TCF Stadium Concession Rant

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I dunno. I've never had a problem with lines, or getting a product I want. I never wait until the half, and if I do, I go after the first two drives of the second half. With the long TV timeouts, I'm usually back in my seat or waiting in the stairwell (with a perfect view) by the first play. Never had to wait in line for more than one guy in the restroom.

Guess I'm easy to please. As for the water--they probably got caught off guard this time, and the next complaint will be not enough cocoa. Storage is a problem in a lot of stadiums, as you don't usually keep more than you think you need. Yeah, water should be different, but Sept. 10 was an exceptional heat day. If they sold 120% of what they though they would, that's still a big number.
 

RodentRampage said:
I remember going to games at Metropolitan Stadium, and there were hot dog vendors walking the aisles. I think that would be a great thing, it would take a lot of the pressure off the concourse. The have soda vendors going through (not often enough, really), and that helps, but if people had the option of getting real food from vendors, they would be less inclined to go to the concourse, and thus the concourse would be less crowded.
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It's almost as if they have made zero changes since the first game (except more ads read by the $#%#$% PA guy). I remember this complaint in '09 as well.
 

Section2 said:
It's almost as if they have made zero changes since the first game (except more ads read by the $#%#$% PA guy). I remember this complaint in '09 as well.
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The concourses are crowded=added food/drink options at top of stadium

Where are the g*dda** cash registers?=added

There's too many tix for students=reduced

What about new alumni season tix?=added

Takes too long to get in the stadium=goodbye patdowns

Takes too long to get in the stadium=plaza gates are open

------------------------------------

My parking ramp is perfect, I love my seats, the popcorn is amazing, easy to sneak booze in

Whats not perfect: 5 wins in 15 games there. I sure as he!! didn't care about the PA guy when Stoudermire destroyed that Hawkeye last year in the fourth quarter.
 

....other than all those fixes. those are good points maximus. So they've fixed quite a lot.
 

Maximus said:
The concourses are crowded=added food/drink options at top of stadium

Where are the g*dda** cash registers?=added

There's too many tix for students=reduced

What about new alumni season tix?=added

Takes too long to get in the stadium=goodbye patdowns

Takes too long to get in the stadium=plaza gates are open

------------------------------------

My parking ramp is perfect, I love my seats, the popcorn is amazing, easy to sneak booze in

Whats not perfect: 5 wins in 15 games there. I sure as he!! didn't care about the PA guy when Stoudermire destroyed that Hawkeye last year in the fourth quarter.
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A lot of times, you don't know you have a problem until there's a problem. Next prediction of a warm day, they'll have twice as much water on tap.

Also--wear a hat and sunglasses on sunny days. You're sitting, not running around. If it becomes a "health problem" to be sitting in a stadium on a warm day in the fall, you either need to prepare better or visit a doctor and find out what's up.

Just sayin'.
 


Triple D said:
I appreciate the responses so far. My point is that this was a negative experience for me. I attend about one game a year, so I don't know the ins and outs to the stadium as well as some of you that attend more regularly of where the good places are that might have had extra water available such as the Subway stand, etc. I'm more looking at it for more casual fans like me who may have been turned off about attending another game due to the bad stocking of a huge selling product (water) on a 90 degree day with no clouds.

To those that say I should have just bought pop, my analogy is this. If I go to a good restaurant and want a steak and am told they are out by 6 p.m will I order the chicken instead, yeah probably, but I won't be as happy and I might not be back to that restaurant very soon, I'm sure we can all relate to that.

To those that say it wasn't a health concern, I believe that they attributed part of Coach Kill's problem to heat, humidity and dehydration, and like I said and have been backed by other posters, there were EMT's there attending to people in the stands and concourses for heat related issues.

Lastly, if there was water available on stands on the shady side and they are running out on the sunny side, why is there no communication amongst the TCF concession staff/management to deliver more to where it's needed? I'm sure they have walkie talkies and a motorized cart that could be used to move product to where it will sell more.

