Game Day Experience 2022

[Trojan Man 429]

It's a cop out to blame the networks and conferences for games taking too long.  The schools (yours and mine and all the others) are the reason games are longer and filled with more/longer commercial breaks.  The conferences are doing what the schools instructed them to do - extract maximum value from media deals - and commercial breaks are how it happens.  The schools could just as easily tell ESPN/Fox "Fuck off with your dozens of commercial breaks, you get one two-minute break per quarter plus another two minute break in between quarters and as much of halftime as you want" but that would put a major dent in the value of the TV contracts.  The schools want these massive TV deals and the proliferation of advertising is what makes it possible.  Athletic departments have collectively decided getting more TV money is worth degrading the experience of attending a game, that wasn't forced on them by conferences or networks.

[Ignatius 4017]

30 minutes ago, Trojan Man said:

It's a cop out to blame the networks and conferences for games taking too long.  The schools (yours and mine and all the others) are the reason games are longer and filled with more/longer commercial breaks.  The conferences are doing what the schools instructed them to do - extract maximum value from media deals - and commercial breaks are how it happens.  The schools could just as easily tell ESPN/Fox "Fuck off with your dozens of commercial breaks, you get one two-minute break per quarter plus another two minute break in between quarters and as much of halftime as you want" but that would put a major dent in the value of the TV contracts.  The schools want these massive TV deals and the proliferation of advertising is what makes it possible.  Athletic departments have collectively decided getting more TV money is worth degrading the experience of attending a game, that wasn't forced on them by conferences or networks.

Lol the schools don’t have a fucking thing to do with how frequently ad spots occur or how long they last. They have zero say in the matter….

[immamac 42838]

12 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

Lol the schools don’t have a fucking thing to do with how frequently ad spots occur or how long they last. They have zero say in the matter….

He’s saying that they tasked the conference with something that the conference achieves by exchanging these ad spots for revenue. Norte Dame absolutely fucking tells NBC how many and for how long the ad spots will be. 

[Trojan Man 429]

9 minutes ago, Ignatius said:

Lol the schools don’t have a fucking thing to do with how frequently ad spots occur or how long they last. They have zero say in the matter….

"Hey networks, give us the same media deal but cut down commercial breaks by 75%"

You think that will work?  The schools' say in the matter is when they prioritize the size of the media deal above all else.  Like I said, they could also accept less money in exchange for fewer commercial breaks but I don't see any school going for that.

[Ignatius 4017]

1 hour ago, immamac said:

He’s saying that they tasked the conference with something that the conference achieves by exchanging these ad spots for revenue. Norte Dame absolutely fucking tells NBC how many and for how long the ad spots will be. 

You really think a university presumes to tell a network about ad placement optimization? Maybe you do, but you’re wrong….

[NeverMarryAStripper 21876]

They could very easily put restrictions on ad numbers and duration in their media contracts, but that would reduce their value

[Eskimohorn 5630]

End 1st down stoppages, add a 2min warning, reduce play clock, 1st down down stoppages inside 2 minutes

3hr game

Short-term you would decrease ad space, but you would increase attendance and ratings

[Surly Bevo 24908]

2 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

End 1st down stoppages, add a 2min warning, reduce play clock, 1st down down stoppages inside 2 minutes

3hr game

Short-term you would decrease ad space, but you would increase attendance and ratings

Actually what you would do is increase player safety, a whole lot more than all the bullshit "targeting" shenanigans penalties purport to do.

Klatt has been on this bandwagon for YEARS

 

[WBT 20561]

The downside is less football for people who like playing and watching football

[Eskimohorn 5630]

The downside is less football for people who like playing and watching football

Quality over Quantity

Less plays = less injuries

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

The NFL broadcast and game flow are superior to college football.

College should implement challenge system to prevent so many stoppages for reviews. 
 

booth should only review turnovers and touchdowns if they’re close. 

Edited October 5, 2022 by BurntOrange&White

[Hookem2147 21200]

25 minutes ago, BurntOrange&White said:

The NFL broadcast and game flow are superior to college football.

College should implement challenge system to prevent so many stoppages for reviews. 
 

booth should only review turnovers and touchdowns if they’re close. 

