NFL orders clubs: Show fantasy stats at stadiums this year

[Deberg_1990]

http://content.usatoday.com/communities/gameon/post/2011/09/nfl-fantasy-football-stadiums-green-bay-packers-new-orleans-saints/1



A dream come true for fantasy football players attending live NFL games? Or a sell-out move that could tick off sports purists?

Starting with tonight's Green Bay Packers-New Orleans Saints season opener, the NFL is directing all 32 clubs to display real-time fantasy football stats at all home games for the new 2011 season, says league spokesman Brian McCarthy.

Previously, it was up to individual clubs to decide if they wanted to show player stats from out-of-town games on their scoreboards rather than focusing on their own. Not any more.

The NFL is reaching out to millions of fantasy players who feel somewhat cut off while attending live games. Many fantasy players already use mobile devices to keep in touch with how their players and teams are doing.

But the NFL wants fans at live games to feel as plugged in as they would be on their couch at home. So NFL headquarters will be shooting all teams' real-time fantasy stats -- and directing them to post on video boards for fans in the stands.

The reason is simple: In today's struggling economy, the NFL is worried fans will watch games for free at home where they have access to the NFL RedZone channel and the Internet rather shelling out cash for tickets, parking, food and beers at stadiums.

"We know we have to continue to do more to keep fans coming to our games," McCarthy says. "We're looking at ways to further replicate the at-home experience in the stadium."

ATTENDANCE REBOUND? NFL expects attendance to rebound

The NFL's paid regular season attendance has slid three seasons in a row as fans struggle to pay for game tickets and PSL's in the economic recession. The league drew overall attendance of 16,569,514 in 2010. That was down a fraction from 2009, off 1.7% from 2008 and a 4.5% drop from the record year of 2007.

Almost 26 million fans play fantasy football in the U.S. and Canada. The Fantasy Sports Trade Association (FSTA) views the NFL's attempt to make its stadiums more fantasy-friendly as a victory for the fast-growing, $800 million industry.

"This is a dramatic change from where the NFL was even 5-6 years ago," says FSTA president Paul Charchian. "The NFL has come to realize fantasy is not gambling, its not tainting the game. Its creating millions of super fans with allegiances that extend beyond their geographic favorite team."

The FSTA's also enthused about many clubs showing NFL RedZone channel scoring highlights at stadiums during TV breaks. "NFL RedZone is like crack for fantasy players," Charchian says.

But not everybody thinks the focus on fantasy is such a hot idea. Game On! reader "John Ham" says: "This is unreal, to cater to things that have absolute no VALUE to real football." Another named 'Zero jobs" comments: "My fantasy is for all fantasy football leagues to go under!"

The NFL's average ticket prices rose 4.5% to $76.47 in 2010, according to Team Marketing Report. The New England Patriots charged the highest average ticket price at $117.84; the Cleveland Browns the cheapest at $54.51.

With some cash-strapped fans unable to buy tickets, the NFL drew it's highest TV viewership during the 2010 season since 1989, according to Nielsen.

[1ChiefsDan]

Fuck fantasy football

[pr_capone]

no, **** you

/it really is pretty freaking stupid. If you are that attached to your FF team, you are likely gonna have a mobile device to keep track of that shit with.

[Ace Gunner]

the game within the game


snore

[MahiMike]

They have to do this. It's becoming increasingly difficult to justify going to a game and hassling with drunks than to sit at home in your man cave.

[Rooster]

Fucking stupid!

[The Franchise]

I'm in two leagues and I think that this is fucking retarded.

I go to the game to watch the game. I don't check how my fantasy team is doing while I'm there.

[pr_capone]

I'm in two leagues and I think that this is ****ing retarded.

I go to the game to watch the game. I don't check how my fantasy team is doing while I'm there.

I do... between downs, half time, or any time that our horse faced cheerleaders are on the field instead of the players.

