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When the Falcons took on the Patriots during (ohhhhhhh) Sunday Night Football a few weeks ago, a fog rolled into Foxborough during the second half that made it virtually impossible to see the playing field from the traditional sideline angle. If you’ve ever wondered what it would be like to hotbox a football stadium, your prayers were finally answered.
As Al Michaels and Cris Collinsworth did what they could to relay the action to viewers, NBC managed to come up with a solution to the lack of visibility. They opted to use their SkyCam to broadcast the plays from the offense’s point of view— an angle that was incredibly familiar to anyone who’s ever played Madden.
NFL.com spoke to SNF producer Fred Gaudell and director Drew Esocoff, who said NBC will be intentionally using the SkyCam for a number of plays during tonight’s game between the Steelers and the Titans.
The camera will be used primarily on first and second down, but the duo stressed fans who are used to the more traditional angle won’t be totally alienated:
Viewers will see conventional camera angles prior to the snap of the ball and on third-down plays, which Gaudelli calls “the most important snap in football.” Also, the sideline view will be used when teams are within the opponent’s 15-yard line. In those instances, it is important to have the exact perspective of where the ball is on the field.
I for one cannot wait to hop on Twitter and see a bunch of crotchety old people complain about this newfangled technology. It’s the simple things in life that keep me going.