Provost Umphrey Stadium Review

[paul.donaldson]

A review of Provost Umphrey Stadium has been posted to the Stadium Journey website.

 

http://www.stadiumjourney.com/stadiums/provost-umphrey-stadium-s1344

 

Let me know what you think. Fair or not? Also, help out visiting fans by posting your own fan review.

[LUSportsFan]

Looks pretty fair to me.

 

A couple of things, in the Food & Beverage section, there are also ATM machines near the concession stands (at least on the West side of the stadium). I've used them several times since I usually carry very little cash. As the review pointed out there are also some Cash / Credit lines this year so the ATM is an added plus now. Last year, someone like me would have been out of luck without the handy ATM. :)

 

Saltgrass is a good recommendation for food. I like the ones near us in Houston. I think you may not have had enough time to adequately sample the food in the area, though. Regrettably, there's not much near the stadium, but there are several good local restaurants ... just have to know where they are.

 

Access: (Second paragraph of review) Crossing MLK is sometimes interesting at the intersections, but there are also two pedestrian bridges crossing MLK between the main campus and the Montagne Center main parking lot (the lot with most of the tailgating).

 

 

[Guest bigredfan2]

I first was drawn to the site because of the photos, so much so I though he may have use one of mine as his cover photo for his gallery. In looking for a place to make a comment I found the review. I was disappointed and thought I would offer some advise to improve, but the more I thought about it, I thought NOT!

I posted this on the site:

 

Lamar Football is Golden in the Triangle

 

I just read your review and am very disappointed. You obviously did not research much before you wrote your review. I question your motives to write such a report. If you expect your site to be used by quality people, your reports need to be truth-worthy and complete.

I could go on, but it is not worth my time.

I could not recommend your site to anyone

[LUSportsFan]

Just wondering if any of the input provided on the linked thread was used.

 

http://www.bigredinsider.com/index.php?option=com_smf&Itemid=184&topic=37083.0

 

I appreciate the effort to review the stadium. I thought the stadium review was on par with reviews I have read about other stadiums.

 

I think places to stay, places to dine, and things to do could be added to. Here are a few examples.

 

Based on experiences obtained living in Beaumont, Valdosta, GA (25 miles from Florida state line), Sacramento, CA, Oklahoma City, Lafayette, LA, San Antonio, TX, and Houston (last 20 years), I would not consider the Golden Triangle an area devoid of lodging, attractions, and dining requiring one to stay in Houston or Lake Charles. For history buffs, the Oil industy basically got its start with the Spindletop Gusher just south of Lamar (across Hwy 69 / 287). There are several museums dedicated to the energy industry in the area. One, Gladys City Boomtown is located on the Lamar campus. http://gladyscity.weebly.com/index.html There's the Texas Energy Museum in downtown Beaumont. http://texasenergymuseum.org/default.asp It has an excellent collection.

 

The area also is a good place for folks that like to get out. The Big Thicket National Preserve starts in Beaumont along the Neches River and has several units north of Beaumont within easy driving distance. There are numerous hiking trails in the many units of the preserve. http://www.nps.gov/bith/index.htm

 

Neches River Adventures leaves out of Riverfront Park in downtown Beaumont at 10:00 for a two hour tour each Saturday. It's a nice trip down the river and into some of the bayous coupled with a little light education. http://nechesriveradventures.org/

 

There are several things in Orange, about a 30 minute drive from the stadium. 1. Shangri-La Botanical Gardens http://www.shangrilagardens.org/ 2. Stark Museum http://www.starkmuseum.org/default.aspx 3. Stark House http://whstarkhouse.org/ 4. Airboat Rides http://airboatridesinc.com/

 

There's salt water fishing in Port Arthur. Here's an example guide service. (My brother-in-law from Oklahoma has come down to the area for salt water fishing.) http://www.fishsabine.com/

 

If someone likes to go canoeing, there's Village Creek. Here's a link to one of the services available. http://www.canoetexas.com/Pineywoods.htm

 

