Surprise, Surprise: The NFL is Releasing the All-22 Footage Starting This Year

(H/T Deadspin) 

There was a pretty large development let out today by the National Football League. As a part of their NFL Rewind package for the 2012 season, for the first time ever, they will be releasing "Coaches' Film," better known by football pundits as the "All-22" footage. You, as fans if you choose to pay $60 to be able to rewatch any game from the NFL season if you choose to purchase this package, will be able to not only watch the games in their entirety, but also look through the eyes of coaches and their "game film" (albeit in 4:3 SD) and be able to see absolutely EVERYTHING that goes on. This is absolutely huge, and for a lot of reasons.

The first reason is quite simple. This is a never-before-seen and never-before-done venture by the NFL. They have never released this kind of footage to the public. The only people that were able to see everything that goes on during games are journalists who go to the games, television analysts, and of course, the coaches. Fans of course who went to games were able to see this but it's not exactly something that they were focusing on. (Obviously they were going to watch the games, not dissect everything that was going on). Journalists who weren't able to go to the games were forced to just watch via TV and were hard pressed to see everything that was going on. Now with this footage being out to the (premium) public, everyone can get their hands on it that needs to see it, and there's no telling what kind of analysis can be made from it.

Next, this enhances everything too. The folks who work at Pro Football Focus and Football Outsiders are absolutely terrific with their in-depth analysis. It, in my opinion, more often than not trumps the analysis you generally see on the television networks (e.g. ESPN, CBS Sports, FOX Sports, NBC Sports, NFL Network) and are always great reads. Now that this footage is available to them, there is no question in my mind that they will be using it for their betterment. They will now be able to make even better analysis when it comes to seeing everything based on their "Signature Stats" and the things that you don't generally see on the other networks and their websites (which is at a premium price, but it's well worth it it seems. Going to try and get my hands on it myself this season). This should provide for some awesomeness that I am anticipating greatly, as an avid football fan.

Finally, if this in fact is purchased by fans, which it no doubt will, it could change how people think of the game. I'll cite The Wall Street Journal for this one:

"Charley Casserly, a former general manager who was a member of the NFL's competition committee, says he voted against releasing All-22 footage because he worried that if fans had access, it would open players and teams up to a level of criticism far beyond the current hum of talk radio. Casserly believed fans would jump to conclusions after watching one or two games in the All 22, without knowing the full story. 

"I was concerned about misinformation being spread about players and coaches and their ability to do their job," he said. "It becomes a distraction that you have to deal with." Now an analyst for CBS, Casserly takes an hour-and-a-half train once a week to NFL Films headquarters in Mt. Laurel, N.J. just to watch the All-22 film. 

 Lonnie Marts, a former linebacker for the Jacksonville Jaguars, says there are thousands of former NFL players who could easily pick apart play-calling and player performance if they had access to this film. "If you knew the game, you'd know that sometimes there's a lot of bonehead plays and bonehead coaching going on out there," he says."

Casserly is a respected NFL personality who was of course once featured on CBS Sports and The NFL Today. His concerns do ring true. If there are any fans that react in more of a "prisoner of the moment" fashion, it has to be fans of the National Football League. Not so much a shot, more of an observation. The week-by-week and year-by-year reactions, statements and observations made by a majority of NFL fans (and don't worry I know I'm guilty of it too) is insane. Now that some will have this footage on their hands the reactions might be even more overreactions than ever. 

I do have faith though that those who purchase this will learn from watching this film that, from all accounts, seems like it is footage that is awesome to watch and a great learning tool for fans who want to know more of the game. Who knows? Maybe it could help a fan that wants to be a coach some day that can educate himself. And hey, who knows? Maybe it could educate a lot more people and there won't be so many fans that are sensible and know what they're talking about, eh?