Death to Google Ads! Texans Talk Tip Jar! 🍺😎👍
Thanks for your support!
Overall thrown out of Bull Pen
- Thread starter Overalls
- Start date
Overalls
All Pro
I agree Ted it involves all of us in the Bull Pen. It was me this time, but who could be next when the season starts again.
I've had my issues with complaining fair-weather fans in the Bull Pen as well. I think the idea of the Bull Pen was intriguing for the FO at first, but since Year One, they seem to be really trying to phase it out. The players don't recognize us (Carr even asked in the fifth year what the Bull Pen was), the FO doesn't recognize us, and other fans have no idea what the "Bull Pen" is. I don't get it. Isn't a rabid fan base what every organization wants?
Steph, if you need anything from me about my experiences, let me know.
There's a Game Day Services staff that will reseat anyone with issues. We have a good friend that works for that staff, and what SHOULD have happened with Overalls is that the people BEHIND him should have been reseated to an area where they could enjoy the game from a sitting position. They reserve seats for just such issues (and others), and this was obviously a mistake on the yellow coats and NEVER should have happened.
Tedc
Hardheaded
Funny, we were wondering what David Carr was in year 5.
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
I think part of this is due to turnover. A lot of the admin staff with the Texans has changed over time and the new staff has its own idea on how to do things.
Some of the players recognize the Bull Pen, especially STs.
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
Overalls. I believe you need to tell them all the information in sequential order.
What was said and by whom. (what the people behind you said, how the usher got involved)
When it was said. (which quarter)
Who the usher was.
What the usher said and how he got the police involved.
Information about yourself.
They need this information to investigate things properly. And to make sure this doesn't happen again.
ChildressTitanMan
Waterboy
You go to watch a game & your not ready for crap like this to thrown in your face.
Normal people don't go around looking for reasons to be hostile & Overalls chose to bite the bullet rather than risk going nuts & maybe getting banned from the stadium.
What do you do? It's a no win situation for the fan in this scenario. It sounds to me as though you Bullpen members have to really get organized & united on this problem until it goes away.
You have a full off season to do it, don't let the opportunity fizzle out on a message board which it will if one of you doesn't take the lead.
A 'save Overalls' campaign would be entertaining.
Normal people don't go around looking for reasons to be hostile & Overalls chose to bite the bullet rather than risk going nuts & maybe getting banned from the stadium.
What do you do? It's a no win situation for the fan in this scenario. It sounds to me as though you Bullpen members have to really get organized & united on this problem until it goes away.
You have a full off season to do it, don't let the opportunity fizzle out on a message board which it will if one of you doesn't take the lead.
A 'save Overalls' campaign would be entertaining.
Yankee_In_TX
Dance Lindsay!
Texan_Bill
Hall of Fame
That doesnt sound all that positive...
The change should be that ALL seats in 116 & 117 going back 20 rows should be removed. They should label the floor with the seat # and thats where you stand...
Problem sol-ved.
Sounds potentially ominous. What could they change? Obviously eliminating PSL owned by brokers is out of the question. Will they implement new policies in the Bull Pen?
GlassHalfFull
Hall of Fame
Maybe they are planning on better training for the staff. Just living up to my name.
Yankee_In_TX
Dance Lindsay!
That DOES sound ominous...
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
After I received the first message, I asked a follow up question:
Their follow up:
My follow up:
Their follow up:
My follow up:
So here is my recommendation to y'all.
1. Contact fanfeedback@houstontexans.com.
2. Be extremely polite. We are all on the same side with this--wanting to encourage a winning atmosphere. Texans are mannered people, and I've found you tend to be a better advocate for your position when you come from a place of rationality and civility.
3. Tell them that you understand they are looking at their policies for next year. Encourage them to have a policy of relocating people who want to be sitters. Encourage them not to make people sit down if they are standing in front of their own seat. It's good when ushers get people out of aisles, and I feel very fortunate to have a totally cool usher than runs our section.
4. Always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time trying to make sure that your point of view is heard. It's hard to put together policies that make most people happy, or make policies that can't be misinterpreted by employees or fans. So, try providing them helpful feedback of your point of view. I've seen them do things that are very responsive to feedback they get--sometimes too responsive--but still, I appreciate them caring at all because often organizations don't try at all.
