The Glowing Puck

If you were around in the 90's and were a hockey fan, you have to remember the picture to your left.

The "Glowing Puck" or its official name Fox Trax isn't fondly remembered by many, but there can be a case for Fox Trax being not only innovative and ahead of its time, but perhaps the time is right to bring it back to broadcasts?

Fox Trax technology was booed at the time by hockey fans as ridiculous and pandering to casual fans that didn't know the game with its blue glow and the red comet tail when the puck was moving over seventy MPH graphics.
The graphics are dated when you look at them today, but Fox Trax was the first step into developing graphics that sports fans love such as the first down line in football, which was a huge step in producing a better football broadcast.


Now for a surprise for the readers here that know me as a tradition based fan that generally doesn't love many of the changes in sports and/or sports television- I really liked Fox Trax.
I thought it really did make the game that was hardest to follow easier to do so and I thought it was fun to watch the colors as the puck moved around the ice.
I understand why veteran fans didn't like it and I was prepared to dislike it as well, but I found that it did what it was supposed to do-make the puck easier to find and the action smoother to follow.
It made hockey a little more easy to grasp for newer fans for sure, but I didn't find it as distracting as others did at all.

ESPN's Greg Wyshynski writes of why the time might be right to bring this back to the telecasts and I agree with him.
After all, look at the differences between today's broadcast technology and that from 1996 and tell me that there cannot be a way to have it be visible enough to do its job and yet not be annoying enough to take away from the game on the ice.
Imagine that with the look of high definition television and I think that is very easily done.
I would think that using it for special occasions at first to gauge the revamp would be a good idea.
An All-Star game, skills competition etc would be a good way to check the use without people going crazy with a playoff introduction.

Hockey is a sport that can be intimidating to learn to new fans as it is and as controversial as the original puck was, I think it can be helpful in attracting new fans and even in teaching the game a bit.
Anything outside the norm that is effective in teaching the game is a good thing.
After all, you are reading the words of a man that learned the rules of hockey from a fellow named Peter Puck.
Back later with more.
I suddenly feel motivated today!