Forget Berkeley...I'm loving ATT...

7,970 Views | 54 Replies | Last: 14 yr ago by pingpong2
Son-of-California
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Granted, I have only been going to Memorial for 35 years...but the experience at ATT was awesome. Got to the Public House a couple of hours early, saw the band, Oski and tons of Cal fans, had great food and drinks...In the stadium, good food, cocktails and no porta-potties, had plenty of sun, but not too much and at the end, grabbed a quick cab home. It felt like a bowl game...A perfect day...
mikecal85
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Son-of-California;571767 said:

Granted, I have only been going to Memorial for 35 years...but the experience at ATT was awesome. Got to the Public House a couple of hours early, saw the band, Oski and tons of Cal fans, had great food and drinks...In the stadium, good food, cocktails and no porta-potties, had plenty of sun, but not too much and at the end, grabbed a quick cab home. It felt like a bowl game...A perfect day...


I'll take your ESP seats...
Blueblood
How long do you want to ignore this user?


"Oh, Son-of-California you truely are a man-about-town!
510Bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Son-of-California;571767 said:

Granted, I have only been going to Memorial for 35 years...but the experience at ATT was awesome. Got to the Public House a couple of hours early, saw the band, Oski and tons of Cal fans, had great food and drinks...In the stadium, good food, cocktails and no porta-potties, had plenty of sun, but not too much and at the end, grabbed a quick cab home. It felt like a bowl game...A perfect day...


I hope we'll hear more reports like yours. Even though there may be griping about all the makeshift-ness, it's a good deal for Cal playing here this year.

Say it with me....."Thank G-d we're not at the 'Stick"...."Thank G-d we're not a the Coliseum"......
beeasyed
How long do you want to ignore this user?
didn't like how there was dirt on the field, but oh well, not a bad venue overall
Mainevent55
How long do you want to ignore this user?
It was a good experience, I wish they would separate the lines a little bit. For people who are walking in with no bags, there should be an express line, for people with bags and such, go to this line.... That shouldn't be too hard right? Otherwise, it was a great sunny day, great views.

The downside was the markings on the field were horrible, the sun made it almost impossible to see where the out of bounds was and where the endzones were... but I guess they have to respect the Giants home field...

GO BEARS! CONGRATS TO COACH TEDFORD!
GB54
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Pre-game Porchetta sandwich at the Ferry Building farmer's market was fantastic.

We're up in the view section around the 40. Nice sight-lines; great views of the Bay; comfortable seats and room; and not many other people to bother with. Our section was probably half full. Little warm in the sun but not unbearable. I also don't know whether it was the sparse crowd or the acoustics but it doesn't seem very loud.
MSaviolives
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Lunch at Wayfare Tavern in financial district, easy parking in Lot D, great day at AT&T with wonderful views and sunshine, easy out of the lot and onto the bridge, back to Berkeley w/in 35 minutes of leaving the lot...yes a great day...oh yeah, the football game was fun too (except wife kept looking out at the sail boats with the binoculars...I swear she would leave me if she found a guy with a big boat
KevBear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Funny, I had the opposite reaction.

The view from our seats was awful; the stadium seating was designed for depth with baseball in mind, so this isn't such a shock, but I often found myself watching the play on the video board rather than the field. The field itself looks terrible with the dirt; reminds me of watching Raiders games.

Attendance was dismal, and while some may dismiss this as just the opponent, bear in mind that we drew 58,000 for UC Davis last year. We had 34,000 today. For whatever reason, removing games from the Berkeley locale has a dramatic negative impact on attendance.

By my measurement, gameday atmosphere suffered too. Stadium-wide chants, like "GO....BEARS....GO....BEARS" were disjointed and often inaudible. Noise level was virtually non-existent. Yes, yes, I know; it was the Blue Hose and 63-12, but even against Davis/EWU/Sac State, there's more of a buzz at least early. The student section gave a typically energetic performance, but shunting them away in the endzone rather than on the 50 reduces their influence. Ditto for the band.

Ultimately, you're right: it felt like a bowl game, and that was the problem. As far as atmosphere goes, I like going to home games, not bowl games. To be honest, it seemed that much of what you were enamored with at AT&T were amenities and conveniences: the ease of getting out of there, not being subjected to the port-a-potties, the good food and the cock-tails--a set of predilections I would almost call effete, striking tones of the classic "wine and cheese" fans of the Bay Area. Frankly, as far as a college football atmosphere goes, I'd pick intense over leisurely.
Cal88
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Good post Kev.

