FOX gets points for the Christmas-light time-out indicators today. (:
Check it! NFL Network’s chrome is massively improved. Possession indicator and time outs remaining are much easier to understand at a glance. And how about that play clock?
Nicely done.
Ooh! Look who redesigned their time-out indicators. Nicely done, ESPN.
There’s no possession-indicator, yet, but that bar (and the MNF chrome in general) is much nicer this year. I like the sized-down/cropped logo next to the short name, too, less mental-matching to be done.
Fox! Nice update on the game-time infographics. Possession, quarter, remaining time, play: all in that left corner. And even the time-outs for each team.
Good on ya.
Watching Chile v. Honduras—and being as new to futbol as I am—I didn’t know who was in which color, but look! ESPN’s got the kit colors next to the team name. Aw, so helpful. (The rusty-red of the chrome + the white text with these specific teams might be the best example, heh.)
Screen Pass II: super details
Football season’s over (snif!), but I saw a couple details during the Super Bowl worth mentioning.
Previously, it drove me bonkers how CBS offers no indication of possession once a play is underway (there’s superimposed info on the field before a snap, but that’s it). Well, lookit, now! Okay, it’s a white dot that could be missed, but it’s definitely a start.
Item the second: I know I saw this once or twice during the season, but I think it’s only triggered by exceptionally long (time and distance) drives. But look at this!
Two kinds of arrows which make immediate sense. How many first downs? Oh, four. Which was the longest pla— oh, that second to last one. Which team are we tal— oh, there’s the Colts logo, okay, got it. Please do this sort of thing more, CBS! (Less Phil Simms and we can be best friends!)
Screen Pass: How networks present the game
I love and watch a lot of football.
The season is 17 weeks + the playoffs and unless I’m traveling I watch all day Sunday, Monday night, and the odd Thursday or Saturday night game. As a result, I spend a lot of time with the graphics from each of the 5 networks currently broadcasting NFL games (CBS, FOX, NBC, ESPN, NFL Network).
None of them is perfect, but a couple are better than the rest with the NFL Network far far behind everyone. I give them (NFL Network) a break for 2 reasons:
- they broadcast in HD, so at least unlike their first year it doesn’t feel like you’re watching a local high school game
- they’re still very new to it, they’ll improve.
During a game, I want to know the following at a glance:
- possession
- the score
- the quarter
- remaining time
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