Football's Yellow Line Explained

How do they get that yellow line to show up on-screen in a football game? The one the offense has to cross to pick up a first down?

Will the day ever come that the players will see that line? Probably not, but here's an interesting video about the making and implementation of the yellow line we've so come to love in watching NFL and NCAA football on TV.

What on earth did we do before this? Guess where the first down line was based on where the orange stick-holding chain gang was on the sideline? That is so 1995.

The technology was unveiled in 1998 by Sportvision and adopted first by ESPN, landing the network an Emmy for technical innovation. It was aptly named 1st and Ten.

"That yellow line has become such a staple in U.S. football that no self-respecting network would think of televising a game without it," according to the IEEE Spectrum article.

This despite the hefty $2 million pricetag for development.

Thanks Twitter, for pointing me in the direction of this and many of the most interesting articles/videos I've seen in the past few months.

Further reading: HowStuffWorks.com

80s Tribute to DC's 12th Man

I think it's pretty weaksauce for a blogger to post a YouTube video only to say "This is awesome" and leave it at that. I'm going to do the same thing, more or less, so sorry in advance.

I was reading Chris Cooley's blog (he's a tight end on the Redskins), and he (or one of his co-writers) had this hilariously, awesome old school video posted. Here are some 1980s Redskins singing a tribute to their fans:



Sports will continue to thrive so long as dedicated fans support their favorite athletes and teams. As a sports fan, it's nice to be reminded occasionally that my "fandom" is appreciated by these teams and athletes. Even if it's in a reprise of something created before I could do long division.

For the record, I am more of a Steelers fan. Though if this were a Cowboys or Patriots video, I almost certainly would have neglected to post. Enjoy.

Addendum -- After further Cooley blog/YouTube research, here are some more 1980s/90s NFL treasures:

L.A. Rams (remember when they were there?) The Rammers -- "Ram It"

• "If you ram it just right, you can ram it all night"

Miami Dolphins rap Cory and the Fins -- "Can't Touch Us"

• "Makin' 'em sweat, that's why they're sore"
• Zubaz pants sightings throughout!

1986 L.A. (not Oakland) Raiders and the "Silver and Black Attack"

• Howie Long (Hall of Famer-turned-FOX NFL Sunday broadcaster) raps at 0:46
• "I love to sit on those running backs"

Blahston.

So the poor, poor deprived Boston fans got themselves another championship. Celtics beat the Lakers in game 6 of the NBA Finals. Yawn. Since I am neither a celebrity nor a Lakers fan, I found myself somehow pulling for Boston in a league in which I'm incredibly indifferent.

I did however learn today that LSU's "Big Baby" Glen Davis is on the Celtics today. Who knew? I told my roommate this today and it's so true... when a college player goes into the NBA, for me he pretty much fades into obscurity. Kinda strange considering that very same event signals his entering the consciousness of most of the rest of the population.

At least there is one statistic the non-bandwagon and non-New England part of the population can find solace in: 18-1. I will be laughing about that one for quite a while. Here's a picture reminder for good measure.


That picture is a beaut!

He definitely has that sun-kissed, next Dan Marino look.

When you see this face what do you think?


This guy is a total dork.
Is he a scientist? An aerospace engineer?
Man, I bet that guy got beat up a lot as a kid.

Well, believe it or not non-sports fans, but this guy is a football correspondent for ESPN. And no, his talents aren't relegated to writing and behind-the-scenes pursuits. This guy is a regular sportscaster on a number of ESPN programs.

The guy, John Clayton, is actually pretty knowledgeable, and not in that spouting off statistics kind of way. He's qualified. He's well-spoken. I will never know how he broke into the business though, because it's hard to believe an overly nerdy face like this has found a successful career in broadcasting, let alone the television sportscape (is that a word?) which is dominated by ex-players and well groomed guys, who for the most part, look and sound like jocks.

Everyone at some time or another has heard that if you must beautiful and can't have a discernable accent if you want to break in, and furthermore, stay in, broadcasting. Honestly, how many ugly people do you see delivering you your local news? It's not that Clayton's voice soothes the listener either, like a Morgan Freeman or Dennis Haysbert (of 24 and Allstate commercials fame). This guy has somehow slipped through America's harsh judgmental cracks and made a broadcasting career for himself based on merit, not beauty.

This is not to say that Clayton is ugly, as he certainly isn't. He is however, not handsome, and yes, he is outrageously geeky-looking. He looks like the last person you'd expect to know anything about football, and seeing him on TV analyzing the NFL Draft and other such news causes a huge disconnect between my expectations and what I actually see on TV.

Though Clayton has worked in this capacity for ESPN for several years, I still can't get myself to get past his appearance. Perhaps this makes me shallow, but in a glamor-obsessed media landscape (yes, that is a word!) John Clayton is the ultimate enigma. Despite his qualifications however, I will always look at him and think, "What does this guy know about football?", "He would get massacred if he ever stepped on a field and played a down!", and "Why isn't this guy using his intellect to make a killing in the stock market or conducting neurological tests in some obscure wing of a psychiatric hospital?"

Or then again, maybe he is for all that we know, and leading a clandestine double life.

Picture Source: Tan13506's Xanga Site
http://www.xanga.com/tan13506/478323381/item.html