Hanson in need of repair
Bill Welt
Issue date: 10/14/09 Section: Sports
Hanson Field has been the home of the Leathernecks' football team for several decades now.
The stadium received a needed facelift on the east side of the field in 2007 with new stands, but improvements are still needed on the other side of the stadium.
The stadium still appears to be outdated and is an eyesore for those who have to see it everyday.
The field rests in the middle of campus near the Donald S. Spencer Student Recreation Center with hundreds of students and visitors passing by it each day.
Hanson Field does not exactly leave an impressive image of the Western Illinois campus for visitors who inevitably see the faded west side of the field that sits adjacent to the Leslie F. Malpass University Library and other academic buildings.
Fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference member Youngstown State boasts an impressive stadium that can seat over 15,000 fans with a spacious press box to complement the large facility.
Western, on the other hand, has a tiny, cramped two-floor press box that is covered in a faded tan color.
The stark contrast between the two stadiums is painfully apparent.
When I visited Youngstown State last weekend for the 'Necks away game against the Penguins and saw Stambaugh Stadium, the first thought that crossed my mind was "this is what our field should look more like."
I was impressed with the stadium in size and quality.
Visitors to Youngstown State notice the university's full support of its athletic programs and care of their program's success.
People who visit Western Illinois see a university that seems careless in regards to its athletic programs by having a stadium that does not compare well to other football facilities in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The sight of a faded stadium can easily turn off a recruit in his decision to come to Western, so the football program may suffer in its performance by not being able to gain top talent in the future.
The stadium received a needed facelift on the east side of the field in 2007 with new stands, but improvements are still needed on the other side of the stadium.
The stadium still appears to be outdated and is an eyesore for those who have to see it everyday.
The field rests in the middle of campus near the Donald S. Spencer Student Recreation Center with hundreds of students and visitors passing by it each day.
Hanson Field does not exactly leave an impressive image of the Western Illinois campus for visitors who inevitably see the faded west side of the field that sits adjacent to the Leslie F. Malpass University Library and other academic buildings.
Fellow Missouri Valley Football Conference member Youngstown State boasts an impressive stadium that can seat over 15,000 fans with a spacious press box to complement the large facility.
Western, on the other hand, has a tiny, cramped two-floor press box that is covered in a faded tan color.
The stark contrast between the two stadiums is painfully apparent.
When I visited Youngstown State last weekend for the 'Necks away game against the Penguins and saw Stambaugh Stadium, the first thought that crossed my mind was "this is what our field should look more like."
I was impressed with the stadium in size and quality.
Visitors to Youngstown State notice the university's full support of its athletic programs and care of their program's success.
People who visit Western Illinois see a university that seems careless in regards to its athletic programs by having a stadium that does not compare well to other football facilities in the Missouri Valley Football Conference.
The sight of a faded stadium can easily turn off a recruit in his decision to come to Western, so the football program may suffer in its performance by not being able to gain top talent in the future.
Viewing Comments 1 - 3 of 4
Jerry Czarnowski
posted 10/14/09 @ 7:04 PM CST
This article appears as a "news" story.
This is an opinion piece. Almost every so-called "paragraph" states an
opinion concerning the need to modernize Hanson Field. (Continued…)
Go Necks
posted 10/15/09 @ 4:29 PM CST
Coach Don Patterson would be the perfect person to organize the effort to update the west side of Hanson Field.
Put Coach P to work on that project!
tom
posted 10/16/09 @ 1:13 PM CST
As far as the format, this online article is different than the print version. The print version did not contain all these differant paragraphs
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