510Bear;571795 said:

I hope we'll hear more reports like yours. Even though there may be griping about all the makeshift-ness, it's a good deal for Cal playing here this year.

Say it with me....."Thank G-d we're not at the 'Stick"...."Thank G-d we're not a the Coliseum"......


If the games were at either of those venues, the stadium would have looked really, really empty.
Mama Bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Well KevBear, think we are just going to have to tough it out this year. Dirt on the field, alas, this is still Giants baseball season? Removing games from Berkeley--like there is a choice?

Seems most fans we talked to got into the fun we are going to have this season at AT&T. And it doesn't hurt that I can have an effete cup of Dreyers Rockie Road at my seat!
GB54
How long do you want to ignore this user?
There was no Pellegrino mineral water. I had to drink domestic. Hopefully this outrage will be corrected.
MSaviolives
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Kev--if you don't care to enjoy what San Francisco has to offer, that is your perogative. I'm sorry you had bad view seats. I intentionally picked third level seats so we could see the bay and we see the field just great. I watched plenty of Raider games where they played on the A's infield early in the season. It's not so bad.

As for spirit, well it was hard to get too vocal in such a clear blow out. It almost didn't seem sporting to shout too much. In my section, people were pretty mellow and just grooving on the sun, the blow out, checking out the new players, complaining about the sloppy penalties, and enjoying the camaraderie. Wait for the next game against SC--the electricity will be crackling. I can't wait.

:beer:
Son-of-California
How long do you want to ignore this user?
mikecal85;571770 said:

I'll take your ESP seats...


Sorry, I never miss a game and they cashed my check...
Phantomfan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
KevBear;571811 said:

Funny, I had the opposite reaction.

The view from our seats was awful; the stadium seating was designed for depth with baseball in mind, so this isn't such a shock, but I often found myself watching the play on the video board rather than the field. The field itself looks terrible with the dirt; reminds me of watching Raiders games.

Attendance was dismal, and while some may dismiss this as just the opponent, bear in mind that we drew 58,000 for UC Davis last year. We had 34,000 today. For whatever reason, removing games from the Berkeley locale has a dramatic negative impact on attendance.

By my measurement, gameday atmosphere suffered too. Stadium-wide chants, like "GO....BEARS....GO....BEARS" were disjointed and often inaudible. Noise level was virtually non-existent. Yes, yes, I know; it was the Blue Hose and 63-12, but even against Davis/EWU/Sac State, there's more of a buzz at least early. The student section gave a typically energetic performance, but shunting them away in the endzone rather than on the 50 reduces their influence. Ditto for the band.

Ultimately, you're right: it felt like a bowl game, and that was the problem. As far as atmosphere goes, I like going to home games, not bowl games. To be honest, it seemed that much of what you were enamored with at AT&T were amenities and conveniences: the ease of getting out of there, not being subjected to the port-a-potties, the good food and the cock-tails--a set of predilections I would almost call effete, striking tones of the classic "wine and cheese" fans of the Bay Area. Frankly, as far as a college football atmosphere goes, I'd pick intense over leisurely.



I agree... But the 34,000 is clearly generous. I guessed 15-20,000 maybe 34,000 tickets sold.


AT&T sucks for a home football game. Not that the stick or Oakland would have been better, but goodness that was an ugly game. I hope we get that energy home games should have...


BTW, the students in the endzone is flat out bullsh*t.
Phantomfan
How long do you want to ignore this user?
GB54;571833 said:

There was no Pellegrino mineral water. I had to drink domestic. Hopefully this outrage will be corrected.


I had to dump my camelbak. I guess 3L of vodka was too much?
Bears2thDoc
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I agree....
Excellent experience!!
Mrs 2th, Kinder2th and I left house at noon. Walked to Rockridge BART, got MUNI transfers in the E BART Station, boarded MUNI, got to Momo's by 12:43. Tipped a few hefe's and downed a pizza and pulled pork sliders. Smooth entry into the Park by 2:00. Got to our seats (last row 320), beautiful bay view, very good field view......albeit windy.
At the end of the game we took in a few rides down the Coke Slide, passed on the return MUNI, beautiful walk down the Embarcadero to the Ferry Building. Dinner at Gotts.
Home by 8:30.
Yes, pleasant indeed.
Bears2thDoc
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Oh yeah............
CAL BAND GREAT!!!!
bearister
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Son-of-California;571767 said:

Granted, I have only been going to Memorial for 35 years...but the experience at ATT was awesome. Got to the Public House a couple of hours early, saw the band, Oski and tons of Cal fans, had great food and drinks...In the stadium, good food, cocktails and no porta-potties, had plenty of sun, but not too much and at the end, grabbed a quick cab home. It felt like a bowl game...A perfect day...


