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Stanford is a winner in this ‘bowl’ game The reconstruction of Stanford , completed in just 42 weeks, marks the end of a unique construction project and perhaps the beginning of a new era in Cardinal sports

by Keith Peters t was a phone call that got the ball rolling. John Arrillaga was throwing a tractor Vance Brown Builders and would be the project manager on this Hail Mary and Rod Humble was on the receiving end. It was a conversa- undertaking. “John said ‘We’re going to do a renovation; get some seats in I tion that would change the lives of hundreds, change the face of Stanford there. It’ll cost around $30 million.’ ” University athletics and cost one man his life. And then Arrillaga, a Stanford graduate who is as much a part of the uni- The old lady was about to see the end of her 84 years on this planet. Those age versity as , said something that really got Humble’s attention. lines had turned to cracks and she just wasn’t a lot of fun to be around anymore. “John said, ‘We’re going to tear things down and you have between seasons Those game-day parties that filled her up were becoming as scarce as winning to do it,’ ” Humble recalled. seasons. Forget the face lift; it was time for a complete makeover. That deadline caused pure panic in Humble, who raced to a computer to lay Stanford Stadium, the largest privately owned facility in the out the guidelines to see if it could be accomplished in that time frame. United States, was going to be — appropriately enough — history. Palo Alto resident Loren Brown, president of Vance Brown Builders, re- “It started very low key,” said Humble, who works for Palo Alto-based con- members the day he spoke with Arrillaga regarding the stadium reconstruc- continued on page 43 Page 42 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium

A spectator (top) watches Stanford Stadium fill up for a final time at the Nov. 26, 2005 season finale against Notre Dame, which saw former Cardinal coach Bill Walsh and former All-American Jim Plunkett (above) enjoy the festivities before excavators (right) made a cer- emonial dig following the game. Construction of the new stadium began two days later. Photos by Norbert von der Groeben.

dium followed by a huge card stunt, an open- “The stadium was designed to see that you of shows the impact that Stanford Stadium ing ceremony and fireworks. could build all the required elements in the John Arrillaga has had on this campus.” (continued from page 41) Stanford hopes the fireworks will continue time frame that you have,” Brown explained. Arrillaga, who gave Stanford a $100 mil- tion. following the 7 p.m. kickoff, which marks the So, a functional design was selected (mir- lion donation in May, gained enough rapport “It was like good new, bad news,” Brown beginning of a new era in Cardinal football roring the football stadium at Southern Meth- with the school that the university made him recalled. “The good news is we’re going to do and the end of a remarkable and unique con- odist University) and Palo Alto architectural its representative on the stadium project. the stadium job. The bad news is, look at the struction project. firm Hoover Associates was hired to provide “He says ‘If I’m going to be involved, then schedule. Can we do it? You sort of second- have been built cheaper and the drawings. I want to do it my way,’ “ Brown explained. guess yourself; what if you don’t pull it off?” quicker. The original Stanford Stadium took That was the beginning of the formation of “He has a lot of pride. This is his current pride Added Humble: “We had to align ourselves only four and a half months to finish with a Stanford’s most successful football “team” and joy.” with the right players who will get the job $200,000 price tag for the then-60,000-seat since the school’s 1996 Sun Bowl squad. Added Humble: “It’s all John-directed. He done right.” facility. That, of course, was in 1921. The Arrillaga, Class of 1960 and a member of has the vision.” Brown, following in the footsteps of his Arizona Cardinals of the National Stanford’s Athletic Hall of Fame, Unlike public projects where contractors grandfather (Vance), who founded the com- Football League just finished their would serve as the team owner. have to jump through hoops and cut through pany in 1932 (he died in 1956), and his father, 63,000-seat state-of-the-art stadium, “He has been a benefactor of the red tape, having only Arrillaga to answer to Bob (he passed away a year ago), accepted the at a cost of $455 million, which now athletic program going back 25, 30, allowed Brown and his staff to speed up the challenge and the game was on. ranks as one of the 10 most impres- 40 years and over time has become building process. Forty-two weeks later, kickoff is upon us. sive sports venues in the world. involved in Stanford projects,” Brown, whose company has a long-term Stanford will celebrate its new $100 million Stanford wasn’t interested in Brown said of the local real estate relationship with Stanford and Arrillaga Stanford Stadium on Saturday with a non- such an edifice. It didn’t even want developer. “Not just donating mon- — renovating Sunken Diamond and Maples conference football game against Navy. There another (pick your favorite name) ey, but also lending his expertise in Pavilion among the many projects completed will be a U.S. Navy jet flyover and the Navy PacBell/SBC/AT&T Park, either. It building, designing and landscap- since 1949 — became the head coach of the “Leap Frog” team will sky dive into the sta- didn’t make economic sense. ing. The entire athletic quadrant continued on page 45 Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 43 We Did It...294 Days! Thank you Stanford for the opportunity to construct the new stadium. Let the games begin. GO CARDINAL - BEAT CAL

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Page 44 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium

“I don’t look at it that we’ve never done a stadium,” he said. “Look at the components of a stadium — you’ve got earth, you’ve got concrete, you’ve got electrical. It’s all the same components.” —Loren Brown President, Vance Brown Builders

