Tested out the seatback cushions today

[JPIIGopher]

I had a chance to sit in my seats today so I thought I would test out the seat backs. First, I had no intention of buying a seatback cushion and was planning on sitting the bench for the season. After trying one out I'm leaning towards buying one.

My initial worry about the seats was the possiblity of them becoming sponges after the rain. I talked with a rep from the company and he was certain that unless there was a hole in it, the water should just roll off. After looking at the material on the seat I would agree.

The cushion itself isn't all that great imo. It certainly is softer than the metal bench but I was hoping that it would give a little more cushion. What did start me thinking about buying one was the backrest. It felt pretty good to lean back. Being that I'm carrying an extra twenty pounds around and my posture isn't the greatest, I could see my back getting uncomfortable.

The rep from the company said the seats could be ordered for the duration of the season, so you could try it out on the bench and see how things go if you are debating. Also, if you do want to have a seatback for the first game make sure you order by Sept. 1st. That's all!

 

[Maroon92]

seatback question-- do they take them down after a game

For the people who ordered seatbacks-- do they keep up the entire year or do they remove them after each game and put them back on before a game. I hope they remove them after every game and reattach them otherwise it makes the empty stadium look awful. Does anyone know what the plan is by the U on this?

 

[mggoph]

I'm not positive, but I believe they are left attached all season.

 

[ulfr]

If they are installed for a game by game basis they certainly wouldn't be putting them on right now. And yes they are a complete eyesore! And lame for anybody under 40.

 

[Louder is Gooder]

If the University actually planned to install and remove the seatbacks for every game they would need to employ an army of workers ... and they aren't doing that. You will most certainly have a seatback that is installed once and left for the entire season. I'd guess that they would take them in for the winter to preserve the fabric from the extreme weather.

It will kind of look like a scattered mess, but that is a pretty common sight around college football. Think of it like the seats at the guthrie ... multicolored, except the brickhouse will only have maroon and not maroon.

For those that have not experienced bleacher seating, there is one HUGE advantage to have a seatback: It clearly defines YOUR seat. After sitting in bleacher seats in the Rose Bowl watching Bruin games, it is not uncommon to get to your seats a few minutes before kickoff and find the larger men to your right and left have encroached on your space and you are left to squeeze into a seat narrower than your high school locker. I say buy now!

PJII - Must be rough finding time during the middle of the day to tour the stadium. Did you do a few sets of run cadence on the field?

 

[oak_street1981]

Well, there were a slew of them set up when I rode

If they are installed for a game by game basis they certainly wouldn't be putting them on right now. And yes they are a complete eyesore! And lame for anybody under 40.

my road bike past the stadium last night. There were also a slew of law enforcement vehicles parked very near the stadium, so there must have been some training going on.

I cannot believe that we are going to see the Kinnick style free carrying of cans of beer allowed near TCF. We will see, but if they ever look at my opaque or coffee styled mug of liquor outside the walls of the stadium, I will be annoyed.

BACK TO THE POINT

The seatbacks were deployed, and they made the ugly concrete look of of the non chaired areas look very good.

 

[Ski U Master]

They leave them attached and it does make a mottled look when the stadium is empty, but that is par for the course at all the other stadiums with bench seating too.

 

[station19]

I wonder how high they sit. If you are sitting behind or next to some one with chairbacks seats a person might feel dwarfed.

 

[SlipperySlope]

...And lame for anybody under 40.

I skipped the seatbacks and will make my best effort to point and laugh at everyone under 40 who purchased them. The entire reason I didn't get the built-in padded seats was because I wanted to stand and cheer the whole game (unless there are some elderly folks behind me, then I'll limit it to half the game). It isn't like I didn't have a choice and it doesn't make sense to pay more for the seatback now.

 

[GoGophers2005]

I got em to clearly define my seats. Lot of fat people out there.
And thank you Ski U Master for showing those photos. It amazes me the amount of gopher fans that are clueless to what goes on at other campuses. Clueless.

 

[LC19]

I got em to clearly define my seats. Lot of fat people out there.
And thank you Ski U Master for showing those photos. It amazes me the amount of gopher fans that are clueless to what goes on at other campuses. Clueless.

No doubt. I do notice that we should feel pretty lucky that our new stadium actually has a fair amount of chairback seats. Not a common thing with college football. Our stadium is 1st class.

 

[froggopher]

Very nice stadium pictures! Thank you. Some day I will learn how to install pictures in a e-mail.

Go gophers!!

 

[SMU GOPHS FAN]

I decided to pass on the seatbacks beacuse I plan on being on my feet for every game as Weber-to-Decker runs roughshod over everyone...or so I dream.

 

[Schnauzer]

I got em to clearly define my seats. Lot of fat people out there.
And thank you Ski U Master for showing those photos. It amazes me the amount of gopher fans that are clueless to what goes on at other campuses. Clueless.

Bingo. This is exactly why I got them. I have four seats in section 133 and a single in 114. The one in 114 is chairback so no problem there. But my four seats in 133 are right in the middle of the row. I didn't want other peoples stuff (blankets, coats, butt cheaks, etc.) infringing on my seats. So, of my four in a row... I only got the two outer seats with chairbacks and left the two inner seats with no seat backs. This should protect my turf from the forces of obesity and thoughtlessness.

 

[The Brewmaster]

Walked up to the stadium gates tonight. Beautiful. Except, of course, for the seatbacks. They look ugly and ridiculous at other stadiums and they look extremely and ridiculous at ours. That's my only complaint of the stadium so far. Have fun sitting all game, oldsters. It's a football bleacher, not a church pew. I promise to give you an extra dirty look when you tell me to sit down. I'll be 8th row, 25 yard line. Home side. I hope to irritate as many of you as possible!

Hopefully a new stadium ushers in a new era in Gophers football ushers in a new type of fan in Minnesota. Looking forward to Sept. 12.

 

[GoAUpher]

Walked up to the stadium gates tonight. Beautiful. Except, of course, for the seatbacks. They look ugly and ridiculous at other stadiums and they look extremely and ridiculous at ours. That's my only complaint of the stadium so far. Have fun sitting all game, oldsters. It's a football bleacher, not a church pew. I promise to give you an extra dirty look when you tell me to sit down. I'll be 8th row, 25 yard line. Home side. I hope to irritate as many of you as possible!

Hopefully a new stadium ushers in a new era in Gophers football ushers in a new type of fan in Minnesota. Looking forward to Sept. 12.

Who in the world are you bitching at? The fans you're worried about don't post/lurk here.

 

[ulfr]

Walked up to the stadium gates tonight. Beautiful. Except, of course, for the seatbacks. They look ugly and ridiculous at other stadiums and they look extremely and ridiculous at ours. That's my only complaint of the stadium so far. Have fun sitting all game, oldsters. It's a football bleacher, not a church pew. I promise to give you an extra dirty look when you tell me to sit down. I'll be 8th row, 25 yard line. Home side. I hope to irritate as many of you as possible!

Hopefully a new stadium ushers in a new era in Gophers football ushers in a new type of fan in Minnesota. Looking forward to Sept. 12.

Amen.

Glad that ATTF posted some good photos before the bowl got all cluttered up by those eyesores!

Wish I could have gotten in there to see it sans sissy seats.