UAlbany to build Football Stadium

[Clickclack]

McGuire's a little sensitive tonight huh?

 

What do you mean?

[danefan]

McGuire's a little sensitive tonight huh?

 

What do you mean?

 

see his response to my TU slant criticism (which was not at all directed at him btw)

[Clickclack]

Yeah just saw it...ask him if he needs a sanitary wipe.

[Clickclack]

Did anyone go today to the alumni thing? Update?

[danefan]

I've started to take an understanding tone on the TU blogs instead of just blasting off on the uninformed.

 

IMO the naysayers to this project fall into three categories:

 

1. Uninformed - UA used money saved from cutting French and Theater to build the stadium!; UA has a football team? UA gets 3,000 people a game? They're going to build it on top of my house!, etc... This category also, IMO includes people who haven't the slightest idea how the SUNY budget process works.

 

2. Anti-UAlbany - I bought my house when it was Albany CC; someone promised at a meeting with 10 people in 1965 that they wouldn't expand EVER!; Students peed on my front lawn, etc...

 

3. Anti-athletics - The mission of a university is...blah blah

 

We can easily get people out of the first category of Uninformed by showing their assumptions are false. They may move for the project or they may fall into another of the categories, but IMO, no one should be in Category 1.

 

Category 2 can be swayed by pointing out the great benefits the Capital Region derives from UA and will from the Stadium. E.g. economic drivers (construction jobs, restaurant/hotel business, etc..); use for community events (high school sports, concerts, etc..)

 

The third category will never be won over. There are some people that so truly hate athletes and athletic programs in the Higher Ed setting that you will never win them over. There are two people who have commented on the FB page that squarely fit into this category. No point in wasting any time as it also happens to be the least populated category.

 

Exhibit A for Category #3

What a utter and total waste of money. There is no question that the campus needs innovation, but the focus should be on facilities that related directly to improving educational quality. We need to update and classroom, research labs, dorm rooms, the heating plant, etc. This expansion is a slap in the face to the alumni and faculty who come to Albany to learn. College sports are a cancer and undermine the college mission and the student experience. A new stadium just shows how out of touch the administration is with educational realities. This will only serve to dumb-down our academic programs and led to graduating more poor qualified students. Also, fyi, I am a faculty member with 26 year’s service at Albany and I ashamed at this waste of money.

[dslyank]

I do not believe I would ever say this, but I agree with SIENAFANALLYEARLONG (check out #27 on McGuire's comments post). We really are looking at this modest facilities improvement/expansion all wrong. Like always we are thinking smallbany. My post to McGuire "touted" the conservative nature of the stadium/facilities upgrades; when in my heart of heart, I feel we really should be building a 30+ thousand seat stadium and going Big East like.

 

We have to battle the naysayers either way, so why not think BIG!!

 

I posted this here and not to McGuire because I am trying to support the UA approach without adding to their woes, and because I can't believe I am agreeing with a Siena person.

[Michigan_Dane]

That is a valid argument. If we were properly arguing that it should be 30,000 seats not 6,000 these malcontents may see how modest this stadium is. They are damn lucky we're talking about a lousy 6,000 seats. Any where in America the complaint would that this is crazy small.

 

We're justifying what might be the smallest stadium in the country?

[Clickclack]

6K seats is an uphill battle...30k seats and it will NEVER get off the drawing board. I always thought they should think bigger than 20K+ they have limited themselves to. I wonder what if the 20K is truly the upper limit or if they need to they can go bigger.

 

I honestly think we'll have NO issue getting 6K there right out of the box. I know when they build this thing, my season tickets are going from 1 to 4.

[uofalbany]

That is a valid argument. If we were properly arguing that it should be 30,000 seats not 6,000 these malcontents may see how modest this stadium is. They are damn lucky we're talking about a lousy 6,000 seats. Any where in America the complaint would that this is crazy small.

 

We're justifying what might be the smallest stadium in the country?

 

All too true.

Will you be moving back to the northeast if a 6k seat stadium is built?

Still have the UAlbany flag flying at your house?

[Clickclack]

Keep educating any and all who spew their negativity in the press and on the blogs. Many of us (including myself) don't have the financial means to throw this project on our back and drag it but we CAN get out there and support what the school is trying to do.

[uofalbany]

Keep educating any and all who spew their negativity in the press and on the blogs. Many of us (including myself) don't have the financial means to throw this project on our back and drag it but we CAN get out there and support what the school is trying to do.

 

What's up click. Getting ready for BBall season?

 

To be honest, who the heck is going to complain to the extent of making a difference whatsoever.

It's all squawk.

 

If there's enough money for a phase 1 now, then we are getting the 6k seat facility. There couldn't possibly be

such an uproar to change the direction of this. If we were talking money for a 20k seater, then maybe the squawk

could be justified in their eyes.... they can't possibly justify the squawk now, for this.

 

The facility now, the seats and track, might be even hazardous and below minimal code for banana's sake.

 

Most of the naysayers seem to stem from the UAlbany academic herd... past and present. Let em cry like little school brats.

[Clickclack]

Keep educating any and all who spew their negativity in the press and on the blogs. Many of us (including myself) don't have the financial means to throw this project on our back and drag it but we CAN get out there and support what the school is trying to do.

 

What's up click. Getting ready for BBall season?

 

 

Can't wait...*Bart Scott voice*

[Michigan_Dane]

That is a valid argument. If we were properly arguing that it should be 30,000 seats not 6,000 these malcontents may see how modest this stadium is. They are damn lucky we're talking about a lousy 6,000 seats. Any where in America the complaint would that this is crazy small.

 

We're justifying what might be the smallest stadium in the country?

 

All too true.

Will you be moving back to the northeast if a 6k seat stadium is built?

Still have the UAlbany flag flying at your house?

 

I had the UAlbany flag in front of my house when I was in downtown Atlanta. My HOA in San Diego doesn't allow flags. That would be an impossible request in Atlanta. I'm not going to tell an Auburn, UGA or Florida fan to take down their flag :-)

 

I'll likely never return to New York but if I could just watch a game on TV I would be satisified. If we had a Michie Stadium that would be great. Our next stop maybe Madison Wisconsin. It's the same story in Madison. They love their university. They love their football. I wish New York could just get close to what I've experienced from Boise to San Diego to Lansing. Maybe someday...

[Michigan_Dane]

I saw President Philip refrenced the Facilities website in his email but I failed to go look at it until now. There is some good information there for those that haven't looked at it yet.

 

I noticed they decided to go with the word "facility" instead of "stadium". I applaud that move. My wife and I were just talking about this new stupid but successful tactic. For example, its not "taxes", its "revenue". I guess the bumper sticker save the "jungle" didn't work so they went with "rain forest". People don't like "killer whales" but we all love "Orca". Stupid but it works.

 

http://www.albany.edu/facilities/athleticfields.html

 

 

It's not armed robbery, it's involuntary revenue generation :-)

[MRSGDG]

UAlbany's secret playbook

http://www.timesunio...ook-1469430.php

 

Someone needs to write an informed Op-Ed about this project..maybe stating that this project just didn't pop out of nowhere. Those in the community who were interested in the topic have known about..albeit w/o the help of the University. The main reason it's a surprise to most people is because our local news coverage doesn't actually dig for news. And add in that the lawmakers saying they knew nothing about it, where in the video promo for it.....