Historic Homes Tours: Beaumont - McFaddin-Ward House http://mcfaddin-ward.org/ John French Trading Post http://www.jjfrench.com/ Chambers House http://www.chambershouse.org/

 

Downtown Beaumont Museums: Edison Museum http://www.edisonmuseum.org/

Fire Museum of Texas: http://firemuseumoftexas.org/ Art Museum of Southeast Texas: (Not as extensive as the Houston Art Museum by any means, but it's a couple of blocks away from the other two listed in this section and is next door to the Texas Energy Museum): http://www.amset.org/

 

Entertainment: Beaumont - Crockett Street http://www.crockettstreet.com/, Winnie - Nutty Jerry's http://nuttyjerrys.com/

 

As far a lodging, there's plenty of good options in the area and you don't have to drive over an hour to get to them.

 

The linked thread mentions many restaurants. I don't know which restaurants you tried for your review, but I have friends from the heart of Louisiana Cajun country that have recommended several of the local restaurants to me. One of those "transplanted" friends who lives in the Galleria area gets away from Houston every weekend to his retreat north of Beaumont. He's pretty particular about food since he ran his own catering service in Lafayette for several years.

[JJWooten]

I think you guys are getting mixed up in people visiting to watch their team play Lamar and people wanting to move/vacation to Beaumont.

 

His ratings of PU is higher than a lot of other schools, and yet you still assume you're the best in the world.

[LUSportsFan]

I think you guys are getting mixed up in people visiting to watch their team play Lamar and people wanting to move/vacation to Beaumont.

 

His ratings of PU is higher than a lot of other schools, and yet you still assume you're the best in the world.

 

Not at all.

 

In response to the first point of "I think you guys are getting mixed up in people visiting to watch their team play Lamar and people wanting to move/vacation to Beaumont.", the reviewer solicited information in the thread I linked. The pertinent sentence is "Along with the stadium review, I also try to do a "travel guide" of sorts that visiting fans can utilize to get tips on where to eat, where to stay, and what to do in and around the community."

 

Information was provided in the linked thread, but was dismissed in the StadiumJourney review "You'll struggle to find quality restaurant options or interesting things to do around town." Unless the reviewer was limited by the amount of words he could use, dismissing a surrounding area of 500,000 (380,000 in the SMSA) saying one would struggle is a little disingenuous. Based on my own experience, there are several opportunities in the area. I think the review would have been a little more complete if the original game plan was followed. I was just trying to help the reviewer in his struggles.

 

I have no problem with the actual stadium review. I think it is very fair and accurately reflects the experience that I've had the last couple of years. I think the reviewer was actually more than fair if his visit was really the SELU vs LU game. That was the worst attended game of the season because of forecasts of bad weather. Sadly, the forecast kept me from making the trip from Houston. That game was not representative of any of my experiences the last two years. If the reviewer did experience that game, I thank him for being able to recognize that it was not representative.

 

I think everyone understands that the area is not known for its tourism, but there is a world outside of Houston and I live in Houston. It's really not that hard to find a wide range of activities in the area to occupy a few hours, nor is it hard to find interesting places to dine that are not chains. I was just listing some examples in the post above.

 

There are a lot more that could be mentioned. For example, if one is a boater, the Neches River / Sabine Neches Shipping Channel / Intracoastal Canal offers interesting full day excursion or fishing opportunities. There are several good launching areas at various points along the river. The river and bayous north of I-10 are in their natural state for the most part. Colliers Ferry Park http://www.outdoorstudies.com/Trips/Collier%27sFerry/cfpark.htm would be a good, free launch access point for that part of the river. A lot of that area is protected from development since it is part of the Big Thicket National Preserve. The river is wide for a good bit, but there are numerous bayous and oxbow lakes along the river offering a change of pace. South of I10, the river and Ship Channel is more industrialized, but offers a lot of additional sites off the river. Hurricane Ike wiped out a couple of my favorite restaurants along the river below the Rainbow Bridge. We would boat down the river, tie up at the restaurant, dine while watching ships and tugs travel the ship channel, and then hop back in the boat for more fun on the water. We could easily transition from fresh water to salt water.

