I have always been a football fan but when I was in college I lived in the Football dorm and it changed how I saw the game forever. (Back story, I lived in those dorms because I'm a big guy and the coach wanted me to play for the team. I told him yeah because I noticed that at registration all of the Football players were able to skip in line. I never did play because I loved Basketball more than Football at the time).
Anyway, when you live around Football players 24/7 you start to learn facets of the game that you never knew about. You learn what every position is doing on every play and why they are doing it.Now when I watch Football it is more like a game of chess than a brutal grudge match. The real excitement in the game comes from watching the linemen and not the skilled positions.
On another side note, you would think that all of this football knowledge would help actual players when playing Madden (That was all that was played in those dorms. Hours and hours of Madden). It does but only to a certain extent. Football players take Madden too literally and try to play it as a simulation. They forget the video game part. I would use that to my advantage all of the time.
There a few things that are starting to bleed from the madden into the real life game. Time management is one of them. I can't remember who it was but a few years ago a player was running for the ends zone and had a huge lead on the defense, 1 yard from the end zone he started running sideways draining as much clock as possible, assuring no come back from the opposite team.
I saw I believe Leon Washington for the Jaguars pull a similar stunt once, the D seemed to be giving him a free TD at the end of the game but he preferred to just take a knee right before the end zone. With the new Canadian Football rule requiring contact to end the play the D lost a few seconds not reacting fast enough (first year it was implemented I believe) thinking he was down.
The game is also teaching much better strategy to players, getting them to understand more than their position.
It was Brian Westbrook for the Eagles on Dec 1, 2007. He actually just dropped at the 1 because the Cowboys had no timeouts left and the game was effectively over with a 1st down. I believe in the post game interview he acknowledged that he did it because that's how he wastes the opponents time in Madden games.
Maurice Jones-Drew did the same thing in 2009 against the Jets.
Oh yeah, the Maddenization of the modern football game is everywhere. I especially love when on (I think ESPN Sunday Morning Countdown) they use Madden players to illustrate the play but they are scaled to real proportions. The first time I saw that I giggled like a school girl. I started playing Madden in 92 after years of Tecmo Bowl and I never thought I would see it blow up as big as it is now.
Any football player who was in college after 95 has been exposed to Madden in a big way. So even though I am surprised how big it has gotten when it comes to integration in the NFL, I really shouldn't be.
It's more of what works in the game but doesn't work in real life. In Madden an old glitch that has since been fixed is that whenever the Quarterback would break the pocket, the receivers would break their route. And when they broke their route the receivers would go to the same spot every single time (towards the sideline). But at the same time, the DB's would get confuse which would then leave the receiver wide open. This would happen EVERY SINGLE TIME. So you would have wide open receivers no matter if the defense was in zone or in man.
Every football player knows that the db's would be looking for this in real life and would step up and stop the play after one or two times of this happening. But in the old versions of Madden the corner back would not learn and you had an open man every time. The only way to stop this was to have a team with a good blitzing line backer or defensive end and hope he gets to the QB in time. (This glitch made McNabb almost unstoppable in several versions of Madden.)
Another problem in the old Maddens was that if you had the tight end lined up on the left and had him go up five yards and then had him cut left quickly then if the defense was in man he would get the ball every time. And when the defense was in zone he would probably get the ball 70% of the time. In real life a highly skilled LB would be able to stop a sub par TE on this play. Just by being faster. But in the world of Madden the worst TE would get a completion against anyone.
These and the other tricks I would use were effective in Madden versions 97-03. The AI is much better now but there are still glitches. I just don't play it enough anymore to have figured them out. Others have though.
The poll says "The NFL is evaluating an online streaming product providing consumers with exclusive Coaches Film footage of all 22 players on the field for every play and game."
I used to watch NHL hockey when I was a kid. Then I started going to college hockey games, and that was great, but a terrible side effect is that I've never
been able to enjoy TV hockey in quite the same way. Those players off the screen are really important.
