from the Associated Press :

A long-planned NFL experiment with on-field seating will begin Sunday with the Jacksonville at Minnesota game.

Four field seats for each game will be made available. The host teams, all of which volunteered to conduct the experiment, will choose which fans will sit in chairs located 12 yards from the sideline and not near bench areas. The home teams also will choose exactly where the seats are located.

The other games in the experiment will be the New York Giants at Washington on Dec. 5, Houston at Chicago on Dec. 19 and New England at Miami on Monday night, Dec. 20.

Steve LaCroix, Vikings vice president of sales and marketing, said four corporate sponsors or franchise guests will sit on the visitor’s side toward one of the end zones Sunday. They will be partially enclosed in a padded box and will sit on recliners with small TVs and cup holders.

“We have the space at our facility, whereas a lot of other facilities don’t,” LaCroix said.

LaCroix also said the seats could benefit the Vikings if the NFL goes through with the plan.

“Certainly we’re revenue challenged in the Metrodome, so that could be a potential benefit,” he said.

Innovative, perhaps, but not as envelope-pushing as my proposal to the league’s owners in which several lucky fans could experience NFL action firsthand, after being devoured alive by Sam Adams as part of the Bills DT’s pregame meal.