairs to a door. Not ideal or quick at all. They do hold the elevator before the half and end of the game for media/coaches.
The radio/pa/coaches/tv rooms are on the same level as the club seats. The hallway here is super narrow and there is always some member of the media or coaches who gets caught behind some club member. This is very inconvenient and annoying for someone trying to do a job very quickly. I cannot count the number of times this has happened to myself.
It would be nice if the radio/tv/coaches were separate from the rest of the club.
The bathroom is very outdated and not very nice either. Just like the rest of the restrooms in the stadium before they started renovating them.
And then of course the common complaint with the media was the food. Thank goodness they finally got rid of Prince's. I know several people who would sneak food from the club level since it was connected.
Also, when I was last there a few years back, the stat tracker program/equipment they were using was very dated and pretty unreliable (bad signal). You were better off pulling up gametracker on your laptop for stats.
Valid points all. I can tell you with certainty that one of the issues in the press box is it has a really poor wifi/internet signal. It's very common for the connection to go down several times a game - that sometimes even happens in basketball but not nearly as often. You'd think Rice's campus-wide wifi would be a stronger signal.
To me, the worst issue about the press box/elevator is that the food service uses the same elevator as fans/media. They reserve the elevator for coaches right before the game, and at halftime so they can get down to the field quicker. But 10-15 minutes after a game is over, you're better off just walking down the stairs instead of waiting for the food folks to load/unload all their food equipment.
Pressbox improvements could include a structure outside/west of the existing walls to house new elevators and a fire escape stairs, the way that TCU did to the old Amon Carter. That tower could also include dedicated cabling for the TV people.
(08-11-2016 08:54 AM)Grungy Wrote: Pressbox improvements could include a structure outside/west of the existing walls to house new elevators and a fire escape stairs, the way that TCU did to the old Amon Carter. That tower could also include dedicated cabling for the TV people.
Yep.
In a perfect world there would be three shafts
1) from press boxes to the concourse... mostly for people. Maybe just use or expand or improve the current one
2) from the press boxes to the outside floor (media trucks usually park there). Food service for the boxes could as well. Mostly for equipment
3) utility shaft (can haul up 'special' cables if necessary) also power etc.
I'd make that part of a west 'central' entrance/concourse extension
(This post was last modified: 08-11-2016 12:01 PM by Hambone10.)