@ski-be
where is your texas state analysis
Texas State BobwildsThis week we find ourselves at Texas State University in San Marcos, TX. And by this week I mean two years ago cuz i totes forgot about it for a while. Before we dive in, let's note that Texas State has four important distinctions:
1. Their basketball arena has a GIANT rough ridin' WALL
2. The husband of a lady I used to work with went here for a couple semesters
3. It is the home of oscar's Ultimate #1 Fan or whatever 42 goes by now
4. On the TV show Friday Night Lights, they used this stade as the backdrop for that time Coach Taylor went to coach at TMU for like 2 episodes. They CGI'd the crap out of it though and made it look like if Conan had done an "If They Mated" between Texas State's actual stadium and and aTm's Kyle Field.
First let's start with an aerial view so we know what we're dealing with here. The stadium underwent a major reno(vation, not cat) maybe 10 years ago. The first thing that jumps out at me is that the end zone in the bottom of this photo has stands whose front rows go lower than the stands along the sidelines. I don't know why. Did they just forget to measure when they started working on it? Something just doesn't add up. Doesn't fit. Kinda makes me think of when Luke Cafferty gave his prize pig to Tinker, or when Mindy decided she wanted her bridal shower to be some fancy tea or something when the natural order of things would've just been to have her getting mumped up with her stripper friends. Why don't you fit together, bleachers?
what is this i don't even
This picture was taken from their Vanier. I snuck in there, not unlike how Billy and Tim Riggins snuck into a scrapyard. Unlike the bros though, I wasn't there to steal copper wire. btw 42 once said that this press box is really hotel'y. He's right. This isn't the hotel'y side, though. That comes later.
DAMN SON ARE WE AT THE LIBERTY BOWL BECAUSE THIS VANIER IS CURVE CITY, USA
They have this adorbz little patio party area thing off behind the corner of one of the end zones. When you guys come to a game here you should just stick to hanging out on the party porch before and after games, cuz from these seats? Clear Eyes, Full Hearts, Can't See.
On top of this adorbz-a-board is a picture of the TSU bobqat logo. BACKWARDS POWERCAT ALERT!
As you approach into the stadium from their student section side you see a grassy knoll good for OOC frolicking.
Texas State really throws it in Louisiana-Lafayette's stupid face by having supremely normal lights.
Note that despite them wanting to be us in every way, there is not ONE Insight.com Bowl sticker on the side of this truck.
This is like the most crystal clear photo I've ever taken. I like how they mounted the spidercam ropes to the top row in the corner. I bet if they actually tried to use one during the game it would bop the QB on top of the helmet cuz their stadium's so small lolol. Hey, remember Crucifictorious?
Generally I really like what TMU has done with the place. Really solid for a Sun Belt team tbh. That little tiny structure atop the upper deck opposite end zone is cute too. What do you think goes on there? Also look at the near goalpost. Its curve is decidedly NOT elegant. Sorry bobqats, that's where you'll wanna start if you ever wanna be KSU State Junior.
Right now the score on the field is tied at 2-2 in the battle of Trash Cans vs. Peppermint Field Logo Things.
guess which guys are the linemen
Walked around their Vanier for a while pretending I was supposed to be there. Opened the wrong door and busted in on some coaches meeting and just said "Oh I'm sorry fellas" in my huskiest voice possible. Then I whipped out my phone and got a picture of this live action game photo of when the then-Southwest Texas State Bobcats played the Pittsburgh Steelers in an exhibition game in front of a 40 foot tall bobcat.
Also, "Pride is our tradition"? That sux, you guys. Ever heard of 16 motherfucking goals?
Judging by this picture I think the bobqats get super jacked for the third q.
Probably a good idea tbh though, because that's usually when Arnett-Meade starts to mount a big comeback.
Didn't know the 1981/1982 Boblats got to tell everyone to kiss the rings
This pole makes Seracen look really skinny
Was too scared to go in their weight room because there were a buncha guys getting real buff, presumably for the Mud Bowl.
Cruise ship hotel alert
No idea why I took this picture. Just lotsa angles going on, I guess.
This is the outside of their big end zone. Not a single Powercat or mention of the Sun Belt's #1 Pregame Tradition as denoted by scarymommy.blogfart.biz
No idea wtf they are thinking with this additional missed opportunity.
The end zone from far away also looks a little Ramada Inn'y
They steal everything from K-State. Everything. Logo's so powercatty that I bet our TSU buds' girlfriends probably draw it freehand for them on their birthday cards.
Oh man, was I psyched, though. Stade's weird but whatevs. Marched a little bit down the road and found myself in good old Straham Coliseum. Or, three fourths of it, anyway. Maybe you've heard but behind one of their baskets there's a
GIANT rough ridin' WALL. It's awful. I want just drive right through it like Julie Taylor through a mailbox when she pretends to hit an invisible dog because she doesn't want to go back to Burleson after her TA boyfriend's wife slapped her in front of everybody.
In this picture I like to think that the scoreboard over midcourt is like the lead blocker, like maybe a Riggins, and the scoreboard on the giant rough ridin' wall is following behind him and is Smash, hunkered down all spry because low man wins.
O hi. Can you find at least two seats that were installed like absolute dogshit?
Odd spacing issues in their section numbering. Also I like that they painted it black to be as doomy as possible but I think it'd be cool if they put some glow-in-the-dark stars up there like SB Big Bro had in his room when we were kids.
Every non-giant-rough ridin'-wall corner of this arena has the UNT Apogee Stadium fishtail thing going on, which results from TWO SMALLER rough ridin' WALLS.
With apologies to _42, I have to say that the 'feel' of this place is very Kansas Coliseum'y
I can't even tell you how much I loathe the wall. Look at this. The Loud Crowd looks dope tho.
I love that they just said eff it and ripped out all the seats there behind the wall. It's got a real "Cal-State Fullerton Football Stadium Visitors' Side" feel to it. (Elite Pud Stadiums thread page 44 reference right there for you guys)
I bet they too have a huge drunk pervert who tweets at teenagers and runs this magazine. But instead of wearing Hawaiian print shirts, theirs wears Hawaiian print cowboy hats.
Overall impression: Texas State's football stadium is solid. Like, really solid for a Sun Belt team. I mean they didn't end up with a tremendously hot POA like a Lyla or a Tyra, but they got themselves a solid 6, like Jess. The basketball arena, though, made me wish I could end up like Seracen's dad.
