Some minor construction at TCF is

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oak_street1981

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happening right now.

I stopped near the gate next to the Goldy's Locker Room store yesterday. Inside, between the gate and the stairs, there was a dumpster, stacks of plywood, some 10-15 ft. foot long tubes cut in half, a pallet of morter/ joint mix bags, and a few pallets of old, weathered salvaged bricks. (old stadium bricks?)

There was small wall being put together with the old brick on one of the sheets of plywood next to a small mixer.

It looks like they might be building a historical display of some type in that spot that will be moved and assembled elsewhere in the stadium.

Does anyone know what this all about?
 

It's part of the preparations for the new challenges for this season...

AKA modifications to the restrooms so at least we won't have to witness the pigeye fans doin' their thang. Because let's face it, they're going to do it; we might as well give them their space and not get in their way.



Sorry, I don't know what it is really for. I want to know too!! I'm hoping by the end of the season we will need a space to hold an axe or a pig.
 

Hail to thee oh glorious hawkeye fans!

340x_hawkeyes.jpg
 




oak_street1981 said:
happening right now.

I stopped near the gate next to the Goldy's Locker Room store yesterday. Inside, between the gate and the stairs, there was a dumpster, stacks of plywood, some 10-15 ft. foot long tubes cut in half, a pallet of morter/ joint mix bags, and a few pallets of old, weathered salvaged bricks. (old stadium bricks?)

There was small wall being put together with the old brick on one of the sheets of plywood next to a small mixer.

It looks like they might be building a historical display of some type in that spot that will be moved and assembled elsewhere in the stadium.

Does anyone know what this all about?
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I'm guessing that they are completing work on the M Room and Hall of Fame. Both were still unfinished last year and both are located right in the area you describe.
 

We can't really know for sure, but it is safe to assume that it is part of a vast conspiracy to keep the marching band from going down University.
 

dpodoll68 said:
We can't really know for sure, but it is safe to assume that it is part of a vast conspiracy to keep the marching band from going down University.
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That still gets me riled up. I get why they don't, but it still doesn't sit right with me.
 

dpodoll68 said:
We can't really know for sure, but it is safe to assume that it is part of a vast conspiracy to keep the marching band from going down University.
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LOL nice...I'll check around w/ my people who work at the stadium (GASP, ANONYMOUS SOURCES) and see if they know anything.
 



<img src=http://i152.photobucket.com/albums/s167/americanpi/DysPhunctional-Photos-2.jpg?t=1278489548>
 

Does anyone know of any mid to major changes for the Stadium this year? Looking back, I think the biggest stadium 'mistake' was building the band pit too small, and sinking it in where nobody can hear it.

Last year at this time we were all gushing over the stadium and admiring how every last detail was being covered, such as the brick facing on the interior wall. I am looking forward to some seasonable October weather this year. Although we never got a pouring washout, blizzard, below zero weather, etc., The October games were a bit damp and cooler than normal. We went right from t-shirts and shorts to coats. I love that crisp, 50's October weather and I hope we get a lot of it in TCF Bank Stadium this year. Here's to more 'sweatshirt weather'...
 

Schnauzer said:
Does anyone know of any mid to major changes for the Stadium this year? Looking back, I think the biggest stadium 'mistake' was building the band pit too small, and sinking it in where nobody can hear it.
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The band pit was too small, but that wont last. More than a couple people stayed in the band an extra season for the new stadium. Their numbers should be thinner this year. And a little birdie from inside the band told me that they will more strictly regulate how many of which instruments will be added each year (less saxes, clarinets and flutes, and more brass)---that should help the sound a bit.
 

MrGopher said:
The band pit was too small, but that wont last. More than a couple people stayed in the band an extra season for the new stadium. Their numbers should be thinner this year. And a little birdie from inside the band told me that they will more strictly regulate how many of which instruments will be added each year (less saxes, clarinets and flutes, and more brass)---that should help the sound a bit.
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We need more Sousaphones, dammit!
 




It'll be interesting to see when the Band starts for spat camp coming up in August what the final numbers are--in my section at least we're projected to have more than last year interestingly.
 

awag777 said:
It'll be interesting to see when the Band starts for spat camp coming up in August what the final numbers are--in my section at least we're projected to have more than last year interestingly.
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I suppose interest in being in the marching band has increased with the new stadium. I remember during the centennial year of the band alums coming back after many years just to be a part of that band.
 

gophmeister said:
We need more Sousaphones, dammit!
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What he said!

