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The Dirty Little Truth About the Texans Roof Policy
- Thread starter CloakNNNdagger
- Start date
I thought the league wanted closed stadiums, but real grass & the retractable roof was a way to make that happen. During the week, the roof is normally open, for the grass. So I think they are getting their money's worth out of it.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
The only problem is that even with the roof open 24 hrs a day, because of the way the architects designed and oriented the stadium, the amount of sun that the grass received still would not be adequate for it to be optimally maintained (and that is not even accounting for long stretches of cloudy days). That's why it requires frequent transport of the pallets out of the stadium, or replacement.
ATXtexanfan
Hall of Fame
I like a controlled enviroment. Noise is a better homefield advantage than climate. Just sayin
eriadoc
Texan-American
I understand and support the 80 degree limit. 80 degrees in direct sunlight is pretty harsh. And let's face it, heat is our frozen tundra here. I do not get the 50 degree lower limit. 50 degrees is awesome football weather. Cold weather in Houston is not unbearable, and again, direct sunlight heats up the inside of that stadium to warmer than the mercury says anyway.
TheMatrix31
Hall of Fame
I hate domes but I like the loud crowd. At least our turf is not ugly like the Superdome or Metrodome. Must be the sun.
They have 2 or 3 fields worth of these trays, right? How hard would it be to rotate them and not put a field worth of skids in before game time on Sunday? With this system, we should never have turf problems. If the trays don't fit right, fix them til they do.
MEGA SWATT
All Pro
Leave it closed all the time
I would like for the roof to be open more often but in their defense the 3 games last year where the temp fell in 50/80 range there was a chance of rain, even if just slightly. People not covered by the roof overhang would have been complaining about getting wet.
And without any kind of airflow in the stadium it can get hot in there so that has to be considered even if it is 79 it feels much warmer than that.
And without any kind of airflow in the stadium it can get hot in there so that has to be considered even if it is 79 it feels much warmer than that.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
Roof closed = louder = better for the good guys.
It has been proven that this is incorrect. It is no louder with the roof closed than open. If it was true how come the Seahawks stadium is the loudest in the NFL?
paycheck71
Hall of Fame
That really doesn't prove anything. Each structure is different and has different acoustics.
That doesn't mean that Reliant is louder or quieter with the roof closed/open. I'm just saying that the fact that the Seahawks stadium is loud doesn't mean Reliant would be too.
I don't go to the games, but I'd like to see the roof open more if the temp is comfortable.
Porky
Hall of Fame
Go to Green Bay and ask those fans if they mind getting wet. Only difference is it's 14 below zero when they are getting wet. Hell, it's a badge of honor. It's football, not tiddly winks.
I don't like the stadium design. I realize it was for the rodeo. Screw the rodeo. This is football, not bull riding. Why should they have had to compromise? Let the rodeo build their own place. Miami is open air. Jax is open. Other warm areas are as well. If it was oriented different, with a different roof design, I bet the air flow and breezes would be much better.
I don't like the stadium design. I realize it was for the rodeo. Screw the rodeo. This is football, not bull riding. Why should they have had to compromise? Let the rodeo build their own place. Miami is open air. Jax is open. Other warm areas are as well. If it was oriented different, with a different roof design, I bet the air flow and breezes would be much better.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
They have done studies inside Reliant and there is no noticeable difference.
paycheck71
Hall of Fame
That's a different story
I understand your point. & I agree with you, football should be played in the elements.
The only thing I'd like to inject, is that Houston is not a "warm" area. It's hot as fck in August & September. But from October through February, the roof should be open, rain or shine.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
Sitting in the direct sunlight, inside that stadium does suck. I did it for 4 years, including the Pittsburgh game, before I moved to the shady south end zone. But for late games (3:00 or later) it is not bad in there with the roof open. Even for night games in August, which they've had 4 open roof pre-season games before, including the 1st 2 they ever played in that building.
As for the noise, I've heard it as loud with the roof open as I've heard it with it closed. With the overhang Reliant has, the roof makes no difference.
That said, I don't care what they do with the roof. I don't go to a game to look at the roof or sky, I go to watch a game on the field below. But if you are going to build a stadium that has a retractable roof, it's kinda silly that you never open the damn thing. Why didn't they just make it a dome?
As for the noise, I've heard it as loud with the roof open as I've heard it with it closed. With the overhang Reliant has, the roof makes no difference.
That said, I don't care what they do with the roof. I don't go to a game to look at the roof or sky, I go to watch a game on the field below. But if you are going to build a stadium that has a retractable roof, it's kinda silly that you never open the damn thing. Why didn't they just make it a dome?
badboy
Hall of Fame
I don't care if you silly boinkers in the stands are comfy, it would be much hotter on field for the players.
lol
I don't care if you silly boinkers in the stands are comfy, it would be much hotter on field for the players.
Wow...resorting to name calling are we? Well, those silly boinking players get their salaries paid by silly boinkers like me. I say let them sweat!!! Besides, the other team will be hot, too and they aren't used to it like the Texans are. Capers told me so way back in '05. Right before he tried to overheat the Steelers. Hmmm....what was the outcome of that game again???
mmwest
Practice Squad
I've always disliked Bud for that BS he did to the Astros.