The advent of HDTV has done a lot to fix this for hockey, where the rink is not so huge. But it would be awesome to have full-field perspective on football.
I agree that most sports are better live. The problem is that NFL games have so many TV timeouts now that watching NFL games live gets boring. There is so much downtime, that it's not worth the $100+ for a ticket anymore.
You can get around this pretty easily by just using a DVR and starting the game about halfway through. Fast forward through the commercials/breaks and you'll progressively catch up as the game goes on, and hopefully finish at about the same time.
The only major issue with this is if you have friends watching separately who regularly text you about occurences in the game as it's going on. You'll also have to make sure you don't look at any NFL websites during the game.
The first time I went to a NHL game and sat behind the goal it was a revelation - the positioning, the tactics, everything becomes so clear when you see the entire rink isometrically.
I have a slightly different problem... I grew up watching WHL games. When I tried to watch NHL games on TV, I got bored waiting for the good hits and fights.
You can figure out whats happening on the field just from what they show on TV. I wrote an answer on quora on how to do this:
What I enjoy in a football game is understanding the strategy thats being carried out and the efficiency of execution on every play. I've broken down a list of positions/schemes/plays to look for below.
The following applies when watching a regular play from scrimmage - ie one that will be either a run or a pass.
_The offense_
1. First pick out the number of tight ends and their position on the offensive line. This will tell you what base formation the offense is "telegraphing" to the defense. 2 or more tight ends implies that the offense is showing "run" unless its the damn Patriots of 2010.
2. Look at where the running backs are - the full back and the half back. This along with the above, will give you an idea of whether the offense is hedging towards a run or a pass. If they are in line, in front of the QB then you can safely assume a pass or trick play.
3. Next the formation of the wide recievers. Are they split, with a slot or are they bunched on one side.
_The defense_
1. Due to camera angles you wont be able to see some of the players on the defense. But its okay because you can workout where they would be (except for how deep they are playing) based on the offensive formation.
2. The rectangular area in front of the offensive line is called "the box". This is where the running back is expected to try to make a run. Count the number of players in the box. A fast way is to group the players in 3s going from bottom edge of the offensive line to the top.
The number of players in the box will tell you what the defense is showing the offense. If the number of players is >=8 then the defense is expecting a run.
Using the following formula, you'll be able to figure out the number of safeties.
Number of safeties = 11 - (the number of players in the box + the number of wider receivers on offense )
_Position of the safeties_
* 2 Safeties
If you've figured out there are two safeties then this implies that the defense is looking to take away big passing plays but give up the middle of the field.
This will usually be a cover-2 formation or a derivative. If you see that a line-backer is cheating towards the safeties then you know its tampa-2.
* 1 Safety
If there's only one single safety then this usually means that the defense is being aggressive, ie they want to blitz, or are showing that they are expecting a run.
_Blitz_
If the number of players on the line of scrimmage for the defense outnumbers the number of players on the offensive and in the vicinity of the QB then this implies the defense is showing a blitz. Picking out the blitzing player is a lot of fun when watching the Jets, Eagles or Ravens play.
Player in motion
On a passing play, most teams will use the player in motion to figure out if the defense is in zone or man coverage. (They are mostly always in zones but do use man coverage to shake things up.)
So as the offensive player in motion moves, watch who covers him. Does he get handed off from one player to another on the defense or does the same defensive player follow him as he moves from one side of the field to the next. If the same player moves to cover the man in motion then it usually implies that the defense is playing a man-coverage. If the man in motion is handed off between players then this usually implies a zone.
Of course there could be special cases in which the defense chooses man/zone depending on which player is in motion at the time of the snap.
_Exercises_
How do you know if your seeing/understanding enough of the action:
1. On regular plays you should be able to see the "hold penalty" at the same time as it happens and before the commentator explains it on TV.
2. You should be able to call some percentage of the plays as you get familiar with understanding the strategy your team plays as well as the play callers idiosyncrasies and the players who get the most attention on the team.
