This season, the New Meadowlands Stadium will offer fans free smart-phone applications that they can glance at to see video replays, updated statistics and live video from other games — and that will work only inside a stadium.
Over the next few years, stadium officials say, the applications will provide fans with statistics on the speed of players and the ball, and fantasy games that will allow them to pick players and compete against other fans.
– Michael S. Schmidt, New York Times.
That sounds, well, reasonably awesome. I find it sort of hard to believe that the Jets and Giants will have any trouble selling out games in the brand-new stadium, but then I myself have never been to a regular-season* NFL game since I became a big fan of the sport. I went to one when I was six or seven, before I appreciated football.
I haven’t been since, partly because it has never really come up, partly because I appreciate the comforts of my living room on NFL Sundays. Hard to justify freezing my ass off watching one football game when I can sit in my La-Z-Boy juggling several, pounding Buffalo wings.
I imagine I’ll make it out to the new place in due time, either with a credential or with a ticket, and I’m certain the experience is an enjoyable one. But I can’t be sure they have great wings there, nor that I’ll find a comfortable setting for eating wings, which require space and wet-naps and some sort of resting place for blue cheese.
Anyway, the other thing — and please excuse the ludditry — is sometimes I get worried that smartphones hamper our enjoyment of actual, analog life. This came up in the concert post a few days ago. Is having access to nearly unlimited information and a method of sharing it always a good thing?
Don’t get me wrong: I use the hell out of my iPhone. It makes my commute more bearable and ends arguments with rapidity. But there are times when I wonder if the constant connection to the Internet distracts me from the full breadth of certain experiences. Sometimes I just want to wonder about stuff, and I hope that my imagination is not hindered by knowing that answers to most questions are just a swipe of the keypad away.
Will the smartphone enhance the live NFL experience? Damned if I know. I’m just not sure I would even want to find out, lest it take something away from the sights, smells and sounds of a live sporting event I paid big bucks to see in person.
Tedquarters 
During ballgames I get distracted by using my phone alot of the time. I sometimes miss cool plays and some dingers. I hate myself every time.
Something of a tangent: If you’re a “watch football at a bar with a crowd” type of a person, 1849 on Bleecker Street is a good place to eat wings and drink beer and watch football.
I agree with you that most of the time, sitting at home is just as good as the live football game, but to me, the best part of going to Giants games (I go to 1-2 a year usually) is the tailgating. even when its cold, its just a good time to hang around, cook some food, and drinks some beers in the parking lot with your friends and fellow fans.
I mean you can do that at baseball games to and extent, but its another level at a Giant or Jets game. Its like a big party, then you go watch a football game. And if done right, you wont need to worry about eating anything once in the stadium.
Ted, my brother sent me this article earlier today. Read the last answer regarding “filming shows.”
http://www.guardian.co.uk/music/musicblog/2010/jul/26/ask-indie-professor
I for one, hate what technology has become. I will never, ever get a smart phone because like the article says, why meet the person next to you when you can bbm the people you already know or surf the internet in the comfort of your smart phone.