They should also implement what the NFL does where the replay official can just talk in the officials earpiece to overturn blatantly missed calls. Obviously there are still plays where you have to spend a few minutes talking to the replay official and stop the game, but half the damn time in this conference you have a jacked official waddling 70 yards across the field only to be looking at a screen the size of an iPhone 4 for 5 minutes to overturn something the entire stadium knows is incorrect after looking at one replay.

[gmr548 16576]

So first home game in likely 7-8 years. First game with my son (6 years old). Very different experience.
1. I think DKR will never be an intimidating place to play. Seemed that all the changes are to make the entire thing a family-friendly Disney event. Saw West Virginia getting off the bus and strolling in through the crowd like a Sunday stroll. Anything but hostile from my vantage point.
2. Kid loved the experience. He's not big into football or UT or anything, but knows of them through Dad watching. Figured by the first quarter he'd be asking to go home. He loved the pre-game carnival stuff. LOVED Bevo tearing through the WV logo on third down. Had him high-fiving other people after every score. It's awesome to see him so into it and have a blast. Helps that UT got off to a fast start.
3. Good god it's such a huge marketing and non-stop assault on the senses. Just advertising everywhere. Non-stop music, videos, noise, and stimulus. I don't mind the Bob Cole stuff everyone is talking about. I do mind sitting in Section 101 and feeling deaf by the end of the game. 
4. Concessions seem reasonably priced for a sporting even, which is a huge plus and unexpected. Kid ate a ton and I didn't feel (too) ripped off.
5. Commercial breaks were ridiculous in number. I think eventually stadium crowds will need to revolt. Start a "No more commercials" chant. It was unreal. I blame Fox for that, not UT.
6. I see why UTSA's coach was mad about sound being piped in. The band is evidently relayed to a huge PA over by Smokey. I kept wondering why it sounded like the band was on the other side of the stadium from where I saw them sitting until I found the speakers sitting on the sideline.  

DKR is not an intimidating place to play when it’s a cupcake or a lower tier conference opponent that Texas doesn’t have much history with. Or when it’s already been made clear Texas sucks. To some extent that’s true everywhere, though I do think Texas is a more front running fan base than average.

The place gets up for big games though. Alabama this year was way more raucous than I expected, from the very beginning. LSU and ND were great atmospheres. WVU in 2012 (unbeaten top ten Geno Smith team vs unbeaten top 10-15 Texas) was maybe the wildest football game I’ve ever been to. There was even a home field advantage for ISU in 2018 When Texas needed a win to position itself to get to Arlington.

[4th&Five 41519]

2 hours ago, BurntOrange&White said:

The NFL broadcast and game flow are superior to college football.

College should implement challenge system to prevent so many stoppages for reviews. 
 

booth should only review turnovers and touchdowns if they’re close. 

I agree with you but college officiating is so bad that you're going to have to give coaches more than 2 challenges. There are so many stoppages because there are so many missed calls.

[Ghost of LL 15531]

15 hours ago, Trojan Man said:

It's a cop out to blame the networks and conferences for games taking too long.  The schools (yours and mine and all the others) are the reason games are longer and filled with more/longer commercial breaks.  The conferences are doing what the schools instructed them to do - extract maximum value from media deals - and commercial breaks are how it happens.  The schools could just as easily tell ESPN/Fox "Fuck off with your dozens of commercial breaks, you get one two-minute break per quarter plus another two minute break in between quarters and as much of halftime as you want" but that would put a major dent in the value of the TV contracts.  The schools want these massive TV deals and the proliferation of advertising is what makes it possible.  Athletic departments have collectively decided getting more TV money is worth degrading the experience of attending a game, that wasn't forced on them by conferences or networks.

And we as a society at some point decided that money has value.

What you're pining for is the 1980s, when most Texas games weren't on television (and those that were televised were on Raycom Sports or some shit).  But the monopoly that controlled CFB television rights got broken up, and the game is too valuable not to put it on television.  So the 1980s are never coming back.  Now it's just about maximizing the value of the game for the television audience.

You can shake your fist at that particular cloud all you want, but it's not going to change anything.  The in-game presentation/experience is always going to suffer because television requires that it be a four-hour affair.

[Trojan Man 429]

35 minutes ago, 4th&Five said:

I agree with you but college officiating is so bad that you're going to have to give coaches more than 2 challenges. There are so many stoppages because there are so many missed calls.

