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- Jul 29, 2013
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- 230
No talk about the actual product on the field here, just a report of what the game experience was like for those who could not attend.
I am a season ticket holder who has been to every home opener for over 10+ years. I now live over 12+ hours away so it is hard to make it to every game, so games like this hurt even worse....
Tail-Gating
For those who have not attended the dome, tail-gating is a mixed bag. Unlike other Stadiums, there are several small lots separated by fences, train tracks, older buildings, roads, etc (at least where we always tailgate which is just North East of the Dome). I hear the tail-gating is better on the opposite side of the stadium, but we are comfortable with the crowd in our lot. You do not get a great feeling for how big the crowd is because of this seperation.
Our specific lot is small and only holds a few hundred cars. It was more packed than years prior and overall it was a good time. I was just speculating at the time, but the lot seemed more up-beat, more energetic and more excited than I can remember. I also remember running into several first timers which I thought was a good sign that the interest around the team may be returning.
We had the usual (deer brats, cheese dogs, chips, dip, slaw, etc. with lots of cold bud light, jack & coke, bloody mary's, and vodka). Food was great, family and friends were great and the anticipation was also very high.
Tail-gating is something the Rams HAVE to focus on if/when they build a new stadium in St. Louis. I have been to some GREAT tail-gating at other venues and the Rams are WAY behind. Granted, they are limited with the spot and location they have, but GREAT tail-gating would go a long way in making games more interesting and exciting for new "customer's" and old fans alike.
Pre-Game
Going into the stadium usually takes for ever. We always go in around 11 am and in the past the line was very long. This year, not so much. I was surprised and could not figure out if it was due to a small crowd or improved security measures to get people through faster.
Inside, one of my favorite memories of the GSOT days is riding up the escalators and over looking the crowd coming in. You could see lines and lines of Rams fans crowding in the dome. We sit in the upper deck and as a kid I remember chanting "Let's Go Rams" and hearing the excited crowd chant in unison. Not this year and not since I can remember has this happened. It was very quiet heading up to our seats. There were a few Viking fans, but for the most part nothing out of the ordinary (like SF in Dallas).
Stadium was slow to fill, but filled up to a decent level (for the recent Rams games). I would guest-imate about 75-85% full during the peak of the day. Most of the open seats were in the upper deck and club sections.
One thing I did notice was a rather large number of "new" fans. I talked to a few around us who had never been to a game before. I know for a fact the Rams gave a ton of tickets to local companies at a discounted price and the companies then held a "company outing" at the game and I think this may be part of the reason. However, I also talked to a few who just decided to experience a game.
This was a great thing IMO. Especially if the Rams plan on turning this ship around and getting a new atmosphere in the dome. However, this made me sick after the debacle because the Rams blew a great chance to draw some new interest into the team. Why would you pay that kind of money to witness that week in and out?
Game Experience
This is where the Rams really struggle when compared to other stadiums I have been too (Dallas, Min, Chi, Hou, GB).
I like the new sound system and it really sounds great. The replay boards are nice, but the Rams just struggle with minor things IMO. For example, they brought in a new D-Jay who did a nice job putting together some music, but the music often times played into Min huddle and then shut off right before they broke. Most stadiums spend this time pumping up the crowd or encouraging cheering to disrupt the "O". They did do this on some 3rd downs, but it did not seem consistent for some reason. Perhaps it was the score.
The D-Jay also seemed to blast music when the Rams were in the huddle. Almost identical to that of when Minnesota was huddling. That has to be annoying to the "home" team. I think they need to work on when to play it and when to tone it down.
Most of the newbies I talked too sitting next to me had no idea to when to cheer and when to be quiet (not their fault at all). As cheesy as it sounds, more instruction in the design of "make noise" or stand up and cheer would be nice (NO RAMS RULES....please!!!!). I have always advocated for a chant or tradition on 3rd downs with a signature song. I know this comes with winning, but the best was Dallas last year. They played ring of fire after a sack, everyone sang and the entire place had fire on the screens. The cheers carried over into 3rd downs making the place electric. Throw some Nelly song on early on third down or something and get the place rowdy, maybe a unison chant (again, hard to do with performance like that and years of loosing).
I thought the Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Issac Bruce race was pretty cheesy. For those who did not see it, it was a carbon copy of Milwaukee with the Sausage race. Three guys dressed up in costumes and raced around the end zone. Nothing new, nothing really exciting.
Same old same old with the activities during time outs. Granted I probably missed a few due to bathroom breaks and meeting up with some family and friends who were experiencing a game for the first time, but I still saw many of the same activities from prior years (questions for fans, helmet shuffle, etc.).
Although I did not experience any of the new food, I heard some good things. I give the Rams an "A" for effort here. I saw a TON of people eating the giant slices of Pizza. It must have been really good or really cheap because that is by far the most of any food I have ever seen people eating at the dome.
No need to discuss the game and the performance on the field. It always affects the atmosphere, quality of experience and morale. The Rams are trying, they are just SO FAR behind with the years of loosing. If the Rams win, the experience is even better. But I really have a hard time believing Kroenke wants to move this team when you pay attention to the minor details the franchise is trying to improve to make the experience better (sound system, video boards, kids area, much improved food and beverage deals, etc). They are trying and that is big IMO.
I am sure many of the things I mentioned come with winning and are developed with a winning atmosphere. There are many things you can work hard to create or artificially create, but one thing you cannot create is a winning atmosphere for a losing team. And unfortunately, the Rams are a LONG-LONG-LONG way from a winning atmosphere. I walked out depressed, down and had the "same old feeling" feeling. But as always, I got to spend quality time with family and friends which is what really matters and I just HOPE one day we can finally turn this loosing ship around.
