What's the deal with all of the complaining?

[GopherGuy23]

I am really sick and tired of all of the complaining about TCF Bank Stadium. Yeah, there's going to be a few glitches like security lines, traffic and concessions with the first game obviously. The place is new folks....but the other stuff...people standing up too much? The PA voice too loud in the neighborhoods? People, you have waited forever to get something fantastic like this. If you ever want to be a big-time college football town with big-time fans, stop whining about every little thing. The new stadium is fantastic. It's going to take a little time for some of the glitches to iron themselves out. Just be happy and enjoy it.

 

[MaxyJR1]

I agree but when you run out of concessions at halftime, you deserve to get ripped. The game was during prime eating time.

 

[dlw4gophers]

We are Minnesota. That is why we complain.

 

[Gopher4life15]

Look there were some obvious glitches, and that is to be expected. I am glad people are voicing there opinions so these minor glitches get resolved and make TCF an even better environment then it was Saturday night.

As for the people two miles away . . . it like 5-3 hour periods a year . . . DEAL WITH IT!

 

[glovedgopher]

I am really sick and tired of all of the complaining about TCF Bank Stadium. Yeah, there's going to be a few glitches like security lines, traffic and concessions with the first game obviously. The place is new folks....but the other stuff...people standing up too much? The PA voice too loud in the neighborhoods? People, you have waited forever to get something fantastic like this. If you ever want to be a big-time college football town with big-time fans, stop whining about every little thing. The new stadium is fantastic. It's going to take a little time for some of the glitches to iron themselves out. Just be happy and enjoy it.

I agree way too many threads bitchin about something. I guess that's the influence of all those WCCO news stories about the stadium. Maybe we can start a "Gameday Issues" thread and sticky that and the top of the page. That way we won't have ten plus threads about food and people standing.

 

[GopherRock]

At least you're not one friend of mine on Facebook, the identity of whom shall remain nameless. He was giving the U no quarter in how much the gameday atmosphere wholesale sucked.

If he's the only holdout, I think the U is doing okay.

 

[RodentRampage]

The gameday experience was nothing short of incredible.

There were glitches, like excessively long lines at halftime, but they will be worked out, and in any case don't offset the rest of the gameday experience.

 

[MrGopher]

You know.... traditionally.... the greatest improvement is typically seen between the first game and the second game......

Nobody thought it was going to be perfect the first time around.

 

[Clyde Tester]

If the Gopher program is going to sell themselves as a big time program (whether to donors, recruits, fans, or whoever) then we should set expectations accordingly. There's nothing wrong with having high expectations of the way things are handled - as someone who experienced the soldout concessions and the St. Paul campus parking shuttle debacle, I find the "snafus" inexcusable for a big time program. We can't just say we're big time, we have to act like it. Whining for the sake of whining is no good - but to expect excellence out of a program that SAYS they are excellent - well - seems pretty standard to me.

 

[GopherGuy23]

The media searching people out for the things they did not like is just typical Twin Cities media. We would rather talk to some random dude on his St. Anthony Park lawn about the PA voice being too loud than talk about people's great experiences. No other Big Ten school, other than perhaps Northwestern but they are so small in the Chicago sports landscape, has to deal with the constant barrage of media negativity.

 

[GoAUpher]

Look there were some obvious glitches, and that is to be expected. I am glad people are voicing there opinions so these minor glitches get resolved and make TCF an even better environment then it was Saturday night.

As for the people two miles away . . . it like 5-3 hour periods a year . . . DEAL WITH IT!

+1

Everyone in my group had a least one specific complaint (concessions/lines to get in being the common themes) and we all agreed to write polite e-mails noting our experiences and offering positive suggestions (if we had any).

There's nothing wrong with noting that some stuff got f-ed up. It's the first game...it happens. And if no one says anything it won't get better.

If the Gopher program is going to sell themselves as a big time program (whether to donors, recruits, fans, or whoever) then we should set expectations accordingly. There's nothing wrong with having high expectations of the way things are handled - as someone who experienced the soldout concessions and the St. Paul campus parking shuttle debacle, I find the "snafus" inexcusable for a big time program. We can't just say we're big time, we have to act like it. Whining for the sake of whining is no good - but to expect excellence out of a program that SAYS they are excellent - well - seems pretty standard to me.