Construction workers walk through the lower concourse (above), which will house restrooms and concession stands under the upper bowl. Other workers (left) pre- pare foundations for the lower bowl seats (at right), where concrete will be poured (above right). Once the molds were poured and set, they were moved to another section of the stadium and re-poured. Photos by Norbert von der Groeben

continued from page 43 was able to control all the design and all the ford football home games as a kid. This is the the cement the day before it was scheduled project and Humble served as quarterback, players,” Humble said. “It gave me the tools to kind of job where our neck is on the line. If to be poured. And, of course, there was the calling the day-to-day signals. do things like this in nine months.” we don’t have it done, we don’t walk down the weather. Arrillaga, Brown and Humble surrounded Brown likened the time frame to a baby’s street and look people in the eye. So, reputa- “There were a big series of storms in March themselves with an outstanding group of play- delivery, and this project was one big baby tion is everything. So you have to be done, and April,” said Brown, “and we had to sus- ers — Stanford’s representatives, the stadium that had to be delivered on time. Brown said and it has to be a good job. That’s the pres- pend grading operations for 60 days, which project management team, the project design there was no contract clause that levied a fine sure.” was killer. So, Rod had to re-sequence the team, subcontractors and the County of San- if the stadium was late. It wasn’t needed. For Brown and his team, building a stadium entire job.” ta Clara, “which did work with us to review “This was worse,” he said, “because there was a first for them. Brown, however, said it When the rain began to turn areas into po- plans/documents on an expedited basis and are 50,000 people scheduled to be here on was any other job. tential quagmires, the soil was treated with made arrangements that allowed us to sched- Sept. 16 and there is no way to change “I don’t look at it that we’ve lime to harden it. ule inspections to meet our schedule require- that. You can come up with every le- never done a stadium,” he said. “Lime treating cost $10,000 a day,” Brown ments,” Brown said. gitimate reason why you should get “Look at the components of a sta- explained. “It’s not money that’s going to im- Making and keeping schedules was every- more time, but you don’t get more dium — you’ve got earth, you’ve prove the stadium, but if you don’t do it you thing in razing old Stanford Stadium and rais- time. It just has to be done. got concrete, you’ve got electrical. may lose schedule time.” ing the new. “The other part is my grandfather It’s all the same components.” Little time was lost because of the efficient With an average of 110-125 workers dur- started this business in 1932 in Palo The real job was in organizing schedule put forth by Humble and his super- ing the day, 50 at night and upward of 420 Alto and my father and uncle ran the whole project, managing the intendents. at its peak, Humble had to have a winning the business for 25 years and lived work force, dealing with little day- “You can imagine if somebody plops 400 game plan. in Palo Alto. I’ve lived in Palo Alto to-day hiccups like labor strikes workers in your office one day and say you “The main thing on this project was that I since ‘83 and I went to all the Stan- and having to add brown color to have to keep them busy,” Brown said. “And if continued on page 47

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Page 46 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium

Urbano Valencia (above) and fellow construction workers had 105 days left as of June 2 to finish Stanford Stadium, a deadline that was kept. The field got its grass (below) in July and its stripes (right) last weekend just in time for Saturday’s Grand Opening featuring Stanford and Navy. Kickoff is at 7 p.m. Photos by Norbert von der Groeben.

continued from page 45 erything salvageable was recycled. The only “People said he may have lived, but for the somber Brown said, looking back over the these guys are costing $75 to $100 an hour, things that remained from the original sta- fact he had a very sharp tool that is used to past months. “So you always put that into you’re talking about several hundred thou- dium was the north scoreboard, four tunnels, put through the holes to align beams — that perspective. He had a wife and two young sand dollars every day in labor costs. the cement stairs on the sides of the stadium, basically impaled him when he landed,” daughters.” “The work has to be planned in a way that the south end locker rooms (since renovated) Brown said. “That was a real tough thing. Tragedy aside, work continued and dead- we can build up to maximum crew size, and and the Gate 2 ticket booth. Paramedics arrived in a couple of minutes. It lines were kept. County inspectors have we’ve also got to keep these guys continu- Humble’s team included 49 subcontrac- was clear there was nothing we could do.” signed off on the project and Stanford has its ously busy. So it takes an amazing effort to tors, 46 of whom he had a personal rela- Work was stopped in the immediate area spanking new football facility on schedule. keep it going. Our guys have done an amaz- tionship with the owner. Being able to work to allow Santa Clara County sheriffs to con- “It’s going to be weird,” Humble said, “not ing job of doing exactly that.” closely like this, and being able to pay quick- duct a criminal investigation “to see if any- being here 16-18 hours a day.” Work began in earnest on Nov. 28, two ly provided motivation for the workers and one was at fault and whether it was murder,” Humble figures he and his staff will con- days after Stanford lost its 2005 season fi- allowed the stadium to be built as efficiently Brown said. That was not the case. tinue to fine tune the finished project for nale to Notre Dame. One shift worked from as possible. Cal OSHA was contacted, be- about a month. Then, it’s time to move on to 7 a.m. to 7 p.m. six days a week while the “The biggest factor in getting cause of a fatality at the work place, other projects. other toiled from 2 p.m. to 10:30 p.m. Hum- this done is the people we put and the coroner was called. Work- “It’s phenomenal what we got done,” ble’s schedule usually consisted of 16-18 together,” said Humble, “and the ers were given the choice to go Humble said. “I’m very happy with it. hour days. In these final weeks leading up to know-how to get things done.” home, and the whole stadium was You sit down at the 50-yard line, look Stanford’s home opener, some workers have Despite all the positives that shut down at noon that day. around and go ‘Wow!’ I’ve looked at been on the job Sunday, as well. came out of the reconstruction, “You look at this project and what we’ve accomplished since Novem- All the old stadium seating was gone in a the death of one worker did cast say ‘Was it a successful project?’ ber 28. It’s been an amazing project.”■ week. The press box disappeared in Week a pall over the project. A young You see everybody’s all excited Weekly Sports Editor Keith Peters 2, leaving the stadium bare to the earth. Ev- Stockton man fell off a beam and about it, but I’m not sure any proj- can be e-mailed at kpeters@paweekly. dropped 23 feet to his death. ect is worth losing a life over it,” a com. Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 47 Congratulations to Stanford on their new Stadium.

