Game experience in the stadium

[NCHawker]

I'd like to hear how you folx like the exprience of watching a game live. Has it changed over the years? Has stadium ameneties made it better? I haven't been in Kinnick since 1996 when Iowa hosted #1 Ohio State. At my age now, I'm not sure I'd enjoy it. Hell I pee so frequently watching games that its incomprehenisble to be in a dang stadum.

 

[Seth53]

My 2 cents....

Better AV all around
Team entrance is second to none (AC/DC and Metallica)
Herky looks lame...wears some sort of moon boots
Press box/suites area is way more impressive
North endzone is now suites
Beer is now served...aisles still littered with airline bottles after the game
Prole seats a bit roomier
Still a mess getting out after the game....need to bring the Hawkeye Express back
No weed smell in the air anymore
Lots and lots of previous tailgate spots are gone....been built upon
Sally Mason alcohol nazi's are all but gone
Still long lines at the prole bathrooms and concession stands
Student section has been moved to the S and SW corner

 

[MikeyLikesIowa]

My 2 cents....

Better AV all around
Team entrance is second to none (AC/DC and Metallica)
Herky looks lame...wears some sort of moon boots
Press box/suites area is way more impressive
North endzone is now suites
Beer is now served...aisles still littered with airline bottles after the game
Prole seats a bit roomier
Still a mess getting out after the game....need to bring the Hawkeye Express back
No weed smell in the air anymore
Lots and lots of previous tailgate spots are gone....been built upon
Sally Mason alcohol nazi's are all but gone
Still long lines at the prole bathrooms and concession stands
Student section has been moved to the S and SW corner

I completely agree with bringing back the Hawkeye Express. That was so convenient. Even at $15 a ticket it was worth every penny.

 

[HawkGold]

Do they still hold hands?

 

[racerhawk]

I've always enjoyed the Kinnick experience, and I think, as others have noted, that they have modernized and improved the experience. I've been going to Kinnick for 35 years now (small kid to near aged)!

I hope they keep Kinnick for a long time. It's truly an amazing fan experience unlike any other (so close to the action).

 

[Seth53]

WiFi still iffy when the stadium is packed.
A ton of advertising on the jumbo and ribbon screens.
Still no walking vendors "hawking" their wares.
Most of eastern Iowa Highway Patrol cars are parked outside Kinnick on game days.
Krause Family Plaza hosts a statue of Kinnick and a row of corn.

 

[NCHawker]

nobody said anything about pauses for TV commercials?

 

[dahlhawk]

nobody said anything about pauses for TV commercials?

I know I'm going to be lectured about the mighty dollar, but seriously with the bad weather on the way and possible dangerous weather, the fact that that took every break and commercial during the Nevada game was stupid. No attempt to move the game along, hell if they had just cut the breaks by half they might have got the game before the weather.

 

[dahlhawk]

The train is gone but I enjoy parking at Hancher. Free bus rides to the game and really anywhere. Can tailgate there and not that bad to get out to the highway.

 

[Glass1/2fullguy]

From my last experience for the Isu game from 3 years ago, experiencing the wave in person is worth having to walk to the bathroom 4 times during the game. I was not expecting it to be so emotional.

 

[Fryowa]

Kinnick is the best tailgate experience in the Big Ten. The fact that it’s a hodge podge of frat houses, parking lots, bars (I love Stella), and street vendors all slammed in the middle of a residential area half the size of other schools makes it as quaint as a drunken sailor-fest can be. Schools like ISU, Penn State, and others that have parking lot metropolises for tailgating are fucking boring and have zero personality. No panache whatsoever. Iowa City has that panache.

How many other places can you walk down the middle of the street, right past three cops, with a half a twelve pack of Twisted teas on your shoulder like a boom box slamming Coors Light tall boys? Not very many.

To be a college student again….

 

[Grady]

Night games at Kinnick have always been cool, but they're even better with the advent of cell phone flashlights during certain times of the game. A very different atmosphere between day games and night games...really too bad this week's Michigan game isn't the latter.

 

[ssckelley]

I do miss the big azz turkey leg tho

 

[Grady]

I do miss the big azz turkey leg tho

Yeah, certainly no improvement over the years in concession stand offerings. Completely unimaginative. Hmmm...wonder if KF's agent got him a cut of the concessions in his contract?

 

[Fryowa]

I do miss the big azz turkey leg tho

Dude. Pork on a stick from Yolanda’s across the street on Melrose puts the turkey legs to absolute shame. Period point blank.

 

[HuckFinn]

I have had numerous friends and relatives visit Kinnick. Wisconsin fans, PSU fans, South Dakota fans, Iowa State fans, and all of them rave about our stadium. Close to the action, fan support, Back in Black, home fans welcoming visitors, location, tailgating, proximity to several Hawkeye sports venues, and Iowa deep fried pork tenderloins and breakfast at the Amana’s + Pagliai’s Pizza. AND THE WAVE!

 

[HuckFinn]

Yeah, certainly no improvement over the years in concession stand offerings. Completely unimaginative. Hmmm...wonder if KF's agent got him a cut of the concessions in his contract?

Anybody who visits concession stands in football stadiums deserves to get lousy food and over priced warm beer.

 

[HuckFinn]

I have been in every BT stadium over the past several years. Other than, possibly, OSU, the Kinnick experience, all things considered, tops them all.

 

[ssckelley]

Yeah, certainly no improvement over the years in concession stand offerings. Completely unimaginative. Hmmm...wonder if KF's agent got him a cut of the concessions in his contract?

They don’t even try. It’s Iowa, there should be a bbq pulled pork stand on both sides and both levels. A couple of home made tenderloin stands too. Instead we get the basic, way over priced, crap that you can get in any concession stand across the country.

But this is my only complaint about Kinnick, everything else is amazing.

 

[BigD]

Do they still hold hands?

Yes, Gary and Kirk still hold hands.

All kidding aside, being there is a whole different experience. When your at the game you can much more feel the momentum of the game more so than on TV. This is especially true for the defense. You can just tell if the defense is manhandling the offense as you can see the whole field. You can see if receivers are well covered and not getting open. You can see the penetration into the backfield. You see all of these things all at once.

Then there is the energy you feel from the crowd and how that energy erupts on a big play.

Now having said that I can only imagine how hard it’s been this year for those who have been at the games and had to watch our struggling offense. Big plays are really exciting as you can see the plays developing. This slow methodical play calling is ok and you get clapping afterwards but it’s not the same excitement and energy you get on a big play.

That’s why you have to appreciate the defense as that is where most of the energy is. The pick six’s by our defense is an eruption. The offensive philosophy is a yawner. Even when they are moving the ball systematically it’s just not the same energy and excitement.