Philipp Reinfeld, Houston / Stadien

Reliant Park

Schauplatz dieser Veranstaltung ist in diesem Jahr das beeindruckende Reliant Stadium in Houston, Texas. Mit seinem Fassungsvermögen von 69.500 Zuschauern gehört diese Arena zu den bedeutendsten Sportstätten der USA. Das Stadion verfügt über ein verschließbares Dach, welches sich in nur 10 Minuten öffnen bzw. komplett verschließen lässt.

8.200 VIP-Gäste können in Club-Boxen untergebracht werden. Weiterhin stehen 147 private Suiten mit jeweils 16 — 22 Plätzen zur Verfügung, wobei die untersten Reihen direkt ans Spielfeld grenzen. Es stehen weitere 8 Suites mit Kapazitäten von bis zu 150 Personen bereit.

Die 2002 eröffnete multifunktionale Arena ist nicht allein für Sportveranstaltungen konzipiert worden, vielmehr finden hier Großveranstaltungen aller Art statt.

Screen Gems

Video, audio systems take game-day experience to a new level

By JOSEPH DUARTE

Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

…One of the crown jewels of the stadium isn't even on site. The Texans went into a partnership with the Houston Livestock Show and Rodeo on an $8 million state-of-the-art broadcast center, located next door at Reliant Center. The broadcast center -- which was originally intended for the rodeo's use only -- is as well equipped as any small television station, with seven to nine cameras dedicated to the in-game broadcast.

There won't be any mistaking Reliant Stadium for a studio lot at Paramount Pictures, but it's close with $30 million of the most advanced video, sound and production technology in the NFL.

The two massive scoreboards, one in each end zone, can display singular replays or up to six different images simultaneously. Two matrix boards will show down and distance, score and time. Two smaller boards above the main video board will display graphics.

A portable video board will be available in Bud Plaza, located outside the south entrance, for pre-game activities.

"It started a long time ago that the action on the field is no longer the only thing people get for their dollar," Darst said. "For many years the NFL's attitude was the game is it.

"Now, if you go into any kind of facility and all you are putting on display for the fans is what's on the field, you are shortchanging the fans because of the technology out there. It's all a matter of providing the entertainment dollar."

Gladiatorenkämpfe in den USA

Das größte Rodeo der Welt ist ein gigantisches Spektakel. Im Reliant Stadion in Houston in Texas herrscht jedes Jahr für 21 Tage Ausnahmezustand. Fast zwei Millionen Besucher strömen dann in die mit 75.000 Sitzplätzen größte überdachte Arena der USA, um professionelle Rodeoreiter auf Bullen und Mustangs reiten und stürzen zu sehen. Die Ausmaße der oft spektakulären Massenunterhaltung, die vielleicht nur mit den Gladiatorenkämpfen im Alten Rom zu vergleichen sind, sind typisch für die USA: gigantisch. Galileo hat die Veranstaltung beobachtet. In der Arena und in deren Katakomben. Das Kamerateam begleitet einen Rodeoarzt und einen Cowboy beim täglichen Wahsinn "Rodeo" ... Dabei machte Galileo schockierende Beobachtungen: Ein Großteil der Cowboys tritt teilweise mit schweren Verletzungen zum Bullen-und Broncoritt an, denn die Cowboys sind Profis und haben auf der Rodeo-Tour eigentlich keine Gelegenheit sich auszukurieren.

Eye on the Future

Super Bowl coming, but Final Four among events on wish list

By RICHARD JUSTICE

Copyright 2002 Houston Chronicle

Reliant Stadium was built with the Texans and the rodeo in mind, but its opening makes Houston a serious contender for an array of other big-ticket events, including the Final Four and a long list of basketball and football events.

Among the contests already booked: the Big 12 championship football game in December, a college basketball tripleheader in November and the Rice-Louisiana Tech football game in October.

Officials say that's just the beginning. They'll be proactive in adding other games. Eventually, they'd like to have an annual high-profile neutral-site college game along the lines of Texas-Oklahoma.

Reliant Stadium already has been named the site of the 2004 Super Bowl and also is part of Houston's bid for the 2012 Summer Olympics.

"Our mission since we came on board was to be as aggressive as we could be in going after top-tier events," said Shea Guinn, president of SMG, the company that manages Reliant Park. "We plan on trying to generate as much activity as we can. The public put a lot of money into the stadium, and not everyone can afford a PSL or a season ticket, so we'd like to give everyone the chance to experience the facility."

However, he adds a cautionary note.

"Our goal is to make Reliant Stadium do for Houston what the Astrodome did 30 years ago," he said. "It sparked a lot of sporting events. Reliant Stadium is fantastic, one of the best in the country, but it doesn't stand alone as a stadium that can host these kinds of events. We have to put the time and effort to make sure we bring the events here."

Besides the Texans, two other headline events have been booked for this fall.

The first is a college basketball tripleheader Nov. 30. The three games are: Houston-Baylor, Texas A&M-LSU and Texas-Seton Hall.

Reliant Stadium will be configured with a curtain dividing half the facility. On one half is a 30,000-seat playing arena that includes the normal football seats and temporary bleachers.

On the other half will be a fan festival with interactive games, sports memorabilia and the like.

"If you're coming out and only want to see A&M-LSU, you can come early and go to the floor and enjoy fanfest," Guinn said. "With the breaks in the games, there'll also be the chance to go down to the floor."

A few days later, taking advantage of mobility of the natural-grass football field that will be removed for the basketball games, Reliant Stadium will host the Big 12 Championship Game.

The college basketball tripleheader is the beginning of work aimed at landing the Final Four in 2008. NCAA officials will be coming in to survey the site, and Guinn said Reliant Stadium will be bidding to host an NCAA regional in 2006 and the big show two years later.

The Final Four is committed to New Orleans, San Antonio, St. Louis, Indianapolis and Atlanta through 2007, and the 2008, 2009 and 2010 sites will be chosen next July.

The capacity for football at Reliant Stadium will be 69,500. Guinn said the stadium can be configured to accommodate between 20,000 and 70,000 for basketball. The largest crowd to watch an NCAA championship game was 64,959 in 1987 at the Superdome.

With the NCAA requiring at least 40,000 seats for a city to host a Final Four, only domed facilities will be under consideration. Reliant Stadium, the first retractable roof professional football facility, is one of 10 potential sites meeting the requirements.

"We fully intend to pursue a Final Four," Guinn said.

Soccer and arena football are among the other sports the building could accommodate.

"I don't think there's anything we can't hold in this town anymore," said Oliver Luck, chief executive officer of the Harris County-Houston sports authority. "I'm assuming the Rolling Stones wouldn't be coming here (in 2003) if Reliant Stadium hadn't been built."

Besides Reliant Stadium, there are three other facilities -- Reliant Astrodome, Reliant Center and Reliant Arena -- in the Reliant Park complex. According to officials, the four facilities can host 350 event days a year.