Ford Field Rink Installation

[The Rube]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I think you are all idiots for doing the whole lottery thing anyway. I've attended a handful of frozen fours without purchasing tickets ahead through the NCAA. I've always had good seats, and only once paid more than face value (and that was only $10 more).

You guys all seem to hate the NCAA for selling you $189 crap tickets...but you were the ones that got into that position. Stop trying to prove your allegiance and do what normal people do and you might have a better experience.

For the record, the NCAA did a terrible job pricing tickets to fit their location...that being said, you guys know there are always tickets available for this event at a reasonable rate (except the rare exception like '06) so why would you spend that much...especially knowing there would be mounds of tickets available due to the size of the venue?

Guaranteed seat, just in case. "better" seating, in theory.

You're still gonna pay more for better seats. It comes down to who you are paying.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I think you are all idiots for doing the whole lottery thing anyway. I've attended a handful of frozen fours without purchasing tickets ahead through the NCAA. I've always had good seats, and only once paid more than face value (and that was only $10 more).

You guys all seem to hate the NCAA for selling you $189 crap tickets...but you were the ones that got into that position. Stop trying to prove your allegiance and do what normal people do and you might have a better experience.

For the record, the NCAA did a terrible job pricing tickets to fit their location...that being said, you guys know there are always tickets available for this event at a reasonable rate (except the rare exception like '06) so why would you spend that much...especially knowing there would be mounds of tickets available due to the size of the venue?

First off, if my seats are bad, I don't sit in them...I go sit somewhere else...except in DC because the Ushers were actually checking tickets... I know The Freds was frustrated and I have no idea if there were Ushers enforcing things but if I was him, I would have gone and sat in the BC/Miami area during the UW/RIT game and vice versa...In St Louis, I never even went to the seats I actually paid for...

[STATEdude3]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Guaranteed seat, just in case. "better" seating, in theory.

You're still gonna pay more for better seats. It comes down to who you are paying.

So if you are going to pay more regardless if it is right away or later on, why not wait until you can pick where that seat is going to be and then decide if it is worth the price?

First off, if my seats are bad, I don't sit in them...I go sit somewhere else...except in DC because the Ushers were actually checking tickets... I know The Freds was frustrated and I have no idea if there were Ushers enforcing things but if I was him, I would have gone and sat in the BC/Miami area during the UW/RIT game and vice versa...In St Louis, I never even went to the seats I actually paid for...

There were ushers assisting people find their way around, but they were not checking ticket stubs tonight. I actually don't recall a frozen four where strict enforcement of seating was done, even in DC--though I had a few drinks before entering the arena there so who knows what actually happened.

[The Rube]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

So if you are going to pay more regardless if it is right away or later on, why not wait until you can pick where that seat is going to be and then decide if it is worth the price?

There were ushers assisting people find their way around, but they were not checking ticket stubs tonight. I actually don't recall a frozen four where strict enforcement of seating was done, even in DC--though I had a few drinks before entering the arena there so who knows what actually happened.

1. Just in case. Imagine a UND/WI/MN matchup next year? At the F5 a couple years ago, that matchup ran 2x-5x face. Think about a MI/MSU matchup this year? Some will take the gauranteed price over the lotto that ae scalpers. Personally, I wait and hope, for the most part.

2. They checked in Denver, IIRC. They also check at the F5, depending on the matchup.

[HockeyMan2000]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

To those spinning this as a positive, sorry. I was there. I paid $189 for crap seats not to mention airfare and hotel. It sucked big time. I hope the NCAA never does this again - I won't come.

Stop trying to prove your allegiance Freds. Don't you know they never check tickets anyway? You're an idiot for entering the lottery, why not just "do what normal people do" the next time!

[Almington]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

Anyone who had tickets on the R36-R40 sections should get 100% refunds from the NCAA. Those seats had NO pitch and were located BEHIND the benches (where the players were standing up). You couldn't see anything at all.

The risers on the field side might have been fine if you were ~1/2 up or more.
They needed to have steeper pitched risers on the field side (with having the whole set of risers raised about another 5 ft.)

the rink should have been shifted towards the permanent seats near sections 141-135. and those risers needed to be tossed.

The real problem is that the NCAA had ZERO idea what a good seat actually would be when they assigned best available.

[STATEdude3]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

So this is just a warm-up for the next time they go to Ford Field or any other football stadium for that matter?

I'm not saying that...but imagine with all the feedback from people, I'm sure the next time around there would be more appropriate pricing of tickets based on the view and the risers would be designed in a more fan friendly way. My point is that rarely are things of this magnitude done perfectly the first time around.

