Live sports: Better at the stadium or with VR?

I came across an article this week highlighting the use of Virtual Reality (VR) in sports. A company called LiveLikeVR is said to be building the worlds first VR stadium. CEO Andre Lorenceau explains his goals for this new technology "Sports is not about being ‘on the field’ for the whole game, it’s about being able to hang with your friends, doing stuff while there’s a two-minute timeout, seeing replays, stats, and more.”

VR has always seemed weird to me. Mainly because I don't understand it. I often give funny looks to people as they step into VR booths to try it out for the first time. 

So my goal here is to objectively break down this new venture by looking at each aspect of a sporting experience to see who has the advantage: VR or the Stadium.

The Cost 

Factbook reports that the average family of four will spend at least $650 to attend a live sporting event in 2015. That includes tickets, parking, food, and souvenirs. Here lies an opportunity for VR. A Samsung Gear VR will costs only $150, even if you have to buy four to outfit the entire family, it’s still cheaper than attending one game. AND. You can use the VR’s over and over again. 

Edge: VR

Watching the Game

While I have never used VR, I can almost guarantee you that it doesn’t come close to replicating the stadium experience. Sitting in Kauffman or Arrowhead, two of the loudest stadiums in the country, has to be close to impossible to replicate. Not to mention the entire gameday experience that is nothing short of amazing. Walking to the stadium with the smell of juicy hotdogs filling the fresh air, giving high-fives to random people and then sharing the victory with 40K of your newest friends are what makes the stadium experience irreplaceable. 

Edge: Stadium

Social 

One of the benefits that was touted in this article was being able to connect online with friends while watching the game. This sounds great in theory. Being able to partake in the same experience with people across the world is something the stadium experience can’t beat. But for me, I’m usually so engrained in the game that I’m not worrying about posting pictures or videos to social during the game. I’m there to take in the play-by-play experience, yelling at the umpire from the upper deck and filling out a scorecard as if were a traveling scout. For the average fan though, social media is more important. I can attest to the fact that often at a stadium my service is slow and data is spotty. So, if constant updating social media is your thang, VR is the smart choice.

Advantage: VR

Game Stats

This is a no brainer. With multiple screens the user can toggle through, VR gives a more immersive game experience. If I can switch between batting stats, fielding stats, replays, highlights and player content all while the game is still going on and I don’t miss any game action, then I’m in heaven. Many stadiums have failed to provide this type of access for fans. Yes, some stadiums have increased their Wi-Fi and also offer tablets and apps for a better in-game experiences, but nothing comes close to what this VR experience could be. 

Advantage: VR

Down Time

When you're at the stadium there is not much to occupy yourself with in-between game action. Maybe a few vendors dance on the dugout or two fans do the bat race, but for the most part you’re kinda stuck twiddling your thumbs or trying to find a cell signal. If you're like me, most of your down-time is spent waiting in the beer, hotdog or bathroom line. As VR opens to advertising, brands will have to create content that fits with the medium. You will probably see more tech companies advertising as VR is a platform filled heavily with early adopters. One can hope that the ads will be more engaging and immersive than the crap filling our TV's these days. On the down side, since the platform is new there will be major growing pains. Cheap buys will bring many low-budget brands into the fold, lots of experimentation, trial and error. Is the VR experience worth that?

Advantage: Stadium

If you've been keeping score, it looks like VR comes out a winner. But at the end of the day, the idea of sitting in a room with a headset on to watch the big game just doesn’t feel right. 

This story spurs my fascination with technology. It's creeping into every experience we have ever known. That may not be a bad thing but we need to be careful that it doesn’t ruin human interactions. Sports are the one experience where complete strangers get along for a few hours and can become instant friends. That can’t happen with VR. Because of that, I’m still on the fence. But I’m eager to watch this innovation take off and see how brands use it as a new advertising platform. 

Jordan gets his own store in Chicago

My passion for Chicago goes back to my days as a young kid. I remember sitting in front of the TV watching MJ go off. There was the flu game, the buzzerbeater in the finals vs. the Jazz and the shrug against the Blazers. Those and many more endeared me to the Bulls. 