This however, is a bit over the top. High expectations are good. And the snafu's need to be remedied. But being a big time program has nothing to do with it. It was the FIRST GAME. It was the first time with 50K plus fans in and around the stadium. There were bound to be snags and if you didn't think so then you were kidding yourself. If anything, being a big program made the potential problems bigger. Its not inexcusable unless it doesn't get better. To expect perfection in all realms of the stadium experience at the first game is R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S.

 

[Clyde Tester]

+1

Everyone in my group had a least one specific complaint (concessions/lines to get in being the common themes) and we all agreed to write polite e-mails noting our experiences and offering positive suggestions (if we had any).

There's nothing wrong with noting that some stuff got f-ed up. It's the first game...it happens. And if no one says anything it won't get better.

This however, is a bit over the top. High expectations are good. And the snafu's need to be remedied. But being a big time program has nothing to do with it. It was the FIRST GAME. It was the first time with 50K plus fans in and around the stadium. There were bound to be snags and if you didn't think so then you were kidding yourself. If anything, being a big program made the potential problems bigger. Its not inexcusable unless it doesn't get better. To expect perfection in all realms of the stadium experience at the first game is R-I-D-I-C-U-L-O-U-S.

To expect perfect execution on opening day? You are absolutely correct - that would be ridiculous. To expect adequate PLANNING leading up to opening day? Seems fair to me! The problems I saw on opening day had nothing to do with opening day jitters in execution but they had everything to do with a lack of adequate planning. How can it be wrong to expect adequate planning?

 

[Maverick]

How can it be wrong to expect adequate planning?

Just maybe the planning includes your best guesstimate for some things, budget restrictions, unknowns etc, and taking what you learned from the first game and applying fixes where you can.... And maybe that will include budgeting for new or better equipment (cash registers) next year...etc...

I thinkk there were some problems. For example we decided to go without food rather than fight the long lines...after all we did pay to see a football game not to stand in line. And I sincerely believe that whoever is in charge of this area swa the problem and will do their best to fix it.

 

[swmngo4]

I think most people have have posted concerns have done it from the perspective that the stadium is GREAT, they had a great time, they can't wait for next week, etc. but they are concerned about the problems that are very basic to the experience and if they are not corrected soon could affect the game day experience to the point that people will 1) not get in on time 2) leave early or 3) the U will lose big $$$ by not having the equipment, staff, or supplies to meet the concessions demand.

We have waited a long time for this stadium. We have seen how amazingly beneficial it can be for the program and the U. I just want to be sure they get the basics down (getting people in, serving them, and getting them back to their cars in a safe and relatively timely manner) so that the full benefits can be enjoyed by all.

If this can be done much better in the next few weeks....we are really going to be in business people! That place is TREMENDOUS!!

 

[Clyde Tester]

I think most people have have posted concerns have done it from the perspective that the stadium is GREAT, they had a great time, they can't wait for next week, etc. but they are concerned about the problems that are very basic to the experience and if they are not corrected soon could affect the game day experience to the point that people will 1) not get in on time 2) leave early or 3) the U will lose big $$$ by not having the equipment, staff, or supplies to meet the concessions demand.

If this can be done much better in the next few weeks....we are really going to be in business people! That place is TREMENDOUS!!

This!

 

[tjgopher]

To expect perfect execution on opening day? You are absolutely correct - that would be ridiculous. To expect adequate PLANNING leading up to opening day? Seems fair to me! The problems I saw on opening day had nothing to do with opening day jitters in execution but they had everything to do with a lack of adequate planning. How can it be wrong to expect adequate planning?

Anyone who's ever been involved with event planning can tell you with 100% certainty that things never go exactly as planned. There will always be things that happen that aren't always great. It is inevitable. So, even if you have planned accordingly, it isn't always ideal. The plan they had didn't work in some areas. Now they know. Now they have to adjust and hope their new plan works.

Get over yourself. You act as if they have been sitting around for the last 18 months without doing anything or trying to figure it out. Like it was some intentional thing just to get at good old Clyde Tester as if the world is out to get you.

You know what? They've been hosting games at Camp Randall since 1917 and at Kinnick Stadium since 1929 and they still have mishaps. Ever waited in line for the restrooms at Kinnick? Ever try to find a decent parking spot at Camp Randall? I've done both and it isn't ideal. But, people know it. They live with it. They don't bitch and moan about it. It is all part of the fun of it all.

Celebrate the day for crying out loud. It was a truly great day in Gopher history and we have people on here acting as if their dog died.

