Chicago Cubs: Top 3 new Marquee-tech we’d love to see

Chicago Cubs: Welcome to the number one ‘Fan-cam’

When thinking about tech that MSN could adopt, you have to believe in dimensional terms of sight and sound. Since the dimension of touch or feeling on television is something in the future, we are stuck to deal with things we can hear and see.

In audio, ESPN has just tipped the bucket in all the fun things that can be done if MLB, the Players Union, and the Umpires union can all agree to let it happen. If they did…

Imagine fun games where the Umpire is allowed to hear everything the pitcher is saying, but the pitcher can’t hear anything, or the outfielders can all hear the entire infield. Many things can be done in audio that would not constitute any cheating. But let’s get away from audio and imagine our third coolest tech idea: the Fan-Cam.

Imagine if one piece of the outfield wall, maybe where one of the Under Armour signs cuts into the ivy, were a huge video screen that had one fan on it, sitting in a seat watching, booing or cheering throughout the game? The fan would be 10 feet tall or as big as the video screen. A large piece of plastic would protect the screen from being damaged by balls or players falling into it.

If the Cubs are doing what they should be doing on the field, then the number one fan is up out of his or her seat on the screen and cheering. Imagine if Cubs outfielder Ian Happ went running for a ball and dove and caught it for a spectacular out, and when he got to his feet, the Fan-Cam was right there in the outfield, giving him the thumbs up and Happ returning the gesture. Of course, if the Cubs were stinking up the joint, the Fan-Cam would also let them know.

Fan-cam participants could be rotated, so only the most deserving fans get the chance to have their image on the Fan-Cam and the field. This is taking tech to the next level by bringing the fan onto the field for some thumbs down or thumbs up action, depending on how the Cubs are doing.

A gigantic Cubs fan projected onto a panel on the field, probably near centerfield, wouldn’t need approval from MLB or anyone. Currently, advertisements, ivy, tarp and even fencing run on outfield walls across MLB fields and stadiums.

With all the innovations in tech-baseball, the Fan-Cam is certainly one idea that TV Networks like MSN and others should consider. However, if they don’t like the Fan-Cam, then they certainly will like ‘Contreras-Cam.’