P*ss*ng off the fans we really need!

[Falcon137]

Are the concessions farmed out? It seems the people working them (God bless their hearts) are usually local clubs or organizations.

It's not like BG sells anything even remotely special. Boxed popcorn, burnt hotdogs, and cold pretzels. I mean, I hope they aren't paying a company for that.

I figured the Pizza Hut deal kept local Pizza places out. But, I don't understand how they were able to sell Pollyeyes breadsticks and Myles Pizza at the game in Columbus last year. If you can do it 120 miles away. Why can't you do it in the same town? Maybe those places have no interest in serving at the Doyt and or the facilities aren't adequate to cook / heat things up.

Was it 3 years ago they had the local BBQ truck? It was good. But, if I remember it was pretty outrageously priced.

[jpfalcon09]

Are the concessions farmed out? It seems the people working them (God bless their hearts) are usually local clubs or organizations.

It's not like BG sells anything even remotely special. Boxed popcorn, burnt hotdogs, and cold pretzels. I mean, I hope they aren't paying a company for that.

The Pizza Hut deal probably keeps local Pizza places out.

But, I don't understand how they were able to sell Pollyeyes breadsticks and Myles Pizza at the game in Columbus last year. If you can do it 120 miles away. Why can't you do it in the same town?

I know the Mud Hens will often let organizations rent out a concession for a cut of the revenue being sent to them. I don't know if BG has a similar policy but Gladieux does run the concessions for both the Hens and BG so this is a possibility. I don't buy anything from the concessions when I'm at a game because of the horror stories but it's a really big shame that the university can't execute something as simple as food properly cooked.

[hammb]

Are the concessions farmed out? It seems the people working them (God bless their hearts) are usually local clubs or organizations.

It's not like BG sells anything even remotely special. Boxed popcorn, burnt hotdogs, and cold pretzels. I mean, I hope they aren't paying a company for that.

The Pizza Hut deal probably keeps local Pizza places out.

But, I don't understand how they were able to sell Pollyeyes breadsticks and Myles Pizza at the game in Columbus last year. If you can do it 120 miles away. Why can't you do it in the same town?

I know the Mud Hens will often let organizations rent out a concession for a cut of the revenue being sent to them. I don't know if BG has a similar policy but Gladieux does run the concessions for both the Hens and BG so this is a possibility. I don't buy anything from the concessions when I'm at a game because of the horror stories but it's a really big shame that the university can't execute something as simple as food properly cooked.

The Hens actually cut Gladieux a few years ago and it's been an godsend for them. They went from awful concessions to now having some truly creative and good offerings.

I didn't know they sold Pollyeyes & Myles at the game last year...that's nuts. I've always figured you may not be able to get either of those to sell in the stadium because its real hard to reproduce good pizza at a football stadium. It's gotta be either reheated or held in a warmer for a long while because they're not going to take the pizza ovens out there.

Mr. Spots, however would be able to translate pretty well with a portable fryer & flat top grill.
I betchya So & Amal could get a portable gyro rotisserie and make some kickass gyros out there.
The previous BBQ truck we had was, I think, Baldy-Q Rib Shack from Swanton which has changed ownership and isn't as good 'Q anymore, but I know that Deets BBQ still has a truck that works local festivals/markets and has damned good 'Q (best in area, IMO). And if not Deet's We-B-Ribs has a truck, as well as several other local BBQ businesses in/around Toledo.
We are blessed with a fantastic Meat Market in BG that happens to make something that has long ago become a Wood County legend...how are we not selling Pork-A-Leans and Bellville's raised beef burgers?

I usually tailgate and don't buy much food in the football stadium, unless it's a weekday game, then I'd love some of these options. I would like to buy concessions at the Stroh but they're as bad as the Doyt other than those cookies.

I just don't understand why the university hasn't been able (tried?) to get some local eateries into the concession stands at the sporting venues. Especially when I know some of these places have portable options that they could quite easily set up at the Doyt and make a lot of money for themselves, get their brand seen in BG, and greatly improve the options for the BG fanbase.

