New England Patriots install America's largest outdoor stadium scoreboard - will affect wind pattern

[chongli]

Didn't see this posted.

 

 

From the article:

 

"Patriots coach Bill Belichick says the giant new video board installed at Gillette Stadium this offseason could affect the game on the field.

 

The video board is 370 feet wide and 60 feet high and stretches across the north end zone, which had previously been open. Belichick said today that he wants his kickers to get plenty of practice inside the stadium to get a feel for how much the new board will change wind patterns.

 

“We saw a lot of that in the spring, so we can’t control that, whatever it is, it is. It’s a learning experience for these guys. We’ll kick in the stadium when we can. Obviously those conditions have changed a little bit, so we’ll see how that goes. It’s a work in progress,” Belichick said.

 

Belichick said it’s clear that kicking in the stadium is different now.

 

“We were in there this spring a little bit,” Belichick said. “Yeah, there’s some changes. Yeah.”

 

The Patriots’ new video board is the largest at any outdoor stadium in America."

 

[end]

 

I hope this doesn't' give the Pats too much of an advantage. They will know how the wind affect kicks, while other teams will have to learn. I have this nagging suspicion that Belichick is up to something, lol.

 

[Also, thanks to @Bubba Gump for the title suggestion!]

Edited July 29, 2023 by chongli

[Bubba Gump]

Hey, another way to alter the game "legally". They need every advantage they can get and will stop at nothing to do it. 

 

Should also add "outdoor" to the title. It's a bit misleading. There are bigger scoreboards, Dallas maybe and def So-Fi.

[chongli]

  On 7/29/2023 at 4:23 AM, Bubba Gump said:

Hey, another way to alter the game "legally". They need every advantage they can get and will stop at nothing to do it. 

 

Should also add "outdoor" to the title. It's a bit misleading. There are bigger scoreboards, Dallas maybe and def So-Fi.

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Good catch! Corrected.

[4merper4mer]

How big of a scoreboard is needed to write “0”?

 

Mac Jones is still their QB after all.

[Bubba Gump]

  On 7/29/2023 at 4:26 AM, 4merper4mer said:

How big of a scoreboard is needed to write “0”?

 

Mac Jones is still their QB after all.

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You know they won't be showing the replays of McDorkle kicking players in the nuts or trying to twist their ankles. 

[K-9]

[Lost]

  On 7/29/2023 at 4:26 AM, 4merper4mer said:

How big of a scoreboard is needed to write “0”?

 

Mac Jones is still their QB after all.

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I'd like to see what the scoreboard can do at the QB position for them.

[JJGauna]

Bill Bellicheat has resorted to weather modification! When will the cheating end lol.

[RobbRiddick]

Cool, so now we get to make jokes about Mac Jones not being able to hit the broad side of a scoreboard

[Bray Wyatt]

So the patriots are buying the whole wind confusion thing haha

[NoSaint]

  On 7/29/2023 at 4:23 AM, Bubba Gump said:

Hey, another way to alter the game "legally". They need every advantage they can get and will stop at nothing to do it. 

 

Should also add "outdoor" to the title. It's a bit misleading. There are bigger scoreboards, Dallas maybe and def So-Fi.

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imagine the kicking advantage we are buying with a new stadium

 

A little side eye to this, as obviously the team was getting the board to engage fans now that the stadium experience is sagging with the team underperforming. That said, May as well make the most of it and get in visiting kickers heads 

[SoCal Deek]

I saw one of them at Best Buy but my wife told me ‘no way’! 

[PBF81]

At 370' that's longer than the field.

 

Maybe Belichick's compensating given how poorly his Pats are doing.  

 

 

[Mr. WEO]

  On 7/29/2023 at 4:23 AM, Bubba Gump said:

Hey, another way to alter the game "legally". They need every advantage they can get and will stop at nothing to do it. 

 

Should also add "outdoor" to the title. It's a bit misleading. There are bigger scoreboards, Dallas maybe and def So-Fi.

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SoFi is not an indoor/enclosed stadium.  It has a canopy.  It is open on the sides.

[Pabstblueribbon]

I'm at the point where I will be disappointed if there wasn't a division of mad scientist engineer types exploring every possible home field advantage during the design phase of the new Bills Stadium. 

[Virgil]

Josh is going to look sexy AF on that thing

[Mr. WEO]

This is PFT quoting a football HC as saying the scoreboard, in his opinion, could affect the wind. 

 

Naturally, PFT headlines:

 

"Gillette Stadium's giant new video board changes wind patterns, affects kickers."

 

right on cue, everyone bites.

 

 

[Nextmanup]

Of course this will impact the wind to a degree...they have basically chosen to wall in an open end of the stadium and cover it with a giant score board.

 

 This is the North end prior as it was...look how open it is.

 

I never liked this stadium, architecturally.

 

[RobbRiddick]

  On 7/29/2023 at 1:11 PM, Virgil said:

Josh is going to look sexy AF on that thing

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His hands will look like King Kong's

[Beck Water]

  On 7/29/2023 at 4:23 AM, Bubba Gump said:

Hey, another way to alter the game "legally". They need every advantage they can get and will stop at nothing to do it. 

 

Should also add "outdoor" to the title. It's a bit misleading. There are bigger scoreboards, Dallas maybe and def So-Fi.

Expand  

 

As Mark Sanchez once said on TV, "I would never say they cheat.  I would say that they're relentless in their search for a competitive advantage"