10-03-2011, 01:31 PM
Terry,
Sure I can. I realize there may have been a handful of people too afraid to drive around the area, and that many lost their lives. So I respect that some would not have gone anywhere to see a "game". But I made the sweeping statement because the 49ers played literally the next day in the same stadium!!! And for that game the place was packed. Did 24 hours soothe the entire Bay Area's fear of aftershocks that much? I doubt it. Alternatively one can declare that 49er fans are much less afraid of aftershocks, I guess. But that would only imply that Stanford fans are less rugged which was the premise to begin with. Not that earthquake respect is a a bad thing given the danger of earthquakes, it is just not consistent with being the ultimate fans for the team. Fans that will sit in a stadium hours before a hurricane is scheduled to sweep into town, or fans that will sit as rain water cascades down the stands. Crazies to be sure, but that is loyalty to the cause that Stanford fans do not display.
The logical reason for the major drop in attendance, that rebounded quite nicely two weeks later, was the weather. Were you there? It was an absolutely miserable game and many that were there at kickoff left before halftime. Did they have some scientific insight into the aftershock timelines? Or could it be they left once the wind started to knock people around!!
Remember, the 49ers fans had their own home stadium. If any game was to be impacted solely by the quake that was the one. Need to drive, unfamiliar traffic routes, unfamiliar venue, outdated old seats, bad sight lines, etc. Yet Bay Area people showed up for that game. As I recall, I was rather annoyed that students from my dorm were excited about seeing the 49ers even though just a day earlier they were not going to support their own team in the rain. >:(
As someone that was on campus experiencing my first quake I can recall that it was a tough time, but those that choose to sit in 1st floor rooms in Wilbur or Branner with "bulging walls" certainly could not think that sitting outside on a hill was less safe. ???
Sure I can. I realize there may have been a handful of people too afraid to drive around the area, and that many lost their lives. So I respect that some would not have gone anywhere to see a "game". But I made the sweeping statement because the 49ers played literally the next day in the same stadium!!! And for that game the place was packed. Did 24 hours soothe the entire Bay Area's fear of aftershocks that much? I doubt it. Alternatively one can declare that 49er fans are much less afraid of aftershocks, I guess. But that would only imply that Stanford fans are less rugged which was the premise to begin with. Not that earthquake respect is a a bad thing given the danger of earthquakes, it is just not consistent with being the ultimate fans for the team. Fans that will sit in a stadium hours before a hurricane is scheduled to sweep into town, or fans that will sit as rain water cascades down the stands. Crazies to be sure, but that is loyalty to the cause that Stanford fans do not display.
The logical reason for the major drop in attendance, that rebounded quite nicely two weeks later, was the weather. Were you there? It was an absolutely miserable game and many that were there at kickoff left before halftime. Did they have some scientific insight into the aftershock timelines? Or could it be they left once the wind started to knock people around!!
Remember, the 49ers fans had their own home stadium. If any game was to be impacted solely by the quake that was the one. Need to drive, unfamiliar traffic routes, unfamiliar venue, outdated old seats, bad sight lines, etc. Yet Bay Area people showed up for that game. As I recall, I was rather annoyed that students from my dorm were excited about seeing the 49ers even though just a day earlier they were not going to support their own team in the rain. >:(
As someone that was on campus experiencing my first quake I can recall that it was a tough time, but those that choose to sit in 1st floor rooms in Wilbur or Branner with "bulging walls" certainly could not think that sitting outside on a hill was less safe. ???