Should Pats have their own dome?

[NEPatriot]

Is it good time to get out of 'fox' hole and move to a nicer area so that we can see a new and improved stadium.?

 

[sebman2112]

I remember hearing a rumor regarding the Patriots being interested in adding a retractable roof to Gillette, but I don't know if there was any legitimacy to that rumor.

It sure would be an interesting addition, and crowd noise would increase greatly.

 

[cincipatsfan]

This would be the ****ification of the Pats. Next thing ya know we'll be having banner ceremonies for winning the AFC East.......

 

[jmt57]

Let's look at teams from the NFC North. All had similar home field advantage when they played outside in cold weather down the stretch. Then the Vikings and Lions moved indoors. Whatever they gained with crowd noise from playing in a dome was more than lost by no longer playing in the cold and wind. To put it another way, I'll take the home field advantage of the Packers from November on over the home field advantage of the Lions or Vikings every time.

 

[wistahpatsfan]

Siince there have been NFL or AFL championships, including Super Bowls, there have only been THREE champions who played their home games under a dome.

 

[Scooter_McGruder]

I think they should build a dome next to Gillette and choose which stadium to play in on a week-by-week basis as it benefits them.

That's feasible, right?

 

[Tunescribe]

I remember hearing a rumor regarding the Patriots being interested in adding a retractable roof to Gillette, but I don't know if there was any legitimacy to that rumor.

It sure would be an interesting addition, and crowd noise would increase greatly.

That would be the most amazing engineering feat known to man, and the biggest retractable roof in the history of the world. Stop and think for a moment how spread out Gillette is. None of the stadiums with roofs are built anything like it. To put a lid over it would be next to impossible.

 

[Lloyd_Christmas]

How about if the NFL stops worrying about prissy FAKE football fans that wouldn't be willing to sit out in freezing temperatures in the middle of a blizzard in Foxborro to watch a Super Bowl.

I'd give anything to see a Blizzardous Super Bowl in Foxborro, GB, or Min. It wouldn't stop me from paying big bucks for a SB ticket.

 

[DESERTPAT]

That's the mentality exactly.

My wife's parents lived in Cranston and got a beach cottage for a week in Galillee - 30 minutes from their house.

I know people in Cumberland who won't go to Providence because it's too far (12 miles) and too dangerous.

I miss that place!

I'm from Cumberland, your bringing back memories now

 

[Kontradiction]

Oh sure, why didn't we think of that earlier? Great idea!

Are you for real?

Yeah, I don't think he realizes how much of a cost that would be to the tax payers.

 

[PatsDeb]

I don't give a damn about a dome or hosting a SB that I won't get tickets to unless I pay through the nose. I want the Pats to fix their parking situation which is atrocious.

 

[NEPatriot]

Yeah, I don't think he realizes how much of a cost that would be to the tax payers.

I don't know how everything is in MA. They increase all sort of fees here in CA. Tax payers are going to pay any way. If we are going to pay, why not pay for a dome or better stadium so that we can host a SB game and our children and grandchildren can enjoy the game even more.?

 

[jmt57]

Even with a dome I can't see a Super Bowl being played at the Razor. When a site is chosen, they look at location, other things to do in the city, number of nearby hotel rooms, etc. If the stadium was in Boston it could happen but there's no way it's going to be played in Foxboro.

Besides that the massive cost would in no way be worth it for one game.

 

[NEPatriot]

why did we choose to build our stadium at 'Foxbro'?

 

[jmt57]

why did we choose to build our stadium at 'Foxbro'?

Kraft wouldn't grease the palms of the Boston City Council members.

 

[Blizzzard]

It's not just about the weather. Foxborough doesn't have the infrastructure to support an event like the Super Bowl. Inadequate hotels. Inadequate transportation. Inadequate restaurants. Inadequate entertainment venues. It's one of the drawbacks with a stadium so far away from a major city.

Say what you want about Indy, but they host several auto races a year, a few of which draw about 400,000 people. They've hosted several NCAA final fours. They have the necessary infrastructure in place to host a Super Bowl. Ditto Detroit.

Houston and Jacksonville were ill-equipped to host the Super Bowl. Foxboro would be about 50 times worse. It wouldn't be quite as bad as Green Bay, but it would be close.

This post reminds me of something I said to my friends when Patriot Place was announced.

Does anybody else think that building a mini-city around Gillette stadium was, in part, Krafts plan to make Gillette a possibility to host a SuperBowl AND keep an outdoor stadium?