 

A good camping opportunity, Village Creek State Park, is located just north of Beaumont. http://www.tpwd.state.tx.us/state-parks/village-creek

 

Casinos and big cities interest some folks, but not everyone. It might be a struggle if one's interests are limited to wagering or fighting traffic in an area with 5 million, but it is really not much of a struggle to find something to do in the Beaumont area.

 

As others have mentioned, there are some interesting restaurants. Below are some examples.

 

1. Sugas Deep South Cuisine and Jazz Bar in downtown Beaumont - http://sugasdeepsouth.com/Home.aspx

 

If there was no other reason, the building's history might entice one to want to dine here. :)

 

"...The building, built in about 1914, was owned by former Beaumont Mayor Ray A. Coale. In the 1940s, the building was home to Joe's Barbershop. "It was a typical 1940s barbershop," Joseph Canizaro said. "He did shaves, massages and back in those days, they had a shoeshine." After Joseph's father moved out, some seedier patrons moved in.

 

The building was part of the red light district during the 1950s and 1960s. The Coale Building was home to the Bowie or Domino Club, an illegal gambling venue, which catered to customers from throughout the region. The club was raided on Dec. 3, 1961 as part of the Investigative Committee of the 57th Legislature of the State of Texas (James Commission) crackdown on gambling, prostitution, and other illegal activities in downtown Beaumont. ...

 

2. Larry's French Market - Groves - http://larrysfrenchmarket.com/

 

3. Floyd's - Beaumont - http://floydsseafood.com/

 

4. The Schooner - Nederland - http://theschoonerrestaurant.com/

 

5. Starvin' Marvin's - Beaumont - http://www.starvinmarvinsbeaumont.com/

 

6. Frankie's Italian Grill - Beaumont - http://frankiesgrill.net/

 

There are others including large chain restaurants like Pappadeaux's, Carraba's, Carino's, Cheddars, and the mentioned Salt Grass. Speaking of chains, if one wanted to dine in the original Jason's Deli, it's located in Beaumont at 112 Gateway St. right off of 11th St. :)

 

 

[puddin tane]

there is definately not a lack of places to eat......

 

Read the site's review of the Montagne center... ::)

[paul.donaldson]

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks so much for the feedback. I've heard from many of you that the restaurant review wasn't fair, and also the attractions section. I will admit that I haven't tried every restaurant in Beaumont so it's possible my review isn't complete. In that regards, I'll look into taking some of the suggestions here and editing that portion of the review.

 

I did feel that the rest of the review was pretty accurate and actually very high compared to other stadiums on the site. Hopefully that point isn't lost here. Though I do try my best to include things to do in the area, I also try to offer the best options. Do to the proximity of Beaumont to Lake Charles and Houston, it's my opinion that there are other options that may offer a better time for visiting fans, especially if you are flying in to Houston or driving through Lake Charles. With that said, I will go back and offer some additional local options, specifically those offered up in many of the responses to my initial post.

 

Thanks again for the feedback. Also, I encourage all of you to do a fan review on the site so visiting fans have other opinions to review as well.

[nickels]

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks so much for the feedback. I've heard from many of you that the restaurant review wasn't fair, and also the attractions section. I will admit that I haven't tried every restaurant in Beaumont so it's possible my review isn't complete. In that regards, I'll look into taking some of the suggestions here and editing that portion of the review.

 

I did feel that the rest of the review was pretty accurate and actually very high compared to other stadiums on the site. Hopefully that point isn't lost here. Though I do try my best to include things to do in the area, I also try to offer the best options. Do to the proximity of Beaumont to Lake Charles and Houston, it's my opinion that there are other options that may offer a better time for visiting fans, especially if you are flying in to Houston or driving through Lake Charles. With that said, I will go back and offer some additional local options, specifically those offered up in many of the responses to my initial post.

