Open the Damn Dome!

This would be a blessing to many of the die hard, loyal fans who simply can not afford a trip to Miami. I would jump all over it. Screw the NFL. They suck.

watching footage from a team watching a road playoff game from thier home stadium. i dont remember who it was (im thinking either the redskins or minn), but it was at least 15 years ago. i mainly remember it because it thought it was such a good idea at the time. i myself plan on going to miami, but im pretty sure that if i were staying that i would not want to watch the game in the superdome. tvs are amazing these days, so i would rather watch it in a smaller group where the beer and food are supermarket prices not stadium prices. but it would be a great way for everyone to go insane together.

earlier this season, in the new Stadium, the Cowboys were on a 3pm game, and there was an important game on at noon, but they were not allowed to broadcast the game on the big screen above the field.

If you pay for a ticket to an NFL event, they don’t even have the rights to a different NFL event.
It’s almost like the NFL is telling us, “Just stay home and watch it at home for free.”

I am with ya, why hasn’t this been addressed yet?!? Bars holding 100 people are okay, theatres holding a few hundred are okay… so why isn’t a bigger venue okay? It’s not like it’s blacked out locally!

…because I thought you meant, “where would you like to see the game played.” Like, duh.

We discussed this some months back…maybe before the start of the season. It’s a no-brainer. And the thing is, they don’t even have to show it on the Dome video…people would gladly go there and watch it on their iPhones for the chance to be with 70,000 other screaming WhoDats.

But the NFL really needs to change that policy. What could the reasoning behind it possibly be?

college basketball games aired in stadiums, why not our saints

I thought the key-chain rattling idea was ridiculous, so maybe I’m just out of touch. In no particular order here are more concerns:

We want as many passionate fans IN MIAMI as possible. Seems crazy to suggest people go inside and watch the game on teevee vs. going to Miami and supporting the team.

Stadium concession prices vs. home cooked or catered foods…

Stadium seats vs. the home couch.

I must say, I like the general idea, but think a much smaller venue would work better.

I just heard on ESPN that both the Saints and the Colts were just recently informed their players would have to “attend” the Pro Bowl for media events even though they’re not playing. The idea to have the Pro Bowl the week prior to the Super Bowl was dumb enough. This is really stupid.

Also, the Pro Bowl is being played on the same field as the Super Bowl and there are no plans to re-sod or repair the field if needed. It was pointed out that if there was rain after the Pro Bowl it would leave the field in much less than the “pristine” condition that has always been a requirement in the past.

There was a rumor on ESPN that the Colts are considering not sending their players to the Pro Bowl media event and dealing with whatever subsequent fine Goodell imposes on them. If they do that, the Saints should definately do the same.

At first, I was impressed with Goodell, but this combined with his NFL Europe idea, penalizing teams for resting starters in meaningless games, etc. have changed my opinion dramatically.

About 30 years ago, the Oilers were returning from having just lost an AFC Divisional Game against the Steelers. In somewhat of a spur of the moment decision, the Astro Dome was opened to the public and it was publicized on the radio and TV. The team bus was diverted to the Astro Dome and literally driven into the dome where they were greeted by a near capacity crowd showing their appreciation for having gotten as far as they did. It was the event that Bum Phillips made his “two years ago, we knocked on the door. This year, we banged on the door. Next year, we’re going to knock the damn thing down” speech.

It was a great event for the team, fans and everyone else. Also might be better than having about 70,000 people converging on the airport when the Saints return. Not to mention the fact that we’ll be celebrating a victory instead of a close loss.

If you fill the Dome with 73,000 people for only one or two feeds, the ratings for the game take a hit. Let’s say most of those fans go to a party for the game with 50ish people instead: that one feed becomes about 1400 feeds. Now double that because the same rule applies to the Colts. It might be weak sauce, but I’m guessing that’s where this rule stems from.

it can’t be about TV ratings. They’ve got 70,000 people all in one place with no ability to change the channel. That’s 70,000 people guaranteed to watch the game and commercials. Anyone with a television in their house is NOT guaranteed to even watch the game. Besides, with tickets needed for entrance, they would know EXACTLY how many people were watching. In fact, it would behoove them to fill every single sports stadium in America with a captive audience.

Gotta be something else.

a.) I’ve never heard of such a policy.

b.) If there IS such a policy, it was either broken four years ago, when KeyArena televised Super Bowl XL to thousands of Seahawks fans, or instituted since.

c.) I would think neither is the case. Someone just doesn’t want to be bothered. If their IS such a policy in place, PROVE IT.

d.) I personally don’t care. Even had I not been able to obtain a ticket to the game, I would have been going to Miami. Bourbon Street and the possible celebration here isn’t really going to be any different than the Saturday night before Mardi Gras, other than more black & gold clothing and chants of “Who Dat?” On top of which, I’ve never been to Miami, nor a Super Bowl, nor an post season Saints game away from the Super Dome. Just too many “firsts” in one event to pass up.

When we went to the SB a couple years ago, a Church tried to get permission to play the game there for their congregation of roughly 40 and the NFL rejected it saying that it’s illegal to showcast to a large audience.

Btw, the sightlines of the Jumbotrons in the Superdome truly suck from many seats. If you were seated in the uppermost loge areas for example, you wouldn’t see jack. The lip of the terrace eclipses the screens. The worst seats WITH a view would probably be the plaza level endzone. There, you’d have to watch the screen on the diagonal opposite end of Dome for 3 1/2 hours. Talk about a sore neck afterwards. Not saying they’d ever get 70K in there, to begin with. There’s probably be a lot of empty seats, where you could move to a better vantage point. I’d sure hate to be working a concession stand during that, though. Can you imagine how sucka** that would be? I think they’d do better at the New Orleans Arena. At least there the screens are centrally located and it would be worthwhile from a concessions standpoint. I still wouldn’t want to miss the Saints in the Super Bowl to sell nachos, but I guess some people just aren’t that into football. Sickeauxs. Hate to say it, but I’m a bit envious of Jerry Jones’s big screen, in light of times like these.

The way I understand it, it’s just the Super Bowl that can’t be shown to a “mass audience”, however that term is defined.

So every person in the world can watch the game on TV for free in their own homes, bars and clubs can show the game to their paying customers (whose money is not shared with the NFL, or is it? I’m not sure on that one) but the Superdome can’t broadcast the game on the Big Screen to a paying audience (whose money can be split between all involved entities, including the N(o)F(un)L(eague)), and a win-win-win situation is denied by a “long standing league rule”?

Can someone please tell me how that makes any sense at all, please?

 I say do it than ask permission! LMAO !!

 Can’t sell tickets till Super Bowl sells out. Like yesterday. NFL gets a cut of the gate? Imagine the NFL turning down money.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TDy8EYCh4uY

Maybe if we build a rickety fence around it?