LFL lost its heart beat and soul when they changed it. It looks like a bunch of cattle pens with no personality now. I was a freshman in HS the first time I went and saw it grow and grow. The contraptions gave it its uniqueness. The fans( back then) we were ruthless to the opposing players. It’s just common now. To me. An old guy
My thoughts on the LFL (long)
- Thread starter STATEgrad04
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I have heard stories like this way too many times. This is what is wrong with LFL. We treat other teams fans better than our own fans.
BulldogBruce I was there when you were yanking all those balls out over the fence. I even still have one of your home run balls that crashed thru the back windshield of my pickup truck that was backed up to left field fence. Which it was most weekends. I was a student those years.
We were students and we gave the opposing teams outfielders H*##. We gave opposing outfielders so much grief as we felt we were effecting the opposing outfielders to the point that they would make an error or drop a fly ball. We felt we were helping our team.
We weren’t frat boys and not wealthy. We barely had enough monies pooled together to buy beer for the games. So we didn’t have a lot to offer our fellow students and damn sure didn’t offer opposing fans or opposing players jack. And usually the back of my truck was packed because it only held 6-7 people.
Those were some really great times! But I agree today’s LFL is nothing like it was back then. Been to the new Dude many times and I do also get the vibe out in LFL that those people are “NOT” very friendly to other Bulldog fans.
We were students and we gave the opposing teams outfielders H*##. We gave opposing outfielders so much grief as we felt we were effecting the opposing outfielders to the point that they would make an error or drop a fly ball. We felt we were helping our team.
We weren’t frat boys and not wealthy. We barely had enough monies pooled together to buy beer for the games. So we didn’t have a lot to offer our fellow students and damn sure didn’t offer opposing fans or opposing players jack. And usually the back of my truck was packed because it only held 6-7 people.
Those were some really great times! But I agree today’s LFL is nothing like it was back then. Been to the new Dude many times and I do also get the vibe out in LFL that those people are “NOT” very friendly to other Bulldog fans.
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I appreciate this sentiment but that's how everything is going these days. Super commercialized, uniform, professional. Man on X calls it refinement culture. Even in LFL hadn't been changed years ago all the rigs would look alike right now. Cool is really hard to come by these days. Look at what happened to tailgating, now very professionalized.
That's so interesting. I don't really know much about the LFL; I liked going to a few games when I was a student (Stephen Head can kiss my asss to this day) and I'm real proud we won the championship, but not even a casual fan. I would have guessed they would have been tripping over themselves to get in a friendly visit and a hot dog with a ol Bruce, inviting you to come back, just really kissing your asss.
I'm surprised there's not some kind of informal VRBO-type thing, seems like folks could really clean up. Then again, it's likely none of us have heard of it bc they know they don't have enough BBQ to feed a Sixpacker.
Far be it for me to be Mr. Lounge Lizard Defender, but I've been to dozens of games since the New Dude was built, have taken multiple kids to games, have stood and sat in and around the LFL terrace all over and I've never experienced anything even remotely like this. I obviously don't barge into the lounges of people I don't know, but I talk to a lot of people as I walk around and I've literally never had one person call me out for no reason -- especially no one from down below calling up behind them just to tell me to "move along". And you are saying it happened to you with your son in tow multiple times in one game? And you have multiple friends with lounges, but they all had so many people in from out of town that you couldn't sit in any of those boxes? Last question, where were you standing that you were blocking the view of someone who had paid for a lounge? You should have either been behind the boxes along the outfield wall, or in front of - and well below - the upper areas. I can't think of a spot where you could be blocking the view of someone who pays for one of those. If you were standing along the rail in the plaza area you might be blocking some people, but those people paid the same $10 you did.
I'm sorry that all this happened to you in one game, because that's just a wild story all around, the likes of which I've never experienced.
Man, that sucks! I was planning on doing the same outfield tour with my ten year old grandson. I was from the LFL era of the early 80’s. What a shame that some think they’re a few notches above others because of a certain seat in a stadium.
Go ahead and take him. You will have a great time and create some fantastic lifelong memories for your grandson, and odds are very good that you won't run into a roving gang of meanies, despite what you may have read above.