A lot of reviews seem to be for stupid shit neither coach cares about like a 2 yard pass on 1st and 10 or scenarios that never get overturned.  How often do you see a 3 minute stoppage to review the spot on a 4th and 1 QB sneak or goal line handoff only to end up with "The call on the field stands" because the ball and the ballcarrier totally disappear in the mass of humanity at the LOS?  That play hasn't been overturned the first 1000 times it was reviewed, no need to keep reviewing it.  The booth being allowed to stop the game to review for targeting that wasn't flagged on the field is pure chickenshit.  Refs are taught to err on the side of caution with targeting and let replay sort it out.  If they don't think what happened was targeting some asshole in the booth shouldn't be allowed to stop the game for 5 minutes to break down the previous play like it's the Zapruder film.

13 minutes ago, Ghost of LL said:

And we as a society at some point decided that money has value.

What you're pining for is the 1980s, when most Texas games weren't on television (and those that were televised were on Raycom Sports or some shit).  But the monopoly that controlled CFB television rights got broken up, and the game is too valuable not to put it on television.  So the 1980s are never coming back.  Now it's just about maximizing the value of the game for the television audience.

You can shake your fist at that particular cloud all you want, but it's not going to change anything.  The in-game presentation/experience is always going to suffer because television requires that it be a four-hour affair.

I'm not shaking my fist at anything.  I've attended 3 CFB games so far this year.  I'll go to at least 2 more, maybe 3 or 4.  I'm just pointing out it's inaccurate to say "Those assholes at ESPN and Fox and the conference HQ are the reason we have to sit through a dozen commercial breaks every game" like some people claim.  They're just doing what the schools asked them to do.  The money in the massive new contracts that have everyone in the B1G and SEC jumping for joy isn't materializing out of thin air.

I'm the kind of weirdo who travels to go to games in new places that don't even involve my team so I've seen how different types of programs all over the country maintain their atmosphere while the game is dragged out by commercial breaks.  This will vary depending on personal taste but generally the breaks feel shorter and less inconvenient to me at places that do things to remind me I'm at a CFB game during the dead time as opposed to places that fill the breaks with ads and piped-in club music.  Stuff like band/cheerleader performances, team-specific traditions and cheers, silly competitions between students on the field trying to win a year's supply of burgers from some restaurant in town, commemorations for other teams or past players or notable alumni, that kind of thing gets my attention instead of watching Mr. Redshirt's commercial timer on the field tick down.

[BurntOrange&White 39930]

Holy shit you’re stupid

[Eskimohorn 5630]

Cotton Bowl experience is unmatched. College football at its best

Good
49 pts for good guys
Zero U
No Boomer Sooner
Old Timey announcer you barely notice
The band playing music
4 Texas Fights (could be longer)
Interacting with friends and people around you since you can hear each other
Co-eds
State Fair

Bad
HiFi distortion
Concourse density
Getting into stadium

Ugly
OU fans disrespecting national anthem

[wood 11225]

4 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

Cotton Bowl experience is unmatched. College football at its best

Absolutely. Best game experience in college football as it always has been ... what college football should be. Might be the best game experience in all of football.

[LonghornSean 3989]

Getting into the stadium was worse than I can remember. Admittedly we were entering at the main gate at like 10:30 which is bad planning, but it seemed slower than ever. Didn't get up the stairs and in until basically 11. Certainly mobile tickets have to be a major factor with that.

Edited October 9, 2022 by LonghornSean

[bluto 4914]

5 minutes ago, LonghornSean said:

Getting into the stadium was worse than I can remember. Admittedly we were entering at the main gate at like 10:30 which is bad planning, but it seemed slower than ever. Didn't get up the stairs and in until basically 11. Certainly mobile tickets have to be a major factor with that.

Part of it for me was the dipshit running the gates. One of the corner gates had a lady asking ppl to come to her empty gate, I walk up “oh no, your ticket says gate g this is gate f”. Oh fuck off

 

while pissed off in said gate g line a Tx dude bro fan dropped a “this is why it should be at Jerry world”…. Got a quick ‘stfu with that shit’ retort

Edited October 9, 2022 by bluto

[IDIOTsavant 8483]

1 hour ago, Eskimohorn said:

Ugly
OU fans disrespecting national anthem

TBF at that point the game was already out of hand for them.

[wood 11225]

2 hours ago, bluto said:

while pissed off in said gate g line a Tx dude bro fan dropped a “this is why it should be at Jerry world”…. Got a quick ‘stfu with that shit’ retort

Yeah, fuck that shit.