3. Figure out if the defense is in a zone or man coverage. This will take a while because most defenses dont run a scheme which is instantly recognizable.
As you enjoy more aspects of the game, you'll realize the true brilliance of Peyton Manning, the genius of Rex Ryan and you'll be baffled by how precise these NFL plays are.
These are the basics and there is so much more happening on the field. If you have any questions then please ask them here and I'll update this answer.
Here's a question: Where can I buy the equivalent of this post, but in video form with actual illustrative game footage?
I've wanted to see that for some time. Want it for every sport on earth, really.
I've thought about trying to watch a bunch of coaching videos for my sport of choice, but was never sure it would help. They aren't designed for me. I don't need to know how to think like an above-average high-school coach or player; I want to admire the work of top-level pros.
If you have an xbox or playstation buy Madden and try learning to play the game it a bit. The formations, plays, and strategy are pretty much all real. You'll learn about different formations, routes, zone defense, etc.
Agreed. I really didn't understand football much at all until I started playing Madden with a group of friends. They helped me out in the beginning by answering questions like "why are there two different colored lines for the QB routes?" (it's an option play). By learning the game of Madden, I learned the game of football and now have an appreciation for the sport.
Interesting that this didn't occur to me. An artifact of being just a little too old, I think. (In the Atari 2600 days one did not play sports games for the knowledge...)
What's sad is that I read a whole
article about how much hard work it is for sports-game programmers to get all this stuff perfect and I still didn't get it until now!
Coaching videos might still be illustrative, though more for the finer points of technique, which matter more than one might think. Not even pros have perfect fundamentals every time.
There is a plethora of this material for soccer, Zonal Marking (zonalmarking.net) is one major blog that covers apparently every match in most major world leagues.
Hmm I've never actually seen anything put together like this. But you can follow Chris Brown on Grantland.com who breaks donw plays (with video and diagrams) from each NFL week and you'll slowly figure out what to look for and understand the strategy within the game. Also nfl.com has PlayBook (show) videos which break down different plays from the week.
A great tool to watch plays in stop motion so you can figure out whats happening is NFL Game rewind.
What I've written here is more a structured way of breaking down an NFL play as its taking place.
I actually found The Triangle on Grantland through Chris Brown's blog: http://smartfootball.com/. He has a large archive covering both offensive and defensive strategy, well worth a look.
A number of posts have diagrams as well as a video. Some of the older posts point to videos that are broken now, but I was able to find most of them with a google search like "2009 Brady 46-yd TD". You'll find the video clips on youtube or NFL.com.
The picture pages are college football, not pro, but it is the closest I've seen to what you're asking for. Each post describes the details of a given play, and visually shows you each step. Then, you can watch a video of the play in real time at the end.
> I've wanted to see that for some time. Want it for every sport on earth, really.
For tennis I recommend a book by Brad Gilbert called "Winning Ugly". A treasure trove of tennis tips and tricks; opens up a whole new perspective at the tennis game - both yours and the pros' you watch on TV.
Thanks for this. I have basically never watched tennis. But now I've read the late David Foster Wallace on the subject, and I'll be damned if that guy couldn't sell anyone on tennis, especially a geek. So maybe I'll take your advice and learn something about tennis...
Your information is interesting and useful, but I am inferring that you're saying that we don't need an expanded view. If this your point, then I disagree with you.
There's a lot you can't see with the standard TV view that you get, and sure you can discern some things, but as the article says, a lot of the plays happen off camera, because the view is centered around the QB. You can see the QB throw the ball, and you can see running plays but you get no information on longer plays, or how the defense actually works.
As the article says, watching what's happening in the secondary has become a lot more important given that the NFL basically wants to turn itself into a passing league. More and more often, the action happens off camera and you only get a better view on replays.