Your experience is not isolated. It’s reality. I think many of our fans have given up on the dream of a consistent sports program so it’s just an insular status thing now.
Hey you should just put on the opposing teams gear and they’d treat you like a king.
How exactly does the lounge pricing work? Obviously there is a price per season, but I assume that doesn’t include tickets.
Do you have a certain number of season tickets you are required to buy? Are they at General Admission season ticket prices or somewhere between that and chairback season tickets as it’s treated like a “premium area?”
Honestly just interested to know the details.
Do you have a certain number of season tickets you are required to buy? Are they at General Admission season ticket prices or somewhere between that and chairback season tickets as it’s treated like a “premium area?”
Honestly just interested to know the details.
This^. It's more "look at me you worthless plebe while I feed the other team and fans you use
This Is freaking embarrassing. This whole program is heading down the *******. We've lost our way as a program and fanbase. Freaking sad what once proud State baseball has become from the program as a whole down to the "new" LFL. Again, maybe it's because I'm getting old, but I'm not far from being in the not giving two ***** about any of it club.
You can blame Ron Polk and Tommy Raffo for Stephen Head not being a Bulldog. Should have been an easy recruit, and we completely 17ed it up.
17 you. Sounds like you and your lounge lizard pals need a lesson in humility
The lounge spot is around $3,000 per year. Someone else said $3,500, that may be what it was this year. That doesn’t include tickets- each person needs a ticket.
Now I will weigh in on the “exclusive” nature of it. Yes, you have to know someone in order to go in a rig. It’s kind of like a tailgate- you don’t just walk up under someone’s tent and make yourself at home. Also like a tailgate, people congregate near the tents and hang out. That’s one of the biggest differences between the old LFL and the new- you don’t have to be *on* the rig. There are massive walkways- one behind the back row, one between the two rows of rigs- that are just open. Usually people will stand near the rig of someone they know. Unaffiliated people usually find an empty spot just below the upper level of rigs, and stand around and drink and hang out.
My preferred chair is on the front of our spot, overlooking the main walkway between the two rows. So there are almost always people just standing right below me. I have never seen anyone attempt to run someone off from that space. Now, they have to move if someone needs to get in their storage area, that’s right where it’s located. If it’s super crowded, maybe someone in the rig will get really pissy if they can’t get to their closet. But it doesn’t stop folks from standing there.
I don’t say any of this to cast doubt on experiences like GulfDawg described. But it’s so far from what I see out there.
And I realize I’m on the other side of it. I’m blessed to have an in out there. But my point is that when it’s full- like SBW full- there are basically as many people *outside* the rigs as there are *in* them.
Don’t know why it’s that hard to believe. I’m not a hater or defender of LFL. Just sharing what happened to me one time. I didn’t barge in on any lounges and was literally in the walkway only. I’m sure copious amounts of beverages were partly to blame. I have been to LFL many times but this was the most crowded I have been there since the new dude so maybe that played a factor. i had one group of friends with a lounge and they had multiple people in town and I wasn’t trying to spend an hour in there getting introduced to people. It was a day trip with my son and we had great seats and were only walking through. You can believe me or not. I really don’t care either way.
I read all of these posts and I’d like to weigh in as a guy who is involved in one of the rigs and ask that not all of us be lumped in together. I’m one of two guys that do most all cooking on this rig and I’ve never once fed an opponent player. We do sometimes, along with one of our neighbors, send food postgame to OUR team.
But here’s my real gripe. Our rig is as hospitable as we can be given the circumstances. We are on the upper level and folks gather behind our rig. Some we know and some we don’t. I can’t begin to tell you the amount and cost of food and beer we’ve handed out for free to State fans. And sure we may even give a bite or a beer to an opposing fan just being friendly in passing. However as a side note, this past wkend with Texas was the absolute worst visiting fan experience we have had having hosted every single SEC school at Dudy Noble sans Oklahoma. I won’t get into specifics but let’s just say they lived up to the expectations. I digress.
