Q & A: Gary Cavalli, Executive Director, Emerald Bowl

Gary Cavalli of the Emerald Bowl was kind enough to answer a few questions about the bowl. I have expressed my reservations about whether we should have accepted the bowl bid but that is done. For those of you that may be thinking about going to the bowl, you could not ask for a better city than San Francisco. I have lived there and for those of you that have never visited, you must see the city. This would be a great opportunity.

Q: What makes this stadium venue a great place to play a college football bowl game?

AT&T Park is a six-year old, state-of-the-art facility nestled on the water's edge right in downtown San Francisco. It is recognized as one of the premier sports venues in the country, with all the modern amenities fans have come to expect.The ballpark is very intimate for football. The fans are really close to the action, much closer than thay usually are for a football game. Most of the seats are chair-backed, but the bleachers in the end zone and on the sideline behind the team benches offer fantastic views right on top of the field. For the players, it's an opportunity for something a little out-of-the-ordinary, in that it's a baseball park converted for football. In the early days of the NFL, almost every team played in a baseball park, so in a sense, we hark back to another day but have the bells and whistles of today's modern facilities.

Q: Having lived in San Francisco, I know how great a place it is. Tell my bloggers one thing you just have to see in San Francisco if they come to the game.

Wow, there are so many. You have to ride a cable car, see the Golden Gate Bridge, and visit Fisherman's Wharf. There's also shopping in Union Square, a trip to Alcatraz, and dining in some of the greatest restaurants in the world. Well, I held it to 6 things. (And if you have time, make it up to the wine country--only an hour north of San Francisco--for some of the most beautiful scenery and best wine in the world.)

Q: What is your best guess for the temperature at game time?
I'd say 55 degrees.

If you are going to the game, Gary asked me to include the Emerald Bowl site which has travel packages and preferred hotels.