5.
Their follow up:
My follow up:
Their follow up:
My follow up:
So here is my recommendation to y'all.
1. Contact fanfeedback@houstontexans.com.
2. Be extremely polite. We are all on the same side with this--wanting to encourage a winning atmosphere. Texans are mannered people, and I've found you tend to be a better advocate for your position when you come from a place of rationality and civility.
3. Tell them that you understand they are looking at their policies for next year. Encourage them to have a policy of relocating people who want to be sitters. Encourage them not to make people sit down if they are standing in front of their own seat. It's good when ushers get people out of aisles, and I feel very fortunate to have a totally cool usher than runs our section.
4. Always try to give people the benefit of the doubt, but at the same time trying to make sure that your point of view is heard. It's hard to put together policies that make most people happy, or make policies that can't be misinterpreted by employees or fans. So, try providing them helpful feedback of your point of view. I've seen them do things that are very responsive to feedback they get--sometimes too responsive--but still, I appreciate them caring at all because often organizations don't try at all.
5.
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
Toyota Centers ends have always been louder. The sad thing about the way that stadium is structured is that the club seats are on the sides, so there are corporate types who don't care to show up, or would prefer to be hanging out at the bar, something I can't quite understand.
Real people used to be able to afford the middle seats for Rockets games, but now it is mostly corporate folks.
It will be interesting to see what the new Texas Stadium is going to be like. When sideline field level tickets are going for $50,000 a pop PSL, you get a lot of corporations in those seats. When people are so wealthy that throwing down jack to get seats is like brushing your teeth, typically, they don't have the same dedication as someone who values their seats a lot because the money value of each game is a lot to them. And when corporations have seats, they don't usually have the same folks sitting their week after week. It's someone who didn't pay for the tickets, shows up late and leaves after they eat their nachos in the 3rd quarter.
That's why the endzones will always be rowdier than the middles at just about any stadium or arena. Because there are less corporate folks there, and more people who bought the closest to the field ticket they could get for the price they could afford. I will say that I saw the most standing ever in the middles during the Denver game.
WesmanTexanfan
SeNior Smack
Yep I got thrown out of the Bull Pen today. First some guy at the gate had to check with his supervisor over my hat then some Part time employee found it necessary to escourt me out of the Bull Pen for standing. Yep I got thrown out of my seat for exercising my Bull Pen right and standing. I hate those ticket broker seats behind mine. I try to be a good fan and stand for the whole game in the Bull Pen and some yellow jacket that doesn't know the Bull Pen rules tells me to sit down or I will be thrown out of the stadium. Now mind you half the bull Pen stands for the whole game but some little dweeb behind me wanted to pretend he was at home on his couch. So from about half way through the 2nd quarter till the end of the game I stood up top at the rail.
WOW, sorry dude, thats my worst nightmare, houston fans are freakin lazy
WesmanTexanfan
SeNior Smack
Yep I got thrown out of the Bull Pen today. First some guy at the gate had to check with his supervisor over my hat then some Part time employee found it necessary to escourt me out of the Bull Pen for standing. Yep I got thrown out of my seat for exercising my Bull Pen right and standing. I hate those ticket broker seats behind mine. I try to be a good fan and stand for the whole game in the Bull Pen and some yellow jacket that doesn't know the Bull Pen rules tells me to sit down or I will be thrown out of the stadium. Now mind you half the bull Pen stands for the whole game but some little dweeb behind me wanted to pretend he was at home on his couch. So from about half way through the 2nd quarter till the end of the game I stood up top at the rail.
next time complain about everyone sitting down, try and get them kicked out for being pompus retards with no freakin sense of pride or tradition, ( or football for that matter)
Texans_Chick
Utopian Dreamer
Maybe it is the end of the Bull Pen as we know it. Funny how easily Bob gave up on his baby, but if I remember correctly, it will also be the first year when they are not guaranteed sellouts.
I guess it REALLY does come down to money.
Let's not assume too much.
Just because they are looking at revising policies doesn't necessarily mean that they are looking to make it worse than it is now.
Be sure to send in your two cents.
TEXANRED
Texan-American
What we need to do is make a collective effort as Texan fans to make Reliant stadium the home field advantage that it is supposed to be. We need to somehow reach out to the fan base who do not visit the message boards.