I am a season ticket holder who has been to every home opener for over 10+ years. I now live over 12+ hours away so it is hard to make it to every game, so games like this hurt even worse....
Tail-Gating
For those who have not attended the dome, tail-gating is a mixed bag. Unlike other Stadiums, there are several small lots separated by fences, train tracks, older buildings, roads, etc (at least where we always tailgate which is just North East of the Dome). I hear the tail-gating is better on the opposite side of the stadium, but we are comfortable with the crowd in our lot. You do not get a great feeling for how big the crowd is because of this seperation.
Our specific lot is small and only holds a few hundred cars. It was more packed than years prior and overall it was a good time. I was just speculating at the time, but the lot seemed more up-beat, more energetic and more excited than I can remember. I also remember running into several first timers which I thought was a good sign that the interest around the team may be returning.
We had the usual (deer brats, cheese dogs, chips, dip, slaw, etc. with lots of cold bud light, jack & coke, bloody mary's, and vodka). Food was great, family and friends were great and the anticipation was also very high.
Tail-gating is something the Rams HAVE to focus on if/when they build a new stadium in St. Louis. I have been to some GREAT tail-gating at other venues and the Rams are WAY behind. Granted, they are limited with the spot and location they have, but GREAT tail-gating would go a long way in making games more interesting and exciting for new "customer's" and old fans alike.
Pre-Game
Going into the stadium usually takes for ever. We always go in around 11 am and in the past the line was very long. This year, not so much. I was surprised and could not figure out if it was due to a small crowd or improved security measures to get people through faster.
Inside, one of my favorite memories of the GSOT days is riding up the escalators and over looking the crowd coming in. You could see lines and lines of Rams fans crowding in the dome. We sit in the upper deck and as a kid I remember chanting "Let's Go Rams" and hearing the excited crowd chant in unison. Not this year and not since I can remember has this happened. It was very quiet heading up to our seats. There were a few Viking fans, but for the most part nothing out of the ordinary (like SF in Dallas).
Stadium was slow to fill, but filled up to a decent level (for the recent Rams games). I would guest-imate about 75-85% full during the peak of the day. Most of the open seats were in the upper deck and club sections.
One thing I did notice was a rather large number of "new" fans. I talked to a few around us who had never been to a game before. I know for a fact the Rams gave a ton of tickets to local companies at a discounted price and the companies then held a "company outing" at the game and I think this may be part of the reason. However, I also talked to a few who just decided to experience a game.
This was a great thing IMO. Especially if the Rams plan on turning this ship around and getting a new atmosphere in the dome. However, this made me sick after the debacle because the Rams blew a great chance to draw some new interest into the team. Why would you pay that kind of money to witness that week in and out?
Game Experience
This is where the Rams really struggle when compared to other stadiums I have been too (Dallas, Min, Chi, Hou, GB).
I like the new sound system and it really sounds great. The replay boards are nice, but the Rams just struggle with minor things IMO. For example, they brought in a new D-Jay who did a nice job putting together some music, but the music often times played into Min huddle and then shut off right before they broke. Most stadiums spend this time pumping up the crowd or encouraging cheering to disrupt the "O". They did do this on some 3rd downs, but it did not seem consistent for some reason. Perhaps it was the score.
The D-Jay also seemed to blast music when the Rams were in the huddle. Almost identical to that of when Minnesota was huddling. That has to be annoying to the "home" team. I think they need to work on when to play it and when to tone it down.
Most of the newbies I talked too sitting next to me had no idea to when to cheer and when to be quiet (not their fault at all). As cheesy as it sounds, more instruction in the design of "make noise" or stand up and cheer would be nice (NO RAMS RULES....please!!!!). I have always advocated for a chant or tradition on 3rd downs with a signature song. I know this comes with winning, but the best was Dallas last year. They played ring of fire after a sack, everyone sang and the entire place had fire on the screens. The cheers carried over into 3rd downs making the place electric. Throw some Nelly song on early on third down or something and get the place rowdy, maybe a unison chant (again, hard to do with performance like that and years of loosing).
I thought the Marshall Faulk, Kurt Warner, Issac Bruce race was pretty cheesy. For those who did not see it, it was a carbon copy of Milwaukee with the Sausage race. Three guys dressed up in costumes and raced around the end zone. Nothing new, nothing really exciting.
Same old same old with the activities during time outs. Granted I probably missed a few due to bathroom breaks and meeting up with some family and friends who were experiencing a game for the first time, but I still saw many of the same activities from prior years (questions for fans, helmet shuffle, etc.).
Although I did not experience any of the new food, I heard some good things. I give the Rams an "A" for effort here. I saw a TON of people eating the giant slices of Pizza. It must have been really good or really cheap because that is by far the most of any food I have ever seen people eating at the dome.
No need to discuss the game and the performance on the field. It always affects the atmosphere, quality of experience and morale. The Rams are trying, they are just SO FAR behind with the years of loosing. If the Rams win, the experience is even better. But I really have a hard time believing Kroenke wants to move this team when you pay attention to the minor details the franchise is trying to improve to make the experience better (sound system, video boards, kids area, much improved food and beverage deals, etc). They are trying and that is big IMO.
I am sure many of the things I mentioned come with winning and are developed with a winning atmosphere. There are many things you can work hard to create or artificially create, but one thing you cannot create is a winning atmosphere for a losing team. And unfortunately, the Rams are a LONG-LONG-LONG way from a winning atmosphere. I walked out depressed, down and had the "same old feeling" feeling. But as always, I got to spend quality time with family and friends which is what really matters and I just HOPE one day we can finally turn this loosing ship around.