MJ's motley crew was fun to watch as well. You had those centers, Longley, Wennington and Cartwright and who could forget Dennis Rodman, aka "The Worm". The Bulls were my team in the 90’s.

I also have a passion for sneakers, and come to think of it, I can probably thank MJ for sparking that love. 

I bring all this up because of my nearly uncontainable excitement for Saturday. 11/24/2015 marks the grand opening of the Jordan store here in Chicago. 

There are reports that people have been lining up since Monday to buy some signature heat and maybe, just maybe, get a glimpse of MJ in person. Word on the street is "His Airness" is not planning on attending but they can always hope. 

So, what's inside? The first floor is dedicated to sales. From shoes to clothing to memorabilia - all Jordan. That’s cool. But what really gets me amped is what lies on the second floor. 

Known as Station 23. A 3,400 sq. ft gym dedicated to helping kids and teens become better ballers. Not with shoes, shorts or dri-fit tanks but through technology. 

This area is for serious hoopers, with rumors saying that taking the court will be "by invite only". I have a pretty sweet 3 point shot. Problem is, I may be a bit past my prime. 

Included at Station 23 is a training lab with the Noah system. Technology that analysis the shooters arc angle and provides feedback if it's too short, too long or just right. 

I’ve seen a lot of these gadgets pop up lately. Many promise improvements passed your wildest dreams. Most fall short because they just track the number of shots made. Digital stat boys. After reading a bit about Noah, it seems legit. It's more than a stat tracker as it uses sensors and technology passed my understanding to analyze the shooters technique. Helping to perfect their form. 

Here lies an opportunity for Station 23. Pair this system with employees who understand the game, who are not high-school drop outs that couldn’t get a job at Footlocker, and this could be a game changer in the hoops world. We could be witness to the lasting legacy MJ has on the youth. Not only outfitting them with the best gear but also bringing in technology and skills training to help young people reach their full basketball potential. 

Other elements of Station 23 include a digital training screen. Now when I first heard about this I thought this is another stupid screen put in the middle of the store enticing people to show of their skills, or lack of, and embarrass themselves in front of shoppers. But from the looks of it, this training area is legit. Kids can learn dribbling and footwork skills from CP3, Westbrook and Melo. This is where teens with talent go to amplify their skills. 

As you might be able to tell, I’m stoked about this store. Could we be seeing a new retail trend emerge where technology truly enhances the shoppers experience with the product passed the window shopping and buying experience. I'm not surprised Nike, er Jordan, is the first to do this. Don't be surprised if you see brands like Apple, AT&T and LEGO follow suit. 

Husband duties will keep me from attending the grand opening but you can bet your balls, basketballs that is, that I will be taking a stroll down State street next week to check out the environment. Succezz, watch out. You have sneaker competition in the Chicago.

A new direction for Flying Reddog

Don't be confused, it's not the band One Direction.

It's been almost two years since I last put key to keyboard on this blog-o-mine. I've done a lot of soul searching. Wait what? Who does that? This is real life. Basically, I got bored with the one-off stories and rando posts I was producing. I wish I could tell you over the last two years I have found my purpose and am now ready to write.

But it doesn't work like that. At least for me. The good news is I have found a new fresh, hopefully enjoyable topic to write about.

As a strategist at R/GA I'm constantly working on projects that integrate technology and with people who are sups talented in the tech field. Their smarts amaze me as I lack a good understanding of how technology works. What I do know is sports and many people who know tech don't know sports. Interesting huh. So, the point of me writing here is to share my thoughts, opinions, hopes and dreams about products, brands and stories that merge technology with sports.

My hope is that by writing this I learn more about technology and you learn more about both.

But don't expect me to stay 100% true to this new direction. If the mood hits me right, like a fall breeze in Chicago, I may write about anything. I'm sure it will still have a sports angle to it.

So. Stay tuned. Stick around. Comment. Agree. Disagree. And enjoy!