Anybody else catch Bounds' topic for discussion this morning?

[engie]

A great architect would be able to figure out how to do it all in a way that makes basically everyone happy...You can add a student section while retaining the lounges just by limiting height on 2-3 lounges in right.

2 tiers of lounges -- a 360* concourse that runs between the two -- mandated height so people can reasonably see the game from the concourse all the way around. Only 1 tier in right -- with a multi-berm student section beyond it.

It's going to take alot more than $30mil to do it right...

[Schultzy]

Are you going to put a percentage use of tickets on grandstand season ticket holders as well? Loungers have proven they will show consistently.

There's a recruiting factor in all of this too. Be careful what you ask for. LFL is unique. Once you lose it good luck getting it back.

[messageboardsuperhero]

they need to just build them in and out permanent walkways around them.

I wouldn't mind having the school take all the lounges and build them into a new, tiered concrete structure. That way you keep the individuality/uniqueness/tradition of the lounge, but also make them safe- and of course build the open concourse behind the lounges and make it go all the way around the stadium.

[Political Hack]

I wouldn't mind having the school take all the lounges and build them into a new, tiered concrete structure. That way you keep the individuality/uniqueness/tradition of the lounge, but also make them safe- and of course build the open concourse behind the lounges and make it go all the way around the stadium.

yep. they'd have to take ownership and allow the original owners to grandfather in cheaply with lifetime rights IMO. That's what will make it great though.

[messageboardsuperhero]

A great architect would be able to figure out how to do it all in a way that makes basically everyone happy...You can add a student section while retaining the lounges just by limiting height on 2-3 lounges in right.

2 tiers of lounges -- a 360* concourse that runs between the two -- mandated height so people can reasonably see the game from the concourse all the way around. Only 1 tier in right -- with a multi-berm student section beyond it.

It's going to take alot more than $30mil to do it right...

These are my thoughts as well.

I just hope Stricklin is ready to pony up for this, because with the way attendance and fan support is exploding right now, expectations are sky high for this project. Anything less than the best stadium in college baseball will be a disappointment considering the way he was talking this thing up last year- and there is no cheap fix for what we need to get us there, IMO.

[LilSebastian]

This is impossible. U can't sign off on it and not be liable.

Get a building inspector to do it for the University, not the athletic department. the university should be able to apply some industry standards and not accept liability. Also, a grill and alcohol is a much bigger problem from a risk management perspective. buildings fall, fires spread.

[Brad Stevens]

I heard this on the radio this morning, but like most mornings, it took Bo 10 minutes before he even got to his point, and I changed it. I may be in the minority, but I'm not a fan of his show at all. I only listen on occasions when Mississippi Sports This Morning is on commercial break. Their show is more lighthearted and fun to me, where Bo makes every issue seem life-or-death by his intensely serious tone.

As far as the actual issue, I am torn. Like most people, I want to keep the atmosphere and gain the safety. Thankfully I'm not the one that has to make that decision.

[Homedawg]

Get a building inspector to do it for the University, not the athletic department. the university should be able to apply some industry standards and not accept liability. Also, a grill and alcohol is a much bigger problem from a risk management perspective. buildings fall, fires spread.

I'm not a lawyer. And I don't claim to be. Maybe you are, however, I have spoken to a lawyer "fairly" close to the situation and he/she disagrees w your statement.

[Todd4State]

I think Dudy-Noble Field will be Scott's defining moment as AD- good or bad. And it could define whether he stays or goes.

I can't see the LFL going anywhere. At the meetings, pretty much everyone was in agreement that it should remain in some form or fashion. That included University officials.

I don't know about rebooting, rebranding, or whatever- I think that's a lot of radio jockey trying to get people to talk stuff. But I do think the LFL will have to change to be safer- but I think it can be done in a way that makes everyone happy while retaining the uniqueness of the LFL. I don't think that change necessarily involves "rebooting" it. I think that's sensationalism.

The LFL as it is has changed over the years if not subtly. I'm sure it's different now than it was in 1969 or whatever year the LFL "started". I'm sure it's different now than it was in 1985. It's probably different than it was in 2011. As it is, the LFL is constantly evolving by nature.

[Todd4State]

A great architect would be able to figure out how to do it all in a way that makes basically everyone happy...You can add a student section while retaining the lounges just by limiting height on 2-3 lounges in right.

2 tiers of lounges -- a 360* concourse that runs between the two -- mandated height so people can reasonably see the game from the concourse all the way around. Only 1 tier in right -- with a multi-berm student section beyond it.

