Lest anyone believe Fred & Jeff Wilpon’s Monument To Avarice & Greed is the only facility built (partially) with NYC public money receiving criticism this week, the New York Daily News’ Fillip Bondy weighs in on the new Yankee Stadium bleachers, polling those who declare said section, “too gray…too cold.”
Perhaps most frustrating: The fenced-in walkways above the bleachers render taunting very difficult.
“There goes the ‘Jump!’ chant,” says Mike Donahue. “I mean, what’s the point? Nobody can jump through the fence.”
The troubles are many, solutions few. A coat of blue paint would be nice, yet there is also some inherently lousy planning more difficult to reverse. On cold days and nights, the wind whips in from above and behind the stands because there is no wall, and no Utz potato chip sign, protecting the Creatures. Because of this flaw, Bald Vinny Milano, leader of the roll call, lost his voice during one game and required a sub to continue the ritual.
There are silly flower pots and a giant scoreboard that nobody can really see and then there are all these people coming from other parts of the stadium to observe the roll call and get their vicarious thrills.
“I like that we can go to the rest of the stadium, but I hate that the rest of the stadium can come to us,” says Donahue, who reports he is still in “sensory overload” from the exhibitions.
Sheriff Tom Brown was always one of the few supporters of a new stadium, citing economic necessities. Now he reports considerable disappointment at the end result, which is too much the suburban mall for his tastes.
“The potted plants have got to go, the bathroom and beer lines seem as long as ever,” Sheriff Tom comments. “I defended a new stadium all along, but to me they bungled it.”
You can take away their vantage point and comfort, but you can’t take away their right to lead the “At the Gang Bang” chant/song. Couldn’t they have put these seats in Staten Island or something?
wow, these guys have their heads so far up their own asses they seem to have forgotten THEY’RE JUST FANS WHO PAID TO GET INTO THE BLEACHERS.
I think the new YS bleachers are a not-insignificant problem. Having a restaurant block so much of the field sends an appalling, corporate message to the bleacher fan base. In fact, it isn’t really even the bleachers anymore; it used to be these tickets went on sale gameday. The Yankees used to be smart, understanding that it’s good to carve out a piece of ring-side seating for the die-hard fans, who’d have to show up real early to get tickets.
The old stadium had a distinctive shape. The new one is a bowl. The uppers are moved so far back, I’m kidding myself if I think it’s a live event, when I’m up there. A significant downgrade for the best team in baseball.
Meanwhile, the Mets have the semblance of a real park.