Cost of ticket to game: $ ?

Drinking and eating at Public House for 2 hours: $ ?

Stadium food and cocktails: $ ?

Cab ride home: $ ?

Total: $ ?

Recession? What recession? Hell, Chauncey wishes all the games were home games this season.:beer:
freshfunk
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Not a perfect experience by far but definitely was a fun experience. I did miss certain things about memorial.

I went looking for beer before the game and heard it was on the club level. When I get there, I met someone who was guarding a door to this level. Apparently beer is only served to those in luxury boxes or on the club level and they can't leave with the alcohol. :|

Anyway, I realized that whole section was empty. That whole section is probably really pricey.

I'm not sure how pricing works out at Memorial, but I wonder if this was a huge factor in it being empty considering the student/reasonably-priced sections seemed pretty full.
YLS Bear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I wouldn't complain about the dirt on the field - if we can get used to it and it messes with other teams, we could have our home field advantage back and more!

:p
76oldblue
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Having chairbacks is nice, but AT&T is a baseball stadium. Hopefully atmosphere will improve with better attendance. And I will take the viewsw at Memorial over AT&T any day. For a change of pace - OK.
This is our home this year and we will make the best of it waiting for Memorial next year.
Here's to the Irish
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Son-of-California;571767 said:

...In the stadium, good food, cocktails...


Cocktails for sale in the stadium?
BAMSPhD
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Some pictures at and around AT&T Park
BAMSPhD
How long do you want to ignore this user?
A few more pictures
beeasyed
How long do you want to ignore this user?
nice to see the cannon was there, thanks BAMS!
Sebastabear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
beeasyed;572035 said:

nice to see the cannon was there, thanks BAMS!

Cannon came but they didn't fire it - pretty sure I would have noticed at least one of the 9 shots had there been any. I realize now that when I told Bear Backers they should bring the cannon I should have been more specific.:headbang
wifeisafurd
How long do you want to ignore this user?
great setting, nice stadium, excellent food, good acoustics, thought the sitelines worked, fun watching the water polo players, liminted trraffic congestion, parking was easy, well organized, fun venue.

Gotta give it to the students, who filled the end zone area, far away from home and a weak opponent. Way to represent.
GoCal80
How long do you want to ignore this user?
We had a great time at the game. It was nice to have cell phone service - my service provider is AT and T and I tried a couple of times to enter their contest at Memorial stadium where you text a picture showing Cal spirit, but couldn't do it because, ironically, I did not have service! Well, I guess it would be pretty sad if AT and T did not have good coverage in AT and T park.

One small adjustment I'd like to see is to move the band over one section to the east into the seats in the corner so they face the majority of the seats in the stadium. It would have been easier to hear them.
Sebastabear
How long do you want to ignore this user?
Had a great time as well. One thing though we have to get together on is the "GO - BEARS" yell. At one point the student section started doing this with themselves. WTF? If the yell leaders can just have the students do the "Hey alumni! GO" thing I'm pretty sure the rest of us can figure out our part. I don't think they even tried that. If anyone knows the yell leaders, please put a bug in their ears. This is basically our signature yell. Don't really care about the Blue Hose, but we can't lose that for SC, etc.
calbear289
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I had a good time today. Bars right across the street from the stadium and decent amenities were a nice change. The atmosphere was pretty subdued but that is to be expected considering the opponent. The USC game is going to be fun.
CalBearinLA
How long do you want to ignore this user?
I didnt like how they never mentioned the down and yards to go on the screens from the bleachers.
BearEatsTacos
How long do you want to ignore this user?
GB54;571833 said:

There was no Pellegrino mineral water. I had to drink domestic. Hopefully this outrage will be corrected.


Well played!
calbare
How long do you want to ignore this user?
"I swear she would leave me if she found a guy with a big boat" MSav, is that the new euphemism for you know what?? I keed, I keed...
Unit2Sucks
How long do you want to ignore this user?
wifeisafurd;572069 said:


Gotta give it to the students, who filled the end zone area, far away from home and a weak opponent. Way to represent.


I had a blast and 100% agree on the students - they did a great job and had energy throughout the game. I'm looking forward to the SC game - assuming we don't get blown out at UW and Oregon, the crowd should be electric.
Page 1 of 2
 
×
subscribe Verify your student status
See Subscription Benefits
Trial only available to users who have never subscribed or participated in a previous trial.