Heath Shuler
SPEED KILLS
Link please.
drs23
Veteran
I don't know if DX is looking for the link and I'm too lazy but I can attest that what he's posted is true. I've read it several times.
DX-TEX
#TomSavageDontCare
I know I have read articles to the fact but right now I did find this from our own Steph:
http://blog.chron.com/texanschick/2...s-reliant-stadium-frequently-asked-questions/
I know I saw a video where they had a sound meter at both an open roof and closed roof game and the readings were nearly identical
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
I'm fine with the roof closed. But my seats are in the sun.
Unless the temps are perfect, the roof is going to be closed.
Only time they like it open is salute to the military game if the weather is even semi-good because it is good for the flyover.
But generally, north stadium people hate it when it is too hot. Upper deck people hate it when it is too cold.
They have a huge file from that stupid Steelers game from all the problems they had that game. They ran out of water. They had ambulance rolling up to the stadium.
The Texans get the fewest complaints when it is closed. The retractable roof is a sunk cost. So why be uncomfortable if you can be comfortable.
Unless the temps are perfect, the roof is going to be closed.
Only time they like it open is salute to the military game if the weather is even semi-good because it is good for the flyover.
But generally, north stadium people hate it when it is too hot. Upper deck people hate it when it is too cold.
They have a huge file from that stupid Steelers game from all the problems they had that game. They ran out of water. They had ambulance rolling up to the stadium.
The Texans get the fewest complaints when it is closed. The retractable roof is a sunk cost. So why be uncomfortable if you can be comfortable.
Looks like the Texans are pretty much the same as other teams with retractable roofs.
Porky
Hall of Fame
As usual, the taxpayer gets soaked at the enrichment of the owners. I'm all for people getting rich, but not at the expense of the taxpayer.
If an idea is good, invest your own damn money in it unless you plan on making me an investor and giving me a piece back. If the retractable roof wasn't good enough for McNair to invest his own funds into, why was it good enough for the taxpayer to pick up the tab?
It should have been made into a dome, the rodeo would have been happy and that's that. OR it should have been made open air, and the rodeo can go find their own stadium.
Why is that too much to ask?
If an idea is good, invest your own damn money in it unless you plan on making me an investor and giving me a piece back. If the retractable roof wasn't good enough for McNair to invest his own funds into, why was it good enough for the taxpayer to pick up the tab?
It should have been made into a dome, the rodeo would have been happy and that's that. OR it should have been made open air, and the rodeo can go find their own stadium.
Why is that too much to ask?
I'm pretty sure the retractable roof was an NFL requirement at the time of purchasing the team.
I will look for it.
p.s. agree completely with you about taxpayer funds paying for billionaire playgrounds, but that's another subject for another day...
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
Each deal needs to be examined individually and I think y'all are unfairly presenting the process.
First off these deals are all approved through the local rules and/or populace. But y'all are acting like the city takes a big fat check over to McNair, hands it to him and says hope you make another billion, we don't expect anything in return. The cities are partners in these deals. They sit down with all the other potential partners/investors, let McNair pitch them that it would be a mutually beneficial relationship and then if they judge it would be, partner up with him.
CloakNNNdagger
Hall of Fame
I believe that just before Reliant was to be built, the NFL made it known that they thought that inclement weather made things very unpredictable for patronage of a Super Bowl and therefore would not be seeking to hand out venues to those with open air stadiums (this policy has only now just been recently broken with the upcoming NY SB). I believe that the Texans knew that in order to be considered candidates for any SB, the stadium to be built would have to be covered............not necessarily with a retractable roof, though.......to have a moving roof was just a way for the Texans to make another unique "first"/splash like the Astrodome was in its day.........and relatively even more expensive. But who cared..........we were so excited just to get a team again, we tax payers would not mind getting screwed........a "little."
Why don't we do that for large manufacturing companies that actually bring jobs to the city? We could finance their buildings for them, give tax breaks and whatever else they need to ensure a 30 year lease and prosperity for the area?
The point is that taxpayers should not be "partners" in entertainment complexes that only serve to enrich the owners and entertainers.
How much do we still owe on the Astrodome while we contemplate tearing it down...at taxpayers' expense?
Our public funds are better served in other areas. Schools, infrastructure, luring large businesses to our city to provide jobs and related support companies.
We can agree to disagree, but in end, if stadiums were such a great idea, private money would build them. But owners know they will not reap the same rewards as they could if they convince cities that their fate is directly related to professional sports.
Please tell me how the following is a good idea:
paycheck71
Hall of Fame
This is a great argument, and I'm all for it, and in the perfect world this would be the case. But Houston has already fought this fight once and lost it with the Oilers. The truth is, cities compete against each other for major sports franchises. I don't know if there is a positive economic impact of being a city with an NFL team (or other major sports for that matter). I imagine there is one, but I don't know what it is. At the very least, I would imagine that it increases a city's profile and its ability to attract other business. Is it worth hundreds of millions of $$$? The voting public says yes. I wish there was a study that told us what the reality is.
