Improvements To Ford Field

**emu steve** · February-03-17, 05:24 AM

I have long been a proponent of bigger video boards. I get my wish.

I'd suggested that before and some didn't seem to feel the need.

Didn't consider the current ones small by contemporary standards.

This is one area where a relatively new [[15 years young) stadium needed some updating.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/spo...ards/97420566/

**401don** · February-03-17, 08:27 AM

Gives you something to watch while you're waiting for the tv timeouts to end.

**softailrider** · February-03-17, 08:29 AM

Originally Posted by emu steve

I have long been a proponent of bigger video boards. I get my wish.

I'd suggested that before and some didn't seem to feel the need.

Didn't consider the current ones small by contemporary standards.

This is one area where a relatively new [[15 years young) stadium needed some updating.

http://www.detroitnews.com/story/spo...ards/97420566/

Ive been accused of being negative regarding the Lions, some people have called me a hater. That isn't true, I love my team, follow them very closely, attend at least 2 or 3 games a year. That being said I do believe that team needs more then stadium and logo changes.

**emu steve** · February-03-17, 11:47 AM

Originally Posted by 401don

Gives you something to watch while you're waiting for the tv timeouts to end.

I think the Lions solved that when they...

added cheerleaders

.

**emu steve** · February-03-17, 11:55 AM

BTW, I do believe Ford Field was beautifully thought out, constructed, etc. etc. and it has aged very gracefully over 15 years.

[[I haven't been to many NFL stadiums but it is my favorite. Redskins' FedEx, a few years olders, is a POS. That stadium will be replaced in the next 10 or 12 years when the lease expires. Fair amount of talk about a new stadium in D.C. or NoVa.).

Quite frankly, if I didn't know better I'd guess it 5 - 10 years old [[max).

To me, the video boards were the most obvious sign of some age.

**ABetterDetroit** · February-03-17, 12:42 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

BTW, I do believe Ford Field was beautifully thought out, constructed, etc. etc. and it has aged very gracefully over 15 years.

[[I haven't been to many NFL stadiums but it is my favorite. Redskins' FedEx, a few years olders, is a POS. That stadium will be replaced in the next 10 or 12 years when the lease expires. Fair amount of talk about a new stadium in D.C. or NoVa.).

Quite frankly, if I didn't know better I'd guess it 5 - 10 years old [[max).

To me, the video boards were the most obvious sign of some age.

I agree that Ford Field fits Detroit's character well and will stay that way with these kinds of regular updates. It would really shine if we could only get the Lions to a playoff competitive level sometime. One can always hope. Every squirrel eventually finds a nut...

**401don** · February-03-17, 12:46 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

BTW, I do believe Ford Field was beautifully thought out, constructed, etc. etc. and it has aged very gracefully over 15 years.

[[I haven't been to many NFL stadiums but it is my favorite. Redskins' FedEx, a few years olders, is a POS. That stadium will be replaced in the next 10 or 12 years when the lease expires. Fair amount of talk about a new stadium in D.C. or NoVa.).

Quite frankly, if I didn't know better I'd guess it 5 - 10 years old [[max).

To me, the video boards were the most obvious sign of some age.

Sorry to say but I think the Ford Field seating is very poor compared to other stadiums I've been to. There are far too many end zone seats compared to sideline and the gradual slope of the upper deck is too far removed from the field. There is no feeling of the crowd being on top of the play at all.

**emu steve** · February-03-17, 01:08 PM

Originally Posted by 401don

Sorry to say but I think the Ford Field seating is very poor compared to other stadiums I've been to. There are far too many end zone seats compared to sideline and the gradual slope of the upper deck is too far removed from the field. There is no feeling of the crowd being on top of the play at all.

Yes, I have heard that too many [[too great a %) of end zone to side line seats and I don't disagree.

I have sat at the 10 yard line and once in the end zone...

**drjeff** · February-03-17, 02:59 PM

Originally Posted by emu steve

Yes, I have heard that too many [[too great a %) of end zone to side line seats and I don't disagree.

I have sat at the 10 yard line and once in the end zone...

The gradual slope of the upper deck means the seats are much closer to the field level, which I like. Who wants to be watching from 10 storeys in the air? And I prefer sitting in the end zone over on the sidelines inside the 20 yard line. You have a terrible angle from that position and basically can't tell what's happening unless the play is right in front of you. Ford Field is far, far better for watching football than the Silverdome ever was.

**hybridy** · February-03-17, 06:19 PM

$100 million and all they mention is scoreboards and sound upgrades. that's close to 25% of original cost @ $430 M. what else is being improved?

**K-slice** · February-03-17, 07:36 PM

If MLS were to come to Detroit this is where it should be played.

**southen** · February-03-17, 08:29 PM

Getting away from the fact I'm 99% sure the teams play on natural grass. Why would MLS want to award a franchise to a city where the home stadium would be 2/3s empty for every game? There is a reason all of these teams are proposing 20k seat stadiums and nothing larger.

**ABetterDetroit** · February-03-17, 09:39 PM

Originally Posted by K-slice

If MLS were to come to Detroit this is where it should be played.

I understand why someone with a casual interest in Detroit getting a professional soccer team would think this is a good idea.

