NFL Football Stars Get Bombed By Ball Dropping Drone
Over the past few years, viewers have had the pleasure of watching stellar teams such as Denver and Seattle face off in the Super Bowl, and others such as Green Bay and New England play unbelievable offense, inching them closer to playoffs and year-end glory. Last Thursday, there was definitely something modern and high-tech abuzz during the Pro Bowl Skills Showdown: players tested their ultimate skills by attempting to catch balls dropped from 200 feet by a drone.
Ten players from the AFC competed against the elusive dominators of the NFC in 5 different challenges, from a rousing round of dodge ball, to the new wide receiver drone drop. The Skills Showdown has not been seen for ten years, but was brought back to righteously rise the excitement levels of viewers before the AFC-NFC Pro Bowl in Florida.
As a general rule, the FAA claims that having a commercial drone fly over people is technically illegal, but they couldn’t help but band together with the NFL and make special exceptions for this event. The quads buzzing overhead gripped footballs at the front, and released them while at a steady altitude.
Some of the commentators observed talking about this were excited enough about the drone drop that they thought it would be even more awesome to view than the Pro Bowl itself. Even though some viewers thought it came across as a bit showy and did not follow the true spirit of the game, those viewers who know what is happening in the tech sector recognized the benefit of having drones drop the balls illustriously from overhead.
Don’t worry about any nasty rumors you may hear by the water cooler that claim that in the near future it may be drones instead of quarterbacks throwing passes across the field: the ways in which the sport was deeply rooted in American culture point adamantly to the notion that a human being is still going to be the most effective face of a dominating NFL team.
Over the past two years, the use of drones has really skyrocketed. Many who never knew that they would ever pilot or own one now do, and all over the web you can see different types of footage gleaned from overhead.
For scores of consumers that picture drones predominantly as a way to grab images, it may come as a bit of a shock to see them up in the sky touting everyday objects around. As the future arrives to many front doorsteps, (literally) in a hurry, there will also be delivery services soon bringing you your favorite pizza or item ordered from a catalog.
Remember the “American Gladiators” show from a few decades back? We can’t help but think how awesome and unique it would be to have drones take the set for a re-vamping of that production. It would be pretty cool to have them re-upping players with water bottles, somehow navigating obstacles themselves, or even having the competitors have to quickly complete a drone race after navigating other obstacles.
If there are a few spectators out there who are worried that this is changing the face of one of the best and most-viewed pastimes of America, we encourage them not to worry! The sport and object of the game will still be the same, this is just a bid of a modern twist thrown in for fun, and to showcase the possibilities of what can happen with drones.
Much as the character of “Bender” added to the illustrious and well-written cartoon “Futurama”, it’s true that elements of technology and robotics have a very playful and inviting tone to them. Since drones have been buzzing around the skies, many have wondered just how far they would “stick their noses” into events like traditional sports.
Whether it be in the ranks of college or professional ball, the shots that drones have provided of stadiums of been incredible, and really leave the viewer with the amazing vantage point from above that vividly portrays how many fans are in attendance. Having drones play a more active role in the game will most likely be the norm during seasons to come.
Our take on it is that it’s completely OK, and is just going to spice up football events with a twist of modern appeal. We admit that we do have one special request for the programming directors nationwide, however: we hope that drones don’t ever replace the cheerleaders!
Kennedy Martinez
kennedy@dronethusiast.comKennedy Martinez is a resident writer who joined Dronethusiast at the beginning of 2019. She has years of experience reviewing drones and other tech products. When it comes to flying drones, Kennedy loves the ability to create artistic videos from a unique point of view. Kennedy enjoys researching new drones and other exciting products that are available to consumers which is why she is committed to creating the best buyer's guides for our readers.
