NFL: Ticket-buying fans being rewarded

The NFL says it will show all replay reviews on the stadium big screens so that the ticket-buying fans can see what the referee sees and what we all get to see at home.

It’s about time someone looked out for the fan in the stands.

The NFL is the greatest show on television. So good, in fact, that sometimes I wonder why anyone would buy a ticket. At home, the seats are more comfortable, the food is cheaper, the bathrooms cleaner, the company more to your liking and the view is better. The view and the information.

All the great statistical and personal information we get on an NFL broadcast, you never get in the seats. Replays have been up to the home team. Some show a nice buffet of a just-completed play; others show little.

But NFL commissioner Roger Goodell has been well-concerned about the experience of the ticket-buying fan, and he’s taking steps to improve upon it. The replay mandate is an excellent step. Increased wi-fi capacity is another, for smart phones and iPads. Access to information is often limited in stadiums. Fans want their injury updates and stat developments and what’s happening in other NFL stadiums. OU athletic director Joe Castiglione has talked of increasing wi-fi capability for Sooner games at Owen Field.

The experience for ticket-buying fans should be a concern for every major sports organization. The advent of television control of events has put in-house fan comfort on the backburner. The prices keep rising, for tickets, for parking, for concessions. There is no assurance that the fans will always comply.