One end zone for offense at Wrigley - NW/Illinois game: fail

[clenz]

One end zone for offense at Wrigley

Only one end zone will be used for offense Saturday at Wrigley Field for the Illinois-Northwestern game because of safety concerns, the Big Ten announced Friday, and the Chicago Cubs said the decision caught them by surprise.

The east end zone is just feet away from the right-field wall, and although there is padding, there still were concerns that players could be injured there.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncf/n ... id=5824661" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

[AZGrizFan]

So they're going to switch sides every possession?

Jesus...massive fail.

[Skjellyfetti]

And the worst thing is that there was a better way to align the field... that they decided against. Bunch of dumbasses. This game is going to be a joke.

[JayJ79]

And the worst thing is that there was a better way to align the field... that they decided against. Bunch of dumbasses. This game is going to be a joke.

problem with that alignment is that it makes ALL the seating totally crappy and far away from the field.

Granted, with the current arrangement, much of the seating is still crappy, but at least they have somewhat decent seats along the one sideline, and at the end.

[SunCoastBlueHen]

One end zone for offense at Wrigley

Only one end zone will be used for offense Saturday at Wrigley Field for the Illinois-Northwestern game because of safety concerns, the Big Ten announced Friday, and the Chicago Cubs said the decision caught them by surprise.

The east end zone is just feet away from the right-field wall, and although there is padding, there still were concerns that players could be injured there.

http://sports.espn.go.com/chicago/ncf/n ... id=5824661" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I'd be pissed if I paid for seats in or near the east end zone.

[Skjellyfetti]

problem with that alignment is that it makes ALL the seating totally crappy and far away from the field.

Granted, with the current arrangement, much of the seating is still crappy, but at least they have somewhat decent seats along the one sideline, and at the end.

But, at least they could play a normal football game.

Now there will be a somewhat decent view of a backyard football game.

[JayJ79]

problem with that alignment is that it makes ALL the seating totally crappy and far away from the field.

Granted, with the current arrangement, much of the seating is still crappy, but at least they have somewhat decent seats along the one sideline, and at the end.

But, at least they could play a normal football game.

Now there will be a somewhat decent view of a backyard football game.

does that mean that overtime in college games isn't real football either? since both offenses go toward the same endzone in overtime as well.

[Skjellyfetti]

No. It's overtime.

If they played the whole fucking game that way... no, I wouldn't consider it real football.

[tampajag]

Just reading this has gained this game a viewer. I'm totally intrigued to watch similar to midget porn

[SuperHornet]

Anyone bother checking with the NFL to see how they oriented the field for the various NFL Championship Games they've staged there? They've done that a handful of times between the start of Championship Games and 1963.

Not fail. EPIC fail.

[clenz]

Anyone bother checking with the NFL to see how they oriented the field for the various NFL Championship Games they've staged there? They've done that a handful of times between the start of Championship Games and 1963.

Not fail. EPIC fail.

Wrigley field has been redone since the Bears played there.

The field ran from 1st base to left field at that point, but with Wrigley adding suites a while back it took up a lot of the space running that way...which means no football field.

[89Hen]

Knee jerk is this stinks, but on second thought... why does it really matter? As somebody else said, the only people that will be pissed are the ones near the outfield endzone. From a competition standpiont, it doesn't changet the game one lick.

[SuperHornet]

Good enough, clenz. That stinks. I guess after the '63 debacle, people would have thought twice about playing football at Wrigley. (Rozelle wanted the NFL Championship Game at Soldier Field due to the higher seating capacity. When Halas refused, Rozelle retaliated by setting a crazy kickoff time.)

[clenz]

Good enough, clenz. That stinks. I guess after the '63 debacle, people would have thought twice about playing football at Wrigley. (Rozelle wanted the NFL Championship Game at Soldier Field due to the higher seating capacity. When Halas refused, Rozelle retaliated by setting a crazy kickoff time.)

I don't know the specifics on it though.

I was listening to the Dan Patrick show this morning and they were talking about it, and that exact same idea came up. However, one of the members of the staff did some looking and that is what he found as an answer as to why they don't do it the other way

[mebison]

Perhaps a better idea would be to play football in football stadiums and play baseball in baseball stadiums??

[Skjellyfetti]

Perhaps a better idea would be to play football in football stadiums and play baseball in baseball stadiums??

BINGO

[93henfan]

At least they didn't dye the grass red and go full clown.

I don't think this is such a big deal. They'll just have to remark punt returns and the people in the east end zone get screwed out of seeing any close-up TDs. Those people should be given a $10 food voucher per ticket.

I read where they'll also be switching sidelines at halftime. They should just put both teams on the same sideline like the Packers used to do in Milwaukee.

[clenz]

At least they didn't dye the grass red and go full clown.

I don't think this is such a big deal. They'll just have to remark punt returns and the people in the east end zone get screwed out of seeing any close-up TDs. Those people should be given a $10 food voucher per ticket.

I read where they'll also be switching sidelines at halftime. They should just put both teams on the same sideline like the Packers used to do in Milwaukee.

They are on the same side...they are switching ends.

[SuperHornet]

Perhaps a better idea would be to play football in football stadiums and play baseball in baseball stadiums??

That SHOULD be a no-brainer. But back in the '70s and '80s, there was this cookie-cutter multi-purpose craze going on. We're still feeling the effects of that. Just the very idea of watching a kicker slip on the pitcher's mound is enough to set any football fan on edge.

[clenz]

Perhaps a better idea would be to play football in football stadiums and play baseball in baseball stadiums??

That SHOULD be a no-brainer. But back in the '70s and '80s, there was this cookie-cutter multi-purpose craze going on. We're still feeling the effects of that. Just the very idea of watching a kicker slip on the pitcher's mound is enough to set any football fan on edge.

San Fransisco, Oakland, Miami, are there any others that are still in use?

Metrodome is now football only (ok, the Gophers still play baseball there), and I guess the dome in Toronto does both.

[JayJ79]

Perhaps a better idea would be to play football in football stadiums and play baseball in baseball stadiums??

That SHOULD be a no-brainer. But back in the '70s and '80s, there was this cookie-cutter multi-purpose craze going on. We're still feeling the effects of that. Just the very idea of watching a kicker slip on the pitcher's mound is enough to set any football fan on edge.

crazy notion, wasn't it?
that stadiums that used millions or billions of dollars of taxpayer money should be used more than a few months of every year.....

[BlueHen86]

That SHOULD be a no-brainer. But back in the '70s and '80s, there was this cookie-cutter multi-purpose craze going on. We're still feeling the effects of that. Just the very idea of watching a kicker slip on the pitcher's mound is enough to set any football fan on edge.

crazy notion, wasn't it?
that stadiums that used millions or billions of dollars of taxpayer money should be used more than a few months of every year.....

It is a no brainer. Baseball should be played in a baseball stadium and football should be played in a football stadium.

Where the money comes from to build those stadiums is a completely separate discussion.