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Page 48 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium The new Stanford Stadium — A field of dreams Spectators should be surprised, impressed, inspired and/or awestruck by the university’s new football facility by Rick Eymer ontrary to popular belief, the new Stanford Stadium “The Farm Dog,” a 100 percent organic all-beef hot dog on a field and the campus. was not constructed by crews working around the clock whole-wheat bun that drew rave reviews from members of the Those fortunate enough to watch from the luxury suites C seven days a week. Workers (two crews and plenty of media who were treated to a sneak preview of the product. will be doing so in style, complete with expensive chairs and subcontractors) got a break between 10:30 p.m. and 7 a.m. Concession stands will carry names like The Cafe (healthy marble tables. daily and even took a day off each week. menu options), Stadium Grille, The Dog House, Farmhouse, Players and coaches alike think the stadium will be condu- So what should you expect walking into the 50,000-seat Sidelines, and Pizzaz! The Stanford Stadium Express is your cive to noise-making and providing the Cardinal with a unique venue? Expect to be surprised, impressed, inspired and/or destination for the traditional items. home-field advantage. awestruck. “I think the new environment that the new stadium will pro- From the outside, the stadium will appear a little familiar, vide will help the team because having a home-field advan- although the seats won’t tower over the earth berm as they did tage does help,” Stanford junior running back Anthony Kimble in previous years. The stadium is still on the same 18.4 acres. said. But inside it’s a whole new world. Some observers have likened the possible environment to “I think the new stadium is unbelievable,” Stanford senior Eugene’s , long considered the loudest facility defensive back Brandon Harrison said. “We got to go on a little in the Pac-10. tour of it during camp. It has that feel of the fans being right on “I have been looking forward to playing in that kind of envi- top of you. It has the sense of a stadium that can just be so loud ronment since last year,” Stanford senior wide receiver Mark with such an advantage to the home team and the home crowd Bradford said. “It’s something you look forward to as a kid. I in the opponents’ ear the whole game. I’m glad we got it done just hope we can show up with some intensity.” for my senior year, and I’m so excited that I get to play in it.” The entire Stanford community has been looking forward to The first obvious change that will be noticed is the close Saturday’s kickoff, set for 7 p.m., since the final horn sounded proximity of the field to the stands. Fans who maintain their on the Notre Dame contest last year. “The Farm Dog” is one of the new items on the menu at first-row seats have suddenly moved more than three first The stadium was loud then, and Stanford coach Walt Harris Stanford Stadium this season. It’s a 100 percent organic all- downs closer to the action. They’ll also be able to move around hopes people in the new stadium are aware of how much they beef hot dog. a little better, with six more inches of leg room. can affect a game. The last row of the upper deck in either end zone is 125 feet And, by the way, if you’re in the stadium you can see the “The responsibility falls on us to create that excitement but closer than the last row of the historic stadium. field from virtually anywhere (except the bathrooms for good- Stanford fans need to understand they can make a difference,” “I got goose bumps,” Stanford senior quarterback Trent Ed- ness sake — though you’ll still be able to hear the game). Say Harris said. “It’s going to be great and it would help if the fans wards said. “I think every guy on the team probably did. It will you’re in line for sushi. Well, you have a choice of watching felt like they could make a bigger contribution.” be a different energy in there.” the television monitor, or just turning around and watching “We don’t want to see them throw that big stadium up there It will also be a different experience for the fans, who have the action live. The entire lower concourse features an un- and sell all these season tickets and put our pictures on the twice as many tunnels, nearly twice as many restrooms and inhibited view of the field unless you want to hide behind a sides of trains and then go out and not perform,” Stanford 67 percent more concession stands to navigate than the old, support post. junior wide receiver Evan Moore said. weathered-beaten version. The upper concourse has a few more obstructions like the With no track or fencing separating the stands from the play- The concessions? Somewhere the traditional fare of hot dogs press box and upper-bowl stands on the east rim, but a walk- ing field, it could become a field of nightmares for opponents and peanuts will be available, but the piece de resistance is way that circles the field also allows glorious vistas of both the but a field of dreams for Stanford.■

gilman screens 5x4 4c

The new stadium seats are awaiting their first spectators this Saturday when Stanford plays host to Navy in the Grand Opening of Stanford Stadium at 7 p.m. The new seats, along with bench seating in other areas of the stadium, will bring spectators much closer to the action and provide much more comfort than the old aluminum bench seats and the very old wooden benches before them. Photos by Norbert von der Groeben.

