brijonmang

This is a friendly reminder to get your picks in before game action tomorrow! Don't want any people giving some excuse as to why they did so poorly!

traveling south on 45 this morning I could see the top of a building. we'll see if it's the only one or there's more.

And you didn't take pictures for HAIF or your blog?? You've changed Lockmat...you've changed.

I think Filioscotia nailed it on the head...it's best for the career to remain opaque with their politics.

OK made my picks...really don't feel like I know what to expect with most teams so it should put me on a nice low number to start the year! Just like I predicted.

Go ahead and mail me my 'participation ribbon' ... I'm in.

Woohoo! Me too. At least it should remain fairly close at first while the big schools play a large quantity of cupcakes.

Moving right along!

I hope so, I missed my chance to make a fool of myself last year. I need to redeem myself and prove that I am still as bad at pick 'em as I used to be.

That was really interesting to watch, thanks for sharing. Looks like you've got a front row seat for watching this thing go up...so I think I speak for everyone when I say we expect weekly updates at the bare minimum

I believe it is essential to have a large library, large study halls, etc. I dont think that football stadiums should be a factor when the prospective student is deciding which school to attend. It should be a non-factor. I'm sure that most of the students attending a university are unlikely to be a part of any of their sports programs. So how it could be a selling point is beyond me. Not everyone cares about college sports.

As for the non-athlete students... Perhaps there is some sense of pride in their school however I think it derives more from whatever academic program they're in and the prestige that originates from that rather than the performance of the shcool's football team.

Imagine the silly looks a non-athletic student would recieve if they were asked why they chose to attend Baylor (or any other university) and the student replied with "Because they have a awesome football team and a new stadium that's on campus". The student would instantly suffer a loss of credibilty.

Of course those things are essential, it is a place for higher learning. But I think you're overlooking how big of a marketing force college sports are for their respective universities. If you have a big name program that is going out and winning, your school reaps the benefits of incredible amounts of free press.

For example, when I was a senior at Tech we had a great year (by our standards) in football...we were repeatedly in the news, had some really big, nationally televised games and there was a lot of buzz after we beat Texas and got to #2 in the rankings. The following year, we had our largest incoming freshman class in school history. I don't think it is entirely coincidence, although I guess it could be.

I would hope that anyone is more proud of their degree's merit than the merit of their football team but that isn't always the case. I just think you can argue that there can be a distinct correlation between athletic prowess and school recognition/funding.

Will it help recruiting? It shouldnt. Who the hell decides to go to a school based on their new stadium?

You'd be surprised how much facilities make a difference in a recruit's eyes. Especially now that Baylor isn't looked upon as a perennial doormat. The arms race in college football is very heated and a lot of school's are trying to keep up just so they can continue to land top talent.

As for the actual non-athlete students, there is still a sense of school pride you have in your campus and sporting venues. Why settle for sub par facilities when you can have it all on campus. The fact that this stadium will actually be on campus is a huge selling point, too.

Well that would definitely make it fit in a lot better with the other SEC stadiums. Just about anything would be an upgrade from the aesthetics of the stadium right now. Playing atmosphere is great, but it's just one big concrete mass.

$15 million? That's nothing, especially in these times.

But I'll take it, good for Houston

True, can't really stretch that too far in a city like Houston but every little bit helps. It would be nice to see some sort of network start to develop around town that connects pedestrian/bike friendly areas better but I don't really know how you would accomplish that without dumping incredible amounts of money into altering existing thoroughfares.

a few...

Imagine how much more appealing these areas would be without all of the power lines interrupting every decent view.

On a side note, thanks for all of the pictures you keep providing Lockmat. Really helpful and appreciated by the people who are unable to get out to see what all is changing around town these days on a constant basis.

I got some pictures/videos from the game Saturday that I will post in the morning or early afternoon tomorrow. Beautiful day and the stadium looked great with everyone there. Of course I'm glad we got the win and it seemed appropriate that Brad Davis (one of two original Houston Dynamo players) scored the first goal at BBVA.

There was a bit of a hiccup when they were removing a black tarp they had covering the 2 MLS championship banners but if that's the biggest issue of the day I think you can call it a successful opening.

I went to the scrimmage/soft opening last night and got a few pictures on my phone...it really is a great place to watch a game

I just took pics tonight...

Are you going to post them here or on your blog? I checked and didn't see the new ones yet. Always appreciate you getting them, btw.

Great shots! That first one with the low clouds is really cool. How long of an exposure was that?

I'll be there. Gonna be sweet.

Same here, section 214 row AA. Ready to see this stadium up close and in person.

While the stadium looks great, they haven't been able to fill their current stadium (outside a few big matchups this past year with Griffin) which seats 35K. However, if they keep their exciting offensive football up they may be on to something.

I doubt the tunnels are supposed to be a secret, right?

From what I remember reading/hearing, the tunnels are to be kind of like what they have in Disneyworld - They are for all of the unsightly things like garbage pick up and food/beverage delivery, etc. They're trying to implement a Truman Show suburban oasis theme.

oh yeah...and this is a thread on the new anadarko tower. any crane pics yet? i'll see if i can get over there this week.

I just walked down the waterway last night and can tell you there is nothing to see yet...They have put up the safety walkway made out of plywood but that's about it.

It's a little sad it even had to come to the threat of a lawsuit but I'm glad that they will be able to play the game. They earned it through the regular season and then making it that far in the playoffs. If they were forced to basically forfeit because TAPPS couldn't reschedule a time for ONE game, that would have been pretty ridiculous.

Great idea, Samagon. I find myself always wondering what kind of equipment people are using for their photography on the web but don't want to be the noob asking questions.

If only I could afford a new "real" camera...

Those new photos with downtown in the background look great! Can't wait to see some games in the new stadium. Team should be pretty good again this year too. Maybe we can ring the new stadium in with the third championship....

Hey sweet, I worked on designing that pool!