Communications of the ACM
Gadget for N.F.L. Stadiums Vies for Fans' Inattention
For football spectators, a device called FanVision might be nirvana—or it might turn them into stadium versions of zombies who stumble down streets staring mesmerized at their BlackBerrys.
Enabling fans to watch the network feed of the game they have come to see—in addition to several out-of-town games and the NFL Red Zone—on a four-inch high-definition screen is a wonderful thing. And the little handheld gadget works well. But you have to wonder if the game itself isn’t enough anymore. Does everyone need to be entertained at every break in the action?
Well, maybe they do. Maybe we all do. And it will be Stephen Ross's fault if we cannot keep our eyes on the games in front of us. Ross is the billionaire real estate magnate who owns the Miami Dolphins. Last year he acquired a struggling company called Kangaroo, which created the device, and hired people like Mike Weisman, the former executive producer of NBC Sports, to improve it.
From The New York Times
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