I'm not a whiner, just looking to make the game day experience better for others in the future.
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I understand you're not trying to whine, but here's what I heard in your last post:
a) you're comparing stadium concessions to going to a restaurant for steak.
b) you're saying that sitting in the sun, with the option to go up to the concourse in the shade and drink free water from a fountain, is a health risk. It's Minnesota, with some of the most variable weather in the country, if not the world. Toughen up a bit.

They should have done a better job having enough bottled water on hand, but I fail to see it as a major impact on your game day experience and I fail to see it as a health risk to anyone who took some common sense precautions.
 


The concession stand I visited ran out of Dilly bars before halftime. I'm assuming that they'll fix this oversight just in time for the Thanksgiving weekend Illinois game when it's about 22 degrees and windy.
 

My problem with the stadium experience last week wasn't the concessions but rather the APALLING site I witnessed in one of the restrooms.

It seems that my stomach was losing an argument with the 3 slices of Palermo's that I had so greedily wolfed down by the third quarter. It was if all of the tension in the Gaza Strip had came to a boiling point and exploded within my stomach. Feeling my insides about to burst I waddled as quickly and safely as I could to the nearest restroom. Panic set in when it appeared that all of the stalls were occupied, but after wiping the beading sweat off my brow I noticed that the stall closest to the wall was empty. Jackpot! Or so I thought. I was about to blow so I kicked the door open, took one step, and painfully froze in my tracks when i saw a great brown beast before me. The stall had been desecrated in a way that the TCF designers couldn't have imagined in their wildest of dreams. What's that you say? This is America, where every man is entitled to a dump of his choosing, whether said dump is small, explosive, or so large that it appears to be of non-human origin? That may be true but the rules don't apply when said dump is left on the floor of the restroom! Yes that's right. Some YAHOO had taken the liberty of relieving his bowels upon the floor of the restroom with no sense of morality or concern for other patrons. At this point the Battle of Carabobo was raging in full force so I clenched my butt cheeks as hard as I could and speed waddled over to the next section in a race against grease and time where I eventually found inner peace. Because of this ordeal I missed almost half of the 4th quarter! The restrooms in TCF Bank stadium should be models of cleanliness and comfort. Such was obviously not the case on saturday. They need to post signs that outline clear and concise rules for restroom behavior so that incidents like this NEVER happen again. MACturi is on thin ice in my book and this latest debacle may just be the tipping point that has me calling for his firing!
 



Kuato Lives! said:
They need to post signs that outline clear and concise rules for restroom behavior so that incidents like this NEVER happen again.
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Are you proposing they post the 12 proper steps involved in taking a dump? No wide stances? No sticking your camera phone underneath the stall dividers? Or simply "no dumping allowed"?
 

zman said:
Are you proposing they post the 12 proper steps involved in taking a dump? No wide stances? No sticking your camera phone underneath the stall dividers? Or simply "no dumping allowed"?
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And don't forget to make adjustments.
 

Kuato Lives! said:
My problem with the stadium experience last week wasn't the concessions but rather the APALLING site I witnessed in one of the restrooms.

It seems that my stomach was losing an argument with the 3 slices of Palermo's that I had so greedily wolfed down by the third quarter. It was if all of the tension in the Gaza Strip had came to a boiling point and exploded within my stomach. Feeling my insides about to burst I waddled as quickly and safely as I could to the nearest restroom. Panic set in when it appeared that all of the stalls were occupied, but after wiping the beading sweat off my brow I noticed that the stall closest to the wall was empty. Jackpot! Or so I thought. I was about to blow so I kicked the door open, took one step, and painfully froze in my tracks when i saw a great brown beast before me. The stall had been desecrated in a way that the TCF designers couldn't have imagined in their wildest of dreams. What's that you say? This is America, where every man is entitled to a dump of his choosing, whether said dump is small, explosive, or so large that it appears to be of non-human origin? That may be true but the rules don't apply when said dump is left on the floor of the restroom! Yes that's right. Some YAHOO had taken the liberty of relieving his bowels upon the floor of the restroom with no sense of morality or concern for other patrons. At this point the Battle of Carabobo was raging in full force so I clenched my butt cheeks as hard as I could and speed waddled over to the next section in a race against grease and time where I eventually found inner peace. Because of this ordeal I missed almost half of the 4th quarter! The restrooms in TCF Bank stadium should be models of cleanliness and comfort. Such was obviously not the case on saturday. They need to post signs that outline clear and concise rules for restroom behavior so that incidents like this NEVER happen again. MACturi is on thin ice in my book and this latest debacle may just be the tipping point that has me calling for his firing!
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I think a sign that says don't crap on the floor would be a waste of money.
 