The one thing I like about watching Sunday Night Football on NBC online is that you can actually change the view to the "Madden" view, so that you're right behind the QB and you can see the entire field. This gives a lot better insight into what the QB sees, and there you can really appreciate things like how even 1-2 feet of separation gives a skilled QB just enough space to throw a well placed ball away from the defender, etc.
What I'm saying is that you could layout the top down view from whats shown on TV but it requires a lot of pre-processing. Things like mistakes and dept of the safeties etc cannot be made out and do play a part in how the QB processes information but I dont think its that much more.
Also the overhead view can get boring for fans who are looking more at the ball and the action around it rather than the strategy being run.
Exactly! You also get to see the third dimension a bit better and understand how skilled QBs are at not just putting the throw on a spot, but also the arc on getting it there.
Watch the offensive linemen. If any one of them fires forward and crosses the line of scrimmage, it's a run. If either guard (guys to either side of the center) starts running to one side or the other, the play is almost certainly going that way. If the offensive linemen stand up and move backwards, it's probably a pass.
The quarterback and running back do a lot of things to disguise which way the play is going, but you can almost always tell what kind of play the offense is running by watching the offensive linemen.
I know that's the rule, but my question is: how the hell does play-action even work? Can't the defense read the line instead of watching for a handoff?
1. The linebackers and safeties forget to watch the linemen, and watch the backfield. This isn't exactly dumb, because it's easy to take a bad angle on a runningback if you're paying too much attention to the linemen.
2. The linemen take one hard step forward, but not enough to get downfield, and then pass set.
One thing to remember about the NFL is that every single step matters. A linebacker doesn't have to run into the line and tackle the runningback for play-action to be effective. All he has to do is take one or two steps towards the line of scrimmage when he should be moving backwards and you can complete a pass over him.
Spot on. It's about deception and freezing a defender for a split second. Players at this level are very well matched physically and very few players can simply out run or overpower someone. You need to deceive defenders to get yourself that 1/2 step of space to gain an extra yard or two.
There are run plays (a draw for example) where the o-line blocks like it's a pass. They can also block like it's a run for a play action pass and still give the qb enough time to throw the ball.
One thing that isn't clear on TV is just how hard it can be during a play to see just where the ball is. Linemen are huge and RBs are typically shorter guys. When the play goes off it's often hard to see exactly what is happening and the defense is reacting to cues more so than seeing right where the ball is at that time.
No, that would be an ineligible receiver downfield. They have to stay behind the line of scrimmage until after the pass is completed. For a straight run they can just block forward.
A lot of running plays involve one or more o-linemen pulling to overload one side or the other. Many play actions pull a lineman or two but then back-fill the pass protection with the backs or tight end. This looks like a run even though none of the o-line go downfield.
> If they are in line, in front of the QB then you can safely assume a pass or trick play.
Not really, since defenses can see the same thing and know a team's tendencies from scouting. A better indication of pass vs. run is how far the tailback lines up behind scrimmage. For run plays, the RB tends to line up about 6-7 yards behind scrimmage to they can get up a head of steam as they go through the line. For pass and play-action the tailbacks line up closer (around 5 yards) so they can sneak through the line for pass routes or quickly block blitzers. It's harder for defenses on the field to see if a RB is lining up 5 yards deep vs 7 yards deep.
The defenses are quite aware if it's showing run. Unfortunately, they cannot always assume it due to play action passing because the formation is literally the same, including the depth at which the RBs will line up.
>* 2 Safeties
If you've figured out there are two safeties then this implies that the defense is looking to take away big passing plays but give up the middle of the field.
2 safeties is pretty standard and is just as much a run stopping defense. For example the corners in man on the exterior with the safeties in man on the interior is a run stopping defense. Backers often cover the apex or a safety roles to the center taking away the middle. Nice overal explanation but the strategy in football is to "show" one thing and do another which is why a pre-snap read only goes so far.
>> You can figure out whats happening on the field just from what they show on TV. I wrote an answer on quora on how to do this:
You've posted some great information here, but actually viewing all 22 players from a birds-eye-view affords an exponentially superior quality of analysis.
