Texas Stadium – Battle of the Media Titans

I’m not a big Dallas Cowboys fan.  But having shot a video with Hall-of-Famer Terry Bradshaw on the old Texas Stadium field, I agree the Cowboys needed a home.  With it’s 100,000 person capacity, its a  monument to how important football is in Texas.

However, for my money the most interesting first match-up was not on the field, but instead how two news organizations approached the story differently using multimdia.  The New York Times approach used a 3-D animation narrated by its architecture critic.  USA Today’s feature was more interactive – allowing viewers to use a scrubber bar to explore the stadium features.

USA Today

New York Times

There are appealing features of each approach.  Which do you find more engaging and effective?  My assessment is that the USA Today concept is very appealing – but lacks a bit on the execution — it feels clunky.  USA Today also misses an opportunity with the substance which just recites the stats on the stadium without any real analysis.   The Times approach is more informative – even though it lacks true interactivity.  Looking at these two sites validates that you need to develop and execute a sound interactive interface – but also have the content to engage your audience.

Speaking of interactive, the controversial HD screen above the field could become the next great online game.  Try to punt the ball high enough to hit the screen.