It's fun to be a college football fan if you live in the state of Utahr'd!
(FBS) Brigham Young University: 6-0
(FBS) University of Utah: 7-0
(FCS) Weber State University: 5-2 (3-0 in Big Sky)
(FCS) Southern Utah University: 3-4
(FBS) Utah State University: 1-5 (1-1 in WAC)
I have to say that this stadium, is awesome and I'm glad that now we have a soccer specific one in the state and we can watch football in the way it was suppose to be watched.
I can't believe that 9-October 2008 got here so fast, but it did and I am glad for it. You can totally tell that the supporters, team and opposing team really loved that they were playing on real grass.
It is one of the most state of the art facilities, and I think no seat is a bad seat. They, the staff, did a good job at the first game of this stadium.
Carnivale ReAL is outside of the gates, so everybody can experience the little hour pregame entertainment before actually scanning their ticket and going to their seats. I didn't get to experience this because A) Parking, and B) Will Call for tickets.
I'm not saying that either A) or B) were bad things, it's just I need to Park. See there isn't a true Parking Lot for the stadium goers to park in, but there are surrounding areas that you can park in, you just have to walk. The best thing I think you could do is either just ride UTA FrontRunner down and catch a TRAXtrain down to Sandy.
This would have been my first suggestion, and I might do this if I decide to go down to next Saturday's game against FC Dallas. Because the TRAX Station is just to the east of Jordan Commons, which in turn is just southeast of RioTinto Stadium. But since the game was on ESPN for MLS Thursday Night, it started at 8:00pm (MST) and I didn't really want to rush after the game to catch the TRAX train and then catch the last FrontRunner train at 11:35pm (MST).
So we just drove down, and we parked for free in the Jordan District Offices. Which isn't that much further east from the Sanday TRAX platform. So if I drive, I'll park here, plus I like the walk because it's close enough to the stadium, but far enough that you can just keep moving instead of sitting in traffic after the game.
The other reason I didn't catch any of the Carnivale ReAL is because of Will Call but that wasn't an issue because I sure do love having a last name starting with 'W'. The T-Z line at Will Call ticketing at any stadium is always the shortest. And I just find that window, pass all the long lines at the other letters of the alphabet and wait for like 5 minutes max.
When you walk into stadium, you are already on the CONCOURSE level, you just walk around that level until you come upon the section you are sitting in Section 35 is right were the East Entrance is, so we didn't have to do any pregame walking the stadium. I would have liked to walk around the stadium or at least visit the concession stand, but $8 Alcoholic Beverages, just don't sound refreshing.
So we found our seats, the section of the 'EA' of ReAL is section 35, and sat in comfortable chairback seats, instead of just american college football bleachers. There are no bleachers to be found in the new stadium, they are all nice comfy red chairbacks.
The atmosphere was very enjoyable, the opening cermonies to the end of the game. We are sitting right ontop of the players, instead of having the field like 10 Feet below the first row, the field is right in line to the first row. It's great to see only football lines on the field, and not yellow football lines and white yard markings for college football.
Red Bulls scored first goal in the new stadium. But that's the only goal they scored, in the 41' Jamison Olave scored the first goal for RSL in the new stadium. and that was the only goal for RSL. Would have liked to come out of the game with 3pts. but we are still clinging to our first playoff appearance, hopefully we can do damage against FCDallas next week.
R-S-L GO ReAL R-S-L GO ReAL!
2008-09 College Football season has begun, and we are in the 4th week of the season. Now college football in Utah is quite different than the rest of the nation because we have only 3 BCS level schools, and then the rest are FCS level and lower.
But it's still College Football, even though I don't believe that the BCS does their post season right, I will still root for the home state teams. Especially when the 3 BCS level schools are Mid-Major schools and really don't have the high shots at a National Championship as say the Pac-10, Big 12, Big 10 and SEC.
Wait what am I saying, 3 BCS level schools, I mean 2 (bYu and UofU), the third one is a WAC team and they suck royally (Utah State).
I rarely if ever root for bYu, but because they are 4-0, going into this week's bye. And with my disgust with the BCS post season, I'll always root for a mid-major school to go undefeated, and get into the top 8 in the countrie to BCS-BUST. Until they realize the right way to do a postseason, ala Tournament style. I'll for them this way.
Okay so I'm rooting for bYu, the Mor(m)on school, but I have watch 3 of the four games and I really like the QB Max Hall, he could have potential, can get better he could be one of the stars in the NFL instead one of the bYu QB's that have turned into duds. Harvey Unga is a great running back, but my favorite instate runningback I'll get to him later. And my favorite position on a football team, because you can do so much with them is the Tight End, D. Pitta is awesome and I always will root for a TE for what ever school they play for I like this position.
BYU has a bye this week, but next week they go up to Logan, Utah where they play the Gaggies from Utah State, so I expect them to score a UCLA type score on them (59-0), and go 5-0. Seriously, Utah State has too much ego and pride that they don't know that they really should have a football program that just plays in the FCS level. I mean if you play in the WAC. If the Mountain West is a Mid Major conference than the WAC is a LOWER-Major conference. And Utah State is always a bottomfeeder in that league, they should buy a clue, don't you thing?
This week, Ronnie Mac gets a homecoming of sorts, as he brings his Weber State Wildcats into Rice-Eccles stadium, to face his old team. In which he successfully coach for many years. Weber State is the school that I back, and I'll root for them, but realistically they're going to get their asses handed to them. Even though I like what I've seen out of Cameron Higgins (WSU QB), he has had two Athlete of the Week honours and he is actually getting his passes to the his receivers unlike last year when he was always over throwing them. And can you believe it he's only a sophomore. Now to the running back in the state that I like and that is Trevyn Smith, I call him a Spinner. He gets the hand off and he bounces off his first defender and starts spinning for extra yards, he did pretty well in the first half against another mid-major school, Hawai'i. Let's see what he can do with the Utah Utes, who are alot better and also undefeated in this young college football season.
Game time is at 6pm, 27-September.
