Left Field Lounge looks like ****

[ErickaDampier25]

I know I am going to get blasted for this, but after watching our games last weekend and watching other SEC games on tv lately, it has only made it even more apparent than it already was just how ****** our stadium, and more specifically the LFL look. I know its "tradition" or whatever, but does anyone else agree that we maybe need to start entertaining the idea of something that doesn't look like a crystal meth mobile home park in the outfield, and more importantly something that is more structurally sound than the pieces of **** that are out there now?<div>
</div><div>Curious to hear if anyone is with me. Blast away. </div>

 

[ErickaDampier25]

I know I am going to get blasted for this, but after watching our games last weekend and watching other SEC games on tv lately, it has only made it even more apparent than it already was just how ****** our stadium, and more specifically the LFL look. I know its "tradition" or whatever, but does anyone else agree that we maybe need to start entertaining the idea of something that doesn't look like a crystal meth mobile home park in the outfield, and more importantly something that is more structurally sound than the pieces of **** that are out there now?<div>
</div><div>Curious to hear if anyone is with me. Blast away. </div>

 

[ErickaDampier25]

I know I am going to get blasted for this, but after watching our games last weekend and watching other SEC games on tv lately, it has only made it even more apparent than it already was just how ****** our stadium, and more specifically the LFL look. I know its "tradition" or whatever, but does anyone else agree that we maybe need to start entertaining the idea of something that doesn't look like a crystal meth mobile home park in the outfield, and more importantly something that is more structurally sound than the pieces of **** that are out there now?<div>
</div><div>Curious to hear if anyone is with me. Blast away. </div>

 

[RobbieRandolph]

Steps 1-4:

All student organizations need to be forced to relinquish their lounges. Consolidate lounges into LF only. Make RF a giant general admission area/student section. Charge all remaining lounges $2500/per.

 

[ckDOG]

Let's be honest, you won't get many students to spend a few hours at a ballgame without a few cold beers. If changing it up means that can't be assured any longer, keep it the way it is...

 

[ErickaDampier25]

I'm not suggesting that we get rid of it all together..still have an outfield set up, still allow the beers and partying, just do it with something that is more aesthetically pleasing that doesn't solidify every stereotype of Misipi Tate that the general public already has about us. Bc in my opinion, the LFL as it currently is, does just that.

 

[DowntownDawg]

....here's how I see it.

The most important thing is that nobody wants to sit in the bleachers. The view sucks. It's uncomfortable. They are terrible. If you go to a game, you want to either be in the outfield eating free food and drinking beer or in the grandstand where you are close and can pay attention to the game.

You can't get grandstand tickets unless you have them already and many of those folks won't come except for SBW and or regional play, and you can't go to the outfield unless you have a connection. Hence the problem.

I agree with your solutions. I also think you should get rid of the bleachers and add grandstand seating at least part of the way down the foul lines. Sell them as season tickets and leave the rest as general admission walkups. If they can improve the view/angles, attendance will jump.

 

[hullabaloodog]

I don't want to get rid of it all together, but I think we should build individual outfield "suites" that have a uniform look. Then have fans purchase the spots and decorate them (signs, chairs, grills, etc.) however they want. Also, I'd use the hill in right field to make a multi-level party deck that extends down into the right field foul corner.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

The bleachers suck, and I imagine a good many 25-30s alumni want to drop a few chairs and have a few beers during the game. There is literally ONE area to do so in RF along the fence.

Also, our current set up is horrid for growing our baseball brand among non-greek students. And if you didn't enjoy going to games as a student, you won't be inclined to go to them as an alumnus.

 

[patdog]

a crystal meth mobile home park in the outfield

but that's exactly what it looks like. I like the idea of building some uniform structures with some bleachers and a grilling/picnic area and renting them out in the LFL and having an open area for grilling, kids playing, etc. in the right field that would be open to everyone. But LFL as it is is just an embarrassment and an eyesore.

