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opinion:
our view
Don't lose helpful
yellow marker
Have you heard the shocking news? Fox television is getting
rid of the yellow line to determine a first down on its football
broadcasts.
Yes, that Fox -
the innovator that brought us such goodies as the glowing
hockey puck and baseball's catcher cam - is jettisoning the
technology that helped football novices and experts alike
know exactly the point where a team needs to get the ball
in order to record a first down.
Why would a media conglomerate that prides itself on trying
almost anything to bring in new viewers get rid of a key part
of its football coverage?
Money.
According to Fortune magazine, Fox is dropping the yellow
line based on monetary reasoning. It costs Fox a reported
$25,000 a game to use the technology, and $1 million over
the season.
Ah, wait a minute. Isn't $1 million a drop in the bucket for
Fox? Surely some of the Fox execs can blow that much say,
during a Vegas weekend.
Couldn't the network just jack up advertising rates? How about
going halves with the NFL brass? Maybe they can have a telethon.
Do whatever it takes 'cause man, we need our yellow line!
OK, maybe the situation isn't that dire. After all, ESPN,
ABC and CBS will continue to use the technology on their football
broadcasts. Still, one has to wonder why these outlets have
kept our little yellow friend and Fox seemingly has fumbled
the technology ball.
Has the gadget-driven programmers at Fox gone temporarily
mad?
We hope that's the case, because as much as most of us don't
want to admit, that yellow line has become a necessity. If
you don't understand the game of football, you still understand
the ball crossing the yellow line is a positive thing.
Example - Fan 1 at a sports bar: "What just happened?"
Fan 2, who really has no clue about football: "I'm
not sure, but they did cross that yellow liney thing."
See? Fan 2 can got involved without a real knowledge of the
game. So not only does the yellow line provide an invaluable
service to all football fans, it brings people together.
The hope here is Fox will come to its senses and bring the
line back. The fear here is the other networks follow Fox's
lead, blame the economy and say goodbye to the yellow line.
Bill Squadron, one of the founders of Sportvision, the company
that behind the yellow line, told Fortune that Fox should
rethink their policy.
"The fans love it," Squadron said of the yellow
line. "There's been a huge outcry. I'm hoping it was
a decision made in the heat of the moment and that Fox will
reconsider."
See Fox: fans love it and there's been a huge outcry. What
more evidence do you need? Keep the line. Run advertising
along it if you have to, just do whatever it takes to hold
onto the line.
But please keep the glowing puck in storage.
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