Kuato Lives! said:
My problem with the stadium experience last week wasn't the concessions but rather the APALLING site I witnessed in one of the restrooms.

It seems that my stomach was losing an argument with the 3 slices of Palermo's that I had so greedily wolfed down by the third quarter. It was if all of the tension in the Gaza Strip had came to a boiling point and exploded within my stomach. Feeling my insides about to burst I waddled as quickly and safely as I could to the nearest restroom. Panic set in when it appeared that all of the stalls were occupied, but after wiping the beading sweat off my brow I noticed that the stall closest to the wall was empty. Jackpot! Or so I thought. I was about to blow so I kicked the door open, took one step, and painfully froze in my tracks when i saw a great brown beast before me. The stall had been desecrated in a way that the TCF designers couldn't have imagined in their wildest of dreams. What's that you say? This is America, where every man is entitled to a dump of his choosing, whether said dump is small, explosive, or so large that it appears to be of non-human origin? That may be true but the rules don't apply when said dump is left on the floor of the restroom! Yes that's right. Some YAHOO had taken the liberty of relieving his bowels upon the floor of the restroom with no sense of morality or concern for other patrons. At this point the Battle of Carabobo was raging in full force so I clenched my butt cheeks as hard as I could and speed waddled over to the next section in a race against grease and time where I eventually found inner peace. Because of this ordeal I missed almost half of the 4th quarter! The restrooms in TCF Bank stadium should be models of cleanliness and comfort. Such was obviously not the case on saturday. They need to post signs that outline clear and concise rules for restroom behavior so that incidents like this NEVER happen again. MACturi is on thin ice in my book and this latest debacle may just be the tipping point that has me calling for his firing!
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Is this an analogy for the PA guy?
 



highwayman said:
If it becomes a "health problem" to be sitting in a stadium on a warm day in the fall, you either need to prepare better or visit a doctor and find out what's up.
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Or, you could be 8.5 months pregnant, like my wife.
 


Kuato Lives! said:
My problem with the stadium experience last week wasn't the concessions but rather the APALLING site I witnessed in one of the restrooms.

It seems that my stomach was losing an argument with the 3 slices of Palermo's that I had so greedily wolfed down by the third quarter. It was if all of the tension in the Gaza Strip had came to a boiling point and exploded within my stomach. Feeling my insides about to burst I waddled as quickly and safely as I could to the nearest restroom. Panic set in when it appeared that all of the stalls were occupied, but after wiping the beading sweat off my brow I noticed that the stall closest to the wall was empty. Jackpot! Or so I thought. I was about to blow so I kicked the door open, took one step, and painfully froze in my tracks when i saw a great brown beast before me. The stall had been desecrated in a way that the TCF designers couldn't have imagined in their wildest of dreams. What's that you say? This is America, where every man is entitled to a dump of his choosing, whether said dump is small, explosive, or so large that it appears to be of non-human origin? That may be true but the rules don't apply when said dump is left on the floor of the restroom! Yes that's right. Some YAHOO had taken the liberty of relieving his bowels upon the floor of the restroom with no sense of morality or concern for other patrons. At this point the Battle of Carabobo was raging in full force so I clenched my butt cheeks as hard as I could and speed waddled over to the next section in a race against grease and time where I eventually found inner peace. Because of this ordeal I missed almost half of the 4th quarter! The restrooms in TCF Bank stadium should be models of cleanliness and comfort. Such was obviously not the case on saturday. They need to post signs that outline clear and concise rules for restroom behavior so that incidents like this NEVER happen again. MACturi is on thin ice in my book and this latest debacle may just be the tipping point that has me calling for his firing!
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Are you sure it wasn't one of the players or coaches that was in there before you, because the entire team kind of laid a turd during that game.

