[LARams_1963]

I wanted to take a few days to reflect on what we've experienced the last 2 weeks. I will preface my rant by saying I HOPE these are just growing pains and will be rectified in the future. Unfortunately for us because of our retirement move to our new Florida home coming in December we only have 4 or so games left.

Where to start? Well, last week against the Chargers gameday experience was not fun. We arrived 45 mins after the lots opened (Lots are open 4 hours prior to kickoff compared to 5 hours at the Coliseum). It took us 45 mins to get from Crenshaw/Century into the pink lot. Against the Raiders it took 2 hr and 25 mins. The longest I have EVER waited to get into a lot by FAR. Mind you, these are preseason games with smaller crowds (Probably) than reg. season games. At the coliseum if you arrived 45-1hr after they opened you pretty much drove right in.

The Pink Lot. We have season tickets and Pink lot season passes. The powers that be decided in their infinite stupidity to place the ONLY tailgating lot farthest from the stadium, and more specifically the farthest from our section, 301 on the NE side (Home side) of the stadium. First game against the Bolts. They let peeps park where they wanted in the lot, leaving lots of empty spots. Second week against the Raiders by the time we got done with our 2.5 hr wait the Pink lot was FULL!! How the fuck is a lot you have a pass for full? So, they threw us in an over flow lot up the hill making our long ass walk even longer. Again... Preseason game not sold out. They did say we could tailgate there, but it was smaller and no one put up a canopy because cars were constantly driving down our lane. We barely had room for our 2 chairs as cars went by. So, we arrive just shy of 4 hours before kickoff and were able to tailgate for 25 mins before the 30 minute walk to our gate.

The Walk. Look, I get that we're older than a lot of folks, and the walk may not bother others. That being said after this week my wife informed me that she was done with that walk because of back stiffness. The walk is probably very close to a mile each way and we are 58/60.

The concessions. We have yet to order food because quite frankly when I look around at what folks have it isn't very good looking. While I understand that concession and menu items are taking a hit due to Covid and lack of employees you would think the item they ARE serving would be top notch for the most sophisticated venue on the planet. Beer's and wine. My wife went to 2 stands and stood in lines that advertised Wine. Both times when she got to the front they told her they didn't serve wine there. When she asked why the sign said they did the response was basically a shrug of the shoulders from the concessionaires.

Trying to get a canned beer is extremely difficult in our area. I'm talking Modelo, Corona, Pacifico. These were super abundant and easy to get at the Coliseum. Last game I couldn't find any and the guy who walks around vending Modelo's was nowhere to be found. So the only canned beer I could find was some IPA's, which I'm not a huge fan of, and the one I got was a cross between beer and lemonade.

So for now, my wife might be done and I might not be far behind her. While I know some folks might think we're nit picking, this experience was NOT what we were promised. Over the last 5 years we've heard how the gameday experience was gonna be fantabulous! A cut above the rest! Well.... for us this has fell EXTREMELY flat compared to the hype. I will say though that the venue is absolutely fucking gorgeous!!! Oh! and on a side note, because we're moving I was gonna sell our SSL's to my old coworkers who sit with us. But as of right now the Rams aren't allowing SSL transfers.... WTAF!!!!!!! Our seats are 100% paid for. We've made our thoughts known via both weeks gameday surveys, and I'm gonna shoot a letter to my Rams rep and Kevin Demoff.

/Rant off

If you read my whole rant you are a bad ass! Or masochist....

Thanks for listening though and GO RAMS!!!!!!

Greg

[ziggy]

While I didn’t have your experience, I’ve been seeing a lot of what you said. (Long waits to park, concessions with limited options and bad info, etc). Also I think your complaints are perfectly valid and not random clickbait things like cherry picked bad food at SOFI.

Most seems like small things they could fix if people work on it.

Hope your feedback gets SOFI right.

[DirtyFacedKid]

Thanks for the write up! We too are reassessing how many games we're going to attend. I wasn't expecting thoughts like this to be a part of my first ever season ticket(s) purchase at, what was being sold as, a World Class experience.

I don't think I can do 8 or 9 games, if what we've seen so far is going to be the status quo. The only thing so far that has been better than the Coliseum experience is, obviously, the stadium sights and sounds, and entering the gates to our seats. That's difficult to type.

[Flash]

I wanted to take a few days to reflect on what we've experienced the last 2 weeks. I will preface my rant by saying I HOPE these are just growing pains and will be rectified in the future. Unfortunately for us because of our retirement move to our new Florida home coming in December we only have 4 or so games left.

Where to start? Well, last week against the Chargers gameday experience was not fun. We arrived 45 mins after the lots opened (Lots are open 4 hours prior to kickoff compared to 5 hours at the Coliseum). It took us 45 mins to get from Crenshaw/Century into the pink lot. Against the Raiders it took 2 hr and 25 mins. The longest I have EVER waited to get into a lot by FAR. Mind you, these are preseason games with smaller crowds (Probably) than reg. season games. At the coliseum if you arrived 45-1hr after they opened you pretty much drove right in.

