Tuesday Night Football: What Philly's Empty Stands Might Mean for NFL's Future

On Tuesday, the NFL did not play its first rescheduled game. Almost every other year, some sort of damage is done to the infrastructure of this stadium or that which makes the wizards behind the scheduling move things around. When the Vikings were told they'd have to wait around for a few extra days before they could chase Michael Vick around, it wasn't because something was wrong with the stadium. Something was wrong with the weather.

Or was it? In this day and age, technology's impact is changing not only the way games are played, but how they're viewed, also. Let popular television manufacturers tell it, buying one of their sets and watching the game in a pair of their funky glasses is exactly like being at the game in question. Doubtful that's the case, but team owners like Zygi Wilf will be competing with the phenomenon that is spreading among fans (which is to say their opinions matter). Buying an open-air stadium might garner more support from fans that believe in the elements being not only part of the Vikes' home-field advantage, but also closer to the essence of the game that they play. 

But how about 10 years from now? Or 20? 

On Monday, I was in a bar near downtown Atlanta, watching the Monday night game with both Falcons and Saints fans. New Orleans was in town for its yearly contest, a series which had gone their way more often than it hadn't, but Atlanta, the hometown heroes, were in the driver seat in the NFC South, which hadn't happened since people still remembered how to dance the dirty bird. 

When Drew Brees attempted that passing screen and threw the ball to the defensive lineman instead, the place exploded with cheers from the bathroom to the front door. And when they replayed Michael Turner's obvious fumble, it got quiet enough to hear the disparate cheers and claps of the Saints fans in attendance. It was sort of like being at the game, except the admission didn't cost $200 and the seating was roomy booths in a heated bar, which is to say I didn't mind that I wasn't there (especially since Matt Ryan and Mike Smith losing at home was so rare).

But I digress. Pennsylvania governor Ed Rendell stated that "we've become a nation of wusses," decrying the rescheduling of Sunday night's game. I'm not saying I disagree. But it may be time for the old guard to get with the new.