Technology to replace NFL's 'chain gang' has uninspiring debut

Sports fans consistently yearn for technology that removes mistakes from the game.

Robot umpires to call balls and strikes in baseball are usually at the top of the list. But there is also a smaller, quieter push for football to have a more scientific way to measure for first downs in football instead of trotting out the "chain gang" to determine if a team gained the required yardage.

That technology is supposed to arrive next season with the "Hawk-eye" system, comparable to what we see in soccer with VAR and tennis to determine whether a ball is hit in bounds or out of bounds.

That technology is being tested this preseason, and it debuted on Friday in the New York Giants-Detroit Lions game at MetLife Stadium.

It got off to a rocky start.

Following a Nate Sudfeld completion to wide receiver Tom Kennedy on a third-and-five in the second quarter, the Hawk-eye technology was utilized to determine if the Lions had reached the first down marker.

It took nearly three-and-a-half minutes until the ball was snapped for the next play, prompting former NFL quarterback Phil Simms to ask if they would still be willing to use this technology if it took that long.

There are a couple of things to keep in mind here.

Firstly, it is new technology and there will be some flaws to work out early on. That is why the NFL is practicing with it this year in the preseason, not just rolling it out for regular-season games. Just because the first example took several minutes does not mean it will always take that long.

Secondly, everybody wants correct and accurate measurements, and this system could help make that a little more consistent.

That is, of course, assuming that the officials get the spot on the field correct, but that is another discussion for another day.

There is also something to be said for the drama you lose by having the chain get trotted out for a potential game-deciding measurement, watching as it gets extended to its very last link, and waiting for players and officials to emphatically signal whether it is a first down or not. Sports are ultimately entertainment and dramatic; sometimes technology, even when used with the best intentions, takes away from much of that.