The Y Files

Once upon a time, the only turkey on Thanksgiving was the one that Mom cooked, Dad cut, and everyone prayed over. The Detroit Lions played the early game, and even if you weren't a regular fan of the National Football League (NFL), you still hoped that Mom and Dad wouldn't call you for dinner until halftime began. Today, the Detroit Lions are in the midst of a winless season and hardly an advertisement for "must-see TV". These turkeys of the tube will still fly across America's television screens, however, providing proof of the NFL's emphasis on football tradition.

Sadly, Detroit's football team (and America's Thanksgiving Day entertainment) is about as disappointing as its near-bankrupt auto industry. But neither the Lions nor the League are asking for a taxpayer-funded bailout. And the NFL isn't building the equivalent of gas-guzzling SUVs. Football tradition counts, but football technology – especially as it relates to revenue – matters, too. So, before you lapse into a turkey coma, remember that the big game starts a full week later (sorry Cowboys fans). Just as Turkey Day takes a back seat to Christmas, the NFL is saving its premier event for the week after Thanksgiving.

3D Must-See TV

On Thursday, December 4, the NFL will broadcast – live and in 3D - a game between the San Diego Chargers and the Oakland Raiders at theaters in Los Angeles, New York, and Boston. According to Howard Katz, NFL Senior Vice President of Broadcasting and Media Operations, this "proof of concept" is designed to "get people excited" about 3D broadcasts "and see what the future holds". As diehard football fans may recall, this isn't the first time the NFL has experimented with football in another dimension. Super Bowl XXXVIII between the New England Patriots and Carolina Panthers was filmed in 3D.

So what's changed since then (aside from the fact that the Detroit Lions actually had six wins in 2004)? Plenty! For starters, live 3D transmissions are now possible. During the upcoming Raiders-Chargers game, 3ality Digital of Burbank, California will film the contest with cutting-edge cameras and transmit data to a satellite. Thomson SA's Technicolor Digital Cinema will provide both the satellite services and digital downlink for each theater. Real D 3D Inc. will power the theater-based displays.

Is Real D the Real Deal?

A provider of 3D systems to over 1,500 theaters worldwide, Real D is a leading advocate of transmitting live events in 3D. As company CEO Michael Lewis explains, "We look forward to giving fans of live events the opportunity to feel like they're in the front row". For now, however, those "fans" don't include the general public. 3D viewing of the December 4 Chargers-Raiders game is by invitation only. The several hundred guests at the three participating theaters will include representatives from the NFL's broadcasting partners and from several consumer-electronics companies.

So as you lay on the couch and watch those hapless turkeys (er, I mean Lions) this Thanksgiving Day, be grateful that you don't have to the watch them play every week. But remember your fellow football fans in San Diego and Oakland, too. Like you, most of them will miss the real "must-see TV" on December 4.

Editor's Note: Moose is a diehard Patriots fan who once lived in Detroit, worked in its auto industry, and watched its Lions make it all the way to the NFC Championship Game. The photo above is from Thanksgiving Day 1962.