North or South Sideline

Livingat45north

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From the recent Sid interview:
"Sid: will you line up on north or south sidelines?
PJF: (laughing) I think that's the most talked-about thing in town. we have not made a final decision yet. it's been talked about. decision not been made. my job is look at every single angle in this program, re-evalute everything - give team the best chance to win on game days, and that might include the sidelines. still in the works"

In August and September (the first three home games) it'd be best to be in the shade, and in Oct and Nov (the last four home games) we should be in the sun. Why pick just one side? What's to keep us from switching after the third or fourth game?
 


Thing is on the current visitor sideline late day sun can be BRUTAL when facing the open end of the field as far as the eyes go....
 

If PJF still believes it gives us an advantage to switch sides (as he said last week), then changing his decision now, based on some cry babies that want the team on the same side as their seats, would be an absolute embarrassment. I think way higher of PJ than that.


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Sunny side. Need to freeze the Badgers and Huskers in those late season games giving us every true home field advantage. No brainer.
 


Sunny side is better. Do fans really choose their seats based on being on the side of the field that the home team is on? I don't think I've ever once looked at where the team sits when buying a ticket for a sporting event of any sort. I watch the game, not the players on the sideline.
 

Sunny side. Need to freeze the Badgers and Huskers in those late season games giving us every true home field advantage. No brainer.

I guess I haven't paid that close attention, but seems to me even the sunny side in those late games is in the shade. I think it's a lot worse to be in the sunny side for the hot early games. Plus, it's usually only cold for about one game a year. Would be smart to actually coach for a year and then make a decision. But that said, he should make the best decision for the team and not a few loud fans.
 

I guess I haven't paid that close attention, but seems to me even the sunny side in those late games is in the shade. I think it's a lot worse to be in the sunny side for the hot early games. Plus, it's usually only cold for about one game a year. Would be smart to actually coach for a year and then make a decision. But that said, he should make the best decision for the team and not a few loud fans.
Claeys was about to make the same change and he coached in those conditions for a few years.

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We are no longer season ticket holders but were for a number of years. I chose seats right behind the bench of the Gophers because I wanted to get a little more feel for what was happening on the bench as well as the field. Two things ... we were in the middle of the first level. The players actually blocked the view of plays on the near sideline. So in future years we opted to move up to near the top of the lower level so that wouldn't happen.

If I had to do it over again I would switch to the sunny side of the field. I don't know everyone's temperature tolerance but even on nice days it was cool on the home side.
 



Sunny side is better. Do fans really choose their seats based on being on the side of the field that the home team is on? I don't think I've ever once looked at where the team sits when buying a ticket for a sporting event of any sort. I watch the game, not the players on the sideline.

Bravo!!!

I think winning the game is more important than where fans sit
 

Sunny side is better. Do fans really choose their seats based on being on the side of the field that the home team is on? I don't think I've ever once looked at where the team sits when buying a ticket for a sporting event of any sort. I watch the game, not the players on the sideline.

Many fans chose the home side of the field to watch the Gopher's sideline activity up close and personal, the marching band right-side-up, Goldy's hijinks and the cheerleaders/dance team as often and close as possible, and because they don't want to sit near the visiting fans.
 

If Coach Fleck thought there was an advantage in having the team on the North side of TCF than he should move them. They should keep everything else, band, cheerleaders, half time and pre-game shows, etc. still oriented toward the South side.
 

Many fans chose the home side of the field to watch the Gopher's sideline activity up close and personal, the marching band right-side-up, Goldy's hijinks and the cheerleaders/dance team as often and close as possible, and because they don't want to sit near the visiting fans.

Definitely understand those who picked that side because it is behind the bench and is the focus of the band in most sets. Goldy spends a large amount of time in and around his box, which is on the visitor's side NE corner right in front of my section. Cheerleaders/dance team are split up and rotate throughout the game. I picked where I sit to be in the sun and close to the band and students.
 



Nobody answered my question (which means it's probably a dumb question), but here it is again...

.... In August and September (the first three home games) it'd be best to be in the shade, and in Oct and Nov (the last four home games) we should be in the sun. Why pick just one side? What's to keep us from switching after the third or fourth game?
 

Nobody answered my question (which means it's probably a dumb question), but here it is again...

.... In August and September (the first three home games) it'd be best to be in the shade, and in Oct and Nov (the last four home games) we should be in the sun. Why pick just one side? What's to keep us from switching after the third or fourth game?

I actually like that. I really did enjoy watching the interaction of players to players and coaches to players when we had our tickets. Doing watch you suggest would give both sides of the field that opportunity. However, like I said before ... if you sit low towards the field the players will block the view of plays on the near sideline. That is why we moved up higher when given that option. I wish we would have moved all the way back to the top row of the lower deck because I could have stood up whenever I wanted without making the folks behind me mad.
 

Coach should put the players on whichever sideline he thinks serves the team best... Next question.
 

Nobody answered my question (which means it's probably a dumb question), but here it is again...

.... In August and September (the first three home games) it'd be best to be in the shade, and in Oct and Nov (the last four home games) we should be in the sun. Why pick just one side? What's to keep us from switching after the third or fourth game?

