The House That Philly Built

Infographic by Mike Grondahl Infographic by Mike Grondahl

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$330 million will buy one heck of a pad. Just ask the Philadelphia Eagles. This month, they move into their new home, a brand-new, state-of-the-art multimedia
coliseum. Here's an inside look at Lincoln Financial Field, the most high-tech stadium in the NFL.



1. Two-thirds of the 68,385 seats have a sideline view of the field.



2. By 2008, the stadium's management plans to offer instant replay and alternate-angle viewing over fans' wireless devices. The infrastructure for that is already in place, and architects predict fans will receive real-time stats and archived video over their PDAs and cellphones as early as 2004.



3. Sixty percent of the stadium's seating is on the lower level.



4. The 23-foot steel metaphorical â€talons" at the north and south ends of the
stadium are extensions of the structural supports.



5. Lincoln Financial Field is designed for socializing, with three open plaza
areas where fans can congregate. At Veterans Stadium (the Eagles' former home), the only place large enough for the notoriously enthusiastic fans to
gather was the basement holding cell.



6. Sideline seats are just 60 feet from the playing field.



7. The 700-plus speakers hidden under the
overhangs are angled to reduce echoing.
Controlled by computers, the system allows section-specific messaging and adjusts
speaker volume to compensate for crowd noise-which during playoff games
can reach 105 decibels. That means you'll hear the announcements no matter how rowdy the stands get.



8. LED boards around the outside of the stadium
broadcast the game to tailgating (or ejected) fans.