i mentioned above the circumstances. These rigs are tiny. We have a total of 9 seats in our rig. We tend to save those 9 seats for the OG’s, you know the ones that paid for it, any older folks, pregnant women…you get it. In addition to them, there are usually 2-3 of us cooking and prepping food standing in the rig…various people coming through to get something or coming to speak to a friend etc so it gets congested. I’d say 80-90% of OUR own people are standing behind the rig or spilling over to an unused rig nearby or whatever. I may get to pop a squat on occasion on an ice chest or a random stool somewhere for an inning. My point being there’s just very limited space with one way in and one way out. But you know what we do…if I notice someone just lurking over by the rail or on the concourse I walk over and I feed you and beer you up whether I’ve ever seen you before or not. I would hate to know how much money I and others have spent handing out food and beer to folks…some we know and some we don’t. It will make that PSL pale rather quickly. We go through cases upon cases of beer in an SEC weekend.
Finally let me say this as someone who has run a large tailgate for 25 years…I treat it just like I do my tailgate…if you walk up and are a nice person and don’t try to be an opposing *******, or one in general, we welcome you and share some food, drink and conversation. I just wanted to defend the rest like us.
But here’s my real gripe. Our rig is as hospitable as we can be given the circumstances. We are on the upper level and folks gather behind our rig. Some we know and some we don’t. I can’t begin to tell you the amount and cost of food and beer we’ve handed out for free to State fans. And sure we may even give a bite or a beer to an opposing fan just being friendly in passing. However as a side note, this past wkend with Texas was the absolute worst visiting fan experience we have had having hosted every single SEC school at Dudy Noble sans Oklahoma. I won’t get into specifics but let’s just say they lived up to the expectations. I digress.
i mentioned above the circumstances. These rigs are tiny. We have a total of 9 seats in our rig. We tend to save those 9 seats for the OG’s, you know the ones that paid for it, any older folks, pregnant women…you get it. In addition to them, there are usually 2-3 of us cooking and prepping food standing in the rig…various people coming through to get something or coming to speak to a friend etc so it gets congested. I’d say 80-90% of OUR own people are standing behind the rig or spilling over to an unused rig nearby or whatever. I may get to pop a squat on occasion on an ice chest or a random stool somewhere for an inning. My point being there’s just very limited space with one way in and one way out. But you know what we do…if I notice someone just lurking over by the rail or on the concourse I walk over and I feed you and beer you up whether I’ve ever seen you before or not. I would hate to know how much money I and others have spent handing out food and beer to folks…some we know and some we don’t. It will make that PSL pale rather quickly. We go through cases upon cases of beer in an SEC weekend.
Finally let me say this as someone who has run a large tailgate for 25 years…I treat it just like I do my tailgate…if you walk up and are a nice person and don’t try to be an opposing *******, or one in general, we welcome you and share some food, drink and conversation. I just wanted to defend the rest like us.
One thing about raising the price; bigger bucks usually just leads to bigger A-holes.
Well, when baseball can pay for itself, who cares? We aren't even trying to make it pay for itself right now. We all know they aren't going to do anything for the students, so make baseball pay for itself if it's such a big deal.
The new stadium has created a class system depending what kind of ticket you have. It was less pronounced in the old stadium. I think for a lot of our fans, the stadium gets hyped up like crazy but then you show up and gotta sit on a crowded berm or stand in crowded aisles for 3-4 hours and it’s suddenly not as great as it was made out to be.
We built the new LFL with a walkway in the middle and it gives the illusion of “this stadium is for everybody”. Well it’s not. It’s a stadium of haves and have nots, and it’s a very different experience depending on which category you fall into.
That’s not to say every Bob and Susie with a lounge spot or chairback tickets is doing something wrong. Or that every person without access to these spots is trying to bum free food. I do think it should be acknowledged that the territorial nature of certain groups has made that whole segment of the fan base look bad.
That said, surely everyone can understand how the optics of Texas hitting a go ahead homer into a rig full of celebrating Texas fans are frustrating to see for our fans that have shown up and sat their butt on the ground and had to stand awkwardly in the concourse for years.
We built the new LFL with a walkway in the middle and it gives the illusion of “this stadium is for everybody”. Well it’s not. It’s a stadium of haves and have nots, and it’s a very different experience depending on which category you fall into.
