In defense of the Left Field Grove

[HammerOfTheDogs]

What do you think would happen if the Left Field Grovers were as accommodating and friendly with Mississippi State students and fans as they are with opposing fans? You'd have a bunch of cheap free-loaders eating all you chicken and hamburgers, and drinking all your beer.

What's happening now is that MState baseball is as bad as they've historically been in football and basketball. If you didn't grandfather those LFG's in, the spots would be bought up by corporate donors and the spots would be empty except for LSU or Ole Miss weekend. It would be MState basketball circa 2012-2022 on steroids.

 

[BulldogBlitz]

You'd have a bunch of cheap free-loaders eating all you chicken and hamburgers, and drinking all your beer.

This is true. Continue to avert your eyes, and damn sure do not make eye contact.**

 

[Shmuley]

What do you think would happen if the Left Field Grovers were as accommodating and friendly with Mississippi State students and fans as they are with opposing fans? You'd have a bunch of cheap free-loaders eating all you chicken and hamburgers, and drinking all your beer.

What's happening now is that MState baseball is as bad as they've historically been in football and basketball. If you didn't grandfather those LFG's in, the spots would be bought up by corporate donors and the spots would be empty except for LSU or Ole Miss weekend. It would be MState basketball circa 2012-2022 on steroids.

Spoiled.

 

[thatsbaseball]

The left field lounge reminds me of a line in a song "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot". When it was started over 50 years ago and before it looked like a scrap yard it was unique, spontaneous, edgy and the kids who out there on their blankets and beach towels were laid back people but intense State baseball fans and for all these reasons it was simply put....cool. Now when I look at it I think about the line in a movie "get off my lawn". It's no longer unique and instead of spontaneous it's super choreographed and while the people out there desperately want to be cool and edgy......they are anything but. I saw my first State baseball game from out there in the spring of "69" and never sat in the grandstands my whole time at school. The people who sit out there now THINK they have something special, the people who were fortunate enough to be out there in the early days really DID have something special.

 

[Son_of_34]

What do you think would happen if the Left Field Grovers were as accommodating and friendly with Mississippi State students and fans as they are with opposing fans? You'd have a bunch of cheap free-loaders eating all you chicken and hamburgers, and drinking all your beer.

What's happening now is that MState baseball is as bad as they've historically been in football and basketball. If you didn't grandfather those LFG's in, the spots would be bought up by corporate donors and the spots would be empty except for LSU or Ole Miss weekend. It would be MState basketball circa 2012-2022 on steroids.

Gift and a curse...corporate donors would look terrible out there...corporate donors would also pay out of the *** to be out way more than uncle Remus 100 dollar BDC then split ticket cost with 12 other people

 

[Villagedawg]

The left field lounge reminds me of a line in a song "they paved paradise and put up a parking lot". When it was started over 50 years ago and before it looked like a scrap yard it was unique, spontaneous, edgy and the kids who out there on their blankets and beach towels were laid back people but intense State baseball fans and for all these reasons it was simply put....cool. Now when I look at it I think about the line in a movie "get off my lawn". It's no longer unique and instead of spontaneous it's super choreographed and while the people out there desperately want to be cool and edgy......they are anything but. I saw my first State baseball game from out there in the spring of "69" and never sat in the grandstands my whole time at school. The people who sit out there now THINK they have something special, the people who were fortunate enough to be out there in the early days really DID have something special.

This. It was abou '82 when I saw my first game out there. Stayed out there for all the games while in school. It got ridiculous scapyardy in the late 90s early 2000s. Up until then at least you could still take a couple of lawn chairs and a cooler and have a great time. My last best memory out there was there was the 97 regional versus Washington. My oldest was about 18 months old on a blanket in front of my and his mom's lawn chair right up against the right field fence. Great times. That is completely gone.

 

[Dawgbite]

The problem, at least to me is that other than the two berms there is absolutely nothing for the casual walk up fan. They shrunk the sizes of the lounges when they made them permanent in order to sell more spots. Space and seats are very limited. It’s not the fault of the lounge owners, it’s the fault of the greed of the university. Y’all are totally directing your angst towards the wrong people.

 

[Dawgg]

The problem, at least to me is that other than the two berms there is absolutely nothing for the casual walk up fan. They shrunk the sizes of the lounges when they made them permanent in order to sell more spots. Space and seats are very limited. It’s not the fault of the lounge owners, it’s the fault of the greed of the university. Y’all are totally directing your angst towards the wrong people.

and 17 berms.

 

[STATEgrad04]

They are the Neshoba County Fair cabin of our university.

I do wish that we could stop crapping on what others have. It is by far the coolest thing we have going and creates an unparalleled atmosphere. They are no more exclusive than a box seat, and nobody complains that they cant just walk up there and help themselves to food an drink.

 

[dog99walker]

It is what it is. I sit on the berm. I have tried to get season ticket for years in the chair backs. It’s locked up for ten years. I can’t tell you the number of times I have turned down food or beverage in Left field. This shouldn’t be an issue except to the jealous.