Or it could have been Pantherhawk or some other Iowa fan.
 

I forgot to mention that it was in section 143. I know there are some 143'ers here on the Hole. Fess up!
 

Or six months pregnant like mine.
Or 95 years old like the guy that collapsed in the section next to us.
 


I saw one in-stand vendor, and he was selling mini-donuts. Seems like who ever is running the concessions is missing out on a ton of money.
 

discochris said:
Or six months pregnant like mine.
Or 95 years old like the guy that collapsed in the section next to us.
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Oh my god, it was 85 degrees. It wasn't 105. It wasn't humid. There was cool shade in the concourse. And there was free water from the drinking fountains.
 

year of the gopher said:
Oh my god, it was 85 degrees. It wasn't 105. It wasn't humid. There was cool shade in the concourse. And there was free water from the drinking fountains.
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http://www.weather.gov/climate/getc...&pil=CF6&recent=&specdate=2011-09-30+11:11:11

Actually, the high was 89. And the avg wind speed was 3.4 mph, the lowest it has been this month, and thus meaning barely any wind at all. There was also not a cloud in the sky.

I could not find data on the actual humidity reading for that day, but given that September is historically the most humid month in Minnesota (http://www.cityrating.com/cityweather.asp?city=Minneapolis+-+St.+Paul), and I remember it being very sticky and heavy that day, I think that you're wrong about the humidity.

All in all, it was a perfect confluence of circumstances (much higher than avg temp, sunny, no cloud cover, no wind, no cover on the visitors' side) that amounted to a perfectly miserable day for some of us. It didn't really bother me, but then again, I grew up on a farm and worked in the hot sun every day all day all summer long, so I'm used to it, plus I'm neither old nor pregnant.

highwayman said:
Or prepare better. Good grief. Prepare better.
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Prepare better? How? You can't bring outside beverages or bottles into the stadium. If they run out of water, what the hell is a person supposed to do? You or I can walk up to the water fountain, but we are both relatively young and relatively healthy. A person who is old, pregnant, injured, or otherwise infirm doesn't have the same luxury. Again, it didn't affect me (or my 8.5-month-pregnant wife) personally, because I got her water fairly early in the game and we used that bottle to refill (plus she went and sat with her cousin in the concourse), but it obviously affected many. You can't just look at your own situation. You have to realize that some people don't have it as easy as the average person. What is a person who has mobility issues, whether permanent or temporary, supposed to do? Just stay at home and never go out to do anything?

Water is THE one thing that MUST be in stock at all times, and is also THE one thing for which there is no excuse to run out of. Along with oxygen, it is the one thing your body cannot do without for very long.

Good grief indeed.
 


I think some of these posters were not actually in the stadium, so they have a "suck it up" attitude. I remember specifically commenting once during the game to our group on a play where everyone stood up in front of us to check out everyone's back who was in front of us, the entire row had huge sweat stains on the lower back of their shirts, and this includes men, women, young, and old. I don't often see that on women (insert Iowa fan cheap shot here), so I know it was pretty frickin' hot in there. I was prepared, I had a hat, sunglasses, and gobs of sunscreen on my face and neck and I was HOT.

And a lot of people get too wrapped up in the intensity of the game to remember to leave to look for some shade or go get a drink. My buddy who goes to a lot of games commented that there are only 3 drinking fountains in the entire stadium concourse, does anyone know if that is true?
 

They don't have a lot of water fountains, but the sinks in the bathrooms have the same water. They underestimated the demand for water, I don't expect they will next time. The stuff keeps after all.
 

A few key points here: the concessions at the bank are improving, but still a low point of the fan experience. The supply problem of key items is sad. My friend wanted to buy a Dilly Bar at halftime but they were sold out. Posters here have confirmed they were sold out on water. Last year at the colder games, my wife would try to buy a burrito (one of the few items we find worth buying) and they were sold out. I suppose you have to order these things ahead of time, and you'll always end up with supply mismatches, but they should really be able to ramp up for cold/hot/gametime considerations, as I imagine the demand swing for various products is huge throughout the season.

