The Rose Bowl

[Tapper7]

yes the tunnel WAS ridiculous - for me, I had to miss 3 corps waiting to get in, so once i was in, i had to STAY in unless I wanted to do that a 2nd time and miss 6 corps (yeah good thing I was dehydrated and didnt have use the boys room ... heh heh ...)

Saw the "guards" tell the fans that if they were in the wrong tunnel they had to fall out of line and proceed to "correct" tunnel. There was much grumbling and one fan even yelled, "It would have been nice if you told us that b4 we got in line!!"

EVEN WORSE - the guard's remarks caused a whole slew of people to go to their respective "correct" tunnels - AND THEN THE DUDE LET EVERYONE WHO STAYED IN W/O EVEN CHECKING!!!! Those poor people probably missed 2 MORE corps!!!

Lucky me, I was a guest of DCI so I could go through any tunnel I wanted.... But here's the messed up part: Me, a guest, payed $0 to be there ... and the FANS (who are the reason we do what we do) who payed $100 or MORE 2B there were prodded around like sheep.

Heard it got WORSE after I got in, fans complained of being knocked around, almost trampled in the tunnel - tensions were running higher as more and more people missed more and more corps.

but this was my 1st time being in the stands at Finals, I know DCI is just as crazy as any big venue rock concert - still seems like it couldve been run better.

Again not bashing DCI in any way - blaming RB admin until I hear otherwise.

[Liam]

Those events that you mentioned have established their venues at a set location, so they're essentially defined by that venue. The fact that DCI has moved from location to location for finals over the past 35 years forms the characteristic that it is a national event that focuses beyond the proprieties of regional interests and encompasses a more diverse fanbase.

IMHO, it's not good for certain events to be stuck in one location for an extended period of time. No bash on Indianapolis, which I know to be a great city. I would say the same thing for anywhere else.

Missing my point, a little. I was responding to this question:

You would honestly want to go to the same place every years for finals??

Regardless of the tradition of certain activities, my point was that people DO go to the same place over and over again for events. I realize that the Masters = Augusta, but no matter what the tradition, that doesn't make Augusta, Ga any better of a place to visit year after year. People go for the EVENT, not for the surrounding city to vacation in. Same thing for Lexington, Ky, and yes even Indianapolis, IN.

And who's to say that Indy won't become that "established" site that defines DCI. It already does so for BOA and they draw pretty well still (I know, I know, different crowd, more parents, less die-hards, more local, less national, etc, etc, etc -- still works).

Also you talk about certain events shouldn't be stuck in one place. Maybe true, but I would argue that it's not good for certain events to move all over the place either. The housing and practice requirements for this event is overwhelming. Even a big city like LA/Pasedena could not handle all the corps. Not because there isn't space, but because there isn't enough knowledge/comfort zone with what we're doing to be accommodating. Also, stadiums are very quirky and many (most?) have issues incondusive to our particular idiosyncracies. Things like buzzing lights, elevator alarms, acoustics, noise restrictions, etc. , etc. Indy knows what they are getting into and are partnering with DCI (and BOA) to make sure as many of these items as possible are worked out. I think we'll find a very accommodating home that we'll want to return to.

Obviously, we'll have to wait and see. My overall point is that what's good for the event, what's good for the activity should trump what's good for our vacation plans. So, yes, I would definitely want to go to the same place every year for finals if it that place were a world class facility that accommodated the fans and the participants for the betterment of the activity. I do enjoy going to differnet cities and checking out what the have to offer. But I also enjoy finding favorite haunts and restaurants and etc in cities that I return to often. So, in my book, DCI Finals just moves from the former to the latter, and I will adjust accordingly if that's what's best for this activity that I love and suport.

Edited August 14, 2007 by Liam

[84BDsop]

Huh.....I had no trouble finals night when I went in the section 20 tunnel instead of the correct section 19...I showed the guy my ticket just as I realized (by seeing the field) that I was too far over on side 2...I was pointed in teh right direction and made teh move to my seat.

I must've caught the one guy with a brain....

The lights were irritating, but I could ignore them most of the time.