That’s not to say every Bob and Susie with a lounge spot or chairback tickets is doing something wrong. Or that every person without access to these spots is trying to bum free food. I do think it should be acknowledged that the territorial nature of certain groups has made that whole segment of the fan base look bad.
That said, surely everyone can understand how the optics of Texas hitting a go ahead homer into a rig full of celebrating Texas fans are frustrating to see for our fans that have shown up and sat their butt on the ground and had to stand awkwardly in the concourse for years.
There's a design flaw in LFL causing some of this. The little bar and flimsy chain causes people to "encroach" on people's boxes, especially when it is crowded. If they made better separators it would solve some of these issues. I have a friend with a box. It's usually pretty full but we just stand behind it. I know them so it's no big deal, but if I didn't know them it would feel awkward.
If someone recognizes me, fine. To me people who play that card generally come off as arseholes so I avoid that.
The lounge spots need to be 10-15 times more than what they cost. Our 17ing dumbass bus driver should not be able to afford to sit there when the sport loses money but we have to cater to a group that provides almost zero to the university Financially in a sport that loses the school money. It’s retarded. Then you have a bunch of clowns that feed other people from other schools but if a fan from Tupelo walks up to them and asks to experience the lounge with them because they never have (or if they get within 20 feet of someone’s rig and look at them) they get told to 17 off. This is why we should
charge them so much more for the spots. You should have to earn the right to be an ******* to people. These people pay nothing for the best spot on campus and then act like a bunch of shitheads. This is the school’s fault for not charging more. I would have way less of a problem with their attitudes towards people if they paid fair market value for those
spots. As it is, Its a bunch of clout chasing fake people trying to get put on ESPN. It hasnt always been that way. It is a great tradition and good pub for the school and it will never go away nor do I want it to, but the school should be making much more money off of the spots.
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Yeah, I know, and pretty well knew that would be your stance. I cannot help but remember the time I was in line ordering at little dooeys near close and Jackie sherrill walked in right behind me, when I spun to get over and he had ordered, he introduced himself to me. Pretty darn funny. I would recognize a good number of our sports folks who didn't have to wear a helmet with face guard.
"Hi, I'm Bulldog Bruce from the Sixpack" would clear your path for sure.
Steve Susce, who played with me, became a ticket broker and still is. He told me a story that someone from State gave Sherrill his name and number when Sherrill was looking for tickets to some major game. So he gets this call from Sherrill and Steve gives him his price. Steve said Sherrill then plays his I'm Jackie Sherrill card and it kinda pissed Steve off. Sherrill didn't buy the tickets. Not sure Steve would have sold them to him at that point.Yeah, I know, and pretty well knew that would be your stance. I cannot help but remember the time I was in line ordering at little dooeys near close and Jackie sherrill walked in right behind me, when I spun to get over and he had ordered, he introduced himself to me. Pretty darn funny. I would recognize a good number of our sports folks who didn't have to wear a helmet with face guard.
"Hi, I'm Bulldog Bruce from the Sixpack" would clear your path for sure.
I echo Nugdawg's summary. I can count on 1 hand the home games I've missed in the last dozen years and NEVER ONCE have I seen anything like GulfDawg's experience. I will guarantee you that if it ever happened around the guys and gals at our box or the ones on either side of us, someone would be called out and corrected, quickly. I don't go visiting other lounges though seldom if ever but I've just never encountered anything like that. I can't promise if you're around the fraternity designated area what you may see or hear but elsewhere I can't imagine it happening.
Never once have we given any food to an opposing team, never. We have had fans of both ours and opposition teams stop by asking questions about The Dude, The Lofts, our space, history of the lounge, our current season, etc. just about every game. For those, they will get offered a sample of meat and/or a cold beverage if they hang out long enough and are respectful, without question.
