The site of what will become Yulman Stadium is officially under construction on the Tulane University campus.
If you haven't read the "Open letter to neighbors regarding Tulane Stadium," please do.
Then, LOL!
Are you kidding me? Spend $55 million on a stadium, and you can't park in the neighborhood?
Only one high school football game per week is allowed?
So, as many as seven Tulane football home games and maybe 13 high school football games per calendar year, all at the low cost of $55 million dollars?
Plus, there will be no monster truck shows, circuses, rodeos, rock concerts or boat shows allowed.
In the meantime, here's a way to bring back fans to the ballpark. If you don't obey the onerous parking rules, as many as 15 tow trucks will be available at major events to take away cars illegally parked.
Really?
Sorry, Tulane fans, but I have to make this comparison. At a place you abhor, Tiger Stadium, I don't think I have ever seen a tow truck in 31 years of covering LSU football.
Maybe I just wasn't paying attention.
But, if you live around Tiger Stadium, chances are plenty of cars will be parked (illegally) in your neighborhood.
The agreement for Yulman Stadium between the city and the neighborhood says I can purchase a football ticket on line, and also buy a parking pass. The pass will identify the lot and the space in which I park.
There are plenty of parking options, many far away.
Let me ask you, are you going to park at University Square and take a shuttle? 300 spaces are there.
Are you going to park at Oschner's Baptist campus and take a shuttle? Just 450 spaces are there.
If you so desire, you can park at the Ochsner Jefferson Highway campus. Are you kidding me? Nope. There are 3,240 spaces are available in that location.
You can also park at the Mercedes-Benz Superdome (2,856 spaces) and shuttle to the game.
I thought Tulane's desire was to get away from the Superdome?
Throughout this process, I heard opponents of the stadium demonized for not understanding the "collegial" atmosphere that an on-campus stadium would provide.
How can that atmosphere happen when you can't tailgate?
The City of New Orleans says that 1,776 cars can be parked on campus and through Tulane's agreement with Loyola University.
Are you going to tailgate at the Loyola garage, then walk up to Claiborne avenue to watch the game?
So, let's see, I am going to park at Ochsner's Jefferson campus, potentially wait 15 or 20 minutes for a bus, then go sit in 90 degree heat or rain, to watch a school that hasn't had a winning football season since 2002?
The way I see it, Tulane had two options in the stadium parking dilemma.
Door number one was to give in to the neighborhood and anger the paying customer.
Door number two was to anger the neighborhood to attract the paying customer to its games.
My guess is both the neighborhood and the paying customer will be most unhappy.
Tad Gormley would have been a much better option.
This is not $55 million well spent.
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