There are a bunch of things you can look for on punt formations:
1. See if they have the backup QB as one of the "backs" on a punt. This is hard to do on TV but the commentator will usually pick this up.
2. See if all players are matched up on the line of scrimmage. Especially the gunners who are out wide. If these guys arent matched out it might be a fake with a snap to one of the "backs" who throws it out to a gunner. (Similar to a smoke play a regular offense would run except much rarer).
Punters are very underrated by most NFL fans. You have to understand that a good punter can make the offense of the other team have to gain a whole hundred or more yards for the same, than they would have had to if they were facing a bad punter.
Thanks for that- I really havent been watching much college football. If this guy keeps it up he'll be the first punter to be taken in the top 20 of the draft! lol!
What's the reason for keeping the footage out of the public's hands? "Proprietary NFL coaching information" doesn't really explain it. Are the NFL making money off the teams by cutting them a special deal of All-22 footage of their own games, and opponents?
It's basically the "data", in that when you have the all-22 view, you can extract the full player-locations-at-each-time data set reasonably well using computer-vision techniques. It seems reasonable to believe that that data is potentially valuable and/or sensitive, even if they aren't 100% sure what they want to do with it yet.
That sounds plausible, but what makes NFL so special? Football broadcasts (Champions League, World Cup, etc.) generally show a half to 3/4 field view of the action, only zooming in to show the action on replays. I certainly get the sense that they're trying to show as much of the action as possible.
That's because the NFL is a monopoly. In soccer, if the English leagues unreasonably restricted the views and footage broadcasters could capture, then it would affect their competition with the Spanish, Italian, and German leagues. The standards rise, and those standards are translated over to the international competitions. The leagues are also a lot less powerful, since the clubs are independent businesses and can (and did, in the case of the Premier League) choose to withdraw from existing leagues and start their own.
Soccer also uses a lot more of the field at a time, instead of clustering around the line of scrimmage.
The NFL likes to focus on the skill positions (QB, HB, WR, LB, and DB's) more than the entire game so their camera angles reflect that. Most fans do not understand what is going on with the linemen because for the most part it is the most complex action on the field. But when the average fan watches it all they see is 300lb men running into each other.
The NFL's lawyers stated the NFL competes in the "entertainment marketplace" (http://judiciary.senate.gov/hearings/testimony.cfm?renderfor...) and operates as a single entity, not as 32 teams. The NFL makes a large portion of its revenue from television, and ratings are higher on close, competitive games.
What prevents owners from keeping the games close or trading wins/losses now to help a storyline in exchange for markers for future wins when they're on a championship track?
While it is illegal to fix sporting events for gambling purposes, evidently you can fix sports for entertainment purposes. The All 22 footage would make this more difficult because this type of stuff would be easier for fans to detect.
The only way the NFL could hope to come anywhere near fixing a game is the either a) change the rules to benefit certain team makesup (as they have done to make passing/scoring easier) or b) get the refs to call fouls more against a certain team.
b) is watched frequently and doesn't seem to be happening statistically a) has occurred but it's not secret and all teams know the rules. It's not really 'fixing' as much as it was the NFL wanting more scoring overall.
There is no way for the NFL to do mass game fixing because that's just too many people that have to agree to doing it. Keep in mind this means they would need current players, ex-players and the ex disgruntled players too all agree to not talk. I've talked to players from all 3 groups at the gym and fixing a game is simply something that doesn't happen. Some of these guys are very negative on the NFL and would have loved to say it's fake if it was true.
Problem is, a lot of memorable and important moments probably couldn't be faked if they tried, like the catch against the helmet when the Patriots lost to the Giants.
It would most certainly be a scandal, likely illegal or jeopardizing the NFL's Congressionally granted monopoly if it were fixed. One precedent is the quiz show scandals of the 50's.
What's the reason for keeping the footage out of the public's hands?
