11/23/24
January 30, 2007
Technology Touchdowns: A few examples of how the NFL embraces technology. Everything from removable grass fields to the thermometer pill to ZUES software.
Of course, the best football invention ever is the yellow first down line. Amen. Though I suppose the themometer pill should really be #1, seeing as it could hypothetically stop people from dying and all that.
posted by tieguy at 02:35 PM on January 30, 2007
What, and the first down line can't?
posted by The_Black_Hand at 02:37 PM on January 30, 2007
the best football invention ever is the yellow first down line. The yellow line is a good invention but being abit older that some of you I think that the best invention was pre-computer. It was putting the little arrows next to the yard line numbers pointing towards the closest endzone. Prior to that with the limited television angles you didn't know where the heck the team was in field position if you looked away for a second.
posted by Termite at 02:40 PM on January 30, 2007
The AC pads are an awesome idea. I did not know the colts were using them. Anything to help the health of the players is a good thing. Like the pill and the new helmet. I was watching the pre game for one of the playoff games, NE I believe, and when the QB put his helmet on he threw the ball a few times and walked over to a guy and patted one side of his helmet and the guy attached what looked like a air pump for a football and pumped it a few times till the QB said ok. I guess it had air bags in it to fit the head better. Also in Indy car racing they have a air bag in the top of the drivers helmet that the rescue teams have a small nitrogen canister that they hook to the helmet and it lifts the helmet off without the possibility of further spinal injury. Something that the NFL should use. I could see it being used allot more in the NFL than it gets used in Indy car.
posted by vipers-pit at 03:40 PM on January 30, 2007
Of course, the best football invention ever is the yellow first down line. Even though John Madden reminds us every other play that it is just a superimposed line created by TV and is unofficial. I wonder what would happen if that 12-million pound field got stuck halfway into the stadium.
posted by MrFrisby at 04:37 PM on January 30, 2007
Even though John Madden reminds us every other play that it is just a superimposed line created by TV and is unofficial. Yet another reason I'm glad I watch most sports on mute.
posted by tieguy at 04:53 PM on January 30, 2007
Pretty cool thread Frisby.Never knew about the field in Arizona.I also wonder what would happen if the field got stuck on them rails.I wonder how long it takes to put it in and out.I'm sure they give plenty of time to do that just in case that ever happened.
posted by Ghastly1 at 06:11 PM on January 30, 2007
I wonder what would happen if that 12-million pound field got stuck halfway into the stadium. That could make for a really sweet football game. Imagine if it were raining on one side of the field, and perfectly dry on the other. That would be sweet.
posted by Ying Yang Mafia at 08:25 PM on January 30, 2007
And the best thing of all 22 men have to step on the field and play the Most entertaining and explosive game in the world Great Article
posted by luther70 at 08:59 PM on January 30, 2007
MrFrisby - Thanks for the OP; although the thermometer pill does remind me of the controversy after Johnny Cash's death when a hemmorhoid ointment company wanted to use "Ring of Fire" in their ad campaign. Another musician who was a contemporary of Cash's would give us the theme song if it were urinated out....
posted by tglenn29 at 04:49 AM on January 31, 2007
great idea vipers-pit. i'd like to see it used more often in football too. anything to protect the players better, as we all know it's an extremely intense sport. go technology!!
posted by bavarianmotorworker at 07:19 AM on January 31, 2007
Pretty cool thread Frisby.Never knew about the field in Arizona.I also wonder what would happen if the field got stuck on them rails.I wonder how long it takes to put it in and out.I'm sure they give plenty of time to do that just in case that ever happened. I don't have a link, but I read in a magazine that it takes about an hour to move the field. They can close the roof, however, in about 2 minutes.
posted by bender at 07:55 AM on January 31, 2007
There was a thread specifically about University of Phoenix Stadium back in August. The are a few links in there with more information.
posted by MrFrisby at 08:17 AM on January 31, 2007
That could make for a really sweet football game. Or what if there was a door and that was the only way you could get to the other side of the field since one side was stuck inside and the other side was stuck outside. You'd have to really want to get through that door, though. I bet it would be a low scoring game.
posted by SummersEve at 08:18 AM on January 31, 2007
A thermometer that you swallow? Interesting. But then, how do you get it.... ohhhhhhh, right, nevermind. I think it's great that they're taking responsibility for environmental impact, especially with the number of people that attend a football game (compared to basketball or even baseball). But can anyone enlighten me on what these "certificates" are and how they "offset the amount of carbon generated"?
posted by cybermac at 11:05 AM on January 31, 2007
Nevermind. The Forbes article linked from the OP answers my question.
posted by cybermac at 11:13 AM on January 31, 2007
An hour to move the field.I'd love to see that whole process done in person. Quite a piece of technology.
posted by Ghastly1 at 02:21 PM on January 31, 2007
Interesting stuff. The thermometer pill is really cool-I've never even heard of that. The skycam (albeit not entirely new) is a nifty thing so long as it is used only for replays. It seems a lot of times when they use it for a live shot of a play, it's not a great angle, but for a few plays, it's a great angle and gives a neat perspective. On University of Phoenix stadium: "The retractable fabric roof will give the 63,000-seat stadium an open-air feel even when it is closed." I have heard this before, but honestly having been there, when the roof was closed, I didn't get the open air feel. I do really like the stadium, though, and the retractable turf is cool. Of course, the best football invention ever is the yellow first down line.