take me out to the ball[park]

i am not a huge sports "guy,"

i'm an architect.

if anyone starts talking about anything relating to any type of sport, i quickly find myself lost and without a clue to what is being said.  except when it comes to baseball stadiums.  i'm infatuated by them and love knowing all i can about them.

like a humble servant seeing the coliseum in ancient rome for the first time, i'm always in awe entering a baseball stadium. it has so much for an architect to appreciate. they're large scale projects which become icons for the city.  not only are they great examples of architecture themselves, but i love how the outfields frame the city or landscape they're in. stadiums also perfectly represent their time.  fenway and wrigley with their industrial feel; angels stadium, dodger stadium and kauffman stadium with their mid-century vibe; the throw back retro-ness of stadiums built in the 90's like camden yards and coors field, to more contemporary parks like petco park in san diego.

interesting and sad fact, there are no major league stadiums representing styles from the 20's, 30's, 40's or 50's as they've all been replaced and kauffman stadium, which opened in 1973, is the sixth oldest stadium!

as large of projects as they are, it's interesting to think they still follow some of the most simple rules of architecture design; site location and orientation, the approach a visitor takes to and into it, compression and expansion, scaling and massing.  although they have similar traits, i also enjoy the fact each park has its own little drama or flair, some feature unique to it.  fenways green monster, the old brick building in the middle of the left field stands at petco park, kauffman's fountains, and many more.  there are a thousand of things i pay attention to at a a ballgame, the least of which is the actual game.

i'm not sure i'll ever get to design a baseball stadium and i'm not sure i'd want to, but i still love knowing about them.  the other week i had a chance to geek out by seeing fenway for the first time, the oldest ballpark still in use. i was ecstatic the entire game looking at all the details and reading plaques! don't worry, i did pay attention enough to watch ortiz bat and i was rooting for them to beat the blue jays.  even though they lost that day the architect in me came away with a win knowing i had finally seen fenway.

immersed in [ku]lture

i'm not a huge sports guy but several years ago i was told a sports story i absolutely love.

the story was about a group of friends who get together every year and pick a random college football game to attend.  they decide on a game, head to the town, purchase several items of the home teams apparel, eat and drink at the bars that have become institutions, follow all the tailgating traditions, then head into the stadium to watch the game.  it doesn't matter what team it is, it's all about immersing yourself into the local culture.  i love this story for a several reasons.  first of all, they're traveling, and not just to typical tourist destinations, but to college towns.  towns usually smaller but more dynamic than their larger in-state counterparts.  small communities that come alive during a home game, making it the perfect time to visit.  next, i love the fact these guys mix it up.  loyalty to a team is important, but loyalty comes at the price of experiencing the same thing year after year.  these guys, however, experience something new every single season.  these guys have decided to care more about the culture of the game than the scoreboard.  they throw themselves fulling into the experience; the traditions, the food, the drinks, the music, the feel, and the spirit. hopefully, they're lucky enough to have the home team win, and provide the perfect ending to their adventure.

the other great aspect of this story is the fact it transcends sports. this is the way everyone should travel.  whether it be portland, vegas, brooklyn, or rome, you should totally immerse yourself into the culture.  try local foods you never thought you'd eat, sip on exotic drinks, visit famous landmarks, local dives and make friends with as many people as you can.  for just a brief moment, live fully in a different world.

now, i mentioned the above story to justify my actions the other week.  i, a k-state fan, went to a ku basketball game....and actually had a good time.

i know...i know... i should be shunned.

i do feel like a bit of a trader and i know several ksu fans who probably feel i need to turn in my wildcat card immediately. however, before you ban me from ever visiting manhattan again or walking the hallowed grounds of kansas state university, please understand i did it for the experience.  kansas is a great place and we're lucky to have a great football and basketball team with our states name on the jerseys. i went as a tourist and lived briefly as a ku fan.  i supported the team in their home town and got caught up in the whole crazy experience of it all.  i may have even joined in during the "rock chalk" chant.  in the end, i really did have a good time.  i experienced the foreign land of lawrence as a local.

take that for what it is...

and if you happen to know who i need to talk to about getting my wildcat card back, please let me know.