[FOX26] Texans Looking Good to Play At Home Oct. 5

[amorephd]

Last Edited: Friday, 19 Sep 2008, 6:12 PM CDT
Created: Friday, 19 Sep 2008, 4:18 PM CDT


HOUSTON --
All signs point to the Houston Texans being able to play their next home game Oct. 5 against the Indianapolis Colts at Reliant Stadium, according to Shea Guinn, President of SMG-Reliant Park. Guinn said if the game goes off as planned, it will be with the stadium's retractable roof open

The roof lost five large panels of material that cover the facility during Hurricane Ike Friday.

"Structural damage, the preliminary investigation, the study by the engineers, is showing they do not see any evidence of any structural damage at all to the roof.," said Guinn in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "It looks like things are good there.

"That leaves us just focused on the material, We have five of the panels are gone. What we do know is that the replacement process on that could take us into months in terms of getting those replaced. We are feeling good about the fact that even with those panels taking months to place, we will be in a position to work toward our goal of being able to play football games in there."

Guinn did not have a time frame on how long it will take to replace the roof panels and also said a temporary patch is not an option.

"We are focused on being able to play October fifth and I feel a lot better about that today than I did 24 hours ago," Guinn said.

"Open air situation is our best case scenario that we are shooting for."

Guinn added, even with the roof open, the stadium can handle bad weather.

"The stadium was designed for taking rain," Gunn said. "There is one area of the stadium with the panel section that is over a fixed part of the roof that wasn't designed for that, but if we can move the roof panel back at some point here soon, that will cover that section and we should be okay there."

Texans owner Bob McNair is thrilled with the report from Guinn.

"I'm delighted there is no structural damage," McNair said in an interview with FOX 26 Sports. "Without structural damage there is no reason why we cannot play our home game Oct. 5 in Reliant Stadium and we are looking forward to that."

McNair said playing the Oct. 5 game at Reliant Stadium is huge for his franchise.

"That's a big deal because it would have been very disruptive if we had to move that game," McNair said. "It would have been devastating."

And McNair isn't concerned with the fact the rectractable roof may not be available for use in 2008.

"We will be able to play the rest of the year in an open air stadium," McNair said."

Sunday's game with the Baltimore Ravens was postponed because of Hurricane Ike to November 9.

[DonnyMost]

The roof will be open for every game?

Freakin awesome.

[FFz]

Isn't that the first preseason game of the ROCKETS?!?!??! Preseason bball takes precedence over football... sorry just the way i work.

[Nick]

Honestly, even if the roof was funcitoning normally... they should try to keep it open as much as possible.

I remember a game last year where it was PERFECT outside... 81 degrees, no clouds, very low humidity, nice breeze. But... the roof was closed because the Texans have the dumb rule of "if its above 80 degrees, roof is closed". Like you could actually tell the difference between 80 and 81.

Then there's the whole crowd of season ticket holders who actually complain because their seats are "in the sun" and they want the roof closed in that situation or else they have to sit at the bars or in the shade.

Are you freaking kidding me?

First of all, why did Houston build a retractable roof stadium? So they could OPEN THE ROOF! Not just on days where its overcast and cool... but on ALL days (especially sunny days). And, given the state of the franchise, I doubt night games will be a big scenario any time soon.

Secondly, you season ticket holders CHOSE those seats... with full knowledge of where the sun is and isn't during games (if they didn't get that info, shame on them). You can easily choose to give those seats up and sit at home in comfort... and let somebody who would actually want to be at an OPEN AIR game (like 90% of this country) be there. Anything is better than you sitting at a bar IN THE STADIUM and watching it from there, simply because there's no sun.

[pgabriel]

First of all, why did Houston build a retractable roof stadium? So they could OPEN THE ROOF! Not just on days where its overcast and cool... but on ALL days (especially sunny days). And, given the state of the franchise, I doubt night games will be a big scenario any time soon.



Actually, the funny thing is they built a roof because the rodeo wanted one, even more reason to keep it open because football fans wanted an open air stadium

i wonder if some of the reason its never open is because its so hard to grow grass they don't want it messed up by rain. can someone help me out here, I believe the angle at which the sun comes in makes it really hard to grow grass in there

[Uprising]

Isn't that the first preseason game of the ROCKETS?!?!??! Preseason bball takes precedence over football... sorry just the way i work.


Texans during the day. Rockets during the night....btw. It's preseason...who gives a shiat.

[Nick]

i wonder if some of the reason its never open is because its so hard to grow grass they don't want it messed up by rain. can someone help me out here, I believe the angle at which the sun comes in makes it really hard to grow grass in there

They actually grow the grass in separate trays OUTSIDE of the stadium.... and place them in closer to gameday like a puzzle (or like a basketball court). They planned on that before the stadium was ever built, given the angles of the sun that they could easily have predicted before-hand (at least I hope they did). It is virtually impossible to grow gras in there... and from what I hear, the grass conditions (even with the trays) are mediocre to average at best amonst league standards (which is pretty piss-poor given this is a new stadium). Had they waited 3 more years, I guess the concept of "moving the entire field outside" would have been invented... its currently implemented in Arizona, and will be in Dallas' new stadium.