Unfortunately, the "just getting the feet wet" stage on MLS teams is gone. A soccer specific stadium is now required to win a bid for a team. 12 bids are in for 4 expansion teams; 2 starting play in 2020 and 2 in 2022. Owners and communities either find agreement with the leagues requirements or they will not be considered.

http://www.mlssoccer.com/topic/expan...on-cities-bids

**One Shot** · February-03-17, 11:11 PM

Don't you attend a game to watch it live on the field? Not watch a huge big screen? People are brainwashed into thinking they need the latest tech/gimmicks.

**emu steve** · February-04-17, 05:19 AM

Originally Posted by One Shot

Don't you attend a game to watch it live on the field? Not watch a huge big screen? People are brainwashed into thinking they need the latest tech/gimmicks.

Replay.

Replay is so much of NFL, MLB, etc.

**Hypestyles** · February-04-17, 07:45 AM

are tickets sold out for the 2017 season?

**EGrant** · February-04-17, 12:19 PM

A video board is very important when there's literally only 11 minutes of action during a football game, and the seats are so far from the field. Plus, the presentation of NFL games on TV has gotten so good, that sitting at home on your couch is becoming more and more attractive. They need those bells and whistles.

And to the earlier point, I prefer the steep slope in the upper deck. It puts you closer to the field from a horizontal perspective, which is better than a gradual slope that puts you closer to the ground, but father from the sidelines. Caught an MLS game in Seattle [[53,000 in attendance!), and they have a pretty steep upper deck. Makes it much louder and more intimidating, plus great sight lines. Ford Field just seems kind of flat, but the team contributes a lot to that...

**softailrider** · February-04-17, 08:19 PM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

are tickets sold out for the 2017 season?

Huh? Do you mean for the Lions? I'm not sure they've even announced the home schedule but I would highly doubt it.

**emu steve** · February-05-17, 03:54 AM

Originally Posted by Hypestyles

are tickets sold out for the 2017 season?

Believe it was last July but I bought an individual ticket for the Thanksgiving Day game. They announce I believe say June when individual tickets go on sale.

The questions are [[I guess):

How many season tickets have/will be sold and what will be the situation with individual game tickets?

**emu steve** · February-05-17, 03:59 AM

Originally Posted by EGrant

A video board is very important when there's literally only 11 minutes of action during a football game, and the seats are so far from the field. Plus, the presentation of NFL games on TV has gotten so good, that sitting at home on your couch is becoming more and more attractive. They need those bells and whistles. ...

I agree 100%.

I went to the Lions' Thanksgiving Day game and watched the game. I watched replays to see what I missed.

When it comes to watching NFL. We have two eyes. The television production crew has access so many camera shots. No way could a human hope to see as much as camera shots available to the production crew. They can show a long completed pass and then splice in a hold in the offensive line which negated the completion, etc. Thereby say spanning 30 or 40 yards of action.

**Danny** · February-05-17, 06:37 AM

Detroit Lions need some improvement not the stadium.

**schulzte** · February-05-17, 11:04 AM

Originally Posted by EGrant

A video board is very important when there's literally only 11 minutes of action during a football game, and the seats are so far from the field. Plus, the presentation of NFL games on TV has gotten so good, that sitting at home on your couch is becoming more and more attractive. They need those bells and whistles.

And to the earlier point, I prefer the steep slope in the upper deck. It puts you closer to the field from a horizontal perspective, which is better than a gradual slope that puts you closer to the ground, but father from the sidelines. Caught an MLS game in Seattle [[53,000 in attendance!), and they have a pretty steep upper deck. Makes it much louder and more intimidating, plus great sight lines. Ford Field just seems kind of flat, but the team contributes a lot to that...

The reason that upper stands are steeper at some NFL stadiums is that now days they are usually sitting on top of 2 or 3 levels of luxury suites. As a result those upper stands have to be steep to maintain a sight line with the field. Steep stands don't actually make anyone closer to the game unless they actually overhang the lower bowl [[like Tiger Stadium and the Olympia). The Lions did their fans a solid by not putting those suites under the upper decks and having only 2 levels, though that main lower bowl is really big and makes that stadium feel larger than it really is. Soldier Field is probably the best current example of a stadium designed to get fans really close to the field, despite what the outside looks like.

**Bigb23** · February-05-17, 08:00 PM

I think the Lions solved that when they...

added cheerleaders

It took what part of a century to replace the 15 year olds with real women?

**royce** · February-06-17, 02:19 AM

I would like to see the atrium glass lose its blueish tint. If you are going to have natural light come through glass, then make it "natural light." Also, I would like to see the "plastic" windows, that line the top of the stadium, converted into real glass. That would also bring in natural light. Finally, I would love to see the roof with some skylights to let some more natural light in. A new, bigger scoreboard would not be a big priority for me.

**emu steve** · February-07-17, 06:34 AM

Originally Posted by EGrant

A video board is very important when there's literally only 11 minutes of action during a football game, and the seats are so far from the field. Plus, the presentation of NFL games on TV has gotten so good, that sitting at home on your couch is becoming more and more attractive. They need those bells and whistles.

Good point.

And when you think of it: when I'm at home I see instant replays so why would I not want to see them at the stadium?

What's different at the stadium that I would NOT want to watch them.

Some MLB stadiums don't show a lot of replays. That seems odd to me.