Gillette is a great stadium. I love it. There are bars, restaurants, and lingerie stores. Everything a football fan needs. When Shep and I took a tour of the half-finished structure back in 2000 -- Patriot Place was just a glimmer in Kraft's eye -- we looked at the end zones and tried to imagine how big the video screens would be. Would they wrap across the entire end zone? Would they rise above the stadium facade? They don't call them
Jumbotrons for nothing. The possibilities -- and dimensions -- seemed limitless. When we arrived for opening night the next fall we learned the possibilities were indeed very limited. You can't have a video screen wrap around the entire end zone if you have a McDonald's logo blocking the way. Or a giant ad for Bank of America. Why didn't we realize that?
Jumbotrons for nothing. The possibilities -- and dimensions -- seemed limitless. When we arrived for opening night the next fall we learned the possibilities were indeed very limited. You can't have a video screen wrap around the entire end zone if you have a McDonald's logo blocking the way. Or a giant ad for Bank of America. Why didn't we realize that?What's so important about a video screen you ask. Aren't we supposed to be watching the game on the field? Of course. But 1) not everyone sits as close as we do to the field and 2) watching replays and highlights from the Pats game and other games are part of the experience. For the price I'm paying to go to the games is it too much to ask that I get to see what fans sitting at home see? And in HD? It was too much too ask for years. In fact, Shep asked every year since 2001.
Every season ticket holder account gets to fill out a survey at the end of each year and gets to ask questions and make comments. Shep would ask Mr. Kraft for three things. 1) Keep parking prices the same (ha!), 2) Replace the video screens with ones big enough to see, and 3) Build scented misting tents that you could walk through after the post-game tailgate so you wouldn't arrive home smelling of beef and beer. He still hasn't heard back on that one. But finally our video screen prayers have been answered.
Here are the facts and figures: The screen on the South side will be 41-feet wide and 164-feet high. 164-feet high! Now that will make marching out into the cold and snow a little more worth it as I get older. The screen on the North side will be a tad smaller. There is a bridge and lighthouse on that end so that limits the available real estate.
The press release from the Patriots states that the new screens will allow more replays from the game to be shown in the stadium. Now that will be a huge change. Those who have been to games at Gillette know that there are almost no replays shown during the game. It is maddening. We always assumed the Krafts didn't want the fans to watch controversial plays over and over again and get them riled up. Turns out they didn't have the technology to show replays. I look forward to seeing a 164-foot Randy Moss hauling in TD catch after TD catch.
I can't wait till the first preseason game to get a look at the newest members of the Patriots. The two giant video screens.
Every season ticket holder account gets to fill out a survey at the end of each year and gets to ask questions and make comments. Shep would ask Mr. Kraft for three things. 1) Keep parking prices the same (ha!), 2) Replace the video screens with ones big enough to see, and 3) Build scented misting tents that you could walk through after the post-game tailgate so you wouldn't arrive home smelling of beef and beer. He still hasn't heard back on that one. But finally our video screen prayers have been answered.
Here are the facts and figures: The screen on the South side will be 41-feet wide and 164-feet high. 164-feet high! Now that will make marching out into the cold and snow a little more worth it as I get older. The screen on the North side will be a tad smaller. There is a bridge and lighthouse on that end so that limits the available real estate.
The press release from the Patriots states that the new screens will allow more replays from the game to be shown in the stadium. Now that will be a huge change. Those who have been to games at Gillette know that there are almost no replays shown during the game. It is maddening. We always assumed the Krafts didn't want the fans to watch controversial plays over and over again and get them riled up. Turns out they didn't have the technology to show replays. I look forward to seeing a 164-foot Randy Moss hauling in TD catch after TD catch.
I can't wait till the first preseason game to get a look at the newest members of the Patriots. The two giant video screens.
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