Gillette Stadium walls

[DGivens87]

Don't know if anyone else caught this, but apparently the walls surrounding the field at Gillette Stadium are now red and white...

Anyone know if this is just temporary with some new designs to be added to the white spaces, or if this is the final product?

[patsox]

I noticed it. It looked wierd.

[slapshot]

I think it's because a new football movie starring The Rock is going to be filmed there over the Patriots' bye week.

[doafhat]

[The_Admiral]

Is there anything around that stadium or is it just in the middle of nowhere?

[patsox]

Is there anything around that stadium or is it just in the middle of nowhere?

It's a town of about 16,000 approximately 20 miles southwest of Boston. Yeah there's not much around it.

[Pharos04]

Is there anything around that stadium or is it just in the middle of nowhere?

Pretty much was built on a very heavily settled section of Route 1 in Foxboro. there are no skyrises, not tall buildings at all. just a couple of Dunkin Donuts, a Ford Dealership across the street, and the highway. oh and an occasionally used train station

[The_Admiral]

Can't help but think there must've been a site closer to Boston to put the new stadium.

[Pharos04]

They picked Foxboro on the basis that since the team named changed from Boston to New England they should pick a spot that is near two of the bigger cities: Boston and Providence. And Foxboro was relative centered between the two and had land to build the original stadium

[jkrdevil]

I believe they chose Foxboro because it is about the same distance from Boston as it is from Providence, Rhode Island.

[slapshot]

Aside from being convenient to both Boston and Foxboro (both with major airports), the site of both stadiums is convenient to a few major highways (routes 95, 128, 495) and a major roadway (Route 1).

There was never enough space in Boston proper for a big stadium, so Foxboro was chosen as a less expensive alternative that had enough real estate for the stadium and parking.

Before Gillette Stadium was built, Robert Kraft was looking into a few other options: the Boston Waterfront (too expensive) or moving the team to Hartford (at the site of what is now Uconn's Rentschler Field).

In fact, within a week of deciding to build the stadium just outside of Hartford, a new deal was struck to buy out the homeowners and land around the current Foxboro Stadium to build Gillette Stadium (formerly CMGI Field). The new area included a new training camp and practice facility, new team offices and housing for players, new pro shop, and restructured parking. There were also renovations done around Route 1 to accommodate the larger stadium and all the increased traffic that would come with it. Once Gillette was completed, Foxboro Stadium was torn down and made into a parking lot for the new stadium.

However, the construction of Gillette Stadium meant the demise of one of its displaced neighbors, Spooky World (America's Horror Themepark), through eminent domain.

[sharplcd]

whats saban doing? explaining how to toss a challenge flag or something

IMO: while watching the game i kinda liked the way the walls looked

-sharplcd

[The_Admiral]

I have learned a lot about the history and logistics of Foxboro!

[OMMF]

Isn't it Foxborough? Or am I making that up?

[RyanB06]

Either-or. Signs use "Foxboro", newspapers "Foxborough".

[josh1068]

Actually, the design on the walls are the red and white stripes of the U.S. flag, albeit at an odd angle.

FYI, sitting in the stands at Foxboro is beautiful this time of year. From the upper levels, all you see around you is autumn foliage in bright reds, oranges and yellows. On clear days, to the north you can see the skyline of Boston.

Also, just a mile away from the stadium on Route 1 begins a several-mile long stretch of malls and restaurants, so you're not exactly out in the middle of nowhere...civilization is close by!

[doctorpeligro]

FYI, sitting in the stands at Foxboro is beautiful this time of year. From the upper levels, all you see around you is autumn foliage in bright reds, oranges and yellows. On clear days, to the north you can see the skyline of Boston.

Can you see the field from the upper levels? It was nice of Mr. Kraft to perch the upper deck above the equivalent of 3 levels of suites (2 suite levels, and 1 club level concourse with a view of the field). The Cardinals and Patriots built their stadium a few years too early, as the standard is now to have a closer upper deck, and then build a 4 story suite structure where one of the upper decks would be (a la New Soldier Field, Camp Randall Stadium renovation, and the new 49ers Stadium). That way, the suites replace what would be the most distant seats.

[dfwabel]

I just remember red walls at Gillette (just to stay on original topic)

It is somewhat unfair to label soldier Field in any rennovations/new facilities. Remember that an entire level of suites, most notably in th US with Philips Arena, was a necessity in Chicago. The "new stadium structure" of Soldier Field has been made from between the original columns and original stadium. For the suites and club seats, they had to basucally build up. Club seats and suites at Soldier are really close since it is built up and not out.

FYI, sitting in the stands at Foxboro is beautiful this time of year. From the upper levels, all you see around you is autumn foliage in bright reds, oranges and yellows. On clear days, to the north you can see the skyline of Boston.

Can you see the field from the upper levels? It was nice of Mr. Kraft to perch the upper deck above the equivalent of 3 levels of suites (2 suite levels, and 1 club level concourse with a view of the field). The Cardinals and Patriots built their stadium a few years too early, as the standard is now to have a closer upper deck, and then build a 4 story suite structure where one of the upper decks would be (a la New Soldier Field, Camp Randall Stadium renovation, and the new 49ers Stadium). That way, the suites replace what would be the most distant seats.

[Hat Boy]

Actually, the design on the walls are the red and white stripes of the U.S. flag, albeit at an odd angle.

Red and white stripes at a 45 degree angle look more "candy cane" than US flag. The walls at Schafer Stadium (and I think during some of the Sullivan Stadium years) had red/white stripes that resembled a waving flag. They also had blue fields with stars on them to complete the design.

[DrBear]

The reason the stadium is in Foxboro(ugh...and you can take THAT any way you wish) is that when the Pats were looking after 1969, with no place to go, the guy who owned the old harness track there made some of his excess land available. (I don't think the track is operating any more, although I did go there 20 years ago.) Had it not been for that - just in time for the NFL meetings before the 1970 season - the Patriots might have asked for permission to move and got it as nothing else was showing up. The promise of the new stadium also allowed Harvard, which had vowed not to allow the pros on their sacred turf, to bend for one year (1970) so as not to be seen as chasing the team out of the area when a new stadium was being built.

Also forgotten - the track was the Bay State Raceway, and for about 24 hours, the Patriots were going to be called the Bay State Patriots until wiser heads prevailed.