And yeah Gate A was a total clusterfuck. Me & my boy stood there for maybe 15 minutes & moved like 15 feet. Then I decided we would probably be better off leaving and going to one of the smaller gates to the left on the Texas side. Very next gate was wide open. We were in the stadium in less time than we had waited earlier at Gate A without ever even getting within 100 feet of the steps.

[WhatTheBuck 28775]

On 10/4/2022 at 8:48 PM, Ignatius said:

Lol the schools don’t have a fucking thing to do with how frequently ad spots occur or how long they last. They have zero say in the matter….

Run the ball more and games won’t last as long. 

[Wally Pryor 5261]

Yes, that in-game environment in the Cotton Bowl never disappoints. No garbage or bullshit. So epic.

[smoky 840]

There was a lot more piped in music than I remember in the past.

Maybe I was just hyper aware and hoping for zero this year since we get enough at DKR.

[dcar00 14159]

the only bad thing about cotton bowl is no stats and other game scores...

[Zone Read 299]

12 hours ago, bluto said:

Part of it for me was the dipshit running the gates. One of the corner gates had a lady asking ppl to come to her empty gate, I walk up “oh no, your ticket says gate g this is gate f”. Oh fuck off

 

while pissed off in said gate g line a Tx dude bro fan dropped a “this is why it should be at Jerry world”…. Got a quick ‘stfu with that shit’ retort

Fuck Jerry world and Jerry.  This is one tradition that should never be changed.  I’ve been to the Death Star 2 times in my life for Texas Big 12 championship games and neither time did we stand in line for less than 30 minutes.

[Eskimohorn 5630]

Fuck Jerry world and Jerry.  This is one tradition that should never be changed.  I’ve been to the Death Star 2 times in my life for Texas Big 12 championship games and neither time did we stand in line for less than 30 minutes.

One positive is that some casual fans could use my ticket until they eventually move the game to home and away. The State Fair might struggle and eventually get redeveloped into mixed use development. We’re standing in the way of progress by keeping the game at Fair Park.

[Mitch Cumsteen 18547]

One huge positive to the game experience yesterday was that ou was so terrible that I don’t even remember hearing the band play boomer sooner.

And you need to have your head examined if you go in through the main gate. I missed the first play of the game last year (Worthy TD) because the line was so bad. Probably took 45 minutes to get in. Yesterday weI went in through the end zone gate and there was zero line. Never again. 

[bluto 4914]

10 minutes ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

One huge positive to the game experience yesterday was that ou was so terrible that I don’t even remember hearing the band play boomer sooner.

And you need to have your head examined if you go in through the main gate. I missed the first play of the game last year (Worthy TD) because the line was so bad. Probably took 45 minutes to get in. Yesterday weI went in through the end zone gate and there was zero line. Never again. 

Pro tip if you’re in the upper rows/deck and the gate keeper isn’t a fuckhead, the corner entrances are very under used and there’s are stairwells as opposed to the ramps that are much quicker. The upper concourses flow better generally. 

[derpyhorndog 2557]

54 minutes ago, Eskimohorn said:

We’re standing in the way of progress by keeping the game at Fair Park.

[Eskimohorn 5630]

I started the scenario by explaining that I would never go see the OU game at Jerryworld and implied that it would then get relegated to regular home and away series. That Dallas would then work to develop Fair Park due to this series of events. Thats what Im talking about. Obviously Im just bullshitting

[Ignatius 4017]

1 hour ago, Mitch Cumsteen said:

And you need to have your head examined if you go in through the main gate. I missed the first play of the game last year (Worthy TD) because the line was so bad. Probably took 45 minutes to get in. Yesterday weI went in through the end zone gate and there was zero line. Never again. 

Fucking this man. I don’t care what’s on your ticket or where you’re sitting, Gate A is by a million miles the worst possible way to enter the stadium…

[CHIEF 5078]

The commercial breaks fucking suck. If I'm watching at home, I record the game, watching the clock till I assume it's the middle of the second quarter, then FFWD through the commercials until the end of the game. If I'm at the game, I'm not seeing the fucking commercial anyway, and only fantasize of ways to sneak a rifle in to shoot the peckerwood holding  the commercial clock . I assume the majority of college football fans are the same. Commercials are ruining it, and most of us have worked around it to the detriment of the companies that pay all of the money for the advertisement.