I'm pretty sure there are "similar" deals worked out with large manufacturing companies. Check out the property values of all the refineries in your area & check them against the tax roles.
We're paying. They just use a different vocabulary.
Personally, I like the retractable roof. We did the dome thing. That's soooo last century.
And as far as the cost, isn't some of that being deferred due to the name of the place. HL&P must be paying something like 15-25 mil per year for that place to be called Reliant. I can't find anywhere to confirm a figure for Reliant but this Wiki says $20 mil/year is typical for major mkt sports stadiums.
If Reliant was an open air stadium, I doubt we'd have another Super Bowl coming in 2017. I thought the league was pretty clear on that when they gave us Super Bowl XXXVIII
The open roof was for the rodeo, for real grass.
If they put field turf in Reliant, then (& imo only then) will I say the roof was a waste.
infantrycak
Hall of Fame
They do all the time at state, county and city level. I know my city gave a 10 year tax exemption to get a manufacturer to move in.
It seems you are a bit hung up on entertainment. In this context they are all businesses and the question is will it benefit the city. The Texans employ tons of people and lure all sorts of people here for tourism, etc.
Here is where I think we can't judge without knowing what happened. You can't look at how much is still owed alone. How much did the city benefit over the life of the dome? Maybe that made more than enough to pay off the loans but stuck it into budgets as received and spent anything over the minimum payments. These things are all set up to generate a return. If they didn't get one the failure is not on the whole concept but on their inability to accurately forecast their return.
Never said it was always a good idea.
mmwest
Practice Squad
FWIW HL&P has been long gone. The new sheriff in town is NRG aka my wife's employer.
I'm cool with Reliant Stadium. I just wish they would open the roof more often. If 80* is too warm, make the upper limit 70*. Just set a policy and follow it. Open it when policy dictates and close it when policy dictates. Outdoor football games are awesome and Houston has some pretty good football weather during the season.
I'm wishy-washy on taxpayer funds for it (or any sports arena anywhere). I would prefer for owners to assume the risks and reap the rewards. Give them all the proceeds, etc. and tax accordingly. That's in a perfect world. As far as the Astrodome goes, I wonder what good can come from the space it occupies vs. the waste of space it has become. No point in arguing might have been or what ifs. It is what it is. What can be done to make the situation better?
How cool would it be to make the Astrodome a hotel or an area where the city could stage Super Bowl activities? How much would the extra parking from razing it bring in? The only sure thing is that things can't stay the same regarding the Dome. It doesn't really matter what is owed. That was spent when the deal was done. IIRC, there was a voter referendum on it, wasn;t there?
I'm wishy-washy on taxpayer funds for it (or any sports arena anywhere). I would prefer for owners to assume the risks and reap the rewards. Give them all the proceeds, etc. and tax accordingly. That's in a perfect world. As far as the Astrodome goes, I wonder what good can come from the space it occupies vs. the waste of space it has become. No point in arguing might have been or what ifs. It is what it is. What can be done to make the situation better?
How cool would it be to make the Astrodome a hotel or an area where the city could stage Super Bowl activities? How much would the extra parking from razing it bring in? The only sure thing is that things can't stay the same regarding the Dome. It doesn't really matter what is owed. That was spent when the deal was done. IIRC, there was a voter referendum on it, wasn;t there?
That's the biggest thing.
They need to define "chance of rain" as something more than "any slight chance" because that's what they're using now to keep the roof closed.
The roof should be open 70* & below with less than 39% chance of rain.
Speedy
Former Yeller Dweller
Except no one knows if it's really retractable any more. It's beginning to become a myth, legend, that it can actually open. Since the hurricane Ike season (2008), the Texans have played 42 football games in that building and only 8 times has the roof been open. It's only been open ONCE in the last 22 games they've played there.
I don't know of any other events where they open the roof, maybe high school games occasionally, but the thing is never open any more.
FWIW the Texans under Kubiak:
22-15 (.595) with the roof closed.
15-6 (.714) with the roof open
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I completely agree. IMHO, this should be at least as much about the fan's experience as any kind of "winning edge". FWIW, I've been to games with the roof open and the roof closed. I couldn't tell a bit of difference in the decibel level. Of course, I was in the nose bleed section for the roof open game. BTW, I must say that I haven't had a bad seat in that stadium, whether I was there for football or the rodeo. It just seems well designed for the fan in the stands.
Drive by during the week. It's always open.
Well hellzz yeah. Keep that mutha open.
I'll have to disagree. I've had season tickets in the nosebleeds since 2006. Originally, I told them I wanted to be on the aisle, because I wanted easy access in & out of my seats.
Didn't take me long to realize that was a mistake.
Now, I'm still in the nose bleeds, but I'm in seats 14 & 15. I don't have to get up for anybody (30 seats in the aisle) & I don't have inconsiderate people crossing in front of me as they snap the ball.