 

[GloryDawg]

look like a crystal meth mobile home park in the outfield,

bd

 

[ErickaDampier25]

I agree with both pat and hulla..something uniform and governed by covenants with the university is what we need..hulla is right..the outfield setup as it currently is is atrocious for growing our brand and enticing new fans to the games..its just the same old clowns year in and year out that take all the spots and shun any idea of forward thinking and change..<div>
</div><div>Like it or not, Fridays and Saturdays at Oxford-University Stadium are a portrait of what planning and thinking outside the box can do. They have a great thing going up there. </div>

 

[boomboommsu]

17 no.

the LFL gives some lucky people a great reason to go to games, while not doing much for others. ANY other method anyone has ever tried would just give NO ONE an extra incentive to go to games. you'd just have more metal bleachers. want to provide an area for others? then get rid of the horrible metal bleachers and do something there. AFTER that then suggest doing something to the LFL, which should be the very last option for change, not the first. there's no money for that? then why do you expect some utopian uniform outfield lounge? the university couldn't even spell its name right on that stadium, i sure as hell don't trust them to improve the LFL.

Jesus baby Christ. I thought only LT was stupid enough to want to get rid of LFL.

 

[8dog]

and move student rigs there. Taht's where the LFL originated and it kills 2 birds with one stone b/c we don't need those metal bleachers. Then we can build nice chairback seating down teh right field line with additional concessions.

I don't have a problem with the way the LFL looks. The Sanford and Son rigs are what make it neat.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

.

 

[RobbieRandolph]

You can still compress the lounges after student rigs are moved and create a GA seating area in a tiered right field for alumni that want to come back a set up a tent/wheel a cooler in

 

[ErickaDampier25]

Not to start anything, but how does any objective person think that the LFL has any aesthetically redeeming value? It looks like **** and you have people with signs on their "Sanford and Son rigs" that read "redneck skybox"-what an excellent reflection on our University.

 

[coach66]

greenapplepiemoonshiekukickyoassku!

 

[8dog]

its tradition. Its not supposed to be a shining beacon of aesthetics.

Its like going to a dive bar. Its cool. You don't shy away because it doesn't look like Shapley's in there.

I cannot believe more people don't get this. If we get rid of the rigs and go to uniformed structures, then lets just put the M-STate on our hats and call it a day.

The LFL's problem is its not very open to the public. And when you aer not a consistent top 15 program, that makes it difficult for people to want to come and sit in the Starkville High Bleachers.

 

[coach66]

I totally agree with your points that it is uniquely MSU and its ambiance is part of what makes it special. Some folks need to get over themselves on this one<div>and focus on putting a better product on the field and addressing the empty chairbacks, the LFL is just fine. I do agree there needs to be a special section setup for students and let</div><div>them have fun and raise hell, that goes for Basketball too.</div>

 

[ErickaDampier25]

Our "tradition" is also a liability for the university and it just solidifies every stereotype of State that everyone already has of us-like I previously stated. No one outside of our blue haired baseball fans gives a **** about our self proclaimed 1980s "tradition". Hell Ole Miss' "tradition was sucking balls in baseball, yet they embraced some change, grew their brand and now they have more active players in the major leagues than any other SEC team. Think there is any correlation between those two? <div>
</div><div>LSU has more baseball tradition than we ever thought of having and they blew their damn stadium up and turned it into a gd parking lot. Look at the new Alex Box now.
<div>
</div><div>And for the record, the other teams in the SEC seem to beemulatingthe idea of "winning HGTV yard of the month" and look how it's working out for them.
<div>
</div><div>
</div></div> </div>

 

[boomboommsu]

...then why is LFL filled with young people every game?

"No one outside of our blue haired baseball fans gives a **** about our self proclaimed 1980s "tradition"."

 

[ErickaDampier25]

Bc its the frat crowd-as it always is-and thats fine-we just need to make it appealing to everyone, not just the frat monsters and die hard LFL patrons who have had their spots for 25 years

 

[dogmatic1]

A maxed-out complement of bodies covers up most of the worst of it and makes it look like the great tradition it is, but anything else looks like a refugee camp.

I don't want to get rid of the tradition -- hell I don't even want to take anything away from the folks who've held onto the sites since the first passes were sold way back when -- but I've wanted to make it look less like garbage for decades.

What I suggest would be something like the following: settle on one style for fence-front "trailers," for lack of a better word, a second style for those with spots in the second row and back. Give pass-holders two or three seasons to get their new rig built and in place. Just keep whoever built the right field wooden deck that failed out of the loop.

Next time you're out there, look at the trailer that belongs to the McReynolds family - if you're standing at home plate facing the outfield, the McReynolds trailer is the first one to your left of the hitter's background. It's very neat -- uses seating that stores in a lockable compartment when not in use so it just looks like a metal deck if they're not there, uniformly painted, etc.
There's a good way to solve this, and waiting for one of the student-built contraptions to fall over or fold up and kill six people is not it.