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Page 50 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium Stanford assistant coach is a link to the old and new Dave Tipton has spent more than 20 years being a part of the football program and welcomes the new stadium by Rick Eymer ave Tipton’s impression of Stanford Sta- trip to the .” dium on his first day as a Stanford foot- Stanford Stadium became his second home. D ball player in 1969 wasn’t very pleasant, “I’ll always have special feelings about the but he’s been accumulating fond memories there place,” he said. “It was a classic but it was time. ever since. I’m real excited about the new stadium.” “It’s the first day of spring practice under coach It was a different time when Tipton played. Both (John) Ralston and we went through some agility teams would make the walk from the locker room drills and then held a scrimmage,” Tipton said. — then located in the vicinity of the Taube South “Whoever heard of scrimmaging on the first tennis courts — to the field, so it wasn’t a big deal. day? Anyway, he makes us change into our tennis Halftime talks were held in a shed in one end zone shoes, we jogged over to the stadium and we start while the visitors gathered on the dirt hill. running the stairs. I thought, ‘What am I getting “The walk is a much bigger deal for me now,” myself into?’ I thought it was pretty insane; guys Tipton said. “At the end of last season, there were were getting sick all over the place. people lined up 10 deep along the way. That’s a “But it got a lot better,” he added. special feeling.” Boy oh boy, did it ever. Home field advantage? Stanford was one of the Tipton, currently the defensive line coach for hardest places to play for opposing teams despite the Cardinal, has served in various capacities for the distance from the first row to the field. Tipton the football program and has seen just about ev- and his teammates, who included Heisman Tro- erything in his 18 years coaching on The Farm. phy winner Jim Plunkett, would regularly play in He played and coached in a Rose Bowl, helping front of packed houses of 80,000 or more. the Cardinal beat Ohio State, 27-17, as a defensive “We got great crowds but we were pretty good tackle on Jan. 1, 1971 and serving as an assistant on the field too,” Tipton said. “It would get loud coach in Stanford’s 17-9 setback to Wisconsin on but I never had anything to compare it to. I played

Jan. 1, 2000. JC ball (at Gavilan College in Gilroy) and there Athletics Gonzales/Stanford David His best memories at Stanford Stadium? would be maybe 10-15 people at our games. My “In my senior year we were playing USC and I junior year we lost two games by a total of three got a concussion about midway through,” he said. points and didn’t go anywhere. In those days you “I still played the rest of the game, though I don’t didn’t go to other bowl games.” remember a thing about it.” During recruiting season, Tipton used to bring The one play which stands out came against potential athletes into Stanford Stadium and it Washington near the end of the 1970 season. would be a big thing. The new stadium is even “We did a little switch and I came around and more impressive to recruits. sacked Sonny Sixkiller,” he said. “That sealed the “It’s great to show them the new stadium,” he continued on page 53 ‘Voice of Stanford Football’ has decades of memories Veteran broadcaster Bob Murphy looks back at Stanford Stadium by Jay Thorwaldson he old Stanford Stadium seemed awfully big to 9- ever to be a part of the Rose Bowl as a player, as a coach year-old Bob Murphy when his father took him to a and as an athletic director,” with one possible exception. T game in 1940, before World War II curtailed most “And the stadium was always its big old original self, sports activities and U.S. universities, including Stan- with the track around it,” Murphy recalled of his Stanford ford. years. “I can still remember that day as clearly as if it were “We had Olympic soccer, we had the Russian-Ameri- a week ago,” Murphy said quietly in a small conference can track meet in 1972.” room of the Arrillaga Family Sports Center at Stanford, a That track meet, in fact, may have reversed a deterio- short distance west of the new Stanford Stadium that will rating, “breaking point” relationship between the United host its debut game Saturday. States and the Soviet Union, Murphy recalled. Little did Murphy the boy realize he was destined to The track meet was “off the charts, it was incredible,” spend more than four decades of his life in close associa- he said. “This brought the two nations together not just in tion with the old stadium. an athletic way but in a very important diplomatic way, Murphy is known as the “Voice of Stanford Football and because it was just a joyful kind of thing and drew over Basketball” for his many years of broadcasting games. 150,000 people in two days. It was just amazing.” But his first job at Stanford was to try to fill the old Coach Payton Jordan “was the engineer and point and stadium’s 90,000-plus seats, doing outreach throughout the counterpoint of that whole operation. It couldn’t have

Bay Area and to alumni far and wide — the first person David Gonzales/Stanford Athletics happened without Payton,” and it happened in the old hired to do so. Bob Murphy has been interviewing Stanford players for 42 years. stadium. Ironically, the original stadium built in 1921 and had only Murphy was actually hired by Stanford during the 60,000 seats. But the stadium was brand new and football 1963-64 school year. great Ernie Nevers was playing then and “did a pretty good job was admitted to Stanford as a history major under noted histo- “I think I was the first promotional kind of guy who was ever of filling it up,” Murphy said. rian and author Thomas Bailey. Murphy concentrated on U.S. hired, outside of that they used to call the sports information Within a few years “it was decided that they were filling up history as it related to Europe and the Far East. director, and Don Liebendorfer was that. the 60,000 seats and they decided they would go beyond that. He also played baseball and was a member of the first Stan- “But Chuck (Taylor) hired me because we had a great big So they added 30,000, and put another whole circumference of ford team to go to the College World Series in Omaha, Neb. stadium. That was the problem: We had a great big stadium seats around the existing structure,” Murphy said. Stanford football came back strong after World War II, with and we couldn’t fill all those seats and there was virtually no “And one of the interesting things is they needed some soil, Lloyd Merriman leading the team to beat Cal. Merriman later demand factor. ... We had way too much supply and not nearly some fill, on which to build these seats. And that’s why the played major league baseball for many years. Marchie Schwartz enough demand. Sunken Diamond is there — that’s where a lot of the material was the head football coach, until the famed Chuck Taylor took “You’d fill it for the Big Game, but you wouldn’t fill it for came from to add the additional 30,000 seats.” over in 1951, Murphy recalled. Oregon or Washington State. There was never a strong week- Murphy graduated from San Mateo High School in 1949 and “Chuck was an amazing guy,” he said. “He is the only guy continued on page 53 Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 51 From All Of Us at Five Points Tire

