Summer Stadium Construction Update #1:
Finally got to go for my after-work walk around campus after I punched out of the work laptop late this afternoon. I know the interwebz are quivering while waiting for an update on construction updates on Alabama's football stadium.
The main emphasis of this buildout (which started literally the week after the last home game last fall) is to kick working stiffs like me out of old-fashioned seats in desirable stadium locations (and the old press box that was 50-yard line) and replace them with expensive clubs/suites/rich folk digs. But I ended up getting something out of it: an elevator stack on my corner of the stadium to take me to my upper deck season ticket working stiff seats (my seats weren't messed with).
To the right of the stairwell is two elevator shafts - one for us normies on the upper level and one for the clubbies on the mid-level.
The Walk of Champions, pictured here, is undergoing some changes to move all the previously existing SEC and Nattie Championship marble slabs (with names of accomplishment, players, coaches, etc.) CLOSER TOGETHER than they previously were so that we can make room for more future SEC and National Championship marble slabs.
At least we expect to win more than the 17 Natties already in the Bryant Museum on campus. We're planning ahead.
There's the 2017 Nattie slab ready to be replaced closer to his brothers and cousins.
By my rough estimates, the re-spacing will provide room for another 4-5 National Championship marble slabs (which should get us through the next decade, no?) at which point we can redo this move them even closer together still...
Here is the new tunnel entrance under construction for the team getting off the pre-game bus to walk directly to the team locker room which is located under the big glass windows.
Previously the concrete steps stretched all the way across (where the gravel and tunnel is now) and the team had to enter the stadium through the glass doors up the steps and then go immediately down the steps to the locker room. This kind of inefficiency had to be remedied.
On the far end of my walk (before I turned for home in the humid afternoon weather) was the marching band practice field which is now a full 100-yard artificial turf (with underground drainage). My two sons who were in Million Dollar Band during college had to practice/march on the old grass/mud field in the sun and rain (no lightning). After they left campus the band got the new practice field. It's an old pic (during the construction) but a good view of the field.
Did I mention that football player OFFICIALLY report to campus on Monday for summer workouts and on-line classes. No? But some of them arrived this past week and are using the band practice field (which is a pretty nice surface if I do say so myself) for some UNOFFICIAL drills together. There were 10 athletic young men on the field as I went by. I took a discrete picture from a distance.
You know they're athletes not only by their fit bods but some of them had the matching athletic shorts and backpacks given to all student athletes on campus. But it's a way for us fans to prepare for fall action. No need to call into the NC2A for infractions becuz it's just the KIDZ working out by themselves.
What a crazy week I've had at work. Glad it's over. That was my chit-chat contribution.
Bama Ed