 

[Mjoelner]

2 I would do would be: 1: Replace the bleachers with chairbacks 2. Thin the herd in the LFL by seriously upping the donation required to reserve a spot. I have no idea what the $$$ should be but it should be high enough that nobody will buy a spot just to come to 3 games a year. By doing that, you could probably consolidate all of the rigs into left field and then buildpermanent, uniform decks/seats in right as a first come-first serve picnicking area for the general addmission ticket holders. Then, IF we start winning and winning big and the crowds come back, we could re-expand back into right field if we had to.

I am a 1/3 owner of a spot in the LFL and would gladlyincrease what I have to pay tokeep the privilege ofhaving a spot.There are too many rigs out there now though that have anywhere from zero to only 2 people on them for a typical SEC game (SWB SBW and Ole Miss series excluded). Hell, I've been to a ton of SEC games where I'm the only one on our trailer and we can comfortably seat 16! Of course everytime that has happened, there have probably been 10 or 15 spots out there that didn't have anybody at the game. I think the die-hard fans that own rigs and consistently go to games could easily be consolidated into left field only and they would still have plenty of room for their friends that are just casual fans and only come to a couple of games a year.

edited to correct: Super Weekend Bulldog ???? to Super Bulldog Weekend

 

[GhostOfJackie]

Don't know anybody over there anymore. The lounge is out of the question and I don't have season tickets to sit in the grand stands. I literally have nowhere to go except the bleachers and a narrow area to the right of the scoreboard.<div>You can't just make student groups give up their lounges and let everybody else keep theirs. It's not fair and it wouldn't work.</div><div>
</div><div>Here's my four steps....</div><div>
</div><div>1. Move the outfield wall in</div><div>2. Get rid of bleachers and extend grandstands another 3 sections on either side. Slanted inward towards the field on the ends.</div><div>3. Create an teared area with the remaining space on either side for pedestrians to watch the game with lawn chairs/ice chests.</div><div>4. Keep winning</div>

 

[Mjoelner]

**

 

[Mikoma]

I saw the games this past weekend and was surprised how run down the stadium looks. This appearance is inconsistent with the proud baseball tradition State has. A major facelift is badly needed.

 

[8dog]

"Hell Ole Miss' "tradition was sucking balls in baseball, yet they embraced some change, grew their brand and now they have more active players in the major leagues than any other SEC team. Think there is any correlation between those two? "

That makes no sense.

No one is winning or losing b/c of tradition. No one built their programs in beautiful stadiums. The stadiums came after the fact. Do you really think that getting rid of the LFL is going to make us play better ball.

And I don't care what others think of our tradition. Tradition is usually for the university and its alumni. Do you really think I care if Auburn stops flying that bird before the game? Or if Ohio State quits dotting the I? Or if A&M quits doing the Midgnight Yell? No, I don't, but it doesn't mean they should or shouldn't do it.

 

[SnakePlissken]

Avg actual attendance is, what, around 3500 and you figure half are season ticket holders and regular attendees. That would be about 1500 students attending games and we have something like 18-19K on the Starkville campus?

I don't think you can do anything to gets students to go. Students have NEVER been the backbone of baseball attendance except maybe in the Clark/Brantley era and just before that.

 

[ErickaDampier25]

No we arent getting W's and L's based off of program prestige and beautiful stadiums..but I tell you what you do get..PLAYERS..my point is that if maybe we made an attempt to spruce some things up, i.e. similar to what Mississippi did, maybe we can attract some elite talent..<div>
</div><div>If it were left up to you we would just continue our quasi "traditions" and line our roster with sub .200 BA players like we have currently..</div><div>
</div><div>in summary, I am saying "build it and they will come"..are you really so ignorant to think that there's no correlation between South Carolinas facilities and their back to back titles..or LSUs national championship and their top notch baseball facilities?? Bryant Denny Stadium and their 4 first round draft picks..notice a trend here?</div><div>
</div><div>I'm not saying this is the only thing that needs to happen in order for us to get back to where we need to be, just that the rest of the conference seems to be doing it the way I am suggesting, not the way you are.</div><div>
</div><div>It's the old Mississippi State adage of resisting any progress with the utmost persistence. All logic, be damned. </div>

 

[davatron]

that have some some DWS concepts should try give us some concept art of what Dudy Noble would be like if these changes were made.

