I know that I am in the minority here but we need to give the TAF more than 12% of the seats in Tiger Stadium. Tiger fans are in essence bitching about how the conditions of the PMAC saying they are horrible and LSU need to put money into it. While I agree with this statement where do you expect us to get the money. It does not grow on trees. We don't have an unlimited amount of money to spend. We need to allow the TAF to get more than 12% of the seats. This is 2003 not 1970. Face it, tickets in Tiger Stadium will never be $20 again. We all want to be a big time program yet the fans won't donate the money to make it happen. All of the major programs in America already do this and make lots of money to use towards upgrading their athletic facilities. We make hardly any money and I'm supprised off we are as good of as we are now. This money will be used for a variety of things not just football. 1. Replace the West Upper with one that is like the East Upper plus build a new press box. 2.Add on a weight room, lockers and offices to the football practice facility. 3.Spend a large amount of money to fix up the PMAC. 4.Build a new Alex Box Baseball Stadium 5.New Softball Stadium and tear down the old Box for parking I do want to stress however that the TAF disclose what seats will be effected, the cost of the seats and how the program will work. I also urge the TAF to open their records and disclose where our money will be going to. No more of this hush hush under the table crap.
100% behind TAF getting more seats... I have TAF tiks and I cringe when I think about all the folks sitting around me who contribute zero to LSU beyond the price of admission. I give TAF $1000 for the right to buy 4 N39 tiks and a parking spot at Bernie Moore. The tiks run me the same as everyone else and the parking place is $200. So my total outlay to LSU somewhre around $2200 per year. For 4 seats and a parking pass. I have to pay this because I did not inherit tiks. I personally beleive that there is no reasonable arguement that can be made that it is fair for someone who contributes no money to LSU and who does not support LSU financially to sit on the 50. If you go to the games and buy the tiks, great, you've paid the price of admission, you have been entertained. But if you don't cough up the extra amount needed to make LSU the best (like I do) - you don't have a right to sit in those seats just because your great-uncle handed the seats down to you. Period. that's my take. I'll be calling my representative to give the tiks to TAF. Long-time season ticket holders will be given the opportunity to keep their seats. If they can't afford them, they can move somewhere else in the stadium, I'll be gald to pay for the tiks. I guarantee I'll yell louder anyway.
The price of victory is high. I trust Skip Bertman to make the right decisions on this. The price of a top-notch national program is very expensive.
I remember seeing something on WAFB about LSU's TAF controls a little number of seats as compared to a few other SEC schools like Tenn, UF and UGA. I think they are all over 50% of so. I know that UF's new upper deck was financed by their version of a TAF.
It sounds like the majority of you are in agreement that the TAF needs control of more seats and I guess it makes sense (they need more revenue). As for DeathValley's list, I have a few questions: 1. Why do we need a new West upper deck? Is it getting old or do we just want to match the east side? I've heard the East upper deck is very steep and nauseating (to some). 2. I thought we completed a state of the art weight room a couple of years ago. Is this needed? 3. I'm in 100% (110%) agreement. 4. Why do we need a new baseball stadium? I know there's been talk about it for awhile but I like Alex Box and its one of the finest college venues around. 5. I have no clue about the softball stadium. Maybe all 5 are necessities. I just thought some of you may be able to fill me in.
LSU and TAF I have no problem with the TAF getting some more seats as long as they don't take control of the whole stadium. I wouldn't mind the TAF controling 35-40% of stadium tickets but not more than that at this time. As far a East vs. West Upper Decks. The East upper deck is far an away abetter than the West. In fact I have loved the seats that I have sat in in the East Upper Deck. Whatever happens I will still be an LSU fan even if I am eventually priced out of tickets by the TAF. Geaux Tigers
1. We are wanting a new West Upper so that it will match the East Upper and the plans allow for the south end to be horseshoed. That is the ultimate plan when it is all said and done with a capacity of 110,000+. 2. The weightroom is complete. It is on the north end of the stadium and is next to Broussard Athletic Training Room which is visible from N. Stadium Dr. 3. 4. While I agree I love the Box. But the campus master plan is calling for a more state of the art basball stadium across the street and on the other side of the traintacks. Have you ever sat in the bleachers along the 1st and 3rd base sides? Particullary R5 and L3. The seats are horrible. You have to turn and sit at almost a 45 degree angle to watch the game. The new stadium will have angled seats and have a larger capacity which will rival many minor league parks. 5. No clue about softball either.
A new upper west is needed because the present one is too old and the press box is very outdated. A side benefit is that it will match the new east upper and could one day aid in the POSSIBLE conection of the 2 uppers. However this is not the main reason to do it. The west upper needs replacing regardless. Several years from now, it will be decided if connecting the uppers to form a horseshoe is needed. It may not be. If we are not selling out 95,000 for every single game, then there is no need to spend a fortune to add more seats. The new weight room being discussed would be by the indoor practice field, over by the vet school. Personally I am not convinced that we need 2 state of the art weight rooms.
I have been anti-TAF for some time......primarily b/c i sit on the 40 and realize unless I shuck out some serious bucks i'm going to lose my seats. No I didn't inherit these from a family member I bought them during the Hallman era. I've moved into the acceptance stage, realize i will probably lose my seats, and will join TAF although I am still gritting my teeth. I'm teetering on whether to go ahead and shuck it out for my seats or "downgrade" to some more reasonably priced. A few commets: 1) Renovating the West Upper deck. I have a different theory that i have heard that makes as much since as any. TAF controls 12% of the original bowl/W Upper Deck, plus what they build. the new plan calls for them to essentially gain control of the sidelines. From what I hear the renovation of the West Upper Deck.....by TAF....is there way of gaining control of it since they would have "rebuilt" it. slick move. 2) To keep up with the Jones' it it going to cost money lots of it......thus the creation of TAF. In return LSU had better put some serious contenders on the field. no more of this 7-5 and 8-4 football, low-to-middle-of-the-pack basketball, and must maintain the dominance in baseball. They had better hope that next football season is not half-ass or Saban leaves after next season b/c this could backfire in their face. Look at Bama, from what i hear they have some of the highest surcharges and have for some time and look at where they sit.....scandal and half-ass athletics. i've seen numerous comments from Bama fans complaining about the facilities.....well if they are paying these big ass surcharges where is it going. on the flipside, look at Miami, they don't even sell out their home games and are aboslutely dominant. 3) When is enough $ enough. They can only build and improve so many new facilities. At some point in the not so distant future TAF will have recouped all they have spent and probably have a nice war chest for whatever. Will they cut back on the fees at that time? Hell no, they'll continue to charge probably at even higher prices than what they start this thing off at. You can book it, you will start seeing TAF make contributions to the academic side. Well we all already do that out of our pay check every month. hell they already do it by funding a portion of Emmert's salary. this is the Tiger "Athletic" Foundation not "Academic".
