Justice For The Chain Gang: NFL Will Officially Start Using Sony Hawk-Eye Technology To Measure First Downs (i.e. Roger Goodell Killed The Chain Gang Instead Of Addressing The Real Ball Spotting Issue)
I wasn't going to have this take at first. I was going to write a ho-hum blog about how it's sad to see the chain gang go after all these years. I was going to say that all things considered, it's actually pretty crazy that up until 2025, with all the technology we have at our disposal, that football still used a 3-man chain gang to measure off 10 yards. The chain gang has stood the test of time way longer than they should have. But for whatever reason, fans like seeing those big orange poles along the sidelines. We like the drama of the chain gang running out to measure a first down, despite the fact that 90% of the time we already know full-well if the ball crossed the line or not. And of course, we like seeing defenseless men in striped bibs get wrecked by world-class athletes. Just every now and then. As a treat.
Everybody loves the chain gang. Or at least nobody has any overwhelmingly negative feelings towards them. Unless you're a Missouri Tigers' fan, and you've been holding a grudge against chain gangs that stems back to 1990 when they gave the Colorado Buffaloes five downs to win the game.
When I first read the news that the chain gang was being pushed out, my initial thought was, "Aw shucks. It was only a matter of time. But at least the NFL is using the technology at their disposal to get the call right on the field."
But then I quickly realized that this move by the NFL does nothing to improve the game at all. Aside from that little mishap in Colorado in 1990 (which would never happen this day in age anyways) football has never had chain gang problem. The chain gang does great work. It's actually an incredibly efficient system. The technology is so simple, yet so effective. Measuring 10 yards has never been a problem. The problem is refs can't spot the football properly. It's not the chain gang's fault the Bills were screwed out of a first down in the AFC Championship.
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But since the NFL refuses to develop chip-in-the-football technology, or attempt to come up with any better solution to spotting the football other than having a ref just kinda eyeball it. They just rolled out this completely pointless, helps-with-nothing, solves-no-problem-at-all technology that eliminates the need for a chain gang. Because the NFL knows a majority of people will quickly glance at that headline and think, "Oh good the NFL is doing something about ball spotting"
When all they're doing is kicking the can down the road so they can wait another year or so before addressing the real issue, which is spotting the damn football correctly in the first place. It's fucked up. The poor chain gang is like, the one thing that isn't a problem with NFL officiating. And Goodell just killed them for optics. Shame on you Roger Goodell. If I'm on the chain gang, I'd refuse to play second fiddle to this "Sony Hawk-Eye" technology. Let the NFL use their fancy new camera to measure off 10 yards without us. Clearly you don't trust it well enough if you're asking the chain gang to stay out there as backup. Why should the chain gang stay on the field while the NFL works out the kinks with their new camera, just to eventually be cut out all together?
Maybe this is the next step towards the NFL developing some sort of new ball spotting technology. But I doubt it. I don't see how it would. They can't rely on an overhead cameras to spot the ball. Unless the camera can see through bodies. If anything, I suppose you could argue that by doing this, the NFL is speeding up the game. But that's stupid too. Nobody in the history of football has ever uttered the phrase, "These constant chain measurements are so annoying."
Sad day for football. Sad day for the chain gang. Who I truthfully didn't care about at all before this announcement. But now that the NFL is phasing them out with this patronizing ass publicity stunt.. I care about deeply #JusticeForChainGang