Idiots Write About Sports

Following up on Cal’s pre-pre-announcement of stadium renovations, earlier this month Cal moved on to a pre-announcement of the renovations. They’re targeting the 2007 season for the renovations, with Cal to ideally return to Memorial in time for 2008.

Let me once again express my wishes that Cal play the 2007 season at SBC Park or at the Oakland Coliseum. No other sites are requested to apply.

The pre-announcement also pre-announced that “design details” will be available “by the fall.” Great. Can’t wait.

Says the Chronicle:

Tony Gonzales, lead architect for NHTB, offered few specifics on early plans for the 82-year-old stadium, other than to note that the seating bowl would not be changed and the emphasis for fans would be on sight lines, concession stands and rest rooms.

Nice name, Tony! And yes, we fans do need a place to pee. We’d also maybe like seats, or at least benches that weren’t designed for people the width of supermodels to sit on.

In related news, Stanford is going to get a new stadium too. And to typically contrast the bureaucracy of Cal versus the streamlined nature of a private institution, it looks like all Stanford has to do is will a stadium into existence. They’ll likely play 2006 (yes, a year before Cal) at Spartan Stadium and then return in 2007 to a shiny new 55,000-seat abode.

Which will be a relief, honestly. Stanford Stadium is an embarrassment. And for a school that has a tree for a mascot, that’s saying something.

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