 

[8dog]

Nick Saban. Plain and Simple.

South Carolina went to the title game in the CWS and 4 total CWS's before they ever thought about that stadium. And they built the teams that won those titles before they played in it. Their success is b/c of Ray Tanner.

LSU won 5 national titles in Alex Box 1. They built their 6th before they played in Alex Box 2. Their succes directly correlates to Bertman, Maneiri, TOPS, and being teh only school in a talent rich state.

So no, I don't think there is a correlation. The correlation is usually to coaches. Our struggles in baseball are directly related to other schools giving a crap about the sport and our coach not caring about the sport. Its pretty obvious. Even in its current state, we still have a top 15 facility and when its full for regionals, its still the best atmosphere around. And at the end of the day, atmosphere is all that matters. No on thinks Tiger stadium is great looking. ITs just full of people who are goign nuts.

You obviously aren't reading everyting. I clearly laid out the problems and solutions we should use.
Their is a way to be progressive and also hold onto tradition. Keep the LFL and also figure out a way to be more inviting to others so more people will show up.

 

[weblow]

what they charge. You say there is no money for it, I say the LFL spots should be a little below the sky boxes. The completely made up waiting list to get a spot would get put to the test. You charge a lot more for a spot out there and THAT would be the incentive to come to the game. Paying a couple of hundred buck for a spot right now doesn't make the owners of the spot feel like they have to come or they are wasting their money.

Put a premium price tag on it and the people that don't renew spots open it up for others. Instead of the spots going to one person that invites his buddies it is now bought by a large group of 5-10 that bring their families and put asses in LFL.

I too support LFL being either completely done away with or having a massive overhaul. I have been saying this for a couple of years.

Usually the only ones that have a problem with it are the people that actually have a LFL trailer. I suppose if I had a LFL trailer I would feel differently but dammit, I would like to drink multiple ice cold beers and watch the game too.

 

[ErickaDampier25]

So, to be clear are you saying that Nick Saban could win a title at Vandy, or anywhere with below average facilities? I just want to make sure that I'm following you that facilities have no bearing on attracting blue-chip talent.<div>
</div><div>I think that when someone is doing something right, you take their idea, add your own flavor to it, and implement it-hell we did it with the Junction. I think cleaning up our LFL would be a nice start. Just because they are traditions doesn't mean they are good ones or can't be bettered. Perfect example is that we laid the blueprint for an outfield social scene and, as a result, it has been implemented at numerous schools with their own twist to it. And now, in my opinion, we have been passed by multiple schools. </div><div>
</div><div>I just think continuing to do what we're currently doing is not going to get us a different result. </div>

 

[8dog]

and its very clear there success lately is because of him, not b/c they added to their stadium or made it look better.

My main point is that baseball is different. Facilities are overrated, and in particular, the aesthetics of a stadium is overrated. Mike Bianco went into Ole Miss and made them a national power playing in a miniature DNF. Tim Corbin did the same at Vandy. Dan Mcdonnell at Louisvill to a degree.

Baseball just isn't like football.

 

[RonnyAtmosphere]

...Left Field Lounge is a college baseball icon.


I realize everybody wants to move in the fences (horrible idea); upgrade the facilities (the facilities are already being upgraded) and get rid of the bleachers (when MSU becomes a top 10 team again, you'll kill to get a bleacher seat).


But don't start 17ing with Left Field Lounge.


Some things are not to be 17ed with, ever.


Left Field Lounge is one of those things.

 

[EAVdog]

Is it sort of junky, yes. But that's what makes it fun. Everything doesn't have to be pristine in this world. Now perhaps some more care could go into making each groups lounges and maybe an inspection process is warranted but don't chagne anything.

I do have to say I would not get onto our upper level the last time I was there. It wasn't structurally fit in any way shape or form. But it was packed with people! Which is sort of shocking that in this day and age of risk management and litigation the LFL actually exists.

 

[ErickaDampier25]

College baseball icon? That may be a bit of a stretch. Icon to Mississippi State fans, sure.<div>
</div><div>Either way, it seems as though you are in the minority on wanting to tweak the LFL. We can still have the effect of the LFL without having Bubba's old cotton trailer turned outfield rig with its wheels chocked in center field.</div>

 

[AROB44]

nm