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Page 52 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium

were. He didn’t. His first words to me were, “You’re His plush new broadcast booth high over the Bob Murphy When Liebendorfer retired a few years later terminated,” Murphy recalled. field is closer in than the old facility, providing (continued from page 51) — after writing a definitive history of Stanford “I’ve never said this publicly, but I was ac- a more vertical view of the games. But oth- by-week demand factor for tickets,” Murphy sports, “The Color is Red” — Murphy was tually fired at Stanford because I brought the erwise, broadcasting will be pretty much the recalled of his challenge of four decades promoted to sports information director. Shrine Game here.” same, he said. ago. “We might play Army and have a crowd But a second channel had opened in his life: It turned out OK, because Murphy was feel- The new, 50,000-seat stadium has created of 70,000 but we’d still have 20,000 empty in 1964, Don Klein, the then-voice of Stanford ing a bit dead-ended in the information-direc- “an interesting situation,” in that many people seats.” football, invited Murphy to sit in with him and tor job, buffering the athletic director from the adopted a wait-and-see stance about the size He said other areas of the country that are help announce, launching an 11-year partner- media. reduction when it was first announced several more isolated and less competition for people’s ship in which “neither one of us ever missed a He did the East-West Game, then worked years ago. time can draw large crowds, such as when Cal game. And I never missed being in front of a for golfer Jack Nicklaus in Columbus, Ohio, “Well, what they’re going to see is an open- played Tennessee in early September and drew microphone since 1964 — 42 years, Murphy as director of a memorial tournament project ing game, Navy, that’s already sold out. The 106,000 people because “they don’t have much noted. for three years. whole season is going to be sold out after the else going on down there.” But his tenure at Stanford was cut short He maintained a link to Stanford by an- fact, and next year it’s going to be sold out So Murphy became active in the community, in the mid-1970s, when he was asked by the nouncing its games when they played at Penn before the fact, and all those people who sat joined the Rotary Club, spoke frequently, and East-West Shrine Game to become its director, State and Michigan. and said, ‘Let’s wait and see’ are going to be started a TV show of football highlights with and Murphy wanted to move the game from Missing , he was named athletic disappointed.” the legendary John Ralston. , where it was doing poorly, director at San Jose State University. He left Stanford football will be on a completely “I was open for any kind of an event,” he to the Stanford Stadium. in 1979 and went into television broadcast- new, “fixed income” financial basis based on said. Stanford Athletic Director Joe Ruetz was ing with Gill Cable, doing much of the early a steady income from season tickets people He called the yellow line down El Camino vacationing in Hawaii and didn’t want to deal programming for ESPN on the West Coast, feel they must buy to be guaranteed seats at Real “the 38th Parallel,” after the Korea refer- with the matter until he returned in a week. including Stanford sports, which Murphy calls the more popular games. The lack of demand ence, because he believed Stanford got “too But television contracts had to be signed that “maintaining the string” to Stanford. that plagued Murphy in his early days of strug- wrapped up in its own world, but from a pro- week, and Murphy made the decision to go He worked for CBS in 1982 and 1983 and gling to fill the huge old stadium has been re- motional standpoint if you want to fill Stanford ahead and bring the Shrine Game to Stanford. then returned to Stanford to announce football versed. Stadium it’s not going to happen within the Ruetz had played in the Shrine Game when he and basketball games. “It’s a whole new ball game out there,” he confines of this campus.” was at Notre Dame, along with former Presi- “I’m still doing it, so I’m 42 years into this said. ■ So he targeted the neighboring communi- dent Gerald Ford. thing. I’ve been in and around Stanford Sta- Weekly Editor Jay Thorwaldson can be ties, the Peninsula, the Bay Area and Northern “I didn’t feel there was any risk to it at all. I dium all of those 42 years,” with the exception e-mailed at [email protected]. California, as well as alumni wherever they thought Joe would think that was wonderful. of the Columbus years. Dave Tipton (continued from page 51) said. “We’re taking full advantage of The place to stay when that. It’s going to be a wonderful place to come for a game. It’s still a great place to come for tail-gates and the you’ve come whole atmosphere outside.” Tipton and his fellow ‘Thunder- chickens’ became part of Stanford lore, to play as much as the stadium that served its purpose Comfortable rooms and quality for 84 years. Countless amenities in a tranquil creekside future Hall setting. It’s no wonder that we’re of Fame the preferred hotel for Stanford high school, Athletics. Located only 5 minutes college and profession- from Stanford University, downtown al players Palo Alto and shopping. nestled their spikes into On-site amenities include complimentary Stanford’s limousine and shuttle service to/from Stanford, evening wine hour, grass over restaurant, room service and laundry & valet cleaning. The rooms feature the years. wireless high-speed internet access, terry bath robes and much more! It was the sight of prep Additional services include: rivalries, in- Congratulations to Stanford on the • Heated pool & fitness room ternational track meets, Big Games, Olympic soccer matches, a World Grand Opening of their new Stadium. • Complimentary pastries and coffee Cup and a . each morning With the exception of the Big Game, • Dedicated Sport contact~650-213-4252 no other major events are expected to [email protected]. be held in the new stadium. Tipton Come join us after the remains nostalgic about his time at • Complimentary parking Stanford but doesn’t mourn the loss game for fi ne American • Large guest rooms, of the old stadium. many with 2 beds “The new stadium will be more conducive to making noise,” he said. and Italian cuisine at any • Driftwood Market & Deli “When you get people excited, they’ll • Special Stanford Athletic rates make more noise.” of our three locations. for teams and fans The fence around the inside is gone (“thank goodness” said Tipton) and Congratulations Stanford Athletics there’s no more track circling behind on your new Stadium. team benches, another good thing ac- Palo Alto - 2680 Middlefi eld Road • 650-473-6453 cording to Tipton. Mon-Fri 11:00am-9:00pm • Sat & Sun 8:00am-9:00pm “The track is in the way for foot- ball players,” he said. “It’s a great place to go work out but that’s not Menlo Park - 150 Middlefi eld Road • 650-327-6453 Reservations: what we’re here for. I have millions Mon-Fri 7:00am-9:00pm • Sat & Sun 8:00am-9:00pm of things that spring to mind about the 800-492-7335 stadium — playing Notre Dame right 3400 El Camino Real to the wire years ago, beating Texas Portola Valley - 3130 Alpine Road • 650-851-6453 on the last play was awesome. It got Palo Alto, CA 94306 pretty loud for last year’s Notre Dame Mon-Fri 7:00am-9:00pm • Sat & Sun 8:00am-9:00pm game. Hopefully we’ll get that kind of www.creekside-inn.com home-field advantage again.”■ Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 53 Stanford Stadium A look back at the original Stanford Stadium Photos of courtesy Stanford University