 

Thanks again for the feedback. Also, I encourage all of you to do a fan review on the site so visiting fans have other opinions to review as well.

Don't worry about the Lamar fans feedback. They wouldn't be satisfied unless you called the Montagne and PU Stadium one the best you've ever been to. I have been to both of these venues and your reviews were very fair.

[lcm2007ms]

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks so much for the feedback. I've heard from many of you that the restaurant review wasn't fair, and also the attractions section. I will admit that I haven't tried every restaurant in Beaumont so it's possible my review isn't complete. In that regards, I'll look into taking some of the suggestions here and editing that portion of the review.

 

I did feel that the rest of the review was pretty accurate and actually very high compared to other stadiums on the site. Hopefully that point isn't lost here. Though I do try my best to include things to do in the area, I also try to offer the best options. Do to the proximity of Beaumont to Lake Charles and Houston, it's my opinion that there are other options that may offer a better time for visiting fans, especially if you are flying in to Houston or driving through Lake Charles. With that said, I will go back and offer some additional local options, specifically those offered up in many of the responses to my initial post.

 

Thanks again for the feedback. Also, I encourage all of you to do a fan review on the site so visiting fans have other opinions to review as well.

Don't worry about the Lamar fans feedback. They wouldn't be satisfied unless you called the Montagne and PU Stadium one the best you've ever been to. I have been to both of these venues and your reviews were very fair.

 

You're just mad because Mr. Donaldson didn't find "almighty" Sam Houston Institute of Technology and Bowers important enough to include in his list.

 

 

[puddin tane]

Nickels...when you ever seen only 200 fans in the Montagne Center? attendance has been down, but 200? musta been a volleyball game

 

One of the good things about Beaumont is that it ISN'T Houston...

 

and , i think the food sucks at both of em...and drinks are too expensive.....

[nickels]

I lived in and around Beaumont growing up and went to at least 6-8 games and the highest attendance at any of those games was maybe 500. Not that Sams is any better.

 

Houston has many good parts, Beaumont doesn't.

[LU1991]

I lived in and around Beaumont growing up and went to at least 6-8 games and the highest attendance at any of those games was maybe 500. Not that Sams is any better.

 

Houston has many good parts, Beaumont doesn't.

 

You must have attended practice and not an actual game. Attendance has always been towards the top if not the top of the SLC.

[Guest NorthoftheBorder]

I lived in and around Beaumont growing up and went to at least 6-8 games and the highest attendance at any of those games was maybe 500. Not that Sams is any better.

 

Houston has many good parts, Beaumont doesn't.

 

You didn't go to any LU basketball game since the late 70's and see less than 2000 fans. You have no credibility at all.

 

Every LU fan who has posted on here has said the stadium review has been very fair. They have only taken exception to the entertainment and dining reviews, which were a very poor attempt and showed very little effort on Donaldsons part.

[Guest CardAmbassador]

Hello everyone,

 

Thanks so much for the feedback. I've heard from many of you that the restaurant review wasn't fair, and also the attractions section. I will admit that I haven't tried every restaurant in Beaumont so it's possible my review isn't complete. In that regards, I'll look into taking some of the suggestions here and editing that portion of the review.

 

I did feel that the rest of the review was pretty accurate and actually very high compared to other stadiums on the site. Hopefully that point isn't lost here. Though I do try my best to include things to do in the area, I also try to offer the best options. Do to the proximity of Beaumont to Lake Charles and Houston, it's my opinion that there are other options that may offer a better time for visiting fans, especially if you are flying in to Houston or driving through Lake Charles. With that said, I will go back and offer some additional local options, specifically those offered up in many of the responses to my initial post.

 

Thanks again for the feedback. Also, I encourage all of you to do a fan review on the site so visiting fans have other opinions to review as well.

 

Thanks for reviewing us, do you think you could get some work done on our Basketball arena review? I think the guy said there were 200 fans in the Montagne Center when he went, I've never seen less than 1500 at a Lamar basketball game and you can usually get a few games over 4k each year.

