What's Bruin at the Rose Bowl?

Official Review by Drew Cieszynski, Stadium Journey Regional Correspondent

A rose by itself means little or nothing to the average college football fan. Sure, it may score some points with a significant other, but the rose eventually dies and you turn your attention to something else. Now if you put the word "bowl" in behind that rose, suddenly fans who have experienced the venue reminisce about memories that will last a lifetime, and those who haven't yearn to be there one day.

Wait, this stadium was built in 1922 and should be in the retirement community of stadiums, so why is there so much hoopla surrounding it? Well, it is a National Historic Landmark, so you can take your family and rationalize it as a study of American history. It has a capacity of nearly 92,000, so it gives you ample opportunity to meet new friends.

The Rose Bowl's current tenant has been causing a stir since 1982, when the UCLA Bruins broke up with the Los Angeles Memorial Coliseum and moved to (literally) greener pastures. This split couldn't have been any more welcomed because the Coliseum is located in the heart of the campus of the Bruins' most renowned rival, the USC Trojans. Ironically, a team hailing colors of "true blue" and gold would be playing at a stadium that evokes thoughts of a shade of red.

Food & Beverage    5

Being that the stadium is now eligible for social security, I was expecting some rather antiquated and limited concessions. Within my first ten steps on the concourse, I quickly learned that I could not have been more incorrect. With such a wide concourse, there was plenty of room for temporary food vendors. Many of these stands had televisions behind the counter, allowing fans to continue to watch the game while standing in line.

Your everyday food items were actually moderately priced for a Los Angeles area sports venue. You could find your jumbo hot dog ($4), nacho grande ($5.50), pretzel ($5), churro ($4), popcorn ($5), candy ($3.50), and peanuts ($5).

Other hot dog like options include the jumbo bratwurst ($10) and the Louisiana hot link ($6.50, served with grilled peppers and onions), and the Italian hot link served with marinara and grated mozzarella ($6.50). Also offered is the "Old Fashioned Hot Dog ($6.50)" which is "heaped with bacon and sharp cheddar cheese on a bakery fresh sausage bun." I don't know about you, but that is not what I picture when I hear "old fashioned."

Some of the temporary vendors offered even more unique options such as teriyaki chicken and rice ($8), garlic fries ($8), Santa Maria tri-tip sandwich ($10), sweet kettle popcorn ($8), BBQ beef or pulled pork sandwiches ($10), burritos ($8), and a Cholo bowl ($10).

Some other choices you'll find include the carne asada (or grilled chicken) tacos and burritos, the bacon burger (with lots of bacon), quesadillas, and of course pizza!

For dessert, you may want to try the frozen lemonade ($5.), Lindes glazed almonds (sugar, vanilla, and cinnamon), funnel cakes with all sorts of toppings, and snowie shaved ice. The shaved ice proves to be a great treat for the children as they can serve themselves with over 10 different flavors of syrup. Of course, any time you give a child a chance to prepare their own food, it can turn out disastrous!

On the beverage side, there are three sizes of soda: super ($6), large ($5), and regular ($4.50). There are two brands (Sparkette & Fiji) of bottled water that offer two sizes each ranging from $3.75 to $6. If you'd rather dehydrate yourself, try a coffee for $2.50. Regular and sugar-free Rockstar Energy Drinks are available for $4.

While the above are your more day to day beverages, the Rose Bowl offers some of the most unique beverage options anywhere in sports. Sure, the 24-ounce lemonade with a twist ($5), isn't turning any heads, but the pineapple lemonade for the same price might. The brightly colored juice bins may peak your interest, so you can get any one of the lime, watermelon, lemon, or pineapple based juices for $5. Lastly, I should mention the Horchata, which I had never even heard of prior to my visit here. Horchata is a beverage often served at Mexican restaurants made of ground almonds, sesame seeds, rice, and barley among other things.

I am sure you are searching for note of it, so I may as well state it here: no alcohol is sold at the game during UCLA games.

Atmosphere    5

The Rose Bowl offers a pile full of atmosphere in itself and the Bruin fans do truly make it a special experience.

The stadium bowl offers seating for over 90,000 fans and any time you are grouped with so much energy in one place, you are sure to get some goose bumps. The Bruin fans do a great job of keeping things interesting, namely when they perform the "8 Clap." This cheer consists of 8 consecutive claps, lifting your right hand and shouting "U," followed by 3 claps, lifting the left hand and shouting "C," followed by 3 claps, then alternating hands and doing the same for the "L" and the "A." Then quickly they chant "U-C-L-A" while rotating hands and "Fight! Fight! Fight!"

The band and student section bring the typical entertainment levels, but I was most impressed by fans spread throughout the balance of the large stadium. Chants of "U-C-L-A" and "Let's Go Bruins" could be heard every few moments.

Of course if the human element doesn't do it for you, just look up in the skies or off into the distance. The skies are often a beautiful blue color with some twists of orange and pink towards sunset. The San Gabriel Mountains provide some of the most majestic views for the television networks to show during gameday. Make it a point to take a look at the mountains while the sun is setting; it will be an image you will not forget.