Seats were built for skinny people...I get more room flying coach then those #### things....and the space between rows was just about nothing.

I would've preferred San Diego, but it's been said NUMEROUS times since the RB contract was signed (by me along with so many others), that there were scheduling conflicts with the Chargers.

Perhaps it'll be San Diego the next time...after the housing debacle, I doubt it'll be LA again....San Diego would've been cooler also...closer to the beach and not quite so hot.

[CODI]

I hope you are happy with your trip to "Mecca"!!!

Everyone wanted to go West, and enjoy the traffic of LA!

Buzzing of Lights, poor lighting, poor field conditions, sounds like Friday Night Football at TX's high school in Texas!!

I guess the ringing of the bell for the elevator in Foxboro a few years ago isn't too bad.

Plus Boston is a great place to visit! L. A. you have to wear body armor, or you will get shot with the "Krips and the Bloods" or maybe some of he Mexican Mafia, and MS-13!!!

Now onto the Midwest next year, and we can all help with the harvest!!!!!

CODI

Edited August 14, 2007 by CODI

[AvaSora]

I hope you are happy with your trip to "Mecca"!!!

Everyone wanted to go West, and enjoy the traffic of LA!

Buzzing of Lights, poor lighting, poor field conditions, sounds like Friday Night Football at TX's high school in Texas!!

I guess the ringing of the bell for the elevator in Foxboro a few years ago isn't too bad.

Plus Boston is a great place to visit! L. A. you have to wear body armor, or you will get shot with the "Krips and the Bloods" or maybe some of he Mexican Mafia, and MS-13!!!

Now onto the Midwest next year, and we can all help with the harvest!!!!!

CODI

You don't have to wear body armor in all of LA. That's a stereotype. LA county is huge. As in any place, there are bad areas you avoid. Even in Columbus and Cincinnati (I spent 26 years in Ohio). I'm glad DCI got the Pasadena venue. There are things to be learned and hopefully these mistakes will not be repeated :)

The lighting was fine and the field on Friday was fine. The buzzing lights and seating space was not as good, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. If I had to stand, I would.

[shawn craig]

I drove around LA, down to Laguna Beach, and out to Palm Springs and had no more freeway problems then anywhere else; a little construction once, a little slow once, but nothing major. :)

I actually was able to walk from the hotel to the stadium each night.

The Rose Bowl is deffinately has the best landscaping of any stadium I've ever been to or seen.

Food was on par with most stadium food (poor and over priced).

The feild may not have been great but I liked that they didn't have the Bruins or Rose Bowl emblems in the middle.

I used a different tunel each night. Like most places some of the staff was better than others.

Overall I had a great experience and enjoyed my first trip to California. ^OO^

Edited August 14, 2007 by shawn craig

[barkermarker]

I didn't think the traffic was bad at all.

[barkermarker]

You don't have to wear body armor in all of LA. That's a stereotype. LA county is huge. As in any place, there are bad areas you avoid. Even in Columbus and Cincinnati (I spent 26 years in Ohio). I'm glad DCI got the Pasadena venue. There are things to be learned and hopefully these mistakes will not be repeated :)

The lighting was fine and the field on Friday was fine. The buzzing lights and seating space was not as good, but I enjoyed it nevertheless. If I had to stand, I would.

The worst ghetto I ever saw was in Cincinnati.

[randomnoise]

The only things that bugged me were the lights and sluggish access through the tunnels. The stadium folks were jerks, but almost all I have ever encountered have been - they have a crummy job.

Press box was very good, parking fine, location (Pasadena) awesome. Seating was tight, but that is pretty common.

Best thing was the BD tent in the parking lot on Friday - a full bar and a place to hang out!

[skajerk]

I didn't think the traffic was bad at all.

Agreed. After how many times I've been in the LA area and after going to college at Azusa for a few years, I think that was some of the lightest traffic I've seen there!

And to those of you STILL complaining about how the field looked (Looked? LOOKED?? This in now one of the criteria for a finals location? Jeezy creezy! <$1.00 to Eddie Izzard>). I beg you PLEASE dig up your '83 tapes or DVDs and take another look at the Orange Bowl. That should stop all your whining right there.