Professional sports teams are attempting at a furious rate to lure fans away from the comfort of their couches to live games. And sweet technological upgrades to their home venues become a bigger selling point every year.
Roughly a dozen Major League Baseball clubs followed that strategy by making tech-centric improvements to their ballparks in advance of the 2011 season, which kicks off Thursday. Notable upgrades include ballpark-wide Wi-Fi access (Chicago White Sox) and LED high-definition ribbon boards (Arizona Diamondbacks). Here's a deeper look at nine other teams that have made similar significant upgrades.
Wi-Fi access at the Chicago stadium? Cell coverage in Cincinnati? I'd probably use it if I went to the ballpark, but it sure seems like we're missing the boat here. All you really need to have a good time at the ball park are a cap, a mitt, a hot dog, a beer, and a good friend or a date. It helps if the home team wins. Reading this put me in mind of passage from one of Updike's Rabbit novels, and I think I'll spend some time tomorrow looking for it.