The grand old coliseum has been an iconic sports venue for decades. She has withstood the test of time and served the world well through Olympics, NFL, College and Baseball games. Teams have come and gone with the Bruins, Rams and Raiders. Some have returned. The USC Trojans are the keepers of the Coliseum and have now embarked on a major and long overdue renovation of the site.
Now that last sentence has lit a match that is burning deep within the community of fans and those who want nothing to do with the renovation designs. This one is very emotional. There are clearly historic concerns to preserve the look and feel of the grand old venue. But has the committee gone too far and not created a balance of sorts to compensate for what should be an opportunistic investment to get it right for the next series of decades and fans who will wonder in to see their heroes?
We are taking a position that what we have heard to date and read is not a good balance. The fans voice and experience seems to have been set to the side. We are talking about the Legacy of USC. The fans and families thus that have been there through thick and thin. The ups and the downs. They are either losing their family seats or getting moved to some unknown location after decades of loyalty. Oh and by the way for the lucky one’s that choose to stay with the Trojan Family and not Stub Hub the games they will be getting a significant increase of cost going forward. This is not fan based. This is selfish of the management.
Alternative designs were show on a conceptual basis but give what he are now assuming is “The Final Design” did they cost out a slightly enhanced version with seats being added to the eastern end zone? Many of the fans do not like the Hero Jersey’s. I actually like them but what do I know. This end of the Peristyle seems like an opportunity. This end zone has available space to not only add volume back but also bring the fans closer to the game. Seems like a natural. But to date we haven’t seen an estimate or review of this as even an option.
Lastly, what the heck is the planning committee thinking of holding the games at the beloved old Coliseum while construction is being conducted? Really? What about doing like the Rams and finding a location nearby that could be used and get away from all the disruption and potential liability of a construction zone. This could end up being a huge disruption to the team and their surging chemistry let alone the negative fan experience. If the committee thinks the reconfigured Coliseum is going to be full each and every game day I would have a hard time agreeing. I hope Im wrong. I hope this team and staff get the support they are earning game by game.
Would have been nice to see the grand old Los Angeles Coliseum filled to the rim with Trojan faithful…..
Fight On
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