It's going to take alot more than $30mil to do it right...

I agree, and you know what my biggest concern with this is?

I think in Scott's head his whole thought process was "Get Dan what he wants, build the football stadium, and then do baseball down the road."

Well, all of a sudden we go to Omaha and make some major noise and become probably the sports story for the state of Mississippi in 2013 and then all of a sudden, now he has people demanding that Dudy-Noble be renovated or completely rebuilt.

So now all of a sudden he's having to be flexible and it just seems like he kind of got caught with his pants down a little bit. Or at the very least that's the impression that I get.

But here's the other thing that worries me- even if we do it right, I can tell you right now that he is going to have to deal with some people that are going to be unhappy initially because their name isn't on their seat or whatever. And I can tell that he doesn't want to deal with that. So, my hope is that he actually nuts up and does the right thing for the baseball program rather than try to make one person happy.

[Political Hack]

I think Dudy-Noble Field will be Scott's defining moment as AD- good or bad. And it could define whether he stays or goes.

I can't see the LFL going anywhere. At the meetings, pretty much everyone was in agreement that it should remain in some form or fashion. That included University officials.

I don't know about rebooting, rebranding, or whatever- I think that's a lot of radio jockey trying to get people to talk stuff. But I do think the LFL will have to change to be safer- but I think it can be done in a way that makes everyone happy while retaining the uniqueness of the LFL. I don't think that change necessarily involves "rebooting" it. I think that's sensationalism.

The LFL as it is has changed over the years if not subtly. I'm sure it's different now than it was in 1969 or whatever year the LFL "started". I'm sure it's different now than it was in 1985. It's probably different than it was in 2011. As it is, the LFL is constantly evolving by nature.

if anyone screws up the LFL they will be in the eternal doghouse. period. end of story. done. forever.

[messageboardsuperhero]

I agree, and you know what my biggest concern with this is?

I think in Scott's head his whole thought process was "Get Dan what he wants, build the football stadium, and then do baseball down the road."

Well, all of a sudden we go to Omaha and make some major noise and become probably the sports story for the state of Mississippi in 2013 and then all of a sudden, now he has people demanding that Dudy-Noble be renovated or completely rebuilt.

So now all of a sudden he's having to be flexible and it just seems like he kind of got caught with his pants down a little bit. Or at the very least that's the impression that I get.

But here's the other thing that worries me- even if we do it right, I can tell you right now that he is going to have to deal with some people that are going to be unhappy initially because their name isn't on their seat or whatever. And I can tell that he doesn't want to deal with that. So, my hope is that he actually nuts up and does the right thing for the baseball program rather than try to make one person happy.

This is what I think it's all going to come down to- does Stricklin have the stones to stand up and do what's best for MSU? Even if that means putting our finances in the red for a little bit and upsetting some of the blue hairs in the short run? From what I've heard, the architechts have made it abundantly clear that the best move is to tear down and start over with a new grandstand, and there is more momentum behind this idea than ever.

It's going to take a little bit of a bold move to do what's right for MSU in the long run. Hopefully Stricklin's got it in him to make that bold move.

[State82]

It's going to take alot more than $30mil to do it right...

To do everything right, including overhauling the outfield, will probably take more than $40 mil

[Todd4State]

This is what I think it's all going to come down to- does Stricklin have the stones to stand up and do what's best for MSU? Even if that means putting our finances in the red for a little bit and upsetting some of the blue hairs in the short run? From what I've heard, the architechts have made it abundantly clear that the best move is to tear down and start over with a new grandstand, and there is more momentum behind this idea than ever.

It's going to take a little bit of a bold move to do what's right for MSU in the long run. Hopefully Stricklin's got it in him to make that bold move.

Exactly. I hope Stricklin looks at what Byrne did because that was the last bold move the baseball program made and we see how that has worked out. I'm 99% sure that LT would have hired Raffo, and there would have been some support for that from some of our fans. But it simply wasn't the right move IF we really wanted to be a nationally recognized program. I'm honestly not sure we would have ever recovered from what would have been the "easy" move. You're talking about a generation of baseball players that would have basically seen us as the place with the trailers in the outfield and not the place that is a winner.

The baseball field is a similar move. Are we serious about having the best baseball program in America? Or are we going to be cheap and aw shucks MSU?

[rabbitthedawg]

It's 2014.