When Stanford Stadium was built in 1921 (above), there were only 60,000 seats and the south end zone was completely open. Some 30,000 seats later were added, allowing for a crowd of 74,432 to attend (below) the 1984 football game against USC. Stanford lost, 20-11.

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The original Stanford Stadium, built in 1921, had 60,000 seats (left) and was designed on a 2,000-year-old construction method similar to that of the amphitheater at ancient Pompeii — a sloping embankment built with dirt excavated from the playing field, with seating built on the embankment for spectators. The stadium was excavated by teams of mules (right) and machines. It took 4 1/2 months and $200,000 to build the new stadium, a rush job that enabled Stanford to have a new stadium before rival California. The Bears trumped that, how- ever, by beating Stanford, 42-7, in the first Big Game ever played in Stanford Stadium in 1921. Photos courtesy of Stanford University. GO STANFORD STANFORD

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Page 56 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly 2006 Stanford Football Schedule Stanford Stadium Date Opponent Time Sept. 2 at Oregon 10-48 Sept. 9 at San Jose St. 34-35 Saturday vs. Navy 7p.m. Sept. 23 vs. Washington St. 2p.m. Sept. 30 at UCLA TBA New Stanford Stadium: A timeline Oct. 7 at Notre Dame 11:30a.m. Oct. 14 vs. Arizona 2 p.m. Oct. 21 at Arizona St. TBA Nov. 4 vs. USC TBA — Nov. 19, 2005: The final Big Game be- — January 2006: Re-seating and new seat- Nov. 11 at Washington TBA Nov. 18 vs. Oregon St. 12:30p.m. tween Stanford and Cal in the old Stanford ing criteria announced; public information Dec. 2 at California noon Stadium. meetings set. TBA are games that will be televised.

—Nov. 23, 2005: Stanford Stadium is closed — February 2006: Upper Bowl • The Sheraton Sweet to the public. No more running on the track construction. Sleeper Bed or up the stairs. — March 2006: Construction of press box. • Internet access — Nov. 26, 2005: Stanford football’s season in all rooms closer against Notre Dame. Stadium de- — April 2006: Upper Bowl seat installation. • Meeting and Event commission began immediately following Facilities the game with the general public allowed — May 2006: Forming and pouring of con- • Outdoor Heated Pool down on the field, with some taking home crete for Lower Bowl seating; Lower Con- clumps of turf as souveniers. course concession and restroom buildings. • Fitness Facility • The Poolside Grill — Nov. 28, 2005: Demolition of existing — July 2006: Field (grass) installation. Stanford Stadium. Construction is sched- 625 El Camino Real uled to take place six days a week, with two — September 2006: Final inspections. Palo Alto, CA 94301 overlapping shifts from 6 a.m. to 11 p.m. — Sept. 16, 2006: Grand Opening of the T (650) 328-2800 — December 2005: Lower Bowl and new new Stanford Stadium; pre-game ceremo- F (650) 321-7362 tunnel construction. nies at 6:25 p.m. followed by kickoff of Stanford vs. Navy at 7 p.m.

