Like the rest of the world, sports have changed a lot as technology has advanced. But in the NFL, the way first downs are counted hasn’t changed much over the years. Baltimore Ravens game commentator Gerry Sandusky says it’s time to evolve.
Late in Friday night’s preseason game between the Ravens and the Philadelphia Eagles, quarterback Tanner McKee attempted to gain a first down on a quarterback sneak. It wasn’t immediately clear if he reached the line to gain the first down, so the chains were brought out for measurement.
That was Sandusky’s cue.
“That’s one of the things — when you watch the replay, you think about it,” Sandusky said. “We have the technology to put a GPS tracker on Mars. But we still use a bunch of older guys with sticks on the sideline to measure whether or not a ball carrier made a first down. Nothing against the older guys with sticks.”
Sandusky wasn’t finished yet. The reading showed McKee making the first attempt. Then, as the camera briefly focused on one of the convict gang members returning to the sidelines, Sandusky continued his commentary.
“It just seems absurd that in a game where players have GPS trackers on their shoulder pads and have 19 different layers of algorithms to measure everything, in the NFL we still have guys with glasses on who are no longer what you would call physically fit walking around with two sticks to measure first downs.”
“In a game where players have GPS trackers on their shoulder pads, we’re still using guys with glasses who are no longer what you’d call physically fit, stomping around with a pair of bats to measure first downs.”
Gerry Sandusky is not interested in the convict column. pic.twitter.com/VwEZlfk4Bu
— Awful Announcement (@awfulannouncing) 10 August 2024
Analyst Rod Woodson seemed to share Sandusky’s opinion.
“And we saw that the linesmen had two different markings,” Woodson said. “The linesman near us was a little shorter and the linesman on the other side was a little farther away. And they took that linesman.”
“Each of them trots in, sees where they think the ball is, and then marks it with their feet,” Sandusky added. “We’re not talking surgical precision here.”
(Image credit: WJLA)