Stale boxed popcorn, rock hard previously frozen pretzels, burnt hot dogs, and lousy reheated pizza hut pizza are just terrible options. Especially when you're catering to a fanbase/community that has always embraced local food and shunned this sort of crap.

[ZoombaFalcon]

BG does not use Gladieux either. They have been with a company called Sodexo for years now.

[Globetrotter]

To be completely honest, unless bg was undefeated, had a star you have to see player or ranked and playing in a huge game I am not coming up to go to the game.

It comes down to two things. It has to either be an event I don't want to miss in person or a community I feel so invested in that I want to be with those people. Some of you have those connections.

For me I would probably go to literally any other stadium in the country because it would be new. Why go to watch a boring product at a stadium I know well.

Pretty soon there will be six megaconferences who only play eachother and we will be a step up from Findlay.

[factman]

Then why don't you stay off of this board?

[jpfalcon09]

To be completely honest, unless bg was undefeated, had a star you have to see player or ranked and playing in a huge game I am not coming up to go to the game.

It comes down to two things. It has to either be an event I don't want to miss in person or a community I feel so invested in that I want to be with those people. Some of you have those connections.

For me I would probably go to literally any other stadium in the country because it would be new. Why go to watch a boring product at a stadium I know well.

Pretty soon there will be six megaconferences who only play eachother and we will be a step up from Findlay.

There already is, and to go one step further there's only about ten schools that the NCAA cares about. College football has become the NFL's minor league system and the schools who can spend the most money and build the best facilities are already reaping the benefits of this.

[Globetrotter]

To be completely honest, unless bg was undefeated, had a star you have to see player or ranked and playing in a huge game I am not coming up to go to the game.

It comes down to two things. It has to either be an event I don't want to miss in person or a community I feel so invested in that I want to be with those people. Some of you have those connections.

For me I would probably go to literally any other stadium in the country because it would be new. Why go to watch a boring product at a stadium I know well.

Pretty soon there will be six megaconferences who only play eachother and we will be a step up from Findlay.

There already is, and to go one step further there's only about ten schools that the NCAA cares about. College football has become the NFL's minor league system and the schools who can spend the most money and build the best facilities are already reaping the benefits of this.

Yep, I remember when Saturday was just as fun as Sunday. Now I try hard to watch games but they just are not exciting. And i don't just mean BG. College football is a bad product.

[MajorFalcon92]

bgsufn: You need to forward this thread to Kingston. Major Falcon had an issue with how parking was handled (parked in lot 13 Friday night and was told to move to lot 20). He emailed Kingston on Saturday and the AD wrote back and sent Elsasser over to talk with Mitch during the tailgate. We are hoping this discussion will lead to some changes!

Mr. Kingston responded back to me in timely manner, and sent Jim out to investigate about the problem. He wanted our feedback, and said they were going to reevaluate the policy about RV parking. We offered positive recommendations, and from my perspective the AD is willing to listen and make improvements.

I have to agree however that the contracted guys are a waste of money having them controlling parking and the like.

[hammb]

To be completely honest, unless bg was undefeated, had a star you have to see player or ranked and playing in a huge game I am not coming up to go to the game.

It comes down to two things. It has to either be an event I don't want to miss in person or a community I feel so invested in that I want to be with those people. Some of you have those connections.

For me I would probably go to literally any other stadium in the country because it would be new. Why go to watch a boring product at a stadium I know well.

Pretty soon there will be six megaconferences who only play eachother and we will be a step up from Findlay.

There already is, and to go one step further there's only about ten schools that the NCAA cares about. College football has become the NFL's minor league system and the schools who can spend the most money and build the best facilities are already reaping the benefits of this.

Yep, I remember when Saturday was just as fun as Sunday. Now I try hard to watch games but they just are not exciting. And i don't just mean BG. College football is a bad product.