Maybe get all of us loyalist together and raise some money to advertise in the sports page listing what is expected of them at Texan games. Maybe even hand out flyer's and leaflets in the parking lot detailing what a fan needs to do.
For example, stand during the game, make lots of noise when the Defense is on the field and shut up when the O is on the field.
Don't be afraid to yell or scream first down.
Stop getting up during the game to eat and drink. You have before the game, halftime, and after the game in the parking lot. If you have to pee, hold it.
Be at your seat on time. And I am looking right you tailgate people.
Just some examples.
It may seem a little stupid but have got to do something. This is our team and some people just need a little education.
I have never doubted that for a second.
But what the FO needs to realize is that winning is what generates more money. I mean, I'm sure they know this already, but do they really understand what it takes to have a 'homefield advantage'? It takes hardcore football fanatics, plain and simple.
The question comes down to what does the owner/FO want? A wine & cheese crowd (ala Dallas), or the rowdy 'House of Pain' (ala Oilers).
ubecool454
Veteran
Something tells me that Overall is not telling the "whole" story on being kicked out of his seat. I can't help but feel that way. 
ubecool454
Veteran
Overalls the titans fans are making fun of you because you make it easy for them to do so. I've seen you trolling over there many times with insults that that are just plain uncalled for. Just let this stadium thing go dude. The texans already told you that they have no record of anyone being escorted out of their seat of the stadium for that game. That means that they are not going to look into it. Just let it go and get ready for the next season.
FILO_girl
I'm not here
So true.
Wolf
100% Texan
I thought of what you said while watching Seattle-Redskins and they were talking about the noise and up on the flag pole was a blue and green(whatever Seattle's colors are now) 12 and with the word fan above it ..made me think about this thread
About 1/3 of the fans in that stadium wear the same jersey: Fan 12
The other 2/3 are dressed in flannel and drinking coffee.
They definitely come together as one. And yes it helps if you're a winner.
Team played well. Fans made a lot of noise. Team rewards fans by retiring number 12. That's how I remember it happening.
Krazy George was up there too. That's when it was still cool to do the wave. They had some of the more creative variations - not around the stadium but vertically from lower deck to upper and back down again.
The Kingdome was a noisy place in the good years. They had some good teams back then with Kreig, Big Jacob, Easley, Warner, Largent.... '83 maybe? ... early 80's for sure when they created the 12th man for the fans.
Krazy George was up there too. That's when it was still cool to do the wave. They had some of the more creative variations - not around the stadium but vertically from lower deck to upper and back down again.
The Kingdome was a noisy place in the good years. They had some good teams back then with Kreig, Big Jacob, Easley, Warner, Largent.... '83 maybe? ... early 80's for sure when they created the 12th man for the fans.
Doesn't take the front office to tell me how to act at football games. Shouldn't take stunts, marketing campaigns or gimmickery to create 'dedicated/loyal/crazy' fan zones either. If it's real and if it's genuine it will all come naturally. Oh well, to each their own.
This isn't a Rick Smith's (or one of 'his people's') problem to fix. It hits in a couple of VPs areas and Rootes - and ultimately McN.
This isn't a Rick Smith's (or one of 'his people's') problem to fix. It hits in a couple of VPs areas and Rootes - and ultimately McN.
Tedc
Hardheaded
True, but remember the reason for this thread?
A dedicated fan was told to sit or he would be thrown out of an area dedicated for rowdy fans and in an area that is promoted by the team as an area that fans stand. I know this guy personally as I am sure you do and I know for a fact that he doesn't cuss or get beligerant(sp?).
Yeah, I know all that - it was in the first post of the thread.
I object to anyone being told they can't stand up and yell at a game - no matter where they are in the stadium. My point is that I'd rather see it so that any area in the stadium, except for the Club section is 'rowdy' naturally with environs not created or controlled by the marketing department. Back in '06, some guy in front of me got mouthy with the people in front of him, telling them to sit down in a not so polite way - this was even before the game started. Several of us around this guy took care of it and we haven't seen him since. A major part of my point is consistent with the thread theme whether you realize it or not.
Drew_Smoke
@Drew_Smoke
At least they're listening.
