Ahh, Thanksgiving, turkey, football…what could be better? How about actually being at the game while eating turkey? Well, that’s what I managed to accomplish this thanksgiving. After a 16 hour drive from our corporate headquarters in Brookings and two major traffic jams on the interstate, I was in Detroit. Five rows up in the endzone, ten seats left of the center stairway became my seat at the Thanksgiving Day table as I ate a turkey leg, stuffing and cranberries from the concession stand and watched the Lions play the Packers.

Forfeiting my DVR to see the live action and the replays on monstrous video displays was an easy choice. I defined the statement “When in Rome…” by coughing up some cash for a foam claw and a Lions construction helmet.

Working in the LED and game-day graphics industry made it easy for me to notice the use of displays inside Ford Field. The effect that the “Defense” animation had on the fans when third downs came around was amazing. Just the sight of the word covering the displays brought fans to their feet screaming and cheering making it hard for the opposing team to hear play calls and audibles. This was my first-hand proof that game-day graphics make a huge impact on the game and can provide an advantage for the home team.

By the end of the game, Lions fans were talking about next season while the Packers fans were talking about a Wild Card spot in the playoffs. After another eternity in the car I was back in Brookings. The trip may have been long, but I still got my turkey and football on Thanksgiving.

(Post by Justin Ochsner)