 |
| Women’s bathroom sign at US Cellular Field in Chicago |
The Twins have recently unveiled the plans for their new ballpark, opening in 2010. Besides the obvious goodness that is an outdoor ballpark (even though this late winter weather might imply to some people that occassionally roofs are useful), I was particularly tickled by the comparisons page. Was I excited that they claim the new park will be most similar to PNC and AT&T Parks? Well, yes — I’ve been to both of those parks and thought they were great. But since they’re using the same architects, that’s not that surprising. (Although, my favorite part of those parks was that in both cases, the park is right on a body of water and homeruns can “splashdown” — the Twins stadium will be about six blocks from the Mighty Mississippi. Harmon Killebrew probably couldn’t even launch one that far.)
No, no… the best part for me? The bathroom ratio:
| Restrooms | New Ballpark | Metrodome | PNC Park | AT&T Park |
| Total Fixtures | 667 | 480 | 527 | 333 |
| Women’s Fixtures | 401 | 256 | 273 | 182 |
| Men’s Fixtures | 266 | 192 | 254 | 151 |
Finally! A major sports facility that gets that women pee more often and take longer to do it. Now as long as they don’t give it some stupid corporate name, this might become my favorite modern stadium.
Colossus of Rhode 
Nice picture! And interesting statistics.
I hadn’t heard that Minnesota was building a new stadium. I wonder what lame corporate name they’ll assign to it. What do you think: Best Buy Stadium? The General Mills Cereal Bowl?
More likely, they’ll choose a name that has nothing to do with Minnesota. Where is PNC? AT&T? I thought AT&T was everywhere you wanted to be.
AT&T park is one of my pet peeves. Originally it was Pac Bell Park. Then Pac Bell got bought out and it became SBC Park (which is what it was called when I first went there). Then SBC got bought out and the stadium name changed again to AT&T. So, yeah, they’re everywhere you want to be, slowly eating up your local phone companies.
PNC Park is in Pittsburgh… apparently PNC is a Pittsburgh based bank. Banks are a fairly common way to go — in Detroit we have Comerica. To be honest, because there are no acronyms and because it’s not immediately obvious what the corporation does (unlike US Cellular), I don’t mind the Comerica name as much.
As for the Minnesota park… the basketball and hockey arenas are already the Target Center and XCel Energy Center. For baseball, I’ll bet on the bank theme and go with Wells Fargo Field, which would hopefully get shortened to Fargo Field and be a passable name. But if they were smart, they’d name it the Herb Carneal Memorial Stadium, which I’m pretty sure won’t ever happen.
Doesn’t wells fargo already sponsor a sports arena somewhere? I can’t quite remember where or what though, but I suppose that would be an okay name. Heck of a lot better than “3Com Park,” at least.
Apparently there are two Wells Fargo Arenas: in Iowa for the Iowa Stars IHL Hockey Team and at Arizona State for their basketball teams.
Its great that all the new stadiums are putting in more and more bathrooms – but I say bring back the trough in the men’s room! Its the most efficient means to get guys in and out of the men’s room. The only ballpark left that I know of that has them is Wrigley Field.
Its so simple – you mosey up to an open spot, drain the beer, and move on. Just don’t set your beer down IN the trough while conducting business. I’ve seen a drunken fan do that, then subsequently pick it up and continue consumption.