T1B

BOOM! 30 second in. Live from my home town of Grand Rapids, Mich.

Someone just earned fifty grand

R-Jack wrote:
Someone just earned fifty grand

Rack.

I think I have seen some of those same guys hanging around downtown when we were there to play the Griffins.

Left Seater wrote:I think I have seen some of those same guys hanging around downtown when we were there to play the Griffins.

How do you think Van Andel Arena stacks up to the other minor league venues you've been to?

Depends on what you mean by that? Are you asking about the arena itself, or are you asking about the fans and experience in general?


The arena itself sucks donkey balls! The experience is in the upper third of the league. But as one guy said to me, "what the hell else are we going to do here in the middle of winter?"

The older barns in the league may have some history that gets old time fans all bubbly about, but from a team/player stand point they blow. The locker rooms are small and divided, forwards dress in one area while blue liners dress in another. Staff is shoehorned in anywhere they can find space. Trainers don't have enough room for today's modern equipment. Players have to walk thru fans to get on and off the ice in some of them. Hot water can be spotty.

Of the more modern arenas Milwaukee is the worst. Charlotte and San Antonio are the best.

I meant the arena itself. What is it about it that sucks so bad?

The experience is in the upper third of the league.

WAR $1 beer/$1 dog nights.

Apart from what I already mentioned?


Again from a visiting team stand point:

The locker room is split into two rooms

The lockers themselves are non existent and it is in fact a folding chair and a bar overhead

There isn't room for the trainer and much of his stuff is in a hallway

Loading dock is useless, so we use the front entrance

No access from radio level to locker room without going thru that long tunnel on one end with the porthole windows suspended from roof

Broadcast level is suspended from roof

No weight room and required exercise bikes were new in the 70s, they still have the old fan front wheel type

Shower room is fine for three people, not thirty



From a fan standpoint:

The front entry is overwhelmed and long lines form

No way to enter bldg on upper level

Concessions are too small and not enough

Food choices are lacking

Seat rows are narrow and everyone has to stand to pass

No large stat boards

Apart from what I already mentioned?

I didn't realize you were referring to Van Andel as one of the "older barns" since it's only 15 years old.

Yeah, sorry I guess I could have made that more clear.

Out West many of the barns are pretty new. Ours is one of the older ones and it was built in the early 2000s. Most of these are built to NHL standards which makes it very nice for both the visitors, home and even officials.

R-Jack wrote:
Someone just earned fifty grand

that'll rack

MgoBlue-LightSpecial wrote:

Apart from what I already mentioned?

I didn't realize you were referring to Van Andel as one of the "older barns" since it's only 15 years old.

Right? But when does an arena officially become old? Haven't been there since I saw Pearl Jam there in 06. GR really did well by the Arena. Building it to be 10k was brilliant.