The NFL makes tens of billions of dollars every year, but they didn’t bother using some of their (many) deep financial resources to fix an important part of officiating equipment.
During the first quarter of Saturday’s NFC Divisional Round Game between the New York Giants and Philadelphia Eagles, officials had to stop play because of a broken chain for the first down marker.
That’s not an issue you come across every day (if it’s even happened in an NFL game before?). If that wasn’t strange enough, the officials decided to use…wait for it…TAPE. That’s right, tape to fix the broken chain.
Officials even had to go on a TV timeout during the game in order to fix the issue. Perhaps this little miscue will prompt the NFL to put some extra money towards spare chains and first down markers for its officials.
This is the first playoff meeting between the two bitter division rivals since the 2008 NFC Divisional Round, where the Eagles dethroned the defending Super Bowl champions. The winner of this game will play the victor of the Dallas Cowboys and San Francisco 49ers in next week’s NFC Championship Game.