Overalls
All Pro
One of my favorite pieces of Oiler Memorabilia, I didn't buy. I had to earn it. Back during the "House of Pain" era there was a couple of guys dressed in black suits like the Blues Brothers that wore Jason Mask (I think). They walked around the stadium throwing towels to fans that were making a lot of noise. It was a "Bruise Brothers' towel. I still have it. It meant a bunch to me for them to deem me worthy of that towel.
The Bull Pen will never come close to reaching the status of the Dawg Pound or Black Hole when our own FO does next to nothing to seperate us from any other section of the stadium. Even here on this board we have had arguements about the Bull Pen not being any better than any other section of the stadium. There are advantages and differences to almost every section of the stadium. The "Dark Side" gets the endzone and the shade. Two of the corners get players coming out. The side lines are the good seats with a better view of the field. Nothing like watching a game from the 50 yard line. No section of the stadiuim can be "the home field advantage" by itself. It takes all of us. We have sit through 6 years of mostly bad times. We are tired of hearing "Next year will be better". We want good times now.
We as fans are being judged all the time. "Why don't we get in our seats before kickoff?" "Why are there so many no shows?" "Why are there so many Eagles fans in the stadium?" A team can give an identity to it's fans and the fans in turn can give a team an identity. The Raiders are the Black Hole. The Browns are the Dawg Pound. Who are we? Are we the wine cooler drinkers and golf clapper? I don't think so. Are we the fickle Houston fans that the national media thinks we are? We came back after 2-14 didn't we. I do think too many of us are mixed loyalty fans. Fans that root for the Texans except when they play xxxxxx. A buddy next to me in the Bull Pen had a Broncos jersey on under his Texans jersey at that game. He pulled off his Texans jersey and flew his Broncos colors for about 10 minutes. That's all he could stand doing. He had grown up in Colorado rooting for John Elway but he couldn't turn his back on the Texans like that. He is a Texan now. How many of us have seen somebody close to us in our section root for another team while claiming Texans loyalty. We are a team of fans that need an identity. Who are we?
The Bull Pen will never come close to reaching the status of the Dawg Pound or Black Hole when our own FO does next to nothing to seperate us from any other section of the stadium. Even here on this board we have had arguements about the Bull Pen not being any better than any other section of the stadium. There are advantages and differences to almost every section of the stadium. The "Dark Side" gets the endzone and the shade. Two of the corners get players coming out. The side lines are the good seats with a better view of the field. Nothing like watching a game from the 50 yard line. No section of the stadiuim can be "the home field advantage" by itself. It takes all of us. We have sit through 6 years of mostly bad times. We are tired of hearing "Next year will be better". We want good times now.
We as fans are being judged all the time. "Why don't we get in our seats before kickoff?" "Why are there so many no shows?" "Why are there so many Eagles fans in the stadium?" A team can give an identity to it's fans and the fans in turn can give a team an identity. The Raiders are the Black Hole. The Browns are the Dawg Pound. Who are we? Are we the wine cooler drinkers and golf clapper? I don't think so. Are we the fickle Houston fans that the national media thinks we are? We came back after 2-14 didn't we. I do think too many of us are mixed loyalty fans. Fans that root for the Texans except when they play xxxxxx. A buddy next to me in the Bull Pen had a Broncos jersey on under his Texans jersey at that game. He pulled off his Texans jersey and flew his Broncos colors for about 10 minutes. That's all he could stand doing. He had grown up in Colorado rooting for John Elway but he couldn't turn his back on the Texans like that. He is a Texan now. How many of us have seen somebody close to us in our section root for another team while claiming Texans loyalty. We are a team of fans that need an identity. Who are we?
Andrew6
All Pro
I hate to say this but the biggest cure to having a packed out nothing but Texans fan base there is to win. And to win alot. Look at the Patriots. 10 years ago you would have looked at that team and went, "WHO"? I am sure now that Gillette stadium is sold out and their entire fan base has come out of hiding. Things will change will just take time and lots of wins. As far as the FO, they are in the market of selling seats. To them we are nothing more than a number. If we refuse to buy season tickets next year thats fine to them. We just lose our PSLs and they can sell them again.
This is like a vicious circle at best or a chicken and the egg question. Do we win before we get an identity? Do we get an identity before we win?
