Superdome Question

[BigMac12]

For this season, the Lousiana Superdome has new sideline seating. Here's a link to the pdf file:

2011 New Orleans Saints Seating

Will they change the seating in 124-132 and 152-104 for the following offseason?

[dfwabel]

Since those associated with the state, team, and project claim that the improvements are "done", then no. The lower bowl was redone to place fans closer to the field as well as to add seats.

[BlueSky]

As I understand it, they redid the lower bowl to make what had been removeable seating permanent. In other words, I don't think it's possible any more to reconfigure the Superdome to accommodate baseball or any other event that won't fit where the football field is.

The "multipurpose" wave during which that stadium was conceived gave us lots of fairly crappy venues which did many things but none of them well. These changes convert the Superdome into a more or less "pure" football stadium.

[pmoehrin]

As I understand it, they redid the lower bowl to make what had been removeable seating permanent. In other words, I don't think it's possible any more to reconfigure the Superdome to accommodate baseball or any other event that won't fit where the football field is.

The "multipurpose" wave during which that stadium was conceived gave us lots of fairly crappy venues which did many things but none of them well. These changes convert the Superdome into a more or less "pure" football stadium.

The stadium was built with the hopes of attracting an MLB team but obviously that is no longer a possibility so keeping the conversion around was kinda pointless.

Think Tulane would still use it for a baseball game every now and then but that was about it. Also remember the Cubs playing an exhibition game there back around '99 or so.

[BlueSky]

I went to a few of the games mentioned in this Wiki piece and the 'dome was meh for baseball. In fact, it's pretty good for football but not so great for anything else. It was actually kind of spooky in a way when they did Jazz games because the crowd and playing space was so small compared to football so there was this feeling like the game was in a big cavern or something. For concerts, the acoustics were awful.

===

The first baseball game in the Superdome was an exhibition between the Minnesota Twins and the Houston Astros on April 6, 1976.[17] The American Association New Orleans Pelicans played at the Superdome during the 1977 season. The Pelicans' season attendance was 217,957 at the dome.[18]

Superdome officials pursued negotiations with Oakland Athletics officials during the 1978-1979 baseball off-season about moving the Athletics to the Superdome. The Athletics were unable to break their lease at the Oakland-Alameda County Coliseum and remained in Oakland.[19] Superdome officials met with the Pittsburgh Pirates in April 1981 about moving the club to New Orleans when the Pirates were unhappy with their lease at Three Rivers Stadium.[20]

The New York Yankees played exhibition games at the Superdome in 1980, 1981, 1982, and 1983. The Yankees hosted the Baltimore Orioles on March 15 and 16, 1980. 45,152 spectators watched the Yankees beat the Orioles 9 to 3 on March 15, 1980. The following day, 43,339 fans saw Floyd Rayford lead the Orioles to a 7 to 1 win over the Yankees.[21] Late in 1982, the Yankees considered opening the 1983 regular season at the Superdome if Yankee Stadium would not be ready yet after renovations.[22] Attendance slipped to 15,129 for a March 27, 1983 Yankees-Blue Jays exhibition game at the Superdome.[23] The Philadelphia Phillies and St. Louis Cardinals closed the 1984 spring training season with two games at the dome on March 31, 1984 and April 1, 1984.

===

[raysox]

Off topic, kinda.

Superdome normally.

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/Superdome.html

[pmoehrin]

Off topic, kinda.

Superdome normally.

http://www.andrewclem.com/Baseball/Superdome.html

Place looks like it would play like a big time hitters park. Just 365 to the power alleys and 325 down the lines.

[BlueSky]

This thread has been dormant for a while but I ran across this postcard on eBay and it shows several interesting things:

1) the ridiculously long distance between the sideline seats and the field in the original configuration;

2) the field, literally turf over a thin pad over concrete (no wonder there were so many injuries on the old turf); and

3) the old hanging replay screens. Yes, folks, before Jerryvision, we had these projection screens that you could hardly see in the best of conditions.

That's also what Ray Guy hit with a punt in the '76 Pro Bowl btw.