 

[Iceland12]

(I haven't read any of the "boy what a problem' threads so I apolgize in advance if these are redundant.)

- A lot of the food lines were caused by lack of cash registers, something Aramark(sp?) thought would have been taken care of by opening night. I'm guessing they didn't arive in time.

- How many people were going to show-up and where were "shots-in-the dark" until the first game.

- They were still running ads for help in last week's Minnesota Daily so I'm guessing staffing is still a problem.

Inconveniences? Sure, but ask Disneyophiles about "Black Sunday", watch Woodstockor Gimme Shelter and see what happens when planning really fails. Only the truly worried, the "I'm WAITING to be offended" crowd and any trolls can really be pissed-off about Saturday night.

 

[Addicted to Gophers]

http://www.startribune.com/sports/g...8cyaiUo8cyaiUiD3aPc:_Yyc:aULPQL7PQLanchO7DiUr

Sounds like Maturi and company will be working to address most of the concerns that have been brought up. I look forward to seeing improvements but hope that people can keep the b*tching to a minimum and have a little patience! It's going to take a bit to completely settle into our beautiful new home!

 

[Clyde Tester]

Anyone who's ever been involved with event planning can tell you with 100% certainty that things never go exactly as planned. There will always be things that happen that aren't always great. It is inevitable. So, even if you have planned accordingly, it isn't always ideal. The plan they had didn't work in some areas. Now they know. Now they have to adjust and hope their new plan works.

So they planned accordingly? How do you know that? Let's just be honest about the opening day fan experience. What went well?

- The team played outdoors at home and were victorious - awesome!
- The weather was spectacular!
- The scoreboard was very cool - the video was amazing!
- The band sounded great!
- Everything was very clean
- The stadium employees I interacted with seemed professional and courteous
- Tailgating was fun and easy at the Fairgrounds
- Restrooms - the restrooms were great and quick (male)
- Gameday program - easy to find and purchase - nice production
- The co-eds looked fantastic

But if we can agree on all the greatness, let's now break down the points of contact between the U personnel/processes and the fans - where do the two meet during a gameday?

- Gates - well documented that it was slower than expected/necessary to get into the stadium - they've known for those 18-months of planning that they'd have 50,000 people to move into the stadium in a set amount of time. I'm not even MAD about the gate situation as I think it will improve - but their plan was less than adequate - can we agree on that?
- Concessions - we can agree that the concessions situation was wholly unacceptable, right? The results in the stadium do not indicate a lack of execution (I don't see complaints about rude or untrained staff or incompetent service) but rather a lack of planning to serve 50K. Running out of food = horrible planning. So it's wrong to call out incompetent planning? They PLANNED to have no cash registers for example - that's not worth pointing out as a potential issue?
- Transportation - again, a complete debacle of planning. There were only a few staff/security/police officers directing people at the St. Paul pickup spot after the game. There was no visible signage to tell people where to queue up or how to proceed in an efficient or safe way. They were actually using school buses (one door) as part of their plan. Again, how is it somehow unfair to suggest that they didn't plan well? There were 3 and 4 year old kids having to wait in the mass of people with no access to food/water/restrooms and really no way to get out of the crush of people once they were in it - that's a convenience issue at best and a safety issue (especially for kids) at worst.

So the three primary areas of logistical concern were completely blown. Do you not agree? Again, I'm not even blaming the people who were doing their best on gameday to service the customers...they were victims of poor planning all around.

Get over yourself. You act as if they have been sitting around for the last 18 months without doing anything or trying to figure it out. Like it was some intentional thing just to get at good old Clyde Tester as if the world is out to get you.

How is this possibly about me? The issues I mentioned were non-factors for me...I didn't mind the wait into the stadium (I expected it to be a zoo and planned accordingly); I wasn't hungry enough to need concessions, and I had to leave the game early because my child was tired (so the transportation back to St. Paul was no problem). So now that you know I have no personal stake in ANY of the fore-mentioned problems, how exactly is this about Clyde Tester? The only person making this about me is you.

Celebrate the day for crying out loud. It was a truly great day in Gopher history and we have people on here acting as if their dog died.

I personally had a fantastic time on opening day...what a day and what a stadium! It was a great day and a Gopher victory!

So pointing out problems and hoping for implemented solutions = crying as if a dog died. Got it. I'm pretty sure I'm not the one with a problem of perspective.