And I love the idea of more brass and less woodwinds. I would love to see the band get to a point where they have a standard voicing and block size. The Big Ten Network aired documentary called Making the Blue Band that was all about Penn State's band. It was interesting to see a band of their size where only a small percentage of those that want to get in actually make it in. I don't know what it's like now, but when I was in the band (89, 90), if you could carry an instrument, you could be in the band.
 

band instruments

Where is the Vuvuzela section? They sound great at the World Cup and they would sound terrific as part of the rouser, don't you think?
 

loki said:
Where is the Vuvuzela section? They sound great at the World Cup and they would sound terrific as part of the rouser, don't you think?
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I would be all over a logo-ed vuvuzela.
 

If the vuvuzela makes its way into TCF, then I make my exit.
Incredibly annoying. Even more so than those air-filled sticks that people bang together.
 

CP Gopher said:
If the vuvuzela makes its way into TCF, then I make my exit.
Incredibly annoying. Even more so than those air-filled sticks that people bang together.
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Lemme guess, you're over 55? "Those damn kids with their rock and their roll! I'm turning off my hearing aid."

Seriously--anything to annoy the opposing team would be OK by me.
 

Hopefully spinning the whole stadium so the home team and fans are in the sun!
 



Vuvuzelas are against Big Ten policy for fans to bring to games. Thank God for that.
 

highwayman said:
Lemme guess, you're over 55? "Those damn kids with their rock and their roll! I'm turning off my hearing aid."

Seriously--anything to annoy the opposing team would be OK by me.
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I've been at many minor league baseball games where they hand out thunder sticks. I hate those things! And I'm only 30. It's not a lot of fun having two little kids in the seats behind you pounding on those things for 3 hours right next to the back of your head.
 

I love Vuvuzelas & Thunder Sticks. Some fellow trumpets joked about doing a Vuvuzela roar instead of Mars (some people call it "3rd down noise") on 3rd downs next year.

Also, per my buddy in stadium ops...

So, there has been stuff no one will care about, some work on some garage doors, installing humidifiers in the ceiling by the locker room. boring. The big project is the Hall of Fame. It will be completed this fall, should be done by the home opener, and will be open for anyone to walk around from 8am-5p M-F. The Hall of Fame will consist of the name of EVERY letter winner in the history of the U along the walls and there will be a section devoted to each sport, (for sure bball, fball, etc. idk about rowing and the lesser sports). For example, bball's section will have hardwood bball court around it and the same for the other sports. Some of the design is being finalized but those are the things I know.

Take it or leave it, but he's legit.
 

Life is always better with more cow bell in it

I vote for more cow bell from the band. Not meatchicken level more cow bell but more cow bell. Who doesn't want more cow bell in there life.
In a side note for the person in the band AAwag77 dude, will the band have padding like gym walls, or something like panel's with cushion in the band pit to help the acoustics and sound this year, those concrete walls and depth of that pit is where all sound went to die a quick death. Really, there needs to be something that helps project the sound, and pad those walls out instead of just having the sound swallowed. Last year there were times where the sound in TCF was worse than the Metrodome especially when the band was in the pit playing during games. Never thought that possible being outside but there are some real dead zones in the bank.

Final question will they go back to have small sections that play in the stadium like in years past at the dome, it was always cool to get Goldy, the cheerleaders and the smaller groups or pep bands roaming the stadium, adds a little excitement without taking away from the whole group. Director dude is probably against this though. Always enjoyed when the sections broke out into underdog and peter gun, some of the more familiar new stuff, any new tunes on the horizon, old favorites?
 

There were section features last year, but they oftentimes got cut off really early as we got adjusted to the new digs. Look for more this year.

As far as acoustics, I don't personally have any knowledge of what they're doing to improve the sound, but I (hope) assume they're working to improve it.
 

I really think the problem is the band just plays their instruments straight ahead into the open ended part of the stadium. No idea how to fix the problem but to me there is no difference in that and during a half time show when the band is playing to one side of the stadium and not the other. The side that the band isn't directly playing to isn't as loud and its muffled.

As dumb as it sounds the only way it will work for the entire stadium is if the band sits in a circle.
Somehow the band needs to direct their instruments towards more parts of the stadium and the problem will be fixed. Sort of weird they didn't correct the problem after game #1 last year. Doesn't anyone in the band ask for feedback?
 

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