Rose Bowl Stadium. Finals 2007.

[MikeBob]

For 30+ years west coast fans have been bemoaning the fact that DCI never brings the championships to the west coast. Now DCI finally does, and complain, complain, complain.

I am capable of feeling mixed emotions.

(That "flamey" enough for you?)

[ChicagoFan]

The one major drawback concerning the Rose Bowl is the low angle of the seating slope, resulting in rather poor sight lines. Otherwise, most of the other issues people have raised are, in my opinion, not particularly upseting.

1. Parking -- the stadium is surrounded by large parking lots and empty fields with space for far more cars than will be present during DCI events. We've just come from Madison where parking is almost non-existent. By comparisson, this will be Shangri La.

2. Location -- the Rose Bowl is located an a beautiful park-like setting in the middle of Pasadena (an affluent suburb of LA). Nearby are parks, a golf course, and multi-million dollar homes. The view from inside is of the San Gabriel mountains -- beautiful.

3. Attractions -- no, there is not much within walking distance of the stadium but the surrounding area is, of course, a major tourist destination. What, exactly, was in easy walking distance of the stadiums in Foxboro, Denver, Buffalo, Orlando?

4. Ammenities - as with most older stadiums, the concession areas are limited and seating is on bleachers but, once again, what we just experienced in Madison was not exactly of the gold standard. We were spoiled in Denver and Foxboro and, no doubt, will be again in Indianapolis but I don't go to finals for the cuisine or the accomodations in the stadium -- I go to see the corps. I think I can "rough it" for 3 days.

I was there for the Tournament of Champions and will be there again for finals in 2007. Yes, there are some drawbacks to the Rose Bowl (as there almost always are with any venue) but I, for one, am looking forward to the experience.

[Liam]

One good thing about the Rose Bowl that I'm looking forward to will be the connection of the entire crowd because of the bowl shape (i.e., no upper deck). In both Denver and Foxboro, I had club level seating. Now, don't get me wrong -- I LOVED the amenities, but the drawback was that we were somewhat seperated from the bulk of the crowd. I did sit in the lower deck at Denver one night, but because of the club level break, it was difficult to hear even the upper deck crowd or to feel a part of the overall large crowd. It was like three different groups watching the same event. Madison was better of course, but even there, in the upper deck, we could certainly hear the lower deck crowd, but we couldn't see most of them so it didn't feel like we were all cheering together, if you get my drift.

The Rose Bowl, if nothing else, will be one large crowd all on the same level, feeding off each other. That, I think, will be cool.

(Of course, when we go to Indy, I'll be back in the club level ... no doubt about it B) )

Edited August 15, 2006 by Liam

[Phillygwm]

I was there for the Tournament of Champions and will be there again for finals in 2007. Yes, there are some drawbacks to the Rose Bowl (as there almost always are with any venue) but I, for one, am looking forward to the experience.

Well put. I'm not sure there IS a perfect venue for finals. Denver was the closest to ideal of those I've attended -- great stadium, plentiful air service, I walked to the hotel, stuff to do aside from drum corps, and good weather. Buffalo might be second. Of the regional venues, Louisville impressed me most as a potential Finals location, and I look forward to Indy (albeit for a couple years, anyway.)

I know Madison is hallowed ground for a lot of people, but I don't see the appeal. The city is incredibly welcoming, but parking sucks and there's a lot of noise behind the stands.

So, I expect the sight lines in the Rose Bowl to be suck and the acoustics to be not a lot better but, as long as there are no elevator bells ringing, there have been worse places. San Diego may have been a better choice, but we're going to Pasadena. Corps will just need to bring additional amps to compensate ^0^

Edited August 15, 2006 by Phillygwm

[gdisney]

The Rose Bowl, if nothing else, will be one large crowd all on the same level, feeding off each other. That, I think, will be cool.

Good point...hadn't thought of that.

[Michael Boo]

...

See you in Indy in 08, 09, 10, 11, 12, 13, 14, 15, 16 & 17

...

Take out 2014 and add 2018.