Despite the small scoreboard, the Bruins seem to find lots of uses for it to create some additional atmosphere. Former players are often interviewed on the big screen during the game, quickly kick-starting the memories of Bruin fans on why they are in attendance. Some fans are fortunate enough to get asked trivia questions on the big screen and all fans yell out the answer they believe to be correct. It's a rather entertaining display when the fans are showing their spirit on the video screens, trying to be the Blue Diamond Almonds "Bold Fan" of the game. They also use the scoreboard for some visual games, including find the football behind the Bruin logo (similar to when they place a ball under a cap and scramble the caps).

One last note here would be to mention to check out the Bruin walk. Prior to every game, the fans line up and cheer as the team exits the bus and makes their way to the stadium.

Neighborhood    4

On most reviews, the neighborhood is characterized mostly by the local bars and restaurants, however for this venue; you must first consider the surrounding scenery. Just outside the stadium, you'll find two 18-hole golf courses nestled at the base of the San Gabriel Mountains. You'll find the typical Southern California palm trees as well as over 30 species of other trees surrounding the stadium. Once you arrive at the stadium, take a panoramic view of the surrounding hills and many of the beautiful homes constructed upon them.

While in Pasadena, be sure to check out the magnificent structure that is City Hall, the neighborhood known as Bungalow Heaven with its small craftsman homes, or the Norton Simon Museum, complete with sculpture garden.

If you are looking for some stops before or after the game, be sure to head down to Old Pasadena, or "Old Town." This revitalized area spans 21 blocks and has a variety of shopping, dining, and beverage options.

One of the more notable spots in Pasadena is Barney's Ltd. This small establishment has some interesting interior decor and a rather extensive menu for its size. Most appetizers here run from $7-$10 and include many fried items. My personal favorite is the fried mushrooms and zucchini. Some other great options include their chili cheese fries, BBQ chicken quesadillas, crab cakes, and Slider's. They also have a variety of interesting entrees, including Sam Adams Beer-Battered Halibut, most of which run $15-$20.

While I am not typically a fan of chain establishments, Yard House is one I've grown to love. This spot is certainly pricey, but with over 200 beer options, it's tough to go wrong. With a rather extensive menu, you can find the perfect dish to go with your beer. Try and pop in during their happy hour (Monday - Friday 3-6 PM & Sunday - Wednesday 10 PM - Close). During these times, you can find domestic pints for $3.50 (others for $4.25) and half price pizza and appetizers.

If you are more concerned with just drinks and fun, perhaps you should check out the Old Towne Pub. You can expect to find live music here most nights of the week, so don't show up expecting to engage in conversation. Who could forget some of the classic beverage options such as "PBR" and their specialty shot, "the Loch Ness," for a rather inexpensive price.

Lastly to be mentioned here is Freddie's 35er Bar. This spot is located on the historic Route 66 and has a variety of fun beyond the beverage menu. Here, you'll find pool tables, a jukebox, and foosball in addition to approximately 20 beers on tap. This place is known to have some of the best specials in Pasadena and all-you-can-eat free popcorn. Weekends provide some extra fun as they have a DJ and dancing on the lower level.

Fans    3

I was initially rather impressed with all of the fans in attendance. UCLA football had been experiencing a tough year, but the fans had filled most of the stadium on this given day.

The fans encourage one another to make as much noise as they can with the many gold and blue signs that read "make noise" or "louder." The fans were very on cue, when these signs were raised, the crowd quickly responded in a loud way.

The fans also orchestrated some Bruin imagery with many posterboards. I really enjoyed watching this during halftime as I haven't seen such a display in quite some time. Being the first Saturday in November, they spelled "We" and then a heart, then "Our," then "Vets," and finally an America Flag. Lastly, all of the boards turned a solid blue and then one by one flipped until it spelled out the cursive "Ucla" in gold.

Unfortunately, my peer and I made an odd observation as the game was coming to a close. Although the score was tied, with ten minutes left to play, many of the fans started filing out of the stadium. As we hit the five-minute mark with the scored still tied, many more fans were filing out of the stadium. I was rather mind-boggled as up until that last play of the game, hordes of fans were filing out of the stadium. Can this be attributed to the difficult exit routes? Whatever it was, I was shocked to see at least a quarter of the crowd leave before what proved to be the game deciding play.

Access    3

In the popular song "California Love," released in the early 1990's, Dr. Dre asks, "Pasadena, Pasadena where you at?" Well Mr. Dre, you can find it a little more than 15 minutes (13 miles) northeast of downtown Los Angeles. While the area is easily accessible from the 110 or the 210, the stadium is located in a mostly residential area with many small roads. There are limited entrances in and out of the Rose Bowl, so do provide yourself with at least an extra hour in advance of the desired arrival time. Rarely do you see traffic congestion as significant as you will see here.

