Saturday Northwestern will host rival Illinois at Wrigley Field in Chicago.
(Don’t act like you’ve never seen goalposts in the bleachers!)
Beyond the Mel Hall right field memorial end zone, there’s literally six inches between the end zone and a thin layer of … something covering the ivy.
The other end zone is located steps away from .. wait for it .. the third base dugout. (Not coincidentally, Jim Frey will serve as back judge for Saturday’s ballgame.)
Below is the sideline down the right field line. Herman Franks-era padding a nice touch.
Let’s hope the players will (somehow) avoid injury in the house that Jack Brickhouse quite obviously built.
But if somebody does get dinged like a Leon Durham LINE DRIVE!!! … fouuuul … don’t look to the fans to keep them in good hands™.
They already blew their deductible on obstructed view.
UPDATE: For those of you who asked, here’s the configuration the Bears used to use:
Follow Brooks on Twitter for real-time updates.
1:59 am on November 16th, 2010
Illinois players will be safe because they’re not end zone interested. Illini graduates resemble University of Phoenix online degree holders…diplomas are a dime a dozen for those in-state tuition idiots. They spend their entire lives in the state and then go there for 4 more years? That’s like growing up on a small cruise ship and then exploring a lower deck.
2:16 am on November 16th, 2010
What can you say about a place that erases the longstanding mascot because some lefty profs and ass-kissing college Democrat students were bored while protecting their own bloated salaries and cheap tuitions.
Meanwhile, the graduates who for many decades paid and donated, get fudgefaced like the poorly educated spawn of cheap parents, middle managers and MRS Degrees they became - like parents, lik kids. The Indian Chief is gone because a few Obama lovers decided to expose the AlumINIas the most overrated undergrad and grad degree holders this side of Chelsea CornCob mouth Clinton.
2:34 am on November 16th, 2010
drum bang…I SURVIVED TORNADOS, FLOODS, RABID BUFFALOS, SCALPED SQUAWS, HUNDREDS OF STUDENTS ACCEPTED WITH LOWER AVERAGES DUE TO POLITICAL CONNECTIONS, AWFUL FOOTBALL, POOR BASKETBALL, UNDERGRAD FEMALES WITH PUSHUP BRAS AND GUYS WITH PERPETUAL SHRINKAGE, REVEREND RACISTS JEREMIAH WRIGHT & RICKIE tom HENDON, BLAGOIAVICH AND PAT QUINN AS THE GOV AND HIS PAL…AND HOW DID I END UP GETTING TOMAHAWKED? BY A FEW BALDING FORMERLY PONYTAILED ADMIRERS OF FIDEL CASTRO AND 50 STUDENTS WHO NEXT CONSIDERED A PLAN TO INVITE THE HOLOCAUST DENYING DICTATOR OF IRAN FOR A VISIT!
9:41 am on November 16th, 2010
I guess I’m too simple for this discussion board. I just think it’s cool they’re playing football in Wrigley.
P.S. I went to Eastern and UIUC “Weak Big Ten.” And it looks like the only weak one here is YOU. Why don’t you stand behind your comments and post your name, address and phone number? Gotta love the cowards out there who say whatever the hell they want in forums like these where their identities are kept secret.
9:52 am on November 16th, 2010
cubs suck!!!!!!! wrigley sucks!!!!! and whoever decided how to place this football field is a idoit, im guessing it was wrigleys ground crews!!!! go SOX! and the Illini will win this game!
10:10 am on November 16th, 2010
Whichever team plays good D and doesn’t turn the ball over should win this game. And that team is who? Who cares! Two at very best mediocre teams. The Wrigley area is a puke fest during Cub games. Imagine these college goofs puking and pissing all over the place. It will be an idiot fest! Just like all the Cub fan losers!!!
12:16 pm on November 16th, 2010
Wigley Field:
Over Rated
Over Drunk
Over Priced
Cubs will NEVER win in that dive.
But keep going and give them your money Cub fan. SUCKERS!
12:46 pm on November 16th, 2010
Looking at the old vs. new pictures, one doesn’t seem particularly safer than the other. The only difference is the goal posts in the old picture are at the front of the end zone, which gives the illusion of more space between the field and the wall.
The old field was probably more dangerous
1:10 pm on November 16th, 2010
And now, The Shield presents,,,, wait for it,,, Arena football. Caroms off of the wall padding are permitted. I guess they won’t worry about tackling out of bounds, when the brick wall will do the job for them.
Lets take bets on how many careers will be ended do to the deadly obstacle course that waits for every one who runs out-of-bounds.