 

[Son_of_34]

They are the Neshoba County Fair cabin of our university.

I do wish that we could stop crapping on what others have. It is by far the coolest thing we have going and creates an unparalleled atmosphere. They are no more exclusive than a box seat, and nobody complains that they cant just walk up there and help themselves to food a drink.

The first base berm and student platform under the scoreboard creates why more atmosphere than any rig

 

[tcdog70]

the old LFL was way cool. this new whatever not so much. SO MSU to take something great and 17 it up.

 

[Lowdog]

I’ve got a news flash! Back in the late 70’s me and my buddies were not very open to fellow MSU alums and students. We were at the left field fence every weekend in my pickup with multiple couches across the bed of truck. We often lined up at the left field gate very early in the morning saturdays if not Friday afternoons. Yes I still have a home run ball from Bulldog Bruce that crashed thru the back window of my pickup truck.

 

[dog99walker]

I have a signed baseball from Baseball Bruce from his sophomore year. It is a personal treasure, along with an autographed baseball from 1985-the whole team!!

 

[dog99walker]

BTW, they don’t teach penmanship in New Jersey.

 

[Bulldog Bruce]

BTW, they don’t teach penmanship in New Jersey.

 

[AlCoDog]

If we weren’t so bad for 3 years in a row, this thread would never exist. Very few folks would be complaining or saying a word if we were still winning. Put a bad product out there, and everything associated with it starts getting picked apart and criticized.

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

What do you think would happen if the Left Field Grovers were as accommodating and friendly with Mississippi State students and fans as they are with opposing fans? You'd have a bunch of cheap free-loaders eating all you chicken and hamburgers, and drinking all your beer.

What's happening now is that MState baseball is as bad as they've historically been in football and basketball. If you didn't grandfather those LFG's in, the spots would be bought up by corporate donors and the spots would be empty except for LSU or Ole Miss weekend. It would be MState basketball circa 2012-2022 on steroids.

How about just don't look at people walking around as pieces of ****, would be a first big step.

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

The first base berm and student platform under the scoreboard creates why more atmosphere than any rig

100% agree. Why? Because they are competitive spots to get when the gates open. Those people plan their day to get those spots.
I don't know the answer here, but as it stands today, the people in the left field lounge spots area just kind of ****** to the overall experience.

Look, the spots were meant to be SRO type of vibe, yet be more organized and safer. Then the university sold them as premium seating areas. Random people just can't show up and start up a grill anymore. I get it, those people pay for their spots, they pay for their drinks, food, access, etc. they don't want 40 unknown randos crashing their spot. I 100% get it. BUT, the criticism of them being ******** to the average fan just wanting to experience what it is all about is 100% valid and fair. The issue is really that they turned something that used to be awesome and first come first serve to something that is akin to a skybox experience. And it sucks. The average fan will never get to experience it because they have to be "invited" now.

 

[LordMcBuckethead]

If we weren’t so bad for 3 years in a row, this thread would never exist. Very few folks would be complaining or saying a word if we were still winning. Put a bad product out there, and everything associated with it starts getting picked apart and criticized.

Oh no, the decisions to take out any and all General Admission seating absolutely guaranteed this discussion to happen. Berms 17n suck.

 

[IBleedMaroonDawg]

Things always change. I have great memories of the lounge from the 80s, 90s, and early 2000s. I have gone through the lounge many times. Occasionally, I was invited. Most of the time I didn't know anybody there, so I didn't expect them to invite me in. I still had a great time at the ballpark because the atmosphere was so festive and the baseball team usually was at least competitive. More times than not, we were pretty good.

But they are memories, and I don't expect LFL to stay as it was then.

 

[jdbulldog]

A lot of those folks there in the 60’s forward are the same ones who are there now…

 

[dickiedawg]

Look, the spots were meant to be SRO type of vibe, yet be more organized and safer. Then the university sold them as premium seating areas. Random people just can't show up and start up a grill anymore. I get it, those people pay for their spots, they pay for their drinks, food, access, etc. they don't want 40 unknown randos crashing their spot. I 100% get it. BUT, the criticism of them being ******** to the average fan just wanting to experience what it is all about is 100% valid and fair. The issue is really that they turned something that used to be awesome and first come first serve to something that is akin to a skybox experience. And it sucks. The average fan will never get to experience it because they have to be "invited" now.

This is absolutely wrong, imo. I’m not old enough to remember a time when LFL was first come, first served. So if you’re talking about the 70s and 80s, so be it, but no one was saying LFL sucked in the early 2000s, and you absolutely had to know someone to get a spot on their rig. It was just as closed off as it is now. The difference is now you have 2 giant walkways that are free to stand on, for anyone to experience LFL. On a big crowd game, there are seemingly more people on those walkways than actually in the spots- and they are experiencing LFL.
And no, the casual fan cannot walk up and get a seat. That’s missing since the bleachers are gone. But it doesn’t have anything to do with LFL.