January 5, 2008

Interview with Stan Honey, inventor of puck-swoosh and yellow first-down line TV graphics. : The San Francisco Chronicle Sunday magazine has been doing interviews with "Bay Area people with innovative ideas who have put them to use." Meet Stan Honey, Palo Alto resident, pro sailor, and the man who put the blue highlight and red trail on the hockey puck, and the yellow first-down line on your TV.

read story | posted by worldcup2002 to Culture at 10:32 PM CDT (11 comments total)

This post reminded me of a CFH about various sport imaging technologies (like the first-down line) I'd been meaning to put out to SpoFites for a while now. But, the references to Sportvision basically answered that call for me. Thanks, worldcup2002! That's some neat stuff!

The other thing it reminded me of, while I'm at it, is the glow-puck. I'm kind of curious as to why it hasn't been utilized again. I know Canadian hockey fans were mostly opposed to the whole concept initially, but I wonder if advances in the technology, especially in light of all the other sport applications we've come to pretty much expect, that wouldn't make it a hit this time around.

posted by Spitztengle at 11:03 PM CDT on January 5

I've just been watching the Second Cricket Test between Australia and India, and realise how dependent as viewers we have become on things like Hawk-Eye, which is a motion-tracking system (you've probably seen it at the tennis). It's now used officially in tennis for players' challenges. I'm wondering when it will be introduced for cricket and maybe other sports where close calls are made.

And I'm also wondering what I can invent that will allow me to sepnd the rest of my life sailing.

posted by owlhouse at 7:15 AM CDT on January 6

Correct me if I'm wrong, but as of yet, the first-down line cannot be used when the officials are (video) reviewing the play. Indeed, owlhouse, when will this stuff be used in other sports, in all applications possible?

posted by Spitztengle at 12:22 PM CDT on January 6

Much of the technology that Mr. Honey used, borrowed, improved upon, and invented to generate the yellow line is in use in the defense industry today. When we do our live-fire tests, much of the data we use involves the precise tracking of the test missile. This is the sort of thing that Mr. Honey and others have built. Congratulations to Mr. Honey for finding such a popular application.

And I'm also wondering what I can invent that will allow me to sepnd the rest of my life sailing.

Owlhouse, I would suggest you get someone of Mr. Honey's abilities to generate a software program to accurately predict the weekly lottery numbers. The logical next step would be to buy a boat.

posted by Howard_T at 12:33 PM CDT on January 6

I know Canadian hockey fans were mostly opposed to the whole concept initially, but I wonder if advances in the technology, especially in light of all the other sport applications we've come to pretty much expect, that wouldn't make it a hit this time around.

HDTV has pretty much rendered the glowing puck a moot point.

If you watch the game in HD and on a plus-sized TV (40" or more), it's VERY easy to see the puck and to track it on the screen at all times.

posted by grum@work at 3:51 PM CDT on January 6

Much of the technology that Mr. Honey used, borrowed, improved upon, and invented to generate the yellow line is in use in the defense industry today.

I remember talking to Juri Varangu, the Canadian contact for Princeton Video Imaging a few years ago, and he was telling me the same thing: it was trickle-down missile tracking technology from the first Gulf War.

The other thing it reminded me of, while I'm at it, is the glow-puck. I'm kind of curious as to why it hasn't been utilized again.

Instead of blue and red, make it gold and silver sparkles. Tracers, dude! Add it to racquetball and put it on ESPN2 at 2am....you're telling me stoned college kids wouldn't watch this? I've been wanting to do this for years now, but nobody will let me run a TV network.

posted by smithers at 4:08 PM CDT on January 6

I watch hockey on a 32" JVC Sam's club closeout bargain box Piece of Shit.
I can see the puck just fine.

I have always liked the first down line. I'm always impressed by the players' ability to know where they are on the field. They dive for that yellow line like they can see it.

The only thing I fear is a screen full of logos and advertisements. I know there are already some used during a broadcast: behind home plate, on the boards - I just hope it doesn't get out of control.

posted by BoKnows at 4:21 PM CDT on January 6

Instead of blue and red, make it gold and silver sparkles. Tracers, dude!

And in basketball they should make the ball go up in flames when a player starts raining shots. En fuego!

posted by THX-1138 at 1:14 AM CDT on January 7

Boom Shakka Lakka!

posted by The_Black_Hand at 11:43 AM CDT on January 7

He's on FIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIIRE.....

posted by smithers at 3:38 PM CDT on January 7

Bring back the GLOW PUCK. I know a lot of folks hated it. Do you all relize when Fox Track was used was when the NHL was neck and neck with the NBA? Bring back the puckk

posted by rstack2 at 8:45 PM CDT on January 11

« older OTHER MOMENTS IN A SOCCER PLAY… Seattle defeats Washington,… newer »

This thread has been archived and is closed to new comments.