[Demonpenz]

Yes. Teams need to show good plays by opposing teams as well. If a guy hits a homerun against the royals (and they ususually do) show the damn homerun on the Giant scoreboard. I think the chiefs show most replays of other teams touchdowns, but there needs to be a replay after every play on the board.

[sedated]

this is dumb IMO.

are up-to-the-minute stats really that important? what do you get from seeing the score when the game is only 1/4 done?

personally, checking the league scoring every 20 seconds gives me chest-pains.

[rageeumr]

They already show fantasy leaders at Arrowhead, don't they? I think it's pretty dumb to mandate this. Anybody who cares is checking their phone anyway.

[Demonpenz]

this is dumb IMO.

are up-to-the-minute stats really that important? what do you get from seeing the score when the game is only 1/4 done?

personally, checking the league scoring every 20 seconds gives me chest-pains.

you get happy fans.

[TJR1486]

They already show fantasy leaders at Arrowhead, don't they? I think it's pretty dumb to mandate this. Anybody who cares is checking their phone anyway.

thats what I was going to say, they did at all the games I went to last year. So it doesnt change anything at Arrowhead

[vailpass]

Ignore the immense popularity of fantasy all you want however the NFL can't afford to do so.
More and more the stadiums are competing with our couches and they are losing.

[Fish]

no, **** you

/it really is pretty freaking stupid. If you are that attached to your FF team, you are likely gonna have a mobile device to keep track of that shit with.

I really don't like this move. But at the same time, with 75,000 people in a 1/4 mile square, there's not enough bandwidth for all the mobile devices to use. Meaning most data stuff on your mobile device isn't going to work in the stadium. It's usually not possible to check the internet on your phone at Arrowhead.

Still, this is a stupid idea.

[ModSocks]

They have to do this. It's becoming increasingly difficult to justify going to a game and hassling with drunks than to sit at home in your man cave.

It's pretty dumb, but yeah, what this guy said.

They need to do whatever they can to get people away from their TV's and into the game. It's going to be a hard thing to do.

[KCUnited]

I need up to the minute updates so I know when to call a fantasy timeout if the clock is running, or to fantasy chew some ass if one of my guys isn't performing.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

LOL who would actually forsake going to a game for the sole reason that they couldn't be constantly updated with fantasy scores?

I understand not going to the game because of finances, HDTV, etc. But who doesn't go because of fantasy football?

[DaFace]

Lame IMO. Especially when you're there in person, the game should be the game. Fantasy Football should not exist at Arrowhead.

[007]

I quit FF two years ago and don't even miss it. I noticed Arrowhead was putting up fantasy stats last year and thought it was damn stupid. I only care about scores around the league, not how each QB and RB is doing.

[wazu]

Would love to see how many people there are in this thread who think it's "LAME!", but who don't own season tickets. I've sat through 2-14 and 4-12 seasons in Arrowhead. If the game is really good, then I won't have much interest in the fantasy scores. But a lot of times it really wasn't.

And even when it was, where is the bad in this? I would argue that stat lines are much more distracting coming up on T.V. screens. At Arrowhead, it's usually something I notice while players are just standing around doing nothing during time-outs.

[wazu]

Oh, and just to be clear: Arrowhead has been doing this for years already, so NFL mandate changes nothing.

[007]

Would love to see how many people there are in this thread who think it's "LAME!", but who don't own season tickets. I've sat through 2-14 and 4-12 seasons in Arrowhead. If the game is really good, then I won't have much interest in the fantasy scores. But a lot of times it really wasn't.

And even when it was, where is the bad in this? I would argue that stat lines are much more distracting coming up on T.V. screens. At Arrowhead, it's usually something I notice while players are just standing around doing nothing during time-outs.

What does owning season tickets have to do with anything in this discussion? If you have been to a single game recently you can have an opinion on this.

I miss the days when they only put up active game scores during the games. Now we always have to go to the phone to get scores from other games because they think we care about stats more.

[CrazyPhuD]

What's fantasy football? Is that the league where the chiefs win the Super Bowl every year?