 

[swmngo4]

Wow it didn't take long for the anti-Gopher people to show up on the comments for that story in Star Tribune. It's AMAZING how negative some people can be about such a beautiful place on a historic night. There are still so many people waiting for this place and this team to fail. I sure hope they get these glitches figured out...but I'm sure there will never be a story for the 4.95 million Minnesotans who don't go to the game to find out about the improvements.

 

[MaxyJR1]

Do people think the Xcel and Target Center had issues like this when they opened. They flat out were not prepared for what happened. To their defense, they were hoping to get some of these glitches out on Aug. 22 and only 15,000 showed up. I will give them a pass if it improves quickly.

 

[Iceland12]

" They PLANNED to have no cash registers for example - that's not worth pointing out as a potential issue?"

I was under the impression that the cash registers were suppose to arrive but didn't or was this part of your post in a sarcastic vein?

 

[Gopher Nation]

" They PLANNED to have no cash registers for example - that's not worth pointing out as a potential issue?"

I was under the impression that the cash registers were suppose to arrive but didn't or was this part of your post in a sarcastic vein?

I've read in a few different spots that they never intended to have cash registers and that they don't intend to in the future. I was hoping that was some ridiculous rumor, but apparently not.

 

[GoAUpher]

- Gates - well documented that it was slower than expected/necessary to get into the stadium - they've known for those 18-months of planning that they'd have 50,000 people to move into the stadium in a set amount of time. I'm not even MAD about the gate situation as I think it will improve - but their plan was less than adequate - can we agree on that?

This is an area that I think they likely made a huge mistake. Maturi has said they will open some of the "out" gates to help the flow into the stadium. This should have been done from the start and if not needed, cut back to the 5 main gates.

- Concessions - we can agree that the concessions situation was wholly unacceptable, right? The results in the stadium do not indicate a lack of execution (I don't see complaints about rude or untrained staff or incompetent service) but rather a lack of planning to serve 50K. Running out of food = horrible planning. So it's wrong to call out incompetent planning? They PLANNED to have no cash registers for example - that's not worth pointing out as a potential issue?

To me it seems like the lack of registers is on the U (as part of their facility). But the U doesn't order the food. That's on Aramark.

- Transportation - again, a complete debacle of planning. There were only a few staff/security/police officers directing people at the St. Paul pickup spot after the game. There was no visible signage to tell people where to queue up or how to proceed in an efficient or safe way. They were actually using school buses (one door) as part of their plan. Again, how is it somehow unfair to suggest that they didn't plan well? There were 3 and 4 year old kids having to wait in the mass of people with no access to food/water/restrooms and really no way to get out of the crush of people once they were in it - that's a convenience issue at best and a safety issue (especially for kids) at worst.

You're ragging on them for using school buses? That means they tried to add more buses then they could have provided otherwise. UW uses ONLY school buses to shuttle people from Camp Randall to far off lots. And those buses pick up on a busy street, with no major signage, and without tons of staffing. There is TONS of room for improvement, but transportation is the area that is most dependent on other factors. Specifically, this is the area where the U and the City have to work in harmony. The U wanted to close Oak Street during games and the City balked. If you close Oak St. to traffic you open up options for safe, easy, loading and unloading off buses.

 

[GopherGuy23]

You are right, as far as I know in all buildings like TCF, a food service like Aramark owns the spaces and manages all of the concessions and food service. Cash registers would be a good idea. I suppose the U had some say in this area but hopefully Aramark, who has crappy concessions at Target Center as well, gets things right in the future.

 

[Maverick]

Funny but sad story...

I went to the concessins right after gaining entrance to the stadium. I was second in line. I waited a pretty long time, finally moved up and placed my order...One brat for $4.50 and one large diet coke in the souvernier cup for $4.50. the concession worker took out her calculator and painstakingly entered $4.50 plus $$4.50 and got $9.00. I handed her a twenty and she looked like a deer in headlights. She focused on her calculator, hit clear, enterd a bunch of numbers, hit clear, entered some more, hit clear again.... I said, "my change is $11.00". She looked at me like I just landed on the planet from Mars for about 15 seconds. Then she went to the cash drawer got me $11.00, and handed my my food. She never said thank you or enjoy the game or anything.

Then I went to the one and only, very small condiment station I could find and fought my way to some ketchup, mustard and onions..there was no Kraut which is what I really wanted...

Sad but true...where do they get these people? Couldn't figure out 20 minus 9 in her head???? Or even the amount needed to be charged???