Doug Thornton looks back from the seating area inside the Mercedes-Benz Superdome and imagines what the future could be.
He sees a Dome without 80,000 square feet of ramps that cut into what could be prime club-level space located between the 30-yard lines. He sees new, ground-level entry points located at the two corners adjacent to Poydras Street.
Then, with his body turned toward the seats, the executive vice president of stadiums and arenas for SMG sweeps one hand toward the top deck in the 43-year-old stadium. There, he sees a standing-room only deck space similar to what the Dallas Cowboys have at their state-of-the-art stadium.