New "pavilion" to come at north end of the stadium

From an interview between Jonathan Kraft and SI's Michael McCann:

First about the south endzone lounge:

Kraft said:

We're taking out a bunch of our seats in our south end zone, right at the field level, and building a club. Club is the wrong word. It's a lounge, or something for our season tickets holders to go. You'll be able to watch the game at the field level, have TV's, be in an environment. I'd hate to go down there and watch a lot of the game at that level, because I think it's a bad perspective on the game, but that's one thing we're doing.

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And then about this pavilion thing:

Kraft said:

Then at the opposite end zone, at the bridge and lighthouse end zone, we're building a 20,000 square-foot pavilion. Think of it as just a monstrous sports bar, that during the game (before the game it would just be too crazy to have it as first come, first serve we'll probably do something with it), but 15 minutes before kickoff, it'll just be open to anybody in the building to come in out of it like a sports bar. Like if you want to spend a quarter, hanging out in that environment and moving around and walk out to the plaza that's by the end zone there, you'll be able to do it.

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The article said they are also in the early stages of planning an "upper-level expansion".

Jonathan Kraft Discussed the Coming Gillette Stadium Changes at State of Innovation | BostInno

very interesting stuff.

I knew about the lounge. Funny to hear Jonathan call it a bad perspective on the game but while I obviously feel bad for those being moved I think this is a good addition to the stadium. It is something that is very common in the stadiums being built recently and Gillette should be keeping up. the trick is to make it like it belongs and not like an after thought. Personally I am not sure how much use I would actually get but its something that other fans (corperate as they may be) apparently like.

The bar at the other end serves a similar purpose as above and I think is a no brainer as it will take advantag ef some of the space in the that side that I always felt was stupid and waste of real estate. I will use this even less than I would the lounge unless its also open on non-game days as I live 5 minutes from the stadium and would definitely eat there with a view of my seat.

And the last item about the upper level expansion is real insteresting cant wait to hear the details on that though admittedly its about the only part of the stadium I haven't seen including locker rooms and executive offices. I hope this includes adding seats to the upper deck as think clearly we have a fan base that supports more than 68,000 seats. Not sure how much they would be willing to squeeze in. And then I would assume upgrades to concession areas. Wonder if they would add a lounge or something up there too.

So is the sports bar thing getting put in at the end of the stadium that is open for the "Foliage View" or whatever they have that end open for? If so, will this maybe help the sound stay in the stadium?

Just a thought but if they need to attract fans to these lounges, I suggest installing cheerleader locker room cams piped to several 70" ultra high def TVs in the lounge. Bobby, thank me later.

I can only imagine how much a beer will cost. $17.50 for a Dixie cup of budlight?

"People said, 'We want other places to go. We don't just want to be locked into our seats," Kraft noted.

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It's a football game...you should be locked into your seat and BE in your seat to cheer the team on. Not searching for the closest TGI Fridays so you can chill after the game.

When the south end zone "lounge" was first announced I was willing to give it the benefit of a doubt until more facts came in. Now I think these ideas simply are asinine. It's like they're trying to turn the entire stadium into one of those stupid Bud Lite commercials.

Why would anyone want to spend time standing at field level behind the end zone? Sure, if you just happen to be there during a scoring play it might be fun for a few seconds but otherwise you'll need to watch television for any idea of what's happening. It's like they're intentionally trying to build cheap distractions directly into the stadium environment that are no different than watching the game at a restaurant bar in Patriot Place. If that's how you're going to spend your time, why buy a ticket? I guess I'm just getting old, but screw this nonsense.

"People said, 'We want other places to go. We don't just want to be locked into our seats," Kraft noted.

"People" said? What "people"? I've been a season ticket holder for 21 years and nobody asked ME how to improve the stadium environment. Here's the solution, Jonathan: instead of building lounges and sports bars, give those idiots Ritalin so they can focus on the damn football game instead of bouncing around the building like hyperactive Mexican jumping beans. This is unbelievable.

Here's my solution...I opened one of these in MY house....

Build more seats...upper or lower level...more seats...not more bars

On a side note, the Pats may be able to hold Sunday mass in the stadium at the same time as a game. Removing that many screaming drunks from that close to the field will make an already quiet stadium as silent as a church mouse.