[paul.donaldson]

The Montagne Center review definitely needs an update. I image that the reviewer caught a couple of non-conference, non-DI games that may have taken place during the winter break. I've been to several Lamar basketball games and the crowds are always pretty nice.

 

It's not currently on my to-do list, but I'll see if it can be added.

[paul.donaldson]

Here's my draft edited Neighborhood section. Let me know your thoughts before I submit it as an update to the review:

 

Neighborhood 2

 

As previously mentioned, Beaumont is located in the Golden Triangle region (known for high school football and petroleum industry) in southeast Texas about 85 miles east of Houston. Beaumont's population is just short of 120,000 (2011 census). In my opinion, this region is anything but a tourism area, but depending on your interests, you can find some entertaining options in and around Beaumont. My first recommendation will be that you schedule your visit so that you can take advantage of time spent in Houston (if you are coming in from the west) or at a casino in Lake Charles (if you are coming in from the east). If you are staying the weekend in Beaumont, the locals highly recommend staying at Elegante

[Guest NorthoftheBorder]

Here's my draft edited Neighborhood section. Let me know your thoughts before I submit it as an update to the review:

 

Neighborhood 2

 

As previously mentioned, Beaumont is located in the Golden Triangle region (known for high school football and petroleum industry) in southeast Texas about 85 miles east of Houston. Beaumont's population is just short of 120,000 (2011 census). In my opinion, this region is anything but a tourism area, but depending on your interests, you can find some entertaining options in and around Beaumont. My first recommendation will be that you schedule your visit so that you can take advantage of time spent in Houston (if you are coming in from the west) or at a casino in Lake Charles (if you are coming in from the east). If you are staying the weekend in Beaumont, the locals highly recommend staying at Elegante

 

are you a SHSU alum? Maybe Nickels in disguise because you are clearly intent on dogging the area!!

[paul.donaldson]

I think you need to keep the review in perspective of the site. Stadium Journey is a world-wide review of sports stadiums and venues. When reviews are conducted, they are done from that perspective; rated against similar venues worldwide. I can understand that a resident of the Beaumont area may not be thrilled that the Neighborhood rating isn't glowing, but to compare Beaumont to other stadium neighborhoods worldwide, and to expect higher than a 2 in my opinion would be a little unreasonable. I'll be working on reviews of Sam Houston State and Southeastern Louisiana in the coming weeks and for comparison's sake I can tell you that both Huntsville and Hammond, LA will be getting a 1 out of 5 in that category. You are going up against the best stadium neighborhoods in the world, and you got a 2 out of 5; that's a pretty good rating, in my opinion.

 

So, with that said, I'm open to adding additional local information about the area and adjusting the neighborhood section a little further, but you're not going to convince me that Beaumont deserves to be ranked in the top half of stadium neighborhoods worldwide.

[nickels]

I lived in and around Beaumont growing up and went to at least 6-8 games and the highest attendance at any of those games was maybe 500. Not that Sams is any better.

 

Houston has many good parts, Beaumont doesn't.

 

You didn't go to any LU basketball game since the late 70's and see less than 2000 fans. You have no credibility at all.

I could give half a $hit if you believe me. I'm only 25 now and I was 13-18 at the time so around 2000-2005? My uncle won a SLC championship while a member of the Lamar CC team (88-91ish, I think 89 or 90 though) and he use to bring me to a few games and I also went to a few of my own in high school with friends. Pretty sure most of them were non conference but I do remember Lamar playing NW and McNeese.

 

Hell I remember going to high school football games against Ozen at what is now PH Stadium. I did a research paper in Lamars library. I'm been around LU growing up and I bet I know Beaumont better than half of the posters on BRI.