CHIEF

[Enemy07 288]

Texas vs WV Game. Brisket was ok, but overall great experience. I wonder why they cannot get good bbq in there. I was in the poor section by the way. Only 400. Maybe the 1000 tickets have better food?

[Ignatius 4017]

5 minutes ago, Enemy07 said:

Texas vs WV Game. Brisket was ok, but overall great experience. I wonder why they cannot get good bbq in there. I was in the poor section by the way. Only 400. Maybe the 1000 tickets have better food?

Huh?

[TexEx15 17509]

Taking my middle daughter (8) to her first game this weekend. I think she wants to see the team get off the bus. Plan to arrive around 8 and park in State Garage G (state employee so it’s free). How’s traffic and parking around 7:45-8? I appreciate any feedback.

[hornbri 1396]

28 minutes ago, TexEx15 said:

Taking my middle daughter (8) to her first game this weekend. I think she wants to see the team get off the bus. Plan to arrive around 8 and park in State Garage G (state employee so it’s free). How’s traffic and parking around 7:45-8? I appreciate any feedback.

I come from the west (so avoiding 35) but that early there is not going to be any traffic to worry about. 

[YGIFS 19449]

Some good news is Robert Dedman from Clyde Littlefield Drive down to MLK is now open.  Can't use it for dropoff but theres some limited parking if anybody wants to "rent" a  non-LHF permit?   

[Enchubben 5510]

What’s the best spot or handle to find information around bevo boulevard and pre game activities? Thinking timelines, maps etc. 

[YGIFS 19449]

Make your way to the Alumni Center.  They've got huge maps of the various activities and games and shit on Bevo Blvd/Midway.  Plus nicest bathrooms you're gonna see all day unless you're in premium seating.  Super family friendlly as well.  From there you can start out at one end of the two "strips" and work your way in a loop.  or "L" as it were

[Skipper 6129]

On 10/9/2022 at 5:55 PM, Enemy07 said:

Texas vs WV Game. Brisket was ok, but overall great experience. I wonder why they cannot get good bbq in there. I was in the poor section by the way. Only 400. Maybe the 1000 tickets have better food?

The Brisket in the field club last year was really solid.  Not surprised poors brisket not up to snuff

[Ignatius 4017]

Does anyone park east of 35 around Disch-Falk on game days? I’m flying in tomorrow getting in at 9:45 and planning on just parking somewhere around there; didn’t know if there were any surface pay lots or if you just park on the street like for baseball games…

[South Austin 52457]

I'm just imaging the difference between an 11:00 a.m. game against Iowa State if we had lost to OU, and the atmosphere tomorrow following the OU shitkicking, Quinn back at the helm, and getting back in the win column against the Cyclones.  Should be a great crowd.

[Droopy 2626]

On 10/9/2022 at 11:20 AM, dcar00 said:

the only bad thing about cotton bowl is no stats and other game scores...

...because all other games that day are meaningless, and you have a phone I presume.

[Skipper 6129]

6 minutes ago, Droopy said:

...because all other games that day are meaningless, and you have a phone I presume.

My phone wouldn't work for shit in there.  At least not until Okie's started clearing out.

[Droopy 2626]

Just now, Skipper said:

My phone wouldn't work for shit in there.  At least not until Okie's started clearing out.

I was hit or miss, the signal seemed to come in waves, but overall it was working enough to see scores. I was also 15 rows under the AT&T sign and there was a signal booster close by. That being said, I like that the focus during that game is on the game itself with little to no bullshit outside of small asides for dedications and whatnot. At DKR, I'd just like the band to be featured more than the DJ music and get rid of Cole and find someone that will give the old school announcing a try. 

[dcar00 14159]

9 minutes ago, Skipper said:

My phone wouldn't work for shit in there.  At least not until Okie's started clearing out.

this.  I'm just asking for some stats and game scores on the jumbotron every now and then.

[fattyflattie 4639]

5 hours ago, TexEx15 said:

Taking my middle daughter (8) to her first game this weekend. I think she wants to see the team get off the bus. Plan to arrive around 8 and park in State Garage G (state employee so it’s free). How’s traffic and parking around 7:45-8? I appreciate any feedback.

Taking my oldest (10) for her first game tomorrow. Shooting for similar time, maybe a tad later.