Secondly, we sit in the upper deck on the sunny side. I was warm to hot the whole time and I went in the shade at the half, but I didn't think it was unbearable out there like some commenters. I was wearing shorts, a hat and sunglasses and if I was wearing jeans without a hat or sunglasses I imagine it would've been quite a bit worse, but you've got to think a little bit about conditions before you leave your house.
 

Golden Elephant said:
Secondly, we sit in the upper deck on the sunny side. I was warm to hot the whole time and I went in the shade at the half, but I didn't think it was unbearable out there like some commenters. I was wearing shorts, a hat and sunglasses and if I was wearing jeans without a hat or sunglasses I imagine it would've been quite a bit worse, but you've got to think a little bit about conditions before you leave your house.
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You're making an assumption that everyone who found the heat troublesome was not dressed the same as you. Different people react differently to heat and cold even when wearing the same/similar clothing. I'm not sure why that is mysterious. You can prepare as much/more than other folks and still struggle with heat.
 


dpodoll68 said:
http://www.weather.gov/climate/getc...&pil=CF6&recent=&specdate=2011-09-30+11:11:11

Actually, the high was 89. And the avg wind speed was 3.4 mph, the lowest it has been this month, and thus meaning barely any wind at all. There was also not a cloud in the sky.

I could not find data on the actual humidity reading for that day, but given that September is historically the most humid month in Minnesota (http://www.cityrating.com/cityweather.asp?city=Minneapolis+-+St.+Paul), and I remember it being very sticky and heavy that day, I think that you're wrong about the humidity.

All in all, it was a perfect confluence of circumstances (much higher than avg temp, sunny, no cloud cover, no wind, no cover on the visitors' side) that amounted to a perfectly miserable day for some of us. It didn't really bother me, but then again, I grew up on a farm and worked in the hot sun every day all day all summer long, so I'm used to it, plus I'm neither old nor pregnant.



Prepare better? How? You can't bring outside beverages or bottles into the stadium. If they run out of water, what the hell is a person supposed to do? You or I can walk up to the water fountain, but we are both relatively young and relatively healthy. A person who is old, pregnant, injured, or otherwise infirm doesn't have the same luxury. Again, it didn't affect me (or my 8.5-month-pregnant wife) personally, because I got her water fairly early in the game and we used that bottle to refill (plus she went and sat with her cousin in the concourse), but it obviously affected many. You can't just look at your own situation. You have to realize that some people don't have it as easy as the average person. What is a person who has mobility issues, whether permanent or temporary, supposed to do? Just stay at home and never go out to do anything?

Water is THE one thing that MUST be in stock at all times, and is also THE one thing for which there is no excuse to run out of. Along with oxygen, it is the one thing your body cannot do without for very long.

Good grief indeed.
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Okay then, the high was 89. And let's just say it was humid, though I don't remember it feeling humid. That's still far from the kind of record setting scorcher many of you seem to be claiming.

And again, for it to have actually been a health risk, there would have had to be no suitable alternatives to bottled water available. There were free handicapped accessible drinking fountains and a variety of other cold soft drinks available.

For what it's worth, I agree that concessions still have a lot of room for improvement and I agree that they need to do a better job of stocking things to satisfy their customers. Okay? I just don't agree that it was a health risk to anyone to have run out of bottled water in some areas of the stadium.
 

If it comes down to it, you could buy a soda in a cup or in a bottle, dump the soda, fill with water from fountain. Or pay for a cup of ice from the stand and fill that up with water.

I feel bottles of water are a rip-off at $4 but it was hot, and i picked one up from a vendor walking my section and then had someone else fill it up at the fountain- about four times throughout the game- so I wouldn't have to miss any action. It was hot, and I was in the sun the whole time, and my @ss had a sweat stain, but the heat was far from unbearable.
 

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