Not the Big Ten. Northwestern has been moving people around since the 2014 season. Unfortunately for them it might be because of visiting fans:

"The other effect of moving the student section there is that it breaks up visiting fans' dominance of the south endzone. Instead of having opposing fans fill up that side of the stadium, the student section will act as a counter. And the official visiting section will be relegated to crappy corner seats in the north end zone, where the presence of Randy Walker Terrace means they'll do less noise damage.

Yes, it's sad that Northwestern has to engineer its seating chart to reduce the impact of visiting fans, but such is life as a Wildcats fan.

The changing sidelines thing from game to game...I don't completely get. Maybe it's sun glare or something? And I'm not sure any other team does something like this. But, whatever floats Fitz' boat.
"

https://www.insidenu.com/2014/2/7/5...l-shuffling-seats-and-sidelines-at-ryan-field
 

And it's still going on too.

Which sideline will Northwestern use this season?

Both. In order to provide the team with as great a home-field advantage as possible, the team will be alternating sidelines this season based on competitive advantage (i.e. weather, time of game, etc.). Determination of which sideline the team will use for a given game will be made the week of the game.


http://admin.nusports.com/sports/2015/3/18/GEN_20140101407.aspx?prl=635896017602706619
 

Claeys was about to make the same change and he coached in those conditions for a few years.

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Despite having plenty of insulation, claeys could not handle cold. Many times at practice where I was roasting in shorts and a t shirt, he'd be wearing a sweatshirt. PJ doesn't have that problem.


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If PJF still believes it gives us an advantage to switch sides (as he said last week), then changing his decision now, based on some cry babies that want the team on the same side as their seats, would be an absolute embarrassment. I think way higher of PJ than that.


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I prefer coaches that don't worry about silly things and just prepare to win under any circumstances. This is silly, a distraction, and the preparation of excuses. While having sat on both sides of the stadium, the North side is much nicer in the colder months, when the sun is out, yammering on about it is "not elite".
 

Can they not change half way through the year???
It's HOT as HELL in the sun on the visitor side for the first 4 games,
and only cold for the last two games on the home side..
 

Can they not change half way through the year???
It's HOT as HELL in the sun on the visitor side for the first 4 games,
and only cold for the last two games on the home side..

Just watch them on tv or do you have a massive circulation problem? :rolleyes:
 

I prefer coaches that don't worry about silly things and just prepare to win under any circumstances. This is silly, a distraction, and the preparation of excuses. While having sat on both sides of the stadium, the North side is much nicer in the colder months, when the sun is out, yammering on about it is "not elite".

Agree 100%. If it rains or snows, it doesn't matter. If they play at night, it doesn't matter If it is cloudy and overcast, it doesn't matter. I have been behind PJ on just about everything, but this one baffles me
 


Section 2 said:

"Despite having plenty of insulation, claeys could not handle cold. Many times at practice where I was roasting in shorts and a t shirt, he'd be wearing a sweatshirt. PJ doesn't have that problem."

My kid and I went to Coach Kill's first outdoor spring practice at TCF. It was quite the day...cold north wind with snow squalls coming through regularly...the practice was late so with the lights TCF looked like a giant snowglobe with the wind swirling.

Coach Kill was out there in shorts and two t-shirts...one longsleeve with a shortsleeve over it. We went down on the field for an autograph...which he kindly offered...but he was frozen. Literally shivering as he signed. He did not do that again.

I didn't know enough about the new regime yet to be looking for the defensive coordinator but know everyone else was more correctly dressed.
 

It really doesn't matter. When we had our tickets, I think we'd have preferred to have been on the "Home" side. Like others have said, you kind of want to see what's going on on the sideline. We ended up on the visitor's side because that's where the best seats were available by the time it got down to us in the pecking order. But for that one glorious, sunny afternoon in 2010 when the Song Girls were 20 feet in front of us, the sting of losing out on the home side wore off in a hurry. That didn't carry over when South Dakota came to town, for several reasons.
 

As someone on the "home" side I'm not sure I care either way. I don't think I'll know until if / when it happens.

I liked being able to watch over the home team's shoulders, but I am one of those people who brings binoculars anyway.

It might be nice to see the coach's and player's faces for once if they're on the other side... I know the back of the coach's heads better than I should.

I still worry about our team on the sunny side and that late fall sun that gets in their eyes on the open end... that's not something that is temp dependant.

JCNID.jpg
 

I don't have an opinion on this matter.
 

And it's still going on too.

Which sideline will Northwestern use this season?

Both. In order to provide the team with as great a home-field advantage as possible, the team will be alternating sidelines this season based on competitive advantage (i.e. weather, time of game, etc.). Determination of which sideline the team will use for a given game will be made the week of the game.


http://admin.nusports.com/sports/2015/3/18/GEN_20140101407.aspx?prl=635896017602706619

At first I thought this idea was crazy, but why not? Unless there are some logistical problems with doing it due to locker rooms, equipment, etc., why not make it a game-by-game decision? If people drop their season tickets because of the side the home team is on, they were probably going to drop them anyway.
 

It really doesn't matter IMO
 




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