[ngoc]

We don't all know that, but the move by the NFL does strike me as hypocritical.

[Saulbadguy]

I really don't like this move. But at the same time, with 75,000 people in a 1/4 mile square, there's not enough bandwidth for all the mobile devices to use. Meaning most data stuff on your mobile device isn't going to work in the stadium. It's usually not possible to check the internet on your phone at Arrowhead.

Still, this is a stupid idea.

Yeah my data service doesn't work for shit in Arrowhead.

[Saulbadguy]

This is good business for the NFL. I imagine most clubs already do this, though.

[Deberg_1990]

This is good business for the NFL. I imagine most clubs already do this, though.

THats how i view it. Its just good business. Even though, ive soured on Fantasy in recent years, i understand the fun of it and have no problems with people playing it. It keeps alot of casual viewers inerested in the sport.

[Lex Luthor]

Still, this is a stupid idea.
Locking out the players and putting the season is jeopardy is a stupid idea. Kicking off from the 30 is a stupid idea. Trying to eliminate ALL violence from NFL games is a stupid idea.

Telling the teams to show some stats on the scoreboard every now and then isn't a stupid idea because it doesn't hurt anything or affect the product on the field. Everyone should save their righteous indignation for the things that matter and stop bitching about minutia.

[WV]

What's the big deal...so they plaster fantasy stats up on the board intermittently, frankly I'm surprised they aren't finding a way to charge for it.

[jspchief]

LOL who would actually forsake going to a game for the sole reason that they couldn't be constantly updated with fantasy scores?

I understand not going to the game because of finances, HDTV, etc. But who doesn't go because of fantasy football? Someone who's teetering on the edge of giving up on the live game experience anyway.

The NFL probably has made a list of why fans choose watching from home vs going to the stadium. Not all of the reasons are easily addressed. This one is.

[lcarus]

They could have displayed my players score last night. ZERO. Damn I shouldn't have started James Jones. Should have stuck with Deion Branch or Julio Jones. I just really wanted to have a player to watch last night. Dumb.

[wazu]

What does owning season tickets have to do with anything in this discussion? If you have been to a single game recently you can have an opinion on this.

You can have an opinion without ever going to a game. I'm just betting the perspective will be quite a bit different. For somebody going to one game every other year it's a lot easier to say that on that one day they won't care about or be interested in fantasy football. For people who are going every other week during the season those updates are nice to have.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

They could have displayed my players score last night. ZERO. Damn I shouldn't have started James Jones. Should have stuck with Deion Branch or Julio Jones. I just really wanted to have a player to watch last night. Dumb.

:banghead:

I started James Jones too. I was thinking he was their slot receiver and would get a lot of playing time, but I guess I was wrong.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Someone who's teetering on the edge of giving up on the live game experience anyway.

The NFL probably has made a list of why fans choose watching from home vs going to the stadium. Not all of the reasons are easily addressed. This one is.

So let's say, hypothetically, you are one of those people who is teetering on the edge. Let's say I offer you some free tickets to the game Sunday. Are you really going to say "no, I need to keep an eye on my fantasy football team all afternoon instead"?

[jspchief]

So let's say, hypothetically, you are one of those people who is teetering on the edge. Let's say I offer you some free tickets to the game Sunday. Are you really going to say "no, I need to keep an eye on my fantasy football team all afternoon instead"?

Ya because they are targeting the "people with free tickets" demographic with this move

[alpha_omega]

As others have said, the Smartphone should make this unnecessary.

[Mama Hip Rockets]

Ya because they are targeting the "people with free tickets" demographic with this move

I'm just saying, hypothetically. I understand there are a variety of factors that would play into a decision whether or not to go to a game, but I just can't wrap my mind around the fact that somebody might actually be stupid enough to use fantasy football stat-checking as one of those factors.

Let's say none of the other stuff is a factor (money, gas, etc.). Is fantasy football really going to keep you away from real football?