The National Football League has always been on the cutting edge of technology. They give fans the ability to stay interactive outside the stadium, adding to the overall popularity of the league.
But the modernity of the NFL may prove to be its worst enemy.
Many predict that attendance at NFL stadiums will drop for the third consecutive season. At the same time, the TV ratings are at an all-time high.
What do you expect when the rate of media consumption is as high as it is today?
On Sunday afternoon, don't you want to be flipping back and forth from FOX to CBS to check how your fantasy team is doing? Or to see if the Jets cover the point spread against the Patriots? Maybe you want to see if you're going to advance in your survival pool.
Consider a snowy, 15-degree day in Buffalo and the guy in the seat next to you is wasted and won't stop yelling. You have to pee, but the line for the bathroom is 10 minutes long. You want a beer to make it all feel better, but you don't want to spend $8 on a 20 oz. Coors Light draft.
Why not just watch the game at home?
Let me describe to you what I like to call my "Sunday Setup."
I sit in front of my new HDTV, flipping back and forth between the televised football games. I have my computer next to me for updates on my fantasy team and I'm typically eating chicken wings and drinking a $9 six-pack of my favorite seasonal beer.
The view I get from my couch is much better than what I can get from any seat in the stadium.
Oh, and the best part is that I'm not paying for the price of admission to the game.
Don't get me wrong, I love going to games. But if you do a simple pros and cons list, watching the game from your comfortable couch just makes more sense.
The NFL has evolved so fast that it's become a victim of its own progression. The league was one step ahead of the pack with the launch of the NFL Network and now has viewer's right where they want with the RedZone Channel.
There's a reason the NFL is one of the top professional sports leagues. The league has always progressed with society and it has always made changes to better itself.
As a result, the NFL is popular enough to the point where people would be willing to pay to watch a game on TV. I wouldn't be surprised if football fans are forced to order games on Pay-Per-View within the next decade.
But I'm completely fine with that. I'll probably buy a season ticket package to watch all of my Denver Broncos with my Tim Tebow jersey on.