Think of it.. No other team has anything like it. An entire commerce center built around (and to showcase) a stadium. This is basically building a big city downtown around a stadium, which is not in a big city. Other cities boast having those things in the city around them to entice the NFL to hold a SB there. This will be those things built for and named after an NFL team (don't think that doesn't make the NFL salivate) not just accessible through enclosed skywalks, like Indy.
He is making Gillette a destination for tourists, not just Pats fans.

Hotels? Check!, Restaurants? Check!, Entertainment? Check!, Transportation? Who needs it when you are staying AT THE STADIUM!!! Sure the on-site hotel can't hold everyone. but it will hold a huge amount of them, including league and corporate brass. Travel into the stadium will be much easier with half of the attendees staying on site.

Who would travel to Foxboro to see a movie or shop at Circuit City? Not me. But its perfect if what you are trying to do is support a crowd thats going there anyway.
Why else would they need a hotel, a movie theatre and a CBS television/radio station on site? I'm sure it would help out broadcasters from every network, to have access to that kind of facility.

Once Patriot Place is built and in operation, Bob Kraft will make a bid for a SB to be played in New Englands "frozen tundra". Possibly at next years owner meetings.

Book it!

By the way, if you can't tell that I like watching my football outdoors, just take a look at my username

 

[SoCal Pmen]

Even with a dome I can't see a Super Bowl being played at the Razor. When a site is chosen, they look at location, other things to do in the city, number of nearby hotel rooms, etc. If the stadium was in Boston it could happen but there's no way it's going to be played in Foxboro.

Besides that the massive cost would in no way be worth it for one game.

I lived in Jacksonville and went to the Super Bowl there and let me tell you first hand there is nothing to do in that city and it is one of the most fragmented experiences one can have. The Pats stayed in St. Augustine which was 45 minutes south of the city. The Eagles stayed 30 minutes south in Ponte Vedra which was a little better. Most of the action and parties were in/around Jax Beach which was the place to be. The stadium itself and the downtown area were ok at best. If Foxboro were to host, most of the action would be in Boston.

 

[Kontradiction]

I lived in Jacksonville and went to the Super Bowl there and let me tell you first hand there is nothing to do in that city and it is one of the most fragmented experiences one can have. The Pats stayed in St. Augustine which was 45 minutes south of the city. The Eagles stayed 30 minutes south in Ponte Vedra which was a little better. Most of the action and parties were in/around Jax Beach which was the place to be. The stadium itself and the downtown area were ok at best. If Foxboro were to host, most of the action would be in Boston.

Exactly! The Downtown area is horrible for the parties and if you want to party, the place to go around here is Jax beach where they have 20+ bars and clubs in one little strip. The only problem for drunken fans is that Jax Beach is easily 30-35 minutes away from Downtown.

 

[MoLewisrocks]

I don't know how everything is in MA. They increase all sort of fees here in CA. Tax payers are going to pay any way. If we are going to pay, why not pay for a dome or better stadium so that we can host a SB game and our children and grandchildren can enjoy the game even more.?

Apparently you really don't know how everything is in MA... there is no support here for taxpayer funding of sports venues. Kraft got some infrastructure help based on the impact a new stadium would have in Foxboro, period. You aren't going to recoup the cost of a retractable roof on what a host team gets from a Superbowl bid. If one could be retrofitted at all it would now likely cost more than the entire stadium cost in 2002. A bill Bob is still paying off. He is in the midst of building an entertainment/shopping complex adjacent to the field. It's probably getting tough enough to secure reasonable financing for that in the present economic climate.

We chose to build our stadium in Foxboro because...we could. Kraft owned the land, land is FAR less expensive and it is available. Why do you think the Chargers can't get a new stadium in SD? Because of land values it is cost prohibitive. That is why the JETS and GIANTS are sharing again in a new stadium (even in NJ). In Texas Jones could find building sites easily because outside of the metropolitan areas it's a freakin' waste land. Even in AZ that was the complaint - the stadium was actually in the middle of nowhere. The SB fan experience is best when everything is within walking or cabbing distance and the climate is mild verging on warm.

BTW - why do you care if you live in CA? FWIW Patiots fans seem a lot more interested in playing the game. Hosting it is by and large attractive to venues whose fans will struggle to sniff one any other way, politicians and businessmen looking to fatten their own wallets.

 

[NEPatriot]

BTW - why do you care if you live in CA?

I used to live in Boston for many years and I am a PATs fan. I do care a lot because i'm thinking about moving back to Boston in the future.

If Boston hosts a SB game, i'l be very happy.

there is no support here for taxpayer funding of sports venues

Your point is valid only in the 'past' but not now because of what Patriots and Redsox have done in the past few years. Didn't i hear Boston is the state of champion. As a tax payer, how can you not possibly support for sport venue when you have 2 well known dynasties in your state.?