Dodgers: Fans Will Be Able to Cheer for Their Team, & Even Boo the Astros with New Tech
Thanks to COVID-19, fans will miss out on going to baseball games this season. Sadly, fans in Los Angeles will be missing quite possibly the best Dodgers team ever assembled. More importantly, fans all around baseball will be missing the opportunity to boo the cheating Houston Astros for all that cheating they did. Cheaters.
However, it seems like MLB has been working on a solution.
On Monday, MLB officials hosted a “virtual tech showcase” to show off new fan engagement efforts, along with broadcast enhancement and more. One key reveal during the showcase was the “Cheer at the Ballpark” feature.
New innovation from Major League Baseball will allow fans to cheer or boo in their app, ballpark staff can then match that up with the volume in the stadium. pic.twitter.com/YxqKTR7lYt
— Darren Rovell (@darrenrovell) July 20, 2020
Here’s more on the new feature for 2020.
Fans can utilize the “Cheer at the Ballpark” feature at MLB.com, allowing users to communicate their roars, applause, or boos to stadium staff at games they’re watching; those emotions will be incorporated into decisions by sound engineers regarding the piped-in ballpark sounds that will be added to the ambiance of every Major League game.
So yes, if someone asks you how you can cheer for the Dodgers, you can proudly tell them there’s an app for that.
While this is hardly the best solution, it’s a fine alternative in a world of cardboard cutouts and piped-in crowd noise. Moreover, fans having any control of that crowd noise simply makes the moment feel that much more authentic.
If you ask Justin Turner and Alex Wood, they are on board with this concept.
This is so sick. ?????? https://t.co/xfKAirCK5B
— Alex Wood (@Awood45) July 21, 2020
Personally, it’s tough to see this working as well as we’d hope or need it too. Broadcast delays add to already expected latency issues for the in-ballpark audio enginers. And fans watching on streaming apps or casting their devices to their TVs will be even further behind the game action.
Ultimately, we may file this into the thanks for trying category, but if fans are able to continually keep their finger on the “boo” button while the Dodgers are playing the Astros, then I guess it’s worth it.
What are your thoughts on this feature? Will you try it?
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This Dodger Girl says to have a golden opportunity to BOO THE CHEATERS would be OUTSTANDING!!!!
That could be nice, but I’d rather spend my time and money on Voodoo Dolls made to represent the Houston Cheaters players. A well timed curse with pin poke could be just right….Hey, it worked on Gilligan’s Island..
I have been a fan of the Dodgers, for 28 years and I find it really hard to take the cardboard cutouts seriously. Instead of putting money towards that, save it for next year, where you can BOO Houstin in person and all you want.
Dont care what people might think, but it would have been great if that fake MVP Altuve would have gotten injured today. Lets see how life treats that pathetic Astros team.
My question is: where’s the button! Read it but haven’t seen it on the app!