One of the things that annoys me about the NFL is how they measure for first downs. You can usually tell if the ball is placed far enough for a first down without “bringing out the sticks”, as they like to say, to measure it. That’s why they have yard markers across the field. Are those two poles joined by a chain just so manly that the NFL can’t get rid of them? Are the guys who have this job part of a union that the NFL can’t fight? You’d think by now we’d have a more accurate (and quicker) way to measure, maybe with a $1.50 laser from the sideline?
In last night’s Monday Night Football game, we have a demonstration of referees who were unable to determine if the ball was past the first down marker without “bringing out the sticks”. Was this really necessary?:
Troy & Gay 