How the NFL Can Improve the Fan Experience Both in the Stadium and on TV

While it's true that the NFL reigns supreme in American culture, there's plenty to hate about the current state of the game. 

America is obsessed with the game of football, but not necessarily the NFL itself—it's simply at the top of the food chain.

Having to feed their addiction, fans religiously tune in to the NFL on Sunday, Monday, Thurs—every day of the week. The only problem is that as soon as 99 percent of fans take a seat to watch the game they love, something immediately irks them. 

The NFL is a lucrative business and keeping customers happy should be their top priority. Unfortunately, there's plenty of grumblings in the crowd these days.

If the NFL is serious about keeping their fanbase content with the perfect balance of action and entertainment, they'll deeply consider these suggestions on how to improve the fans' experience. 

The Extra Point: It's Time to Make Preseason Tickets Free

Sure, the NFL preseason doesn't count and the stars are on the field for about three plays, but fans would flood stadiums if it were free. 

What does the NFL have to lose by doing this? Nothing.

In fact, the stadium and the city would make money. 

By the time the first preseason game rolls around, fans are thirsting for NFL football. Every fan wants to see their teams' latest jerseys, free-agent additions and rookie draft picks. It would also give those fans who can't afford a regular season game a chance to see their squad. 

For that brief moment in time, every team has a clean slate, as fans have eternal optimism for their favorite franchise.  

Albeit preseason, this move would benefit everyone involved.

It's Time to Let the Fans Vote on an Official Rule

When it comes to rules in the NFL, we the people deserve a vote.

With the world being connected at the finger tips, voting on an official NFL rule would be simple.

In the future, the fans should be allowed to vote on a proposed rule change.

The system would be set up where every fan only gets one vote. 

The proposed rule wouldn't deal with player safety. Instead, fans should get to could vote on official overtime rules.  

Additionally, maybe fans could vote on what jerseys their team wears at select home games. 

In any event, NFL fans pay the bills and it's time we get some say in our vested interest. 

It's Time That Monday Night Football Goes Back to a Cable-Free TV Near You

The fact that Monday Night Football is on cable is a shame. 

The NFL is known for its Monday night party, but now much of the crowd is out in the cold if they don't have cable. 

If the NFL was as blue-collar as they portray themselves to be, then MNF would be on ABC and not ESPN. 

The league wouldn't be where it is today if it wasn't for MNF being broadcast nationwide for decades. 

It's time that the NFL comes to its senses and broadcasts MNF across the antenna again. 

It's Time That NFL RedZone Is Broadcast on Basic Cable

The NFL RedZone channel is the best thing to ever happen to the league. 

The channel has become a must for fantasy football players as the channel shows every scoring play the league has to offer. 

The only problem with RedZone is that it comes with a price. Not only do you have to have cable, but you have to pay to upgrade your sports package to include this channel. 

Right now, it's the closest thing to pay-per-view that the NFL has to offer. 

RedZone on basic cable would be a dream come true for all NFL fans. 

It's Time for the NFL to Encourage Tailgating

The NFL needs to encourage fans to tailgate.  

The sights, sounds and smells of a parking lot near the stadium on game day is a magnificent thing to be a part of. 

Tailgating becomes its own culture and all should get a taste. 

If the NFL released a tailgating campaign, the culture would thicken and bring the community closer.

Encouraging fans to tailgate doesn't translate to the league encouraging fans to slam booze and act a fool—it translates to the league promoting a tight-knit community of comrades sharing a common dream. 

It's Time to Model the Instant Replay Review Process After the NHL

Enough of going under the hood for what seems like an hour; the NFL must change the way they utilize their instant replay. 

A suggestion would be to make the process similar to what the NHL does. While the NFL is working its way to the NHL system, it's not there yet.

In 2012, a new replay system will be put into place in the NFL, but that doesn't mean it won't take a lifetime to get an answer. 

The NHL has a "situation room" room located near its league headquarters where multiple officials promptly make a ruling on plays that call for review. This takes the pressure off the main referee and speeds the game up while getting the correct call.

Even though the NFL has instant replay, many times the final decision can be disputed. With a "supreme court" style of ruling on judgment calls, the NFL would improve immensely. 

It's Time to Cut the Commercials

Let's face it—an NFL game is a three-hour commercial with about 15 minutes of action packed somewhere in the middle. 

As B/R's own Ty Schalter pointed out in a great article last week, the rate at which commercials are shown during a game are enough to make fans turn the channel more than they should have to. 

Cut the hullabaloo and play the game—diehard fans already clear their calendars on Sunday afternoons 16 times a season. 

Mr. Goodell: Do all fans a favor and switch to another game for 90 seconds. Heck, scroll a commercial across the bottom of the screen if need be—just show football. 

It's Time to Dump the Super Bowl Halftime Show and Replace It with an UFC Fight

Who really watches the Super Bowl halftime show anymore?

Do you really want to see a 40-something confirm that they don't have it anymore on the world's largest stage? 

The Super Bowl should feature a top-notch UFC bout during halftime.

There could even be an iconic rock band like Guns N' Roses playing in the background to set the appropriate ambiance. 

This would give the millions of spectators something to pay attention to at halftime of the big game. 

Crossbred advertisement has been all the rage over the past decade—how rad would it be if the Super Bowl featured an UFC fight at halftime?

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