Editor's note: I'll be tweeting from today's news conference at Quicken Loans Arena, which formally will reveal Dan Gilbert's purchase of the Arena Football League's Cleveland Gladiators. Another good reason for you to follow me on Twitter. And we'll be back here tomorrow with any relevant points from the news conference, and will have more coverage in Monday's print edition of Crain's.

Quicken Loans Arena has unveiled a new technology allowing suite customers to use touch-screen technology to place orders. From a news release:

Quicken Loans Arena is the first sports and entertainment facility in the country to debut the innovative SmartTouch technology that enables suite guests to order food and drinks, purchase merchandise, event tickets and more with a tap of a screen, all from the comfort of their suite.

Developed by New York-based Incentient, a company creating and maintaining visionary hardware and software solutions to unite clients with their customers, SmartTouch is a fully customizable interactive guest experience operating on a 9.5-inch iPad 2 and enabling two-way communication in real time. With SmartTouch, The Q's products and services are brought to life for customers in a compelling, interactive format using proprietary software offering the opportunity for boundless content delivery and customization.

This reminds me of a great “Seinfeld” line, when Kramer says — I'm paraphrasing — that pretty soon you're going to be able to just think of someone to call and you'll call them. Last week, I passed along a link to a new technology available at Madison Square Garden with wireless charging stations available at seats.

A little surprised, yeah

Color me surprised: Previously, I've mocked Sherrod Brown's incessant push to end the NFL's TV blackout rule, but it appears he's making progress. The Federal Communications Commission, according to The Business Courier of Cincinnati, plans to reconsider its blackout rule.

Wow.

“We are one step closer to ending the blackout rule,” Brown said in a news release. “Today, the FCC announced that it would begin taking public comment on the blackout rule, an outdated rule which is unfair to the teams, the fans, and especially the taxpayers. Although the Bengals season ended last week, I'll keep fighting to repeal the blackout rule.”

Fixing a real football player's knee

The Cleveland Clinic and doctor Richard Parker — an Austintown native, like me! — are featured in this story from The Guardian on well-known goalkeeper Nicky Weaver, whose troublesome knee was repaired by a then-new procedure at the Clinic.

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If you're not following me on Twitter, what are you waiting for? And, I trust you're listening to Crain's podcasts?

And, of course, email me with any news tips you see fit for this space.

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