Clarion Content

After a long hiatus, we are bringing back the "Things that need to be invented" column. The Clarion Content has always viewed itself as an aggregater of good ideas. We are always trying to spread the news on the worthy things we hear good and the warnings on the bad ones. Things that need to be invented are our own original ideas and reader submissions for products, services, concepts that ought to exist, but do not yet.

This week's "thing that needs to be invented" is a microchip to be implanted inside the National Football League's official footballs, along with a chip reader that will determine the ball's exact spot on the field. Surely the technology already exists to do this, heck pets are implanted with chips of this nature, as are automobiles.

It is not so important on a play by play basis, however, it would be hugely beneficial for determining whether or not the ball broke the plane of the goal line on a potential touchdown. Last week's contests featured a controversial last minute touchdown in a battle between the Pittsburgh Steelers and Baltimore Ravens, in a game for first place. Officials on the field initially called no touchdown, only to be overruled by the replay official on what looked to be at best disputable evidence from video. The microchip in the ball would nearly eliminate that ambiguity. The officials would still have to determine when the ball crossed the plane of the goal line and was it in the player's possession when it did so. Nevertheless, it seems inarguable that it would be an improvement from the guesswork way things are being done now.

Chips and beams, adapt an anti-shoplifting device, come on people, invent this, we know the ingenuity is out there. Why, Durham, North Carolina, where the Clarion Content is headquartered is the very city that invented the yellow electronic first down line that you see each week on your football games. It can be done.

Read old "Things that need to be invented" posts here. You will see this one again first. Scroll down for older ones.

Labels: Invent this, sports, technology