The Falcons have tapped Daktronics to "build the unique circular video board planned for the team’s new downtown stadium," according to Tim Tucker of the ATLANTA JOURNAL-CONSTITUTION. The Falcons and Daktronics in a release said the board will be “three times as large as the current largest single display board in the NFL,” which was installed last year at the Jaguars' EverBank Field. The Falcons’ board "will be incorporated into the opening of the stadium's retractable roof." The team "declined to disclose the cost of the board." Daktronics "has installed video displays" in 20 current NFL venues." In addition to the circular board, the company "will install more than 20,000 square feet of other LED boards" in the new Falcons stadium, including "multiple ribbon boards" (AJC.com, 1/30). The "63,800-square-foot, non-traditional LED video display will be more than five stories high" (BIZJOURNALS.com, 1/30).
MAKE SOME NOISE: ESPN.com's Adam Schefter cited sources saying that the NFL has been investigating the Falcons' use of "artificial crowd noise in the Georgia Dome over the past two seasons." Sources said that the offense is "expected to result in discipline, with the Falcons being fined and quite possibly losing a draft choice." A Falcons spokesperson said, "We were informed during the season that the league office is looking into crowd noise during our games. We have cooperated fully with them, and we're awaiting the outcome" (ESPN.com, 2/1).
BIG & BOLD: Daktronics was profiled on "CBS Sunday Morning" yesterday, with CBS' Lee Cowan noting the company is in an "arms race to build the biggest and most vivid video scoreboards in all of football." Daktronics co-Founder Al Kurtenbach said of the firm's products being used at the '80 Lake Placid Olympics, “That was really a turning point for us.” Cowan noted the NFL is "counting on bigger being better to entice fans off their comfy couches.” Jaguars Senior Exec Producer/Gameday & Events Larry Rosen said, “You have your 62-inch HD and your man cave or whatever is your great reason to stay home. I need to provide you with a different kind of experience that you can only get in a venue." Kurtenbach said of whether stadium screens can get any bigger, “It depends on how large the checkbook is. That will be a factor. If the checkbook is large, we’ll sure try to build it” (“CBS Sunday Morning,” 2/1).