The Pink Lot. We have season tickets and Pink lot season passes. The powers that be decided in their infinite stupidity to place the ONLY tailgating lot farthest from the stadium, and more specifically the farthest from our section, 301 on the NE side (Home side) of the stadium. First game against the Bolts. They let peeps park where they wanted in the lot, leaving lots of empty spots. Second week against the Raiders by the time we got done with our 2.5 hr wait the Pink lot was FULL!! How the fuck is a lot you have a pass for full? So, they threw us in an over flow lot up the hill making our long ass walk even longer. Again... Preseason game not sold out. They did say we could tailgate there, but it was smaller and no one put up a canopy because cars were constantly driving down our lane. We barely had room for our 2 chairs as cars went by. So, we arrive just shy of 4 hours before kickoff and were able to tailgate for 25 mins before the 30 minute walk to our gate.

The Walk. Look, I get that we're older than a lot of folks, and the walk may not bother others. That being said after this week my wife informed me that she was done with that walk because of back stiffness. The walk is probably very close to a mile each way and we are 58/60.

The concessions. We have yet to order food because quite frankly when I look around at what folks have it isn't very good looking. While I understand that concession and menu items are taking a hit due to Covid and lack of employees you would think the item they ARE serving would be top notch for the most sophisticated venue on the planet. Beer's and wine. My wife went to 2 stands and stood in lines that advertised Wine. Both times when she got to the front they told her they didn't serve wine there. When she asked why the sign said they did the response was basically a shrug of the shoulders from the concessionaires.

Trying to get a canned beer is extremely difficult in our area. I'm talking Modelo, Corona, Pacifico. These were super abundant and easy to get at the Coliseum. Last game I couldn't find any and the guy who walks around vending Modelo's was nowhere to be found. So the only canned beer I could find was some IPA's, which I'm not a huge fan of, and the one I got was a cross between beer and lemonade.

So for now, my wife might be done and I might not be far behind her. While I know some folks might think we're nit picking, this experience was NOT what we were promised. Over the last 5 years we've heard how the gameday experience was gonna be fantabulous! A cut above the rest! Well.... for us this has fell EXTREMELY flat compared to the hype. I will say though that the venue is absolutely fucking gorgeous!!! Oh! and on a side note, because we're moving I was gonna sell our SSL's to my old coworkers who sit with us. But as of right now the Rams aren't allowing SSL transfers.... WTAF!!!!!!! Our seats are 100% paid for. We've made our thoughts known via both weeks gameday surveys, and I'm gonna shoot a letter to my Rams rep and Kevin Demoff.

/Rant off

If you read my whole rant you are a bad ass! Or masochist....

Thanks for listening though and GO RAMS!!!!!!

Greg

Greg,

You are right to rant. That walk is a haul and can’t believe you could not park in the fuckin lot you paid for the season Up front. The food is horrendous an $8 shriveled up hot dog with a 16.50 beer. It took a lot longer to get out this week over the Charger game with the added bonus of trying to navigate with aggressive Raiders fans drivers.

And yes the stadium is beautiful and absolutely love the Oculus!

Take care my brother!

Tim

[Flash]

Another complaint is the upside down home side. Everything is performed to visitor side and the ref is pointing in opposite direction when he’s on the screen for penalty calls.

[RedAlice]

Hi Greg! And Laurie (sp?)

I did read your whole write up, but I am both a bad ass and a masochist.

Frustrating to read how this is going for everyone. But, thank you all so much for sharing.

Since I no longer live in SoCal myself, I will probably only get to one game a year.

Those of us who got to experience the Coliseum and our return home enjoyed precious days.

[47 Gap]

Hi Greg, In June I turned 60, and believe me your post did NOT fall upon deaf ears. I'm under the strong impression that the organization is only concerned with the younger fanbase. They fail to realize that it was US, the old fanbase, that lobbied day after day, for the return of our beloved team. From the day Georgia died, I knew that the Rams would make it back to their home, now after all these years, we get thrown aside like an old cheap jockstrap.

The unforms designs were for the kiddies without a single thought of the amazing tradition the Rams had. And now, with the stadium design, not a single thought on the older fans. Long lines, poor accessibility, and concessions that cater to the rich and famous. It's a disgrace how this loyal fanbase has been treated. In my opinion, the blame falls direct at the feet of Kevin Demoff. He should be arrested for elder abuse (slightly kidding).

[St. Loser Fan]

Hi Greg, In June I turned 60, and believe me your post did NOT fall upon deaf ears. I'm under the strong impression that the organization is only concerned with the younger fanbase. They fail to realize that it was US, the old fanbase, that lobbied day after day, for the return of our beloved team. From the day Georgia died, I knew that the Rams would make it back to their home, now after all these years, we get thrown aside like an old cheap jockstrap.

The unforms designs were for the kiddies without a single thought of the amazing tradition the Rams had. And now, with the stadium design, not a single thought on the older fans. Long lines, poor accessibility, and concessions that cater to the rich and famous. It's a disgrace how this loyal fanbase has been treated. In my opinion, the blame falls direct at the feet of Kevin Demoff. He should be arrested for elder abuse (slightly kidding).

Go be old somewhere else./jk

[actionjack]

The thing that always concerned me (the only thing) about SOFI was its location. I knew traffic would be a significant burden. It seems like uber will be your best option, but no chance for tailgating ugh.

[DirtyFacedKid]

The thing that always concerned me (the only thing) about SOFI was its location. I knew traffic would be a significant burden. It seems like uber will be your best option, but no chance for tailgating ugh.

If not tailgating, yes, Rideshare seems to be the best option. However, as I mentioned before, don't force a drop-off/pick up in their designated Rideshare area until they get it sorted out. Give your driver a break and get dropped off on Century or Manchester and walk the rest of the way, if you are able.