Couldn't it be as simple as wanting to preserve some value for the fans who actually buy tickets?
In any case, if this footage is so valuable, why can't somebody with a good camera phone buy a seat in the nosebleed section, set up a tripod, and charge for the stream?
I'm fairly certain the NFL has licensing rights and prohibits any video reproduction of any kind so you could try to get away with it for awhile, but it wouldn't last long!
I believe a recording of a performance would be considered a derivative work under copyright law. As such what you're advocating is large-scale commercial copyright infringement against the NFL and the networks who pay it for exclusive rights.
In summary:
unambiguously unlawful + powerful enemies = won't end well
To be a performance there has to be a creative element, not just a skill. Like wrestling for example, which is pre-scripted.
Otherwise someone jumping on a trampoline in his backyard could claim that he is performing and forbid the neighbor from recording him on a copyright basis (rather than a privacy basis - they are completely different laws).
I believe the stadiums as private properties can set rules on what is allowed to be brought in. Most ticket have a disclaimer on the back saying you can't film in the stadium but IANAL. It could just be FUD.
If college or Canadian football started doing it and fans responded extremely positively and started asking for/expecting it elsewhere, that could force the NFL's hand a bit. The XFL's crazy wire camera rigs almost immediately made their way into the NFL, so there's at least a little precedent.
Conversely, if the NFL released this footage, competing leagues could analyze NFL tactics and raise their level of play. So it really is a competitive advantage.
Seems like there's an opportunity here - how difficult would it be for a fan to video / stream the "all-22" from high angle (read nosebleed) seats? I've brought my Laptop and SLR into football and baseball games (Oakland), so they aren't that strict about allowing media/comms equipment in.
Amusingly, baseball broadcasts would also benefit from a broader view.
Televised baseball consists almost entirely of views of the pitcher and the batter, and only turns somewhere else to show where the ball ended up or to focus on a runner who's doing something.
And that misses out on so much of the actual game. The standard view from center field, looking at the pitcher and the batter, can't show you an infield shift. It can't show you how deep the outfielders are playing. It can't show you players reacting to signs from managers and coaches. It can't show you anything except one tiny portion of what's actually happening on the field.
And so you can't really understand why things happen the way they do -- somebody hit a little bloop single into right field? Maybe it was poor defense that allowed it to happen, but maybe there was a shift on and the outfield was playing deep. You don't know, and won't see, any of that in a televised game.
Have you ever seen televised test match cricket?
The CG overlays (bowls short/long, the direction the batter has played each shot, the positions of the fielders) -- add a heap of info (that a TV can show better than being there in person)
I am pretty sure the NFL would shut down any distribution very quickly - not sure how much of an opportunity there is if it blatantly violates someone's IP rights. What I don't understand is why the NFL wouldn't use it to generate more revenue. Do they really think the criticism would be any worse than it is today with 24/7 sports talk and online message boards? Why not have the criticism be more grounded in reality?
I'm a pretty strong supporter of IP rights - but in this case I feel capturing the game that I'm watching falls into grey area - something akin to a bootleg of a concert.
I agree it's likely that a live stream would be shut down fairly quickly, particularly at scale, but I'm thinking a combination of after-the-fact + some intelligent post-processing might be useful/valuable.
Admittedly, the majority-value is in the real-time production, but, by providing after-the game all-22 videos, you might be able to fly somewhat under the radar.
I've never been asked to stop taking pictures with my (admittedly small) 70-200 lens - and it's usually perched atop a rail for the entire game - I could just as easily have been filming the entire game as snapping pictures.
Yeah, I think that's just an excuse they're using. Today's 24-hour media subjects athletes to extreme scrutiny. Any action results in intense criticism. If any athlete does something tabloid-worthy, people will know. Adding more "data", the All-22 footage, won't change the situation much. The owners probably have this irrational fear that this footage will let opposing teams gain greater insights into their teams strategies, and while the NFL might want to open this additional line of revenue, the owners might have their hands tied.
