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GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Arizona Cardinals fans heading to Friday's preseason game against the Oakland Raiders will notice some new things inside University of Phoenix Stadium.

One change is when a coach throws the challenge flag, fans will see what the referee sees.

"One of the additions that the NFL has instituted at stadiums this year is that, when the referee goes 'under the hood' [to watch a replay of a play that is being challenged], that same feed will be up on our video board," said John Drum, Cardinals vice president of operations. "What the referees are seeing, the fans will be able to see inside the stadium."

Drum said the team is looking forward to the addition because fans will no longer have to wait for the call.

"This new addition by the league is something that we welcome," he said. "I think it's something that the fans will also enjoy. There was always kind of that not knowing what was going on, not knowing what the referee was seeing.

"Certainly, the fans saw the play in person when it was happening, but to see the replay close up is really going to be a great addition to the game day experience at University of Phoenix Stadium."

Drum said the Cardinals have added message boards in the corners of the stadium that will give the fans more information.

"Scores from around the league," he said. "When we get to the regular season, it will have the all-important fantasy football stats to find out how teams are doing."

One thing that won't be new Friday is a sellout crowd, No. 64. "That's a tremendous show of support in the Valley," Drum said. The team has sold each every home game since its debut in the stadium.

Bob McClay, Reporter

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  • Abuse
    Hummer71 wrote...
    Hey baseball
    Imagine that. Letting the fans at the game see the replay. Unlike MLB where no one at the stadium can see a close replay because the MLB umpires union forbids it. Can't have the paying customers booing the umpires. Heaven forbid.
  • Abuse
    ILOVESB1070 wrote...
    Baseball is like Boxing
    It is slowly dieing off and no one cares about these egotistical babies anymore anyway !!
  • Abuse
    PRH wrote...
    Wow -
    64 straight sell outs. Just 10 years ago this team could barely get 35K to pile into Sun Devil every Sunday. Maybe 45- 50K when the Cowboys or Steelers came to town. 64 straight sell outs is really a testament to several things. 1) Air conditioning/better seating/amenities - all greatly missed during the 105 degree days sitting on metal bleachers in Tempe.
  • Abuse
    PRH wrote...
    cont..
    2) Putting the Stadium in the West Valley, Tempe is a great college town, and enormous, but most Cards fans come from those places in AZ with full time residents (like Glendale, Phoenix, Deer Valley and Peoria in the WV) not part time college students.
  • Abuse
    PRH wrote...
    cont.
    3) Michael Bidwill finally taking over day to day operations of the franchise. It's a slap in the face hearing some still criticize the Bidwills when the team does poorly. Especially to those of us who actually remember all 15+ years when the ownership was actually the real reason behind the team's poor results. No more. Michael has paid big money to the team's good, core players to stay in AZ and he has shown a commitment to turing the history of this franchise around.
  • Abuse
    PRH wrote...
    last.
    Now if the staff and F/O could just find a QB. There are still haters out there, and there always wiill be, but this team has gone from the laughing stock of Valley sports, to far and away the most popular sports team this state has. That is quite an accomplishment - and 64 straight sell outs, doesn't lie.
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