[IllianaLancerContra]

Take out 2014 and add 2018.

My bad. Frontrunners for 14 anyone?

[ChiBoyinLA]

I worked with the UCLA Band for six years, and attended TOC at the Rose Bowl, so I think that I have a pretty good idea of how the Rose Bowl will work for DCI. I think it is a good choice.

Getting There: This is L.A., so you MUST rent a car. Don't even think about taking public transportation. Traffic in L.A. on a Friday night is heavy, and ingress/egress to the stadium, which sits in a canyon, isn't ideal. So leave for the stadium early to avoid any problems.

Parking: Not a problem at all. There is tons of parking surrounding the stadium. Just make sure to pay very close attention to where your spot is, because it is a bit disorienting to try to find a car on a not very well marked golf course in the dark.

The Stadium Experience: If you sit high enough, the sitelines are fine. I think there are around 80 rows in the stadium. I sat in row 70 for TOC, and the view was good. Definitely high enough to see the drill, although a bit further distance away from the field than if you were sitting in a balcony at another stadium. I would suggest trying to get seats above row 40 or so. Sound does not carry as well in the Rose Bowl as in other venues because it is so large. You will be able to hear the corps just fine, but it won't be as loud as you may be used to, particularly in the higher rows of the stadium. I think that the majority of the seating area for Finals will be in the plastic seats with backs, not benches. The concessions (assuming all of the stands are open) are adequate; not great, not awful. There is a very spacious area for the souvie trucks, and acres of open space for corps warm-up areas.

Bottom line: Compared to the 18 other stadiums that have hosted DCI Finals, I would rank the Rose Bowl as a little higher than average. Not posh like the New Mile High or Gillette, but WAY better than dumps like the Orange Bowl, Cotton Bowl and Jackson. Compared to Madison, the sightlines are worse, the seating is generally more comfortable, the parking situation is better, and the overall esthetics are better.

Stuff to do: Because the Rose Bowl is in a canyon surrounded by residential areas, there is not much else to do within 1 mile of the stadium other than the Kidspace Children's Museum, which I would highly recommend to families with kids ages 1 to about 8.

However, Old Town Pasadena is a VERY short drive from the stadium, about 5 minutes (approximately a 40 minute/1.5 mile walk uphill ). There is a TON of stuff to do there -- many square blocks of shopping, great restaurants, movies, etc. And, of course, there is more to do in the Los Angeles metro area than in any of the cities where DCI has ever been held. Period. Before you say "Orlando," remember that we've also got a Disneyland and Universal City . . . AND beaches, museums, shopping, historical sites, etc.

Pasadena will be a very good DCI Finals site. Not PERFECT, but very good. There is a reason why world-class events like the Super Bowl, World Cup and Olympics keep coming back here.

Edited August 15, 2006 by ChiBoyinLA

[bluecoats88]

In both Denver and Foxboro, I had club level seating. Now, don't get me wrong -- I LOVED the amenities, but the drawback was that we were somewhat seperated from the bulk of the crowd.

Personally I prefer not to sit with the rest of the crowd and like the idea of having the club level seats. Less congestion at the concessions and bathrooms makes for a much more enjoyable day for me.

I too had club level seats at both of these venues and will in 2008 in Indy as well.

[Liam]

Personally I prefer not to sit with the rest of the crowd and like the idea of having the club level seats. Less congestion at the concessions and bathrooms makes for a much more enjoyable day for me.

I too had club level seats at both of these venues and will in 2008 in Indy as well.

Oh, I agree. I love the less congested bathrooms and concessions and all that. What I meant was that once the shows started, I missed the energy of being surrounded by a large crowd and standing and cheering as one with 20,000. Once the show was over and it was time for a beer (hey, another great advantage to professional stadiums !!! :mmm: ), or to give one back, THEN the club level seating was worth every stinking penny!!!!

I'll be right there with you in Indy -- just saying that the Rose Bowl will bring a different experience in terms of the energy and symbiosis of the crowd. (Wow, that was a college word -- where did that come from ??)