While the parking fee is a fairly steep $15, it is a bit different than your typical parking lot. Here, you'll park on a fairway of an 18-hole golf course if you are not in the preferred parking area. The staff here also seems to take some extra steps to help you locate your vehicle. Each fan receives a colored card with a map that can help them locate their vehicle after the game. If any given fan can still not locate their vehicle, the fans can go to the "club house" where staff members are on-hand to help them. This service begins one hour after the conclusion of the event.

There seems to be plenty of room at all spots for tailgating fun and there does not seem to be all of the severe restrictions that so many LA-based sporting events enforce.

Once inside the stadium, the single concourse is fairly sizable. Unfortunately, the small tunnels often get very congested when trying to get to or leave your seats. Rarely will you quickly get to or from your seats. Speaking of seats, they are pretty tight. Most do not have cupholders and there is extremely limited space under your seats. On many occasions, the beverage under my seat has spilled due to the limited space and curved concrete. The restrooms are small, but there is a reasonable quantity and the lines do seem to move particularly fast.

Return on Investment    4

You will find that most ticket prices range from $30 to $60 depending on where you sit. The Rose Bowl offers one of the largest capacities in college football, so tickets are not as challenging to come by as they are at some other venues. In fact, for the lower tier games, tickets can be had for under face value.

Certainly much of the food has some higher price points, but it is also of much higher quality of typical stadium food. If you are trying to save a few bucks on food, purchase some at your local grocery store and cook it during the pregame tailgate.

With parking at $15, you can get a chance to see the Rose Bowl and UCLA traditions for under $50. Sometimes it is the lower tier seats that offer the greatest views of the surrounding areas and access to the concessions. Regardless of the opponent, this is a value all sports fans should take advantage of.

Extras    5

On this particular gameday, the Bruins had some of their former players on hand to inspire the current players and ignite the fans. NFL players Mercedes Lewis and Maurice Jones-Drew were interviewed during the first half and the crowd welcomed them back to the Rose Bowl. While I know this is not a week-to-week occurrence, I think it's great that the athletes appreciate their alma mater enough to come back during their bye week and support the team. This also adds to the aura of the stadium as it is a first-hand illustration of the talent that this school produces.

The press box is a towering one that gets great views of the San Gabriel Mountains. The press box was lined with all of the championship banners from years past, really personalizing the stadium to feel like the home of the Bruins.

There are some passionate rivalries in college football and of course, the USC/UCLA annual tilt is one of them. Every year, the two play for the 295-pound "Victory Bell". While I do believe attending any game here is special, clearly the annual match-up between the Los Angeles teams commands a ticket price often double of any other game.

One extra point awarded for the length of the shorts on the mascot, Joe Bruin. Just check out the photos above and look at how long he wears his shorts. He would certainly incur a fine from NBA commissioner Davis Stern for the length of those shorts.

The Rose Bowl itself warrants some extra points. Known affectionately as "The Granddaddy of Them All." With a nickname like that, you can't go wrong. It was the first ever bowl game, played back in 1902. If you were born back in 1902 and reading this review, I am more impressed than you can imagine.

The Rose Bowl holds many precious records. While the teams involved did not include UCLA, the stadium set a record for attendance at a bowl game in 1973, when 106,869 saw USC and Ohio State play. Not bound to college, it holds the record for a NFL Super Bowl at 103,985. This game was played in 1980 and featured the Pittsburgh Steelers against the Los Angeles Rams (Super Bowl XIV). Since its inception, this venue has hosted 5 NFL Super Bowl games.

Take a few moments to take in the Rose Bowl Hall of Fame. Leading the way is a statue of a football player. The anonymity of this player makes you wonder who is next to make their mark on the Rose Bowl. Behind the statue is a large wall that pays homage to the Chrysler Corporation Court Of Champions. Plaques from each year show the final score, the names of the head coaches, and the outstanding offensive/defensive players. Almost hidden in the bottom left corner of the wall is the Hall of Fame, where it lists the name and school from where the individual hails. Unfortunately all these Hall of Famers receive are small plaques with no real explanation of why these individuals are in the Hall of Fame. I imagine that there is somewhere else where the contributions of these individuals are a little more extravagantly noted?

After the game, the head coach Rick Neuheisel addressed the fans from a makeshift podium. He spoke of the success that the team achieved on this very evening and where the future of the team is headed. He also thanked the fans for all of their support, to which they gave a rousing ovation. If the fan base is frustrated or not, I felt that this was a nice gesture and a rather touching moment.

Final Thoughts

Though it is growing in age year after year, the Rose Bowl remains a "top ten" destination on any sports fan's bucket list of stadium travels.

While UCLA has not won big in recent years, they remain a viable tenant, representing the Rose Bowl and Southern California well. UCLA has produced 13 College Football Hall of Fame players and in time, will produce many more. Most individuals pass through Los Angeles at some point during their lives; so make it a point to stop in Pasadena and check out UCLA football.

Follow Drew's travels through Southern California on twitter @Big10Drew.