The stadium, however, was built without an adequate drainage system (something that I just found out after the hurricaine). Thus, the worry right now about simply leaving the roof open... it opens the stadium up for much more signficant damage should another major storm hit, and the field is left with standing water. Frankly, that too is a HUGE design flaw. Even Minute Maid Park (which was built 2 years prior) was able to design one in given the "slight" possibility that the roof may fail. Hell, they even had a tarp on the field during the first two seasons.

As far as I know, the reason why they have such a "strict" rule on when they leave the roof open or not is really because of season ticket holder complaints. There is clearly one side of the stadium that receives ALL the sun on noon games, while the other is mainly in the shade. This obviously caused a huge uproar amongst those season ticket holders during the inaugral season and second season (where they tried to keep the roof open as much as possible... even on a very hot day when they were trying to stifle the Steelers one year , who were wearing all black... they got blasted that game).

Hopefully, this period of open roof games will either toughen up those fans... or weed them out to fans that can actually withstand 2-3 hours of sun, in weather that half the country would beg for during the months of September-December.

[Refman]

First of all, why did Houston build a retractable roof stadium? So they could OPEN THE ROOF! Not just on days where its overcast and cool... but on ALL days (especially sunny days). And, given the state of the franchise, I doubt night games will be a big scenario any time soon.

Secondly, you season ticket holders CHOSE those seats... with full knowledge of where the sun is and isn't during games (if they didn't get that info, shame on them). You can easily choose to give those seats up and sit at home in comfort... and let somebody who would actually want to be at an OPEN AIR game (like 90% of this country) be there. Anything is better than you sitting at a bar IN THE STADIUM and watching it from there, simply because there's no sun.
So tell me...should they be opening the roof on the ballpark in Phoenix in August?

Also, when I bought my season tickets in 2002, they did not know where the sun would be during a game...they hadn't even finished building the stadium.

[Refman]

As far as I know, the reason why they have such a "strict" rule on when they leave the roof open or not is really because of season ticket holder complaints.
Actually, there were several cases of heat stroke during a game against Pittsburgh. After that game, they made the 80 degree rule.

It is bad business when a certain percentage of your patrons is unconscious in the medic station.

[JunkyardDwg]

Why don't they move to that artificial grass hybrid stuff other stadiums are using these days...then no need to deal with the hassle of maintaining a mediocre grass field

[Nick]

So tell me...should they be opening the roof on the ballpark in Phoenix in August?
Huh? When did I ever say that? I said if its between 80-85 degrees, and sunny, that's perfect weather (IMO) for an open air football game. Sure, if you're in the desert and its 100 degrees, you might as well close the roof... but wait... they've only had a retractable roof stadium for 2 years. What did they do before that? Oh yea... they PLAYED OUTDOORS and people/fans didn't die.


Also, when I bought my season tickets in 2002, they did not know where the sun would be during a game...they hadn't even finished building the stadium.

Are you freaking kidding me? They knew EXACTLY where the sun would be in relation to the configuration of the stadium. They knew that they wouldn't be able to fully grow all the grass there, and had the tray system in case areas started dying.

Now, whether or not they told the patrons buying the tickets is another story. If I was buying tickets for an open-air stadium ANYWHERE, I would have tried to find out that information... and if they didn't have it, I wouldn't buy until they did.


Actually, there were several cases of heat stroke during a game against Pittsburgh. After that game, they made the 80 degree rule.

It is bad business when a certain percentage of your patrons is unconscious in the medic station.

So, are you telling me that people in Dallas are dying of heat stroke every week? Because I guarantee that it gets hotter than 95 degrees in there, with zero air-conditioning or wind every sunday. Are you telling me that people in Miami are unconscious every week also?

You've illustrated how the 80 degree rule was developed... and IMO, it was an overreaction to a bad decision in the first place (leaving the roof open in 95+ degree weather to try to get an advantage against a team wearing all black).

The point of building a retractable roof stadium was to allow fans to watch football as it should be... in an open air/sunny environment. Yes, when it gets real hot here (which it can), they have the luxury of closing it. Ditto when it rains. However, if its 84 degrees, sunnny, with mild humidty (by houston standards)... and Houstonians still want the roof closed? That's just pansy-ism.

The dark doldrum Astrodome days are over... and if you long for those days, you have to wonder why we spent an extra $100 million of tax dollars on a roof in the first place?

