Tom Wilson, who previously worked for Palace Sports & Entertainment before taking a job with Mike Ilitch, recently talked a bit about what a new arena in Detroit would likely include. He didn't get into too much detail about the possible future arena (or the sale of the Pistons to the Ilitches), but he did mention that one of the focuses would be on technology.
Wilson did not break any news in his remarks, but his musings on what a new arena would be like hinted that a new downtown arena could set a standard much as the Davidson-owned Palace of Auburn Hills did when it opened in the 1980s.
Noting that fans today can get more replays from an iPhone app than from an arena screen, Wilson said, "You have to put a lot of technology in and anticipate what people are going to want." He added, "I think you’re going to see an awful lot more technology in a new building."
Many of the arenas in the NBA and NHL today are based largely on The Palace. Going forward, however, there is a definite need to start moving in a new direction technology-wise. Yes, all of the new arenas today feature lots of flat-screen TVs and a large HD videoboard, but there is a lot of room to get creative with technology. Based on what Wilson said, it sounds like a new Detroit arena would do just that, bringing lots of technology to the likely future home of the Red Wings and Pistons.