My friend Bruce Wood at the Big Green Alert blog has been posting some videos folks have been making reviewing the different Ivy football stadiums, campuses, and overall college experiences at each of the eight schools.
I agree with Bruce in that the videos, and the "information" contained in them have all been subpar at best.
I'll leave out the educational and campus life reviews since it's now been 31 years since I was a student at any Ivy college and what college applicant today wants to know what a 52-year-old guy thinks about that anyway?
But I can give a more realistic quick review of the Ivy football stadiums and fan experiences therein.
I'll start with Brown:
BROWN STADIUM
Brown Stadium is not right on the Brown campus, but also not too much of a trip from it either. I suppose it makes for a good walk from a dorm or the quad, but that's a hike that's probably best for the warmer earlier weeks of the season. (Thus, begins a recurring theme in this review).
The stadium itself is located in a wealthy, residential, suburban area and happens to be surrounded by synagogues and a Jewish community center that, being that all games are on Saturday or the rare Friday night, are all active during game time. This has no real affect on the games or the fan experience, but it's a unique thing to see active houses of worship from your seat at any game. I assume even the churches on the Notre Dame campus aren't exactly jammed during football game times (before and after the games, sure... but not DURING).
There's really nothing special about Brown stadium. I do like the basic design of the limestone outer side of the home side of the stadium. It looks old and appropriately neoclassical for an Ivy setting.
Like almost every other Ivy stadium, Brown Stadium does not have any cover options during rain or snow storms. If it's raining, you will get soaked.
But the actual seats are not comfortable and the away side is sparse to say the least. All of that, however, adds to the charm and seems to be indicative of Brown's overall image as a less pretentious Ivy. In fact, Brown's run of frequent championships in the earlier 2000's all seemed like a blue collar statement against the wealthier and flashier Ivies. So the Bears have a home that matches their team image.
Parking is okay at Brown but I'd say the tailgating situation is in the lower end of the pack as Ivy homes go. What Brown does have going for it is its proximity to so many other Ivies, especially Yale and Harvard, (and frankly the trip from NYC isn't so bad either).
Downtown Providence, again especially in the warmer weeks of the season, is a great restaurant town and sometimes has some great other attractions. I must say that as a Columbia fan, it's a shame that the Lions have only visited Brown in week 9 or 10 of the season in my lifetime. (For many years in the 50s and 60s, the Lions season opener was vs. the Bears).
I'm not sure how many people reading this care about the media experience, but the Brown press box is probably the worst in the Ivies with a bathroom situation that is not too great. BUT the food offered to the media in the box, which includes great soup and other goodies may be the league's best. Brown is all about the tradeoffs.
The bottom line is that Brown Stadium doesn't offer a lot of physical pluses. But most Brown teams are exciting to watch year in and year out, the Providence area is more exciting than about half of the other Ivy college towns, and it's not a hassle to get to from most major Northeast population centers.
Again, my only regret is that every visit I've made to Brown over the years has generally been well past the best weather for the season. Everyone other than Columbia and Dartmouth fans have better options schedule-wise.
5 comments:
Brown's stadium is an absolute shit hole. In 2 games and 1 preseason scrimmage over 4 years, I never felt a single drop of hot water from the showers in the visiting locker room.
Ah yes, the player's experience there is much different. As a broadcaster, Brown Stadium's press box was also terrible with the worst bathroom in the league. BUT the food offered in the box at halftime was just about the BEST the last time I visited.
Remember, “During the Dark Ages, the people did not think it was the Dark Ages”. We always thought, “the largest wooden stadium in America” had “charm”. I doubt many others agreed.
Maybe a bit too though on the “prestige” aspect.
I do not know if the venue has changed, but at one time, the visitors’ locker room involved crossing a street.
In 1971, we were assessed a delay of game penalty, because we failed to get back into the stadium in time for that start of the second half.
Yale is worse for the visiting team.
All of this reminds me of the old “his brother was worse” joke.
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