That would work for about 20 minutes until they find out your location and throw the book at you for broadcasting a copyrighted event.
You got an SLR in, but try "filming" a game with it - you'll be stopped in under 10 minutes, I promise you
Also, that isn't like the streaming sites where you can be at a desk in Sweden and re-broadcasting games fairly anonymously... they'd just walk up to your seat and escort you out.
Go try it and let us know how it works out. Nearly every professional sports team has policies against recording (even your own home videos) at the games. You'll promptly be asked to leave if you don't comply.
By your logic, If Fox has the superbowl, NBC could sit above an open stadium in a helicopter and broadcast the whole game - I don't think thats the case, but I don't have the laws to back it up.
His question is what law gives the NFL this right. You can't just claim "I own" this.
As far as I know I am allowed to record anything I want. Perhaps not with audio, but I am not aware of any law that gives someone the right to prevent video recording.
They have the right to kick you out (if they catch you), but not to prevent recording.
Don't be so quick to attribute saneness to IP protection laws. Don't they still do the whole "any rebroadcast, retransmission, or account of this game is prohibited" thing?
What about posting it after the fact? If you were to use a small enough camera (as technology advances, this will only get easier), it's very possible you could make it through a game without getting caught.
Sure, you could have a go-pro or something, but it wont be anywhere near what people will pay for. They want the full overhead view so they can track the plays & the movement of each player - you're still not getting that angle from the nosebleeds.
Regardless, its an awful lot of work which is a) still illegal (therefore risky) b) difficult to market and c) completely obsolete the second the NFL network starts a new TV/online network for it
Well, it's better than nothing. From what it said at the end of the article, it doesn't look like the NFL has any plans to start selling this information to fans any time soon.
The leagues would take you to court if you tried to openly sell that vision. There's a reason that they have the "expressed written consent" message tacked on to every broadcast.
It sounds extremely challenging, but could someone use image detection to process the existing camera angles and use the field markers to recreate an overhead view of the game? If it worked, you could probably use that to do some interesting play analyses over a large number of games.
I think the point isn't specifically about the overhead angle, it's that the existing camera angles don't show some of the players (who may be moving in ways that are relevant to the overall strategy, but their movements aren't sufficiently telegenic to bother showing them on TV).
I'd be willing to have a stab that the people who really don't want the public with this footage are the sports bookies offering point spreads/line betting.
The bookmakers would already have access to this footage, because it is a competitive edge over the public. If the public suddenly had access to the all 22, there might be a correction in those betting markets.
And if the bookmakers don't have access to the footage? Could be an opportunity to capitalise on their in-efficiency ;)
Does anyone else just see this as them gauging interest in charging for this footage? Some of the wording almost makes it sound like a market segmentation strategy.
Well, this is why NFL Films and the old programs they produced in the 70's and 80's are so cool. NFL Films had it all. Every angle, every sound plus the all-22. They could do the full analysis. And their choice of music was, in retrospect, brilliant. I can watch those old programs year after year. Somehow I never get tired of them.
While ESPN has some problems, I'm not going to complain about them as the only way I can watch my College team play while in Canada is through their espnplayer.com service. My wife thinks I'm crazy for paying for it but hell it's an addiction. If I can't be in the stadium I have to see every play somehow. (I'm sure I'm not the only one watching then end of the game when loosing by 50 points right? )
Anyway, when you live around Football players 24/7 you start to learn facets of the game that you never knew about. You learn what every position is doing on every play and why they are doing it.Now when I watch Football it is more like a game of chess than a brutal grudge match. The real excitement in the game comes from watching the linemen and not the skilled positions.
On another side note, you would think that all of this football knowledge would help actual players when playing Madden (That was all that was played in those dorms. Hours and hours of Madden). It does but only to a certain extent. Football players take Madden too literally and try to play it as a simulation. They forget the video game part. I would use that to my advantage all of the time.