Ode to the Yellow Line

Have you ever heard those Budweiser radio commercials entitled "Real American Heroes" and "Real Men of Genius"? They're pretty great, but I think they need to create one for the inventor of the Yellow Line in football. Seriously, how great is that line?! Without that aid we would be constantly looking and straining our necks to find the sideline ref who is holding the chains. Now all we have to do is look at the screen, and there it is! No guessing involved! Watching football without a yellow line is akin to the days when you had to live without electricity-you just couldn't see anything unless you lit ten million candles.

The only two problems related to this fantastic addition are the following. First, if they forget to put the yellow line up before the ball is snapped, panic mode sets in. How far do they have to go until they get a first down? I need that visual! But eventually it appears, and all uncertainties are tackled. But if you're at the game, sadly, you won't ever view that yellow line. Second, since you can clearly see the yellow line, and subsequently where the first down is, you begin to expect the players to see it too. How many times has a player been inches away from the line, only to run out of bounds or fall down? You exclaim in frustration, "Why didn't you get the first down! Didn't you see the yellow line?" Then you realize he didn't and couldn't have. Still-there's no excuse, ha ha.

I definitely take for granted this wonderfully and brightly colored clue, and shudder to think of watching football without it! So thank you, whoever came up with and implemented the yellow line. You made watching football that much better (which I didn't even think was possible!).