i disagree with most of this. i went to the san diego game last year. it was the first nfl game i've been to in over a decade (when i lived back east). i was shocked by how slow the "live" game was (i've had the nfl ticket for well over 10 years). maybe it was the fact that the bills sucked that day. maybe it was the fact that the "jumbotron" there was anything but. the time-outs and instant replays bored the crap out of me. watching a game at home, on tv, is a million times more interesting, particularly because it allows the viewer to dissect everything in minutia, thereby increasing the drama. all that dead time between plays is diminished.
i don't think any sport has been more enhanced by technology. the time between play is shortened, consumed by replays and second-guessing, and the drama is greatly heightened. if anything, football needs to rely more on technology, not less.
regardless, as far as live-viewing, no sport holds a candle to hockey. it's not ever close.