I noticed folks at at least one end of the stadium at recent Superbowl holding up what appeared to be plain yellow pieces of poster board. They were right behind the goal posts and therefore visible on camera for extra point and field goal tries. It didn’t make sense that they would hold up blank yellow peices of posterboard. Then I remembered the computer generated first down marker line. Could the network be using that technology to blank out the signs? What did the signs say? Was it offensive? More offensive than the halftime show? Anyone know? Thanks.
I can’t give a specific cite, but I remember reading a few articles on this sort of technology. Basically, yeah, it is possible to edit live video feed with the right software. One article mentioned its use in adding signs and advertisements to sports stadiums, but I don’t see why the reverse couldn’t be done.
The article then went on to discuss a technology that used existing audio and video of someone speaking to synthesize entirely new footage. The fear was that if these two technologies were perfected and combined, even live video feed would have to be taken with a shaker-full of salt.
Most likely, they were trying to distract the kicker. Since the goalposts are yellow, holding up yellow posterboard behing them would make them hard to see, if enough people do it.
CBS has the technology, and has used it before. wmulax93 's conspiracy is a good bit more likely though.
They used those matrix-like camera shots in the superbowl, yes?
I’m sure the yellow dots were probably reference markers so that they could quickly stitch together images from a whole bunch of cameras around the stadium to do that type of shot.
Why would they rely on markers that spectators were holding for this? It would be a lot more reliable to use stationary markers.
So they could see themselves on TV?
The Sign Makers Union was on strike, and the blank signs were their picket line.
The NFL prohibits using the fans to advertise. No logo , promo or ad can be shown over the fans or superimposed over the fans or fan accessories. So, at an NFL game, you can assume that blank boards do not have advertising as thier intended use.
Yellow boards are sometimes used for distraction. Sometimes fans paint arrows on them in an effort to break the kicker’s concentration.