Tuesday, October 28, 2008

Live Webcast and the Video Camera

This is the third version of this post I've written. I deleted the other two. I've been struggling with how to say what I want to say without being too offensive to friends of mine who may read this and without coming off like the usual angry paintball kook. (The last part is especially hard because I'm angry, I'm into paintball but I don't think I'm a kook -- but the real kooks never do, do they?) Anyway, I've decided just to offer up a couple observations and let y'all read whatever you like between the lines on this one.
One unintended consequence of the new webcast--which was a breakout event (and which I'll have more on shortly)--is that virtually EVERYTHING that happens on the field during a match is both broadcast and recorded. One example along the lines I'm thinking was the enforcement of a rule I call The Weathervane. I call it The Weathervane because a weather vane tells you which way the wind is blowing. The Weathervane is a no talking after elimination rule that assesses a minor penalty for an infraction. At Cup enforcement seemed to be predicated on which jersey a player was wearing -- or not wearing -- as the case may be. And I feel completely comfortable saying so BECAUSE there is a visual record of the event.
It's also given me an idea. I always video record our matches for instructional purposes and it has occurred to me there are other things I might want to videotape for evidentiary purposes in the future.
Did I hear somebody say instant replay? (Red flag tossing NFL style)
Or was it strange new accountability perhaps?

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