5,104 Fans at Oregon Match?

212 missing fans sounds like an X-Files conspiracy that someone mathematical must track down. There were at least 200 seatless fans who claimed there was no room in general admission who were looking for any bench in the south grandstand.

Easy prediction: Pilots will set a new single-season attendance record this year.

Yeah, Public Safety/the Purple People Eaters (the events workers) need to work on only letting people into EZ2 who have tickets for those seats - I saw more than one case of people having to kick someone out of their seats because EZ2 isn't General Admission.

Well... the real solution is making people actually use the seat number they have for the big sold out games. I know they've done that a few times in the past.

It's a pain and I know they wouldn't want to do that for all games, but it would probably prevent those problems. What happens is people spread out blankets and stuff like that and end up taking several more seats than the number they actually have. And also, people generally don't want to sit over on the end of the student section. And there is also a bit of a "black hole" spot on the sides of the press box where the view is restricted. Put all that together, and you end up with too many people trying to sit in the same place.

Generally things do work themselves out, but it's not a good situation if people bought a ticket and don't have a place to sit. So I don't know... what do you think the best solution is? Enforcing the seat numbers? Something else?

Ahhh, nice comfortable stadium seating:)

Guess I don't have the GA problem because I'm in EZ2, but I don't like watching people having to ask people to move because they're sitting in their seats. I think for games that big they may need to enforce the seat number thing in any reserved sections.

Worst case I can always watch from the Pilot Club, but I like my seats!

Tear out the bleachers and get those backless little stadium seats they have in European stadiums, or you could just add these to the top of them.....

http://www.daplast.com/english/index.php?page=21&idprod=7

That and I say they replace the grandstand seats so it says Pilots or Portland in white... Something like this....

My wife and I just moved back to the Portland area this spring, so it was the first year that we were able to pursue season tickets. So, I talked with Tricia (Miller) about some of these issues last spring.

It floored me that the benchback bleachers even had a waiting list this year. So, we have GAs. Tricia had said that they assign the best seats possible for the season ticket holders (Section H) who have GA because those do become assigned seats for the big, sold-out games--of which there would be a few in 2008.

After talking to her, I was not under the impression that Oregon would be considered a big one but UCLA, USC and Santa Clara probably would involve assigned seats.

Ohhhhhhhhh snap! Genius idea! The grandstand is probably in need of a remodel pretty soon... painting that on would be delicious.

That's a great idea! The model you mentioned or


Whichever gives you the most seating. I don't think you have to tear anything out, just plunk those down on the existing planks. Not so cold, too! I wonder how they work out with the backrest bar on the bench-back seats? Bench backs is about the munimum quality of seating that is amenable to season ticket sales, and that's the real key to maintaining increased attendance.

If Merlo is going to regularly sell out, though, the solution is more seating, too.
You could add 500 seats with almost no impact on the atmosphere, and 1000 seats with minimal impact. Then it's only a couple thou more for a stadium big enough to hold the College Cup.

The most likely spot to add seats would be in that gap between the student section and the regular GA seats on the other sideline. Probably could add in a few hundred pretty easily.

Beyond that.... I don't know. I guess there's that corner where the Pilot Club tent is, but that seems pretty entrenched. Maybe there is some space to make the "other side" a bit taller and bump it out a bit, but I don't know... there's not a ton of space between Merlo and the Chiles center back there.

Of course, the other scenerio........ the new Rec Center being built along the edge of the stadium and installing luxury suites overlooking the field from behind the goal. I know that was in some initial drawings. A lot would have to take place for that to happen (including getting the land down below, moving the baseball field, and building a parking garage) but hey... we can dream, right?

yeah, I think they would be an easy/quick modification that would make sure people at least stay in designated seats (none of that blanket business...), they are actually contoured and comfortable unlike plain benches and there's nothing wrong with a bit more purple in the stadium, hey throw something like this in, maybe they can use corporate $$$ to fund it:


As far as adding seats, I think logically the best options are behind both of the goal (not sure if there is some sort of ordinance on expanding toward willamette) or even adding a few more rows on the chiles side...

As long as we are dreaming,

Put the press box on stilts in back of the existing seats, fill those in. That's another four or five rows of premium season tickets.

Add skyboxes there, too for the folks with the fat money clips - mmmm good revenue!

as long as you have done that, put a translucent canopy over the fur lined seats I sit in. Hey! I'm not being selfish. It'll help with noise. we all know that's an issue.


Just thinking of the neighbors....

Haha as long as Pilot Nation regulars can occasionally come up to the Geezer Suite and pay homage I support it 100%

Did I mention the Plasma replay screens hanging from the Canopy?

Haha and play by play commentary provided by John Motson and Andy Grey piped into your seats....

DaTru

It would be fun to hear Mottie, but please spare me from Andy Gray. He was a good player but I don't like him as a color analyst. Having said that he sounds like Einstein in comparison to Tommy Smyth.

You don't have to do much to pipe the commentary in. All it would take is a half dozen Bluetooth transmitters. I can bring my own headset. That might be a solution to the PA system, too - as a supplement to it.

This is the modern world, after all

Speaking of which, when are they going to get public wifi in the stadium so I can check scores and look at matchtracker for stats?

I think you could add some height on the Chiles side the area between the bell, the locker room door and the back of the stands is pretty wide right now. I dont think you could add much at the end of the goal near the parking lot as it would cut down on UP's already limited parking on campus and I like the view of the trees behind the other goal. It makes remember I am in Oregon!

You'd only lose 20 spots to gain maybe 500 seats. Parking is an issue, but lacking the lower property, you could shuttle people.

I looked on portlandmaps today to see about setbacks, I have doubts that you could build closer to the street on the Willamette end.

Andy Gray, thats a good one. How could he fit his usual bollocks comment into a Woman's game?

Bullocks... mmmmm.... Got it, the refs and assistant refs, haha the Villa Drum Squad... Boom the bullocks would live on!!!

Haha and I will take Andy over that nasal Tommy Smyth or John Harkes ANY day...

But in summation, next time they upgrade bleachers they need those plastic seat dividers for comfort and to keep people in their actual spots, the seats NEED to spell Portland on one side in white and Pilots on the other.... It would look SO good and really give the stadium that classic euro feel... All leftover funds go toward the Geezer Suite of Dreams....

I'm sorry -- I forgot to mention the in-seat catering....

Martin Jol wrote:

It would be fun to hear Mottie, but please spare me from Andy Gray. He was a good player but I don't like him as a color analyst. Having said that he sounds like Einstein in comparison to Tommy Smyth.

I got the impression Gray is not very popular in England from the bloggers during the the Euros this summer. Of course, I had never heard him before, so I thought he was all right, especially after listening to Tommy during the Champions League.

On the other hand, Julie Foudy as Euro studio analyst=FAIL.