Other teams - ie the Dawg Pound, 12th man, etc - also have a history and this has been discussed before.
One thing we are forgetting is that we are the history of the Texans. We are the ones who need to find our identity - not our children or the fans who arrive after we start winning.
On the other side of this conundrum, the Oilers' Astrodome didn't become the House of Pain until the Glanville era, according to profootball.com, and they had been in existence since 1960 ish. Now that is close to 30 years to find the identity that stuck. I don't know about the rest of you, but I don't have that long left to live.
The Powers that Be aren't totally stupid. They know that high priced seats need to be sold but they also know that a fanatic fan base also needs to be very much in evidence.
You want advertising that is priceless? Put a loud, standing, screaming fan base, all dressed up in Texan garb on national TV and watch ticket sales go up
Our history could start in the Bull Pen - at least once we get Overalls back to an upright position in front of his seat and I think that will happen - call me Pollyanna.
You don't like the wave? That's cool - I'm not a big fan myself - but come up with something relatively unique that can get all fans involved. Post the idea here and keep doing it over and over until the rest catch on. The move the chains folks should do the same thing. You do something often enough and even the slowest among us will catch on.It was LYB and HOP. The common denominator was playoff teams. It will happen again but you can't create a real identity with marketing campaigns and contrived gimmickery. Win and a new era will be upon us.
First things first. The Texans advertised the Bull Pen as being the place for the loudest fans, encouraged to stand, and probably not a place for children yada yada yada. That issue should be resolved first, and once that's done then see what the fans can come up with next to build on a strong base in the stadium.
Overalls
All Pro
This coming season we have our best shot ever of having a winning season. I agree with aj that winning breeds enthusiasm from the fans. That's a given. How ever do we want some one in a corporate seat or broker seat telling those of us that have been here since the begining how we should act. Next year tickets could be harder to get since they were in year one. The FO can't "invent" a true Bull Pen tradition. I understand that the FO can't make us care, but they can get out of the way of those of us that already do. This could be a pivital offseason for us as long time fans. Do we let the golf clappers take over or do we stand up and scream at the top of our lungs. GO TEXANS.
I just don't want this campaign, as worthy as it is, to backfire at the expense of other sections in the stadium. If people in other sections want to get up an yell without 'usher persecution,' then they should be able to get up and yell. There's several thousand of us in other parts of the stadium that don't want to be told to sit down either. I think formal 'zoning' of fan conduct is a mistake and I would hate to see tighter enforcement of written rules that draw attention to 'standing encouraged' in only two sections of the stadium. Let it happen naturally and it will happen everywhere, once the winning comes.
There's precedent for ***** and backfire. We campaigned loudly about getting reserved parking to alleviate the chaos (fun) that accompanied 'getting there early to get your favorite tailgate spot' and what happened? They jacked up the prices 75%, called it Platinum and essentially killed one of the best tailgate areas outside Reliant.
I hope the save Overalls thing is resolved to the safisfaction of everyone who likes to get up and yell. If everyone else is standing, one Stub Hub seat in the mix won't have a leg to stand on. They'll have to do like the Romans. And like Gump said, 'that's all I have to say about that.'
There's precedent for ***** and backfire. We campaigned loudly about getting reserved parking to alleviate the chaos (fun) that accompanied 'getting there early to get your favorite tailgate spot' and what happened? They jacked up the prices 75%, called it Platinum and essentially killed one of the best tailgate areas outside Reliant.
I hope the save Overalls thing is resolved to the safisfaction of everyone who likes to get up and yell. If everyone else is standing, one Stub Hub seat in the mix won't have a leg to stand on. They'll have to do like the Romans. And like Gump said, 'that's all I have to say about that.'
imatexan
All Pro
This really does frustrate me. I remeber when I went to the Texans first game EVER i the preseason and everyone was seeing Reliant for the first time. IT just soo happends that Overalls was walking in at the same time me and my dad were. I was 12 at the time and saw his outfit and everything and was amazed, even at a young age I was proud that we had great fans like that. Every year since I have been a season ticket holder and everygame I look down to see Overalls standing with his son and it almost makes me feel secure. I had to miss this last game (only all season) and it would not have felt right looking over and not seeing him there. This problem needs to be fixed.