You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can walk you have to fall. This is a learning experience. Everything that affected the game itself went off nearly perfect, and that is the most important part. The crowd stuff had a lot to be improved, but given what we now know about this setup I think it would be possible to do again...should it be done again is yet to be determined based on what happens Saturday, but I don't think the problems are so severe that this should be completely ruled out for the future.

[slurpees]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

$$$$$$

The risers being sloped lower has nothing to do with $. The ones on the TV camera side are a mystery - they've gotten this right every single time with the Final Four when it was the same end field configuration, and have sloped the risers steep enough. They got it right this year in San Antonio for the women's Final Four. Why they went with a low incline for this is absolutely confusing and that in itself is a total failure.
http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedi...igan_State.JPG (too big to paste it in here)

The same seems to go with the small number of risers on the opposite side. I thought they'd do what they did with the Final Four at FF last year and start the risers part of the way up the stands and slope them down to the field. This would've provided a higher slope on that side and probably better views. This too seems to be a failure as well. Also, pricing these the highest and giving them to the lottery applicants was a colossal failure.

But beyond that, those who sat in normal stadium seats seem to be saying that they enjoyed their view. The failures here are actually easily fixable, thus calling this whole event a colossal failure and proclaiming it should never happen again from your living room is foolish.

[The Rube]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I'm not saying that...but imagine with all the feedback from people, I'm sure the next time around there would be more appropriate pricing of tickets based on the view and the risers would be designed in a more fan friendly way. My point is that rarely are things of this magnitude done perfectly the first time around.

You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can walk you have to fall. This is a learning experience. Everything that affected the game itself went off nearly perfect, and that is the most important part. The crowd stuff had a lot to be improved, but given what we now know about this setup I think it would be possible to do again...should it be done again is yet to be determined based on what happens Saturday, but I don't think the problems are so severe that this should be completely ruled out for the future.

But they had previous seating examples from the NHL. And still failed. Hence the problem.

[Shirtless Guy]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I'm not saying that...but imagine with all the feedback from people, I'm sure the next time around there would be more appropriate pricing of tickets based on the view and the risers would be designed in a more fan friendly way. My point is that rarely are things of this magnitude done perfectly the first time around.

You have to crawl before you can walk and before you can walk you have to fall. This is a learning experience. Everything that affected the game itself went off nearly perfect, and that is the most important part. The crowd stuff had a lot to be improved, but given what we now know about this setup I think it would be possible to do again...should it be done again is yet to be determined based on what happens Saturday, but I don't think the problems are so severe that this should be completely ruled out for the future.

So why not host a Michigan vs Michigan State game at Ford Field in February? or last year? Why wait until the 3 most important games of the year to figure it out?

[MGoBlue17]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

The risers were an abomination. I was given the tickets free or I would be furious. I was in the 6th row and couldn't see anything. I really feel like anyone who bought those seats deserves a refund.

Ending up moving to another section where we could actually see and the experience was much better.

I'm of the opinion that the risers were absolutely unacceptable to sell.

[MinnesotaNorthStar]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

2. They checked in Denver, IIRC. They also check at the F5, depending on the matchup.

I've been checked at every F5...except this years, I was never checked at all...

But they had previous seating examples from the NHL. And still failed. Hence the problem.

They had previous examples from other college games (I believe the game at Lambeau had the end zone configuration)...they just don't care.

[STATEdude3]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

So why not host a Michigan vs Michigan State game at Ford Field in February? or last year? Why wait until the 3 most important games of the year to figure it out?

They actually tried to work this out but given the time necessary to prepare the field it wouldnt work with the Detroit Lions schedule.

With all the unknowns about this the only real complaint is that people paying top dollar got the worst views in the stadium. Just imagine how much worse it could have been...now think about what it would take to make the changes required:

1. People paying $$$$ get the best seats, not the ones closest to the ice.
2. Risers and added seating are designed more appropriately for fan needs.
3. Do a better job painting the ice or making sure lines don't show up from pipes.
4. MSU actually wins down the stretch and makes the frozen four.

Take the first 2 and you would have yourself a **** good Frozen Four. Fix those in the future and you have a quality product.

[The Rube]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I've been checked at every F5...except this years, I was never checked at all...

They had previous examples from other college games (I believe the game at Lambeau had the end zone configuration)...they just don't care.

1. In the bigger games I've been checked at the lower level. Other than that? Not really, but I never really tried until this year.

2. Truth.

[aallenpollreisz]

Re: Ford Field Rink Installation

I was sitting in, I think, 132, about 30-some-odd rows up. The view was a little flat, but fine. That said, if you were sitting in either of the two riser sections, you likely couldn't see a darn thing.