Topic: Turn the lights on, it's like a dungeon in the Civic Center

[GFm]

I think they need to brighten it up a bit.   To dark.  They need to turn on more lights.

State tournament should have better lighting. 

[region 1]

State in bismarck sucks weigh inns a skin checks were a cluster. fargo is way more organized

[armbar]

Yeah, why are there only two rows of lights on, its really seems dark.  This civic center isn't that cheap are they they cant brighten it up a little?

[Dreamwood]

They did turn on the lights... the darkness, along with a head-cold was putting me to sleep. (NOT because of lack of excitement)

[GFm]

Thanks to the guy who turned on the lights.   I never understand why they don't use the lighting, they paid to have it all installed, use it. 

I'm glad I didn't have to bring out the Fargo Dome is brighter card! 

[Northdakota11]

I get how people love the fargo dome. However, as a former wrestler the bismarck civic center was my favorite place to wrestle parents couldn't yell at you when you are warming up. you could here your name called to the mat. Fans seem a lot closer during matches and the walk to the area get you amped for your match love the venue. old EDC wrestler too.

[hellman]

Even though the Fargodome is more organized, nothing beats the atmosphere of the Civic Center. Since it's so much smaller than the dome when the Civic Center gets roaring from the crowd theres nothing better than that.

[South Border]

Don't recall having to use binoculars in reserved seating at the dome.  Fans are actually farther away from the action at the Civic Center if you aren't lucky enough to have one of the 100 or so seats on the first level.  No place to video anything.  It is what it is and I guess we need to understand that coming in.  No need to really complain since this was a known topic in advance.  I recall the same comments made last year about state being in the Civic Center. 

[Anaconda]

I can see the views of Nortdakota11 and hellman. I agree with the atmosphere. However, for all the kids who are cutting loads of weight, it's nice when everything runs smoothly because kids want to get through weigh-ins and skin checks and get some energy in them and get ready to go. They don't want to wait around for people to figure their crap out. When things run well, the kids don't have anything on their mind but wrestling. For this, the FargoDome has it all figured out.

[Northdakota11]

Have you guys ever wrestled? No wrestler cares about the time of weighins and skins checks you bust your but to be at the state tournmanet if you cant control yourself for 5 minutues to make weight then you are strong enough to be in the sport. It civic center is the best place to hold an event i dont care about the lighting if i can see my oppenent i am fine plus it give you the big time atomopshere instead of open space like the dome

[EasternND]

First off, I had a hard time understanding most of that. Ps I am a wrestler, and I have wrestled in both the civic center and Fargo Dome. And you can ask any wrestler, the preparation up until the competition is just as key as performing. If your mind is filled with other crap you're not going to perform well. Also, there's a reason that the Fargo Dome holds the Fargo Nationals in the summer and the Rumble on the Red in the winter... If you really think the civic center is the "big time atmosphere" then you need to rethink this. And I am saying all of this because I know from experience from wrestling at the Rotary and at the state tournament there that there has been problems every time. Just my opinion.

[Stan Rothenstein]

Dome = smooth
Civic = cluster

[familyguy]

As a wrestler I never had the opportunity to wrestler in the Fargo Dome but I did the civic center.

As a coach I have been in both and it seems to me as if Bismarck has forgotten how to run a tournament.

You have to deal with the door nazis, the floor nazis, the parking lot nazis! Everything seems way to tense.

I literally say a "floor nazi" grab a wrestler who had on his headgear, wresltling shoes, and team warm up and make him go back to get his name badge and he wasnt on deck, he wasnt in the hole, he was up!

I understand the idea of keeping people off the floor etc... but come on lady! I am not embarrassed to say I actually told the lady to use some common sense and let the kid go, she still made him get his name badge but I hope my point was taken.

And what is the deal with the awards? It was like the Civic Center needed to shuffle the kids through like something else was being held in the civic center that evening? Whether it was the individual awards or the team awards, or even the Mr. Wrestler awards. Give these kids and their families and coaches the opportunity to enjoy the moment a little bit!

Personally, Bismarck is about 3 hours closer to me than Fargo but if Bismarck never has state again it wont bother me!

[South Border]

I believe there are quite a few kids who wished the floor nazi's patrolled the storage area with the same diligence.  I think there are quite a few kids who would like their wallets and personal valuables back.

I wish they had enough score boards so they didn't have to use a flip chart to show the score of a dual semi final or use a different score board on a different mat to show the score of the dual finals.  I really found that odd they didn't have 8 working clocks/score boards.

Seating was horrible.  We all know the floor is too small to hold this event and have adequate seating. 

The lighting made it feel like you were in a dungeon. 

From the sounds of it this is the overall feelings and Fargo will likely be location for this event for the possible long term future. 

[GFm]

I believe there are quite a few kids who wished the floor nazi's patrolled the storage area with the same diligence.  I think there are quite a few kids who would like their wallets and personal valuables back.

I wish they had enough score boards so they didn't have to use a flip chart to show the score of a dual semi final or use a different score board on a different mat to show the score of the dual finals.  I really found that odd they didn't have 8 working clocks/score boards.

Seating was horrible.  We all know the floor is too small to hold this event and have adequate seating. 

The lighting made it feel like you were in a dungeon. 

From the sounds of it this is the overall feelings and Fargo will likely be location for this event for the possible long term future.

They took care of the lighting, shortly after this post was started.  Anyone who knows me can tell you I always whine about lighting, I like it bright.  The side lighting really improved the lighting.  Washed out the big board though, but they figured that out too!  So, they were adapting to the situation, got to give them props for that.

Seemed like enough seats, but the seats on the east side had an obstructed view of the first row of mats.  (I think it is the east side).
I wasn't really paying much attention to the seating, so I could be mistaken on available seating.  And the damn lights where so bright I couldn't see up there anyway.  JK    

The  wrestler's storage area is easily accessed by anyone walking in the back door.  I saw  kids that didn't have badges walk in from the street into that area.    The Fargo Dome has an advantage because it's difficult to get to the area without a badge and they have full time guards watching the area.

I liked the door guards keeping people from the floor unless they need to be there.  That's got to be frustrating.
  Moving along the mats was  easy this year.

They have better rest room facilities in Fargo.  Right near the mats, which is a convenice for the wrestlers and officials.

Overall, I had a great time in Bismarck.   I do prefer Fargo, but I think the kids should get the final vote.

Thanks to the tournament officials for their efforts.  I think they were trying to improve things.