Exactly what I pointed out in the other thread about attendance.

College football, as a whole, SUCKS.

I was saying this to my family yesterday and of course they all disagreed...but they're all die hard OSU fans too, so what the hell do they know. Even for them though, I don't understand how it's really enjoyable watching OSU beat the crap out of every second rate school in the Big10.

The BCS has not only ruined the chances of the lesser conferences it's even badly hurt the secondary programs in the major conferences. It's boring as hell now but every single week it's the same handful of teams winning blow out games. Even the games that you expect to be good matchups like Oregon/UCLA can end up being blowouts just as often as they end up being a thrilling matchup.

The upper echelon teams have so many millions to throw around on superior coaching and superior facilities (and superior players) that the sport is in the shitter. Any player with aspirations of winning the Big 10 knows that they pretty much have to go to OSU (or maybe UM...eventually). If they want to win a national title they realize that they almost must play in the SEC. Since the BCS you don't even have the shot of a Northwestern or Iowa winning the Big 10 anymore, it seems. Since 2000 (didn't the BCS start around that time?) the only schools to win a national title are Alabama (3), Auburn, LSU (2), Florida (2), Oklahoma, OSU, USC, Miami, and Texas. To make matters worse they have also accounted for 9(!) of the LOSSES in BCS title games in that span. So basically these 9 teams have taken up 22 of the 26 spots in the national title game over the last 13 years. BORING...

I used to love college football. I used to be excited about going to the BG games and if BG wasn't home I'd sit at home and enjoy a lot of good games. Nowadays I try to watch a little college ball and it just bores the life out of me. Unless I'm watching a top prospect play and trying to envision him in the NFL, the games themselves have almost no redeeming quality anymore. The product is awful.

[BGorDeath]

My problem with concessions? In one game, in purchasing drinks and a snack for me and three kids, I practically paid for that crap what I paid for one season ticket. Sad to say, it is becoming too expensive for me to attend BG sporting events. Five years ago, that was not the case. I didn't purchase men's bball tix this year because I am tired of wasting my money for a piss poor experience.

[ZoombaFalcon]

Concession prices are high at almost any collegiate or professional sporting event. You expect a Division I athletics program to be different? You're all delusional. Keep in mind though that the facilities in the Doyt they have to work with are extremely outdated, which doesn't help.

If the food is bad, eat elsewhere before coming to the game or bring it to your tailgate instead of complaining about it every freaking time. No one is forcing you to stand in the concession line.

[Flipper]

Right because only a crazy person would expect to get a product that's of a passable let alone good quality tor their money. Eat at home...go to the bathroom at home so they can stop cleaning them...hell....just stay home altogether and quit bothering the University. They have more important things to do than worry about your sorry asses.

[ZoombaFalcon]

Well that escalated quickly.

BGSU football is a heck of deal compared to other Division I/FBS programs. You're fooling yourself if you think otherwise.

[BGWriter]

Embrace our localness, embrace our smallness. Get some local eateries out there serving good food. There are plenty of places in the BG/Toledo area that can make great food and I know quite a few do it in a portable setting at local festivals, etc. I have to think there'd be some interest on the part of the restaurants.

BG has always rejected chain restaurants, keeping them out of the town. So why do our sports teams cater to the corporate catering type crap?

This is something I don't understand either... I for one, never eat concessions, but I do know you'd have people knocking each other over in line to get things like:

1) Pollyeyes breadsticks
2) Myle's Pizza
3) Cookie Jar Cookies
4) Chips and salsa from El Zarape
5) Coffee/hot chocolate from Grounds for Thought

I'm sure everyone else can think of other things too! Why don't we embrace those companies? Keep it local - local is ALWAYS better. I might even buy stuff from concessions if that was being served...

This makes so much sense, I never expect to see it happen -- even though, in theory, it should cost the university NOTHING to implement. I would think these vendors would be more than willing to pay a reasonable fee to have the (for instance) pizza concession for games.