What reality do some of you guys live in. Obviously most of us on here are the type to find our seats and only leave for a bathroom break but the majority of fans in that stadium are softer fans and coorperate people this is catering to them.

As I said not things I will really use but things that newer stadiums offer their fans and things that I am sure will be pretty popular.

I'm dying to see how this is all going to look

signbabybrady said:

What reality do some of you guys live in. Obviously most of us on here are the type to find our seats and only leave for a bathroom break but the majority of fans in that stadium are softer fans and coorperate people this is catering to them.

As I said not things I will really use but things that newer stadiums offer their fans and things that I am sure will be pretty popular.

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I'm just not of the opinion that the south end zone needs a wine and cheese crowd as Peyton Manning is driving his team into the red zone at that end of the field with less than a minute remaining for what could be the game tying or winning score. I want as many people as I can get all liquored up and screaming down there.

signbabybrady said:

What reality do some of you guys live in. Obviously most of us on here are the type to find our seats and only leave for a bathroom break but the majority of fans in that stadium are softer fans and coorperate people this is catering to them.

As I said not things I will really use but things that newer stadiums offer their fans and things that I am sure will be pretty popular.

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Good point, SBB. Obviously people on this board are more into the football aspect of the team than the entertainment of going to Gillette. But when the team isn't as good anymore and they (the Kraft's) need to draw people to the stadium, outside of the die-hards, it's stuff like this that could sell them on buying a ticket.

KontradictioN said:

I'm just not of the opinion that the south end zone needs a wine and cheese crowd as Peyton Manning is driving his team into the red zone at that end of the field with less than a minute remaining for what could be the game tying or winning score. I want as many people as I can get all liquored up and screaming down there.

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I agree but again the reality is with or without the lounge you already have the wine and cheese crowd.

I don't agree with removing the seats in the south end zone for a lounge, but I am all for this pavilion thing in the north endzone, especially if it's covering the tunnel that looks out onto the front gates and pro shop.

I never understood why BK wanted that there to begin with.

End zone seats should be reserved for rabid die hard fans, with tickets priced appropriately lower based on distance from the 50-yard line. Make it (somewhat) affordable for the blue-collar fans, and let them do their thing far away from the wine and cheese crowd, who already have their own neighborhood.

Think the Dawg Pound and how loud and into it those fans were at the old Municipal Stadium in Cleveland. Could even go retro and serve Schaeffer beer to help raise the decibel level.

Times like this, I miss the old Schaefer/Sullivan/Foxboro stadium. It cost $6 million to build (less than a starting linebacker costs today) and, yes, it was a hellhole in every sense of the word. But the sightlines were terrific and everyone understood that you were there for one thing and one thing only: to watch the game.

Now we've got a 68,000 seat fern bar with a $170 cover charge and $12 beers. If the attempt here is to improve the game day experience for the fans, I'd say it's a significant miss as far as real football fans are concerned.

Tune is right. Even at the old stadium there was a demographic that arrived late, made a dozen trips back & forth for food and beer, and then left early to beat the traffic. I think they epitomize the more affluent casual fans whose unrestrained propensity to spend money obviously Kraft wishes to milk. Silly me, I thought the club seats and 2nd tier lounge would satisfy the yuppie scum demographic, but I was wrong.

Next move to please the perpetually needy wine and cheese fans will be changing NFL rules to be congruent with contact in world cup soccer. Fortunately, I'll be below ground level when this happens.

Brady_to_Moss said:

It's a football game...you should be locked into your seat and BE in your seat to cheer the team on. Not searching for the closest TGI Fridays so you can chill after the game.

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PatsWickedPissah said:

Tune is right. Even at the old stadium there was a demographic that arrived late, made a dozen trips back & forth for food and beer, and then left early to beat the traffic. I think they epitomize the more affluent casual fans whose unrestrained propensity to spend money obliviously Kraft wished to milk. Silly me, I thought the club seats and 2nd tier lounge would satisfy the yuppie scum, but I was wrong.

Next move to please the perpetually needy wine and cheese fans will be changing NFL rules to be congruent with contact in world cup soccer. Fortunately, I'll be below ground level when this happens.

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PWP, I don't think this contingent comprises the "wine & cheesers" as much as the ADD twentysomethings who need a new distraction every three minutes to stay awake. I believe it's young people of the smartphone generation this nonsense is aimed at.