[jdcurran235]

I would say the MSA is 400k. The Beaumont area is different in that it is made up of multiple medium size cities. Unlike somewhere like Corpus or Houston where most people live in the main city. 120k is misleading about the actual size of the area. It is like saying Cincinnati is only 300k since even though the area is closer to 3 mill. In some areas MSA's matter more than the actual size of the city. The golden triangle is a prime example of that. Cincinnati is another prime example. I think your review is fair for the most part, but I would add a little more about Beaumont specifically, because there is stuff to do here. Julie Roger, village creek, museums galore, good food, and nice hotels.

[jdcurran235]

I lived in and around Beaumont growing up and went to at least 6-8 games and the highest attendance at any of those games was maybe 500. Not that Sams is any better.

 

Houston has many good parts, Beaumont doesn't.

 

You didn't go to any LU basketball game since the late 70's and see less than 2000 fans. You have no credibility at all.

I could give half a $hit if you believe me. I'm only 25 now and I was 13-18 at the time so around 2000-2005? My uncle won a SLC championship while a member of the Lamar CC team (88-91ish, I think 89 or 90 though) and he use to bring me to a few games and I also went to a few of my own in high school with friends. Pretty sure most of them were non conference but I do remember Lamar playing NW and McNeese.

 

Hell I remember going to high school football games against Ozen at what is now PH Stadium. I did a research paper in Lamars library. I'm been around LU growing up and I bet I know Beaumont better than half of the posters on BRI.

 

Why do you have so much beef with Beaumont. Your 500 people a game comment is total BS. And there are plenty of nice areas in Beaumont. Mid County has really grown up over the last few years. The whole west end of Beaumont is extremely nice and just keeps getting nicer. Lumberton has really grown up as well and it is right next to the big thicket. What you are saying is just untrue.

[puddin tane]

I can have a hell of a good afternoon at M&D.....free rootbeer and popcorn.....

 

People can have a good time wherever they are if they want to, ...or they can sit around and bitch like nickels

 

 

[nickels]

I lived in and around Beaumont growing up and went to at least 6-8 games and the highest attendance at any of those games was maybe 500. Not that Sams is any better.

 

Houston has many good parts, Beaumont doesn't.

 

You didn't go to any LU basketball game since the late 70's and see less than 2000 fans. You have no credibility at all.

I could give half a $hit if you believe me. I'm only 25 now and I was 13-18 at the time so around 2000-2005? My uncle won a SLC championship while a member of the Lamar CC team (88-91ish, I think 89 or 90 though) and he use to bring me to a few games and I also went to a few of my own in high school with friends. Pretty sure most of them were non conference but I do remember Lamar playing NW and McNeese.

 

Hell I remember going to high school football games against Ozen at what is now PH Stadium. I did a research paper in Lamars library. I'm been around LU growing up and I bet I know Beaumont better than half of the posters on BRI.

 

Why do you have so much beef with Beaumont. Your 500 people a game comment is total BS. And there are plenty of nice areas in Beaumont. Mid County has really grown up over the last few years. The whole west end of Beaumont is extremely nice and just keeps getting nicer. Lumberton has really grown up as well and it is right next to the big thicket. What you are saying is just untrue.

I just feel Beaumont is a mix of ghetto trash, white trash and uppity west enders who think their in The Woodlands. The city has a run down feel to it and considering its size their isn't much as far as food and entertainment. Lumberton is a nice small town and a good place to raise a family and gossip but doesn't appeal to the young or someone traveling to a game, not unless you enjoy getting cut off by soccer moms yapping on their cell phones while her 6 delinquents are hoping around the Suburban. One of the reasons I didnt choose Lamar was not only Beaumont but it didn't have a college feel. Students live scattered throughout the city, usually away from campus or at home with their parents. There isn't much college atmosphere outside of campus. Not to mention nearly everyone I know that went there transferred within a year.

 

The reason I give Lamar fans show much crap is because of their arrogance towards other SLC schools. Lamar fans think their 2 steps above everyone in the conference when it comes to athletes, fan support, coaching, facilities etc. when they aren't. They think they should be in the Sunbelt (at minimum) and rest of the Southland should be in a league below them.

 

 

Seriously right around 500, every game that I went to.

[puddin tane]

crack kills