You may have read a blog entry or two about untoward activity directed against student athletes in the last few days, some involving fights in basketball competition, and a truly bizarre incident in which a relay runner was accused of fracturing the skull of a competitor with her baton.
Thing is, a lot of these incidents may not have ever seen the light of day if it wasn’t for the fact that the contests were broadcast on the NFHS Network. The streaming service covers dozens of sports, school assemblies, the occasional drama, and even graduation.
But I find it interesting that the very presence of the NFHS Network, and the cameras that are in gyms or overlooking athletic fields, are serving as a tool for handing out punishments in many cases. Sure, some state regulations ask for written reports from game officials as well as school administrators. But the all-seeing eyes of the automated gimbals as well as people on site with either video cameras or mobile phones offer governing bodies a method to mete out the correct punishments.
I remember, about 30 years ago, a controversy surrounding the suspension of some key football players after a fight at the end of a playoff game in New Jersey. Although video evidence surfaced that there were a handful of players not involved in the woofing and subsequent fisticuffs, the written reports from the referees on the field were the top evidence that the NJSIAA used to mete out suspensions for these players.
I also remember one time I was working as a public relations manager for a USA Hockey event during which a bench-clearing brawl ensued. I remember the next morning hanging out next to the video room as the tournament organizers went over film of exactly who was involved. This was in the days of grainy tape, but the actions on the ice were clear, and I’m pretty sure suspensions were issued.
So, what is the point of this blog entry? Over the last five years, a number of schools have acquired automated gimbals for their schools, at first to allow people to watch their school teams play without fear of catching the Coronavirus.
However, the feeds from many schools are less than optimal. Some cameras face into the sun, making it impossible to follow the action because of either the glare or the propensity of the automatic system to make the camera to focus on the brightest object, which is the sun glare.
Further, a number of them are either out of focus, have broken microphones, or are not connected to the scoreboard in order to show time and score.
Mind you, we aren’t asking for a full-quality broadcast like you might find in a state final game, but at the very least one should be able to follow what is going on without having to guess who is doing what at any juncture of the game.
Plus, a fully-functioning camera will allow administrators to gather evidence if any untoward event occurred during a game.
Something to think about.