We have a total of 160 sq ft of flat usable space in our spot. There are many of you that have a 10x16ish closet or storage room so think about it in those terms. In that 160 sq ft closet or storage room imagine there is a large grill, Blackstone griddle, food coolers, beverage coolers, chairs, prep tables, shelving, peoples bags, coats, etc etc. We barely have room to stand and a few that sit, much less lounge around with extra people in there. We too have a sizable number of friends that will stop, stand around, socialize. Some stay, some move on, some bring their own coolers and leave them there as they move around the stadium. Almost every game we have people that may have stopped before during a previous game and drop off food or a 6 pack and thank us for the previous visit, it never fails.
Since the first game in The Dude it has amazed me that they didn't include ANY seating for the average fan to walk in and sit down. I have an elderly fellow and his wife that was a co-worker and former chairback seat holder that got pushed out in the last DNF reseating. He walks with a cane. He no longer goes to the games because of the lack of chairbacks or even bleacher seating. He is or was a Big Dog fan but never goes to The Dude any more, no way he can navigate a grassy slope and get up or down. It appears in the latest master plan that it may be addressed in the future but its a shame its like that now. No way I'd run from the gates when they open to the berms to sit on a grass slope that's wet from the night before or from irrigation. That just sucks.
And last item, when was the last time you went to Davis Wade and were able to just walk into the Gridiron Club, The Scoreboard Club, The Bulldog Suites, or even the Cabanas or Balconies? How about the M Club? Or what about the newest premium areas at The Hump, do you just go walking in there? How about the Omaha Club or Triple Crown Club, or The Lofts? Nope, you can't get past the door of any of the above named areas w/out a pass or without the box holder, but, you can still go to The Left Field Lounge any time you want to w/ a personal cooler and visit and hang out. I don't get the anger and bitchiness of those of you that do it. I know some are just trolls but some of you just sound down right butt hurt about it and I don't get it. It's still an open area that others pay for (more and more each season) and then furnish their own food and beverages, that you can still access w/ your own coolers and snacks at any game you want.
Never once have we given any food to an opposing team, never. We have had fans of both ours and opposition teams stop by asking questions about The Dude, The Lofts, our space, history of the lounge, our current season, etc. just about every game. For those, they will get offered a sample of meat and/or a cold beverage if they hang out long enough and are respectful, without question.
We have a total of 160 sq ft of flat usable space in our spot. There are many of you that have a 10x16ish closet or storage room so think about it in those terms. In that 160 sq ft closet or storage room imagine there is a large grill, Blackstone griddle, food coolers, beverage coolers, chairs, prep tables, shelving, peoples bags, coats, etc etc. We barely have room to stand and a few that sit, much less lounge around with extra people in there. We too have a sizable number of friends that will stop, stand around, socialize. Some stay, some move on, some bring their own coolers and leave them there as they move around the stadium. Almost every game we have people that may have stopped before during a previous game and drop off food or a 6 pack and thank us for the previous visit, it never fails.
Since the first game in The Dude it has amazed me that they didn't include ANY seating for the average fan to walk in and sit down. I have an elderly fellow and his wife that was a co-worker and former chairback seat holder that got pushed out in the last DNF reseating. He walks with a cane. He no longer goes to the games because of the lack of chairbacks or even bleacher seating. He is or was a Big Dog fan but never goes to The Dude any more, no way he can navigate a grassy slope and get up or down. It appears in the latest master plan that it may be addressed in the future but its a shame its like that now. No way I'd run from the gates when they open to the berms to sit on a grass slope that's wet from the night before or from irrigation. That just sucks.
And last item, when was the last time you went to Davis Wade and were able to just walk into the Gridiron Club, The Scoreboard Club, The Bulldog Suites, or even the Cabanas or Balconies? How about the M Club? Or what about the newest premium areas at The Hump, do you just go walking in there? How about the Omaha Club or Triple Crown Club, or The Lofts? Nope, you can't get past the door of any of the above named areas w/out a pass or without the box holder, but, you can still go to The Left Field Lounge any time you want to w/ a personal cooler and visit and hang out. I don't get the anger and bitchiness of those of you that do it. I know some are just trolls but some of you just sound down right butt hurt about it and I don't get it. It's still an open area that others pay for (more and more each season) and then furnish their own food and beverages, that you can still access w/ your own coolers and snacks at any game you want.