Stanford Stadium: The Festivities Schedule of events for the grand construction by the numbers opening of new Stanford Stadium on Congratulations on the Saturday, Sept. 16 Project Scope WEDNESDAY — 17,000 lineal ft of drilled The community gathers for a noon opening of the Stadium — 42-week project caissons pep rally at Lytton Plaza. Stanford’s — Six days a week (two over- — 100 columns poured head football coach Walt Harris and lapping shifts from 7 a.m. to — 125,000 ft of audio/visual members of the team will be on hand 10:30 p.m.) cable for the “Rally in the Plaza” along with — 400-450 workers — 10,000-plus yards of colored Palo Alto dignitaries and community on site concrete leaders. — 40-50 subcontractors FRIDAY The Field The celebration continues with a • Sunday Brunch Excavation Grand Opening Block party, spon- — 96,500 sq. ft of Tifway sored by the City of Palo Alto. It’s (includes — 100,000 yards of excavated 2 Hybrid Bermuda grass scheduled from 6-7:15 p.m. at the complimentary earth — 600 tons of sand Civic Center Plaza and will bring valet parking) Stanford Athletics and City represen- — 40,000 yards of imported — 5, 000 cubic yards of top • Outdoor Heated earth soil (brought in by 240 tatives together for an official hand — 1,000 gallons of gas used truck/trailer loads) off of the city’s ceremonial scissors, Pool on average each week — 6,200 feet of perforated which will be used for the Grand • Heavenly bed drain pipe Opening ribbon cutting. Entertain- • Westin Workout — 2,500 ft of new water pipe ment, contests, giveaways and special Infrastructure appearances from former Stanford • Meeting & Event — 2,000 ft of new sewer pipe football greats, the Navy “Leap Frog” Facilities — 14,000 yards of concrete — 4,000 ft storm water pipe parachute team and other dignitaries • Restaurant Soleil — 75,000 sq ft of retain- are also scheduled. ing walls, including Me- SATURDAY chanically Stabilized Earth Information provided Fans will be asked to take part in 675 El Camino Real (MSE) by Stanford University the pregame ceremonies that begin at Palo Alto, CA 94301 — 412 tons of structural steel and Vance Brown Builders 6:25 p.m. Kickoff for the Stanford- T (650) 321-4422 at press box ■ Navy game will be at 7 p.m. F (650) 321-5522

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Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 57 Stanford Stadium Things you can no longer do in Stanford Stadium by Keith Peters facility. The nonconference game For instance: nearly five feet and every seat is clos- course that circles the field. Neither his Saturday’s kickoff at 7 p.m. also marks something else: the $100 There will be no more jogging er to the football action. bowl has enough rows to provide between Stanford and Navy in million construction has changed around the track that used to en- There will be no more running much of a workout. T Stanford Stadium marks a new quite a few things the public can’t circle the old field because the track stairs because the stadium is divided There will be no more dumping of beginning for the school’s football do in these new digs. is gone. The field has been lowered into a lower and upper bowl by a con- trash underneath your seat, like send- ing empty Pepsi cans rolling down the dirt embankment from the top row to the bottom. The reason? No The Asian Religions & access. Every row of seats has either concrete or aluminum under it. Cultures Initiative No more tearing down of fences by opposing teams to charge the field Stanford University after beating Stanford. Those fences that surrounded the old field are gone, too. Getting down to the grass is pleased to present would take a nice little drop. There will be no more walking up on game day and getting a good seat. With only 50,000 seats, most of them “The Tibetan Sacred Arts” already are sold. While some will be available on game day, the selection will be very limited. Want to see the a talk by USC game on Nov. 4? Forget it. Sold Whatever size or out. The Arjia Rinpoche There will be no more cheap fam- ily outings unless you already have Former Abbot, the economical family plan, which style, whether is sold out. Individual game tickets Kumbun Monastery, Tibet range from $30 to $50 and are only available in seven of the approximate 74 seating locations. buying or selling, There will be no more standing in long lines for the restrooms. There are more than ever before — 240 compared to 154 just for women Let me help you get alone — and are they nice. There will be no more Super Bowls. Those 50,000 seats are not enough to host such a big event. where you want to go! Those who saw, in person, the beat up on the Mi- ami Dolphins in 1985 should con- sider themselves lucky. There also will be no big interna- tional events like the World Track & Friday, September 15th Field Championships that once were a goal for 2011. No track, no such 7:30-8:30 p.m. event. There will be no more walking History Corner Building 200 into the stadium just to view the fa- cility. Such visits likely are a thing Room 002 (Lower Level) of a past. Expect the stadium to be locked up tight every day. Stanford University A group of students rumored to be from the University of California (Parking closest around the Oval, at the top of Palm Drive) attempted to gain access to the new DEANNA TARR, Broker Associate stadium last week but were turned away. The juveniles then went out [email protected] and trashed the big, very visable 650-752-0833 www.deannatarr.com Stanford football schedule that faces Free and open to the public El Camino Real. The “students” were Stanford Alumna and Former Dolly apprehended. http://arc.stanford.edu Well, some things never change.■