[Nick]

Why don't they move to that artificial grass hybrid stuff other stadiums are using these days...then no need to deal with the hassle of maintaining a mediocre grass field

They probably will... eventually. Hell, they have it installed in the bubble.

[Ill-Skillz]

If I was buying tickets for an open-air stadium ANYWHERE, I would have tried to find out that information... and if they didn't have it, I wouldn't buy until they did.


It's ironic you would run around belittling people for not wanting to sit in the sun when it seems you wouldn't buy a ticket to sit in the sun yourself...

[Nick]

It's ironic you would run around belittling people for not wanting to sit in the sun when it seems you wouldn't buy a ticket to sit in the sun yourself...

Are you kidding me? I've contributed plenty of $$$ to Texans games (along with Rockets and Astros games) over the years. I've had no problem sitting in the sun at Texans games, college football games, baseball games, or soccer games. The ONLY times I regretted going to an outdoor sporting events were baseball games in St. Louis when it rained. Those sucked... huddling in the concourse with the humid/wet smell of the city permeating itself throughout the stadium, and not knowing anything about the weather or if the game would be able to be finished.

I also grew up going to Oilers games and while it was nice to have the "loud" dome effect when the team was really rolling... I still would have preferred an open air stadium for those games.

What is up with all the anti-sun talk around here? Is Houston a city full of vampires? Its SUPPOSED to be sunny for ballgames...

[Ming Dynasty]

The thing is, even with the roof open, Reliant Stadium is not your typical open-air stadium. It's built more like an arena, and there is little to no cross-ventilation. I've been in stadiums where it was 10-15 degrees hotter outside and I would rather be there than inside Reliant when it was 85 and sunny.

That all said, if the option is an open-roof hotbox and football or Texans football played somewhere else, then I choose the hotbox 10 times out of 10.

[ryan17wagner]

Playing in domes have made a lot y'all pansies. Cowboy up and quit crying. Sports were meant to be played outdoors.

[Nick]

The thing is, even with the roof open, Reliant Stadium is not your typical open-air stadium. It's built more like an arena, and there is little to no cross-ventilation. I've been in stadiums where it was 10-15 degrees hotter outside and I would rather be there than inside Reliant when it was 85 and sunny.

That all said, if the option is an open-roof hotbox and football or Texans football played somewhere else, then I choose the hotbox 10 times out of 10.

What do you think the Cowboys fans have had to deal with the last 35+ years.... and that's without the benefit of an air-conditioned concourse, and less open air ventilation above.

That being said, I'm not for sitting in "oppresive heat"... but on days where the weather has been like it has this past week (81 degrees around noon, regardless of breeze/ventilation), its certainly within the realm of possibility to sit 3 hours in a football stadium.

[DonkeyMagic]

compainging about the roof being open is a bit silly. The "strict" 80 degree rule isnt that bad honestly. Even though it may be 81 degrees, that stadium doesnt have great airflow and if you are stuck in the sun, with no breeze, no clouds, and surrounded by other people...it will be uncomfortable.

I admit that the roof should be open when possible, but if you were to be stuck in 85 degree, sunny weather and seated in the direct sun...you would be singing a different tune by the 2nd quarter.

[emjohn]

All night games then!

I have sat in a section that was nailed by the sun several years ago, and it was brutal. Felt like an ant sitting under a magnifying glass. Thankfully, our season seats are on the opposite end of the stadium.

Also, football was meant to be played in the elements. I'm now rooting for a variety of weather conditions to liven things up. To wear a sweatshirt in Reliant may be a pipedream even for December 28, but it'd be nice to do it once.

I'm going on trip with some buddies to attend Bears @ Packers in mid-Nov, and was at a Dec Bills home game once. Freaking awesome to be at a frozen game.

Evan

[rezdawg]

Outdoor football games...thats the way it should be. If you grew up in Houston, you really shouldnt complain about 85 degree heat.

Cool down with some beers, get some Vitamin D from the sun, and hope Sage gets into the game.

[pgabriel]

why is espn reporting this now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3611272

[marks0223]

why is espn reporting this now.

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3611272

The Texans have been saying since the start that most likely all the games would be played with an open roof. Those panels are going to take months to be custom made and replaced on the stadium. Fine by me. I think the rule for an open roof should be 85 degrees and under with no minimum temps. Come on, I now we don't get much cold weather here, but if we have a 40 degree Sunday in December, I want that roof open...that's football!

[DreamRoxCoogFan]

It is virtually impossible to grow gras in there... and from what I hear, the grass conditions (even with the trays) are mediocre to average at best amonst league standards (which is pretty piss-poor given this is a new stadium). Had they waited 3 more years, I guess the concept of "moving the entire field outside" would have been invented... its currently implemented in Arizona, and will be in Dallas' new stadium.

thats pretty depressing. especially since its still considered a "state of the art" stadium