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And this is the problem. I don't expect free beer, free food, or free handouts. I don't expect to be welcomed into a lounge.
But you can't even walk around out there without getting weird looks or getting yelled at.
That's what makes it so infuriating to see them bend over backwards for visiting fans/players. They do that and then treat their own folks like garbage.
I'm a student at State. Not in a frat. But the most out of place I've ever felt anywhere in Starkville was walking around in the outfield at a baseball game.
I'm not waiting two hours before first pitch to grab a berm spot. If I go to a game, I am forced to find a standing room only spot. Unfortunately, most of those spots are in the outfield behind a lounge. And there is a reason why those spots are always empty. Nobody wants to be treated like garbage for simply standing where they are allowed to stand. Yet, they are.
That’s one of the biggest differences between the old LFL and the new- you don’t have to be *on* the rig. There are massive walkways- one behind the back row, one between the two rows of rigs- that are just open.
Invited by friends to their rig around 2017, first time I'd ever been. Seems if you weren't on a rig the only LFL experience you had was walking behind them all on a dirt road and not able to see a thing. Obviously don't have much experience but I got the impression it had become pretty "exclusive" (albeit trashy exclusive) when they started to formalize a lot of it with load in/out dates, folks staking out their claim, selling/being assigned parking tags, etc. Not sure I understand what was any more welcoming in the old days?
As you say, now you can enjoy the scene from 2 different levels, actually see the game and now even buy beer without having to bum or worry about sneaking it in.
What's funny for me anyway is it's a terrible place to actually watch baseball.
The probl
The difference between the places you are mentioning and the LFL is that people in the premium areas elsewhere are paying fair market value for their spaces and they aren’t trying to get put on TV every week and get recognized for being the most hospitable fans in the country to opposing fans while treating their own like sh*t when the cameras aren’t around. Not you, but that is generally how it is out there. It is their right to be 2 faced fakes out there but you should be paying about 10 -15 times more to be out there doing it. That’s not your fault, but it doesn’t make it any less irritating. If those random Texas fans that got invited into everyone’s lounge spots this past weekend came back with State shirts on this weekend they would get told to 17 off.
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Every single box out there has a sign on it with a name and box number on it and so far nobody has named any of the offensive boxholders involved. I wish some of you would tell us who these boxes are because I'd like to know.
As for fair market value what is that? Its $3000ish dollars for 31 home games (and 1 parking pass good for 1 vehicle) this year for 160 sq ft of real estate plus tickets. We don't pay for heat and air, caterer prepared food, drinks, ice, plates and utensils, chairback seating outside the clubs, privacy, or restrooms included like the other spaces mentioned do so without that, what would fair market value be do you think? What do the other club levels in DWS and The Hump cost too for comparison, I have no idea? I know the Lofts were about $35-$40 thousand per year when opened depending on if you would sign a long term agreement or a 1 year deal.
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Fair market value is whatever someone is willing to pay. The school could get 15 times the number you just mentioned if they auctioned them off, which is what they should be doing to the most coveted seats on campus. No one out there should be guarranteed anything. It should go to whoever will pay the most, particularly in today’s environment of paying players.
So are they going to auction off suites and boxes at Davis Wade and The Hump as well? Why single out The Dude when is the least exclusive of all of the?
Anywhere that has a waiting list should do
it, but the LFL by far the most undercharged seats on campus. They could not auction them
off and just raise the price by 10 times and still have a massive waiting list for LFL spots. Its ridiculous how cheap they are, considering the demand. I would love to have box seats at davis wade, but i can’t afford them. The school doesn’t care about that nor should they. The same shpuld be true for those lounge spots. The school needs to make prices out there in line with demand.
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Raise it 10x huh? That would be $30,000 per season or almost $1000 per game for about 3 hrs of use. I think you and others need to address your pi-ss and vinegar at the athletic department and Selmon in particular rather than to fans that just pay the bill sent to them, and you need to be a little more realistic too. If you are one that thinks The Hump looks empty now try charging $1000 per game at Dudy Noble for 160 ft and it would look just like it does right now at noon on Wednesday, empty. Especially with the product thats on the field right now.