Stupid NFL,, Paul, you’re better than this>
1:12 pm on November 16th, 2010
At long last Northwestern will be playing Wrigley and thus joining the Ivy League
1:43 pm on November 16th, 2010
so what’s the big deal? football has been played at Wrigley before…way back in the day. as a matter of fact bronco nagurski chipped a brick on the wall when he ran head first into it. that’s with only a leather helmet!
3:31 pm on November 16th, 2010
I think that this is a bad idea and hope no one gets injured. I am sure the intentions were good behind this but the game is a lot faster, stronger and more brutal than it was before because of the specialized athlete. There is little room (if you can even classify 6 inches as any room at all) for error when near the endzones and even sidelines. I do love when ideas like this are considered (hockey at Wrigley, etc.), I just have to think there are better venues for it.
8:02 pm on November 16th, 2010
This is a horrible idea. The cubs blow.
8:29 pm on November 16th, 2010
YOU PEOPLE ARE WEAK !! QUIT BITCHING. This is going to be a blast. You jerks probably want to put in astro turf, too. If this field was good enough for Gale Sayers and Ditka, good enough for the colleges. But they should have went with the original dimensions.
Modern fan = pansy.
6:15 am on November 17th, 2010
Gameday’s other option: Texas A&M - Nebraska, where close to 90,000 people are expected to attend.
But I guess two lackluster teams in an underachieving conference playing football in a sardine can home to the most pathetic organization in sports is much more appealing.
1:16 pm on November 17th, 2010
Yes. It is n
4:22 pm on November 17th, 2010
If you dont like the idea of football at Wrigley thats fine. If you dont like the way the football field is set up thats fine too. I just dont understand why whenever something not related to the Cubs happens at Wrigley everyone who is not a Cubs fan chimes in about how much the Cubs suck and how big of a dump Wrigley is. There have been concerts and other events across town at the Cell where the Sox play and I never hear of any Cubs fans going out of their way to bash it. Stop crying and deal with the fact that Wrigley is more historic than the Cell is regardless of how the Cubs play. Wrigleyville is set up for something like this. Yes the field may not fit a football field to well but with all the surronding businesses in Wrigleyville it’s perfect for an event like this and for Game Day to be there.
6:03 pm on November 17th, 2010
I guess everyone needs to realize one thing. Obviously none of you are close followers of the Cubs. The playing surface has shrunk in recent years. They have added a few rows of bleachers to both RF and LF down the line. Plus, additional rows behind homeplate. I agree this setup is a little dangerous, but you cannot put it back how the Bears use to play, there is no room. I work on a professional baseball field which has held football the last 4 seasons, and this grounds crew will have their work cut our for them come Saturday night.
1:10 pm on November 20th, 2010
I hope the Cubs Win today!!! Is Ryno coaching todays game???? Who is Northwestern??? Did they just join the NL??? Glad to see baseball played all year round!!! Yeeeeeeeeaaaahhhhhh, Whaaaaaaaaaatttt
1:12 pm on November 20th, 2010
Will I be able to catch a football from where I sit today??
1:15 pm on November 20th, 2010
Wrigley Field smells like PISS!!!! Is that not a safety concern also, or you would think it is a health concern??
1:18 pm on November 20th, 2010
Make sure Steven Bartman is in no “F”in way of any goal post or end zone to cost the end result of todays game!!!!!!!!! I have my $$$ on Illinois today cause the QB is into hand hardining like myself. P.S.—- Hi Sammy!!!! Peace Out……Moises Alou
1:49 pm on November 20th, 2010
There isn’t a single professional sports season now that doesn’t go on at least a month too long. Baseball starts in football weather, and football in baseball weather, and basketball overlaps them both.
1:57 pm on November 20th, 2010
I don’t mind living in a man’s world as long as I can be a woman in it.
2:23 pm on November 20th, 2010
Victory at all costs, victory in spite of all terror, victory however long and hard the road may be; for without victory, there is no survival. NIU kill Northwestern today @ Wrigley!!!!!!
5:38 pm on November 20th, 2010
If you dont like the idea of football at Wrigley thats fine. If you dont like the way the football field is set up thats fine too. I just dont understand why whenever something not related to the Cubs happens at Wrigley everyone who is not a Cubs fan chimes in about how much the Cubs suck and how big of a dump Wrigley is. There have been concerts and other events across town at the Cell where the Sox play and I never hear of any Cubs fans going out of their way to bash it. Stop crying and deal with the fact that Wrigley is more historic than the Cell is regardless of how the Cubs play. Wrigleyville is set up for something like this. Yes the field may not fit a football field to well but with all the surronding businesses in Wrigleyville it’s perfect for an event like this and for Game Day to be there.
5:49 pm on November 20th, 2010
“I’m not as think as you drunk I am.