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Page 60 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium Going back to the drawing board for a winner Palo Alto architectural firm of Hoover Associates puts its historical stamp on Stanford’s new football stadium and helps bring a dreamy vision to reality by Keith Peters ee Ashby is happy to draw up any plans for new build- quite different. Stadium. While Ashby and his co-workers did provide the draw- ings on the Stanford University campus. He is especially “Under that process, the architect has to submit all drawings ings for Stanford, the fact that the University didn’t have to jump L pleased wit his work on the new Stanford Stadium. to the State of California and the state architect,” said Loren through a lot of bureaucratic hoops and cut through red tape al- “It was a fun project,” said Ashby, the principal architect on Brown, president of Vance Brown Builders, the Palo Alto-based lowed for any revisions to the stadium to be done more quickly. the project, who works for Hoover Associates in Palo Alto. project contractor. “There’s great scrutiny put on these plans. The key task, meanwhile, was to devise a stadium plan that Ashby, along with co-workers Jose Garcia and Hui-Wen Hsiao, Plans are very detailed, full of volume, inches thick of speci- would be cost effective. That was the vision of Stanford alum and were among the many who helped create Stanford’s new football fications. local real estate developer John Arrillaga, who pretty much over- facility. “If what the plans and specifications show doesn’t work or are saw the entire construction project as Stanford’s representative. Making the work even more enjoyable is the fact Stanford is inconsistent with each other, you are not allowed to revise. You “We were selected by John Arrillaga,” Ashby said. “We’ve a private institution and can get things accomplished in a more are to bring it to the attention of the architect and they provide worked with him on other (Stanford) projects.” efficient manner. you with an answer, and you do exactly what the answer says.” Hoover Associates did the architectural work on the recent Jobs on state buildings and UC campuses, for example, are That was not the case with the creation of the new Stanford continued on page 62 Going to the Game? Arrive in Style with . . . STANFORD European

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Architects (continued from page 21)

renovation of , the Arrillaga Family Recreation Center, the crew program’s boathouse, Steu- ber Rugby Stadium and the Frances Arrillaga Alumni Center, among their many projects. Ashby and his crew began design- ing the new football stadium in No- vember of 2004. “We had our permits in hand one year later,” he said. We were working to that date.” “That date” was Nov. 28, 2005, when excavators began tearing up the aluminum seats and tearing down walls in Stanford Stadium to make way for the shiny new monument to school athletic history that sites in its place. Some say new Stanford Stadium is a reflection of the one built at Southern Methodist University in Texas. The tie-in there is that Southern Bleacher Company helped erect the seating in that project and brought its expertise to Palo Alto. Stanford’s project was fairly unique, since the original stadium (built in 1921) was carved out of the ground and constructed on top of an earthen berm, in which the new facility is con- tained. “Not too many places have a berm around their stadium,” Ashby said. One new wrinkle to the new stadi- um was the creation of four new tun- nels that will funnel spectators more efficiently into the stadium than hav- ing them walking up countless stairs. Some of those concrete steps do re- main from the old stadium, but none reach as high as before. They now end at the bottom of the upper bowl. Another nice touch to the new de- sign are pillars at the top of the north end zone. They reflect the original stadium in color and shape. “It was a real contribution of ef- forts,” Ashby said of how the final stadium looks. “We worked very closely with John Arrillaga. He likes to be involved. It’s a very interactive process. He’s a great visionary; a very Page 62 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly Stanford Stadium Norbert von der Greoben unique individual.” Ashby said no one person was cred- “Peninsula’s Best.” ited with the stadium design, but that – San Jose Mercury News it was “a back and forth process. (But) John has certain things he likes.” “Best Chinese Like, for instance, having all the restaurant concrete colored to match the tan col- in Palo Alto.” or of all the other athletic facilities. – NetDiners Bay Area JOIN US AFTER THE GAME That decision came the day before the Restaurant Guide concrete was set to be poured. And now Arrillaga and Stanford University have a stadium they can “The best Dim Sum be proud of. in the Bay Area.” The reduction in the number of – Russ Riera, KGO Radio seats was by design, by the way. Af- ter looking at Stanford’s dwindling “The best chicken attendance over the years — the team salad!” rarely attracts more than 50,000 for – Narsai David, KCBS Radio any games but USC and Cal — made it prudent to create fewer seats and thus a higher demand. “It looks funny, but we hope to increase our income, twice at least,” said Ray Purpur, senior associate athletic director at Stanford and a key figure in the project. The fact there are fewer seats has created a higher demand on season tickets. The USC game on Nov. 4, for FOR OVER 50 YEARS, MING’S HAS SERVED BAY AREA CUSTOMERS example, already is sold out. with its famous Chicken Salad, The new design also will bring Ming’s Beef, Hunan Eggplant, and spectators closer to the action. The Dim Sum. Enjoy a fabulous vari- first usuable seat at the 50-yard line ety of regional Chinese dishes, (on the east, sunny side of the field) including a 40-item Vegetarian was 115 feet from the sideline in the 1700 EMBARCADERO Menu. Attention to detail and old stadium. Now, it’s just 45 feet. The RD. focus on the best in ser- vice, menu and atmosphere old distance from the end zone to the PALO ALTO sideline was 125 feet. Now it’s only has made Ming’s one of (at East Bayshore Rd. the most popular din- 50. off Hwy. 101) ing destinations on the It’s that way all around the stadium. Peninsula. Everyone is closer. The feeling is dif- 650-856-7700 OPEN 365 ferent. The idea is to get that intimate DAYS A YEAR feeling where the crowd can be more Mon-Fri, involved. At least that’s the plan. www.mings.com 11-9:30; Sat, It’s a plan that will be put to the test 11-10; on Saturday night when Navy steams Sun, 10:30- into town to open what athletic de- 9:30 Dim Sum partment officials hope to be a new until 3pm era in Stanford football. Happy Hour It will take more than a new sta- Weekdays 4-7 dium, of course, to do that. The Car- Banquet/ dinal is off to an 0-2 start and hasn’t Meeting had a winning record since 2001. Facilities So now it’s up to the players to for 10 to 250 make it all work. The architects have To Go & Delivery done their job.■ Available Design and layout of section by Dana James Palo Alto Weekly • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Page 63 September 13th-23rd

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Page 64 • Wednesday, September 13, 2006 • Palo Alto Weekly