We need to build some permanent structures in LF for groups to rent each season for about 1,500-2K per season. Old Timers get first crack. People can still bring grills and whatnot. RF needs to be a student section. That part is not hard.

What is hard is to figure out how to do it properly.

I agree in principle, but charging $1500 to $2000 is going above and beyond the call of duty. With ponying up money just to get a seat in DWS, then the same at the Hump, now you want to make us pay more for DNF? You reach a point we some of us are going to say, "to hell with it."

[smootness]

So now all of a sudden he's having to be flexible and it just seems like he kind of got caught with his pants down a little bit. Or at the very least that's the impression that I get.

But what evidence is there that backs up that impression? I feel like people just already peg Stricklin as a certain type and then assume he is going about things in a way that backs up that perception.

All we know is that Stricklin is riding the momentum of last season's run into putting together a phenomenal design team to build 'the best stadium in America,' in his own words. Doing this after a year like we had is the perfect time to be able to put together the kind of support it takes to accomplish that.

What about what he's doing makes you think he was caught with his pants down? I don't think he originally planned on doing DNF this soon, but he's taking advantage of the atmosphere around the baseball program right now.

And it's hard for me to see someone publicly stating that they want the best stadium in America if they plan on not doing everything it will take to accomplish that. Ultimately we'll see, but I have no reason to believe right now that Stricklin is not prepared to do what is necessary.

[engie]

But what evidence is there that backs up that impression? I feel like people just already peg Stricklin as a certain type and then assume he is going about things in a way that backs up that perception....What about what he's doing makes you think he was caught with his pants down? I don't think he originally planned on doing DNF this soon, but he's taking advantage of the atmosphere around the baseball program right now.

The fact that he was on DS's radio show midseason last year talking about a mild sprucing up of Dudy Noble -- and about how it "isn't broken and just needs a little work" --- then, all of a sudden, 3-4 months later talking about razing the place and starting over. Something MAJOR changed during that time period -- and all we can do is speculate as to what it was -- but it was NOT in his initial gameplan to renovate on the level that we're now likely to see. Simplified -- what's happening now was NOT his plan all along...

While there are those that go too far about Strick, as you are implying, I don't think Todd is one of them -- and I agree with him on this topic 100%. Strick wasn't listening to "us" until after the Omaha run -- so what actually changed? Did the money men get in front of him and tell him what they wanted? Who knows?

And it's hard for me to see someone publicly stating that they want the best stadium in America if they plan on not doing everything it will take to accomplish that. Ultimately we'll see, but I have no reason to believe right now that Stricklin is not prepared to do what is necessary.

And nobody is disagreeing with this part... We are just "nervous" about it -- exactly like he should also be, since it's his entire legacy at MSU on the line...

[smootness]

The fact that he was on DS's radio show midseason last year talking about a mild sprucing up of Dudy Noble -- and about how it "isn't broken and just needs a little work" --- then, all of a sudden, 3-4 months later talking about razing the place and starting over. Something MAJOR changed during that time period -- and all we can do is speculate as to what it was -- but it was NOT in his initial gameplan to renovate on the level that we're now likely to see. Simplified -- what's happening now was NOT his plan all along...

Fair enough, I didn't know he had said that. If that's true, then it looks like he was prepared to not do what was necessary. At least it looks like he's on the right track now, we just have to wait until we see what we're going to get.

[Coach34]

I agree in principle, but charging $1500 to $2000 is going above and beyond the call of duty. With ponying up money just to get a seat in DWS, then the same at the Hump, now you want to make us pay more for DNF? You reach a point we some of us are going to say, "to hell with it."

1,500-2K is not alot of money to split between 3-4-5 people for those prime spots in LF and Left-Center that people would kill for.

And as far as being in prime locations for all 3- I think those days are over unless you are really well off. That is the cost of modern day sports and you have to pick your sport if you are most fans

If it were up to me- I'd build permanent spots and give the old timers 1st crack at them for 2K per season. With that 2K it would include 5 season tickets. Each spot would sit 10 people comfortably. I just think that's extremely fair for being one of the top venues in the country.

[dawgs]

i would rather us make a creative, good decision with the LFL than wait until a trailer falls over severely injuring or killing some children to make that decision. i'd love for the university to allow folks to incorporate their trucks/trailers into a more permanent structure out there. it would take some work and some would probably be condemned, but if done right, it could be pretty awesome i think. basically a permanent patio like level with the trucks/trailers safely and stably built into the structure all the way around the OF. you'd still have the "look" and the personality of the LFL, but it would be much safer.