Cleveland, OH
R.I.P. Chain Gang: NFL moving to electronic first down measurements
You know the feeling. You’re watching an NFL game and a player pushes forward for a crucial first down. Maybe he got it. Maybe he didn’t. You won’t know for sure until a middle-aged man fully unfurls his chain and the entire world can see whether the tip of the ball reached the first down marker or not.
It appears, however, that when it comes to the NFL at least, those moments are no more.
While the Tush Push might be here to stay (at least for now), the NFL did approve at least some rule changes during the league’s Owners Meetings in Florida this week. But with all due respect to each team now being guaranteed a possession in overtime during the regular season and the 10 extra yards that have been added to touchbacks, perhaps no rule change possesses the potential to impact the way we view games more than the elimination of the chain gang in favor of an electronic line to gain measurement system.
To be clear, a chain crew will remain on the field for each NFL game in a secondary capacity, presumably in the event that there are technical issues with the line to gain system. Sony’s Hawk-Eye technology will be deployed to “accurately and efficiently measure the distance between the spotted ball and the line to gain,” similar to the system that the United Football League is using this season, albeit with a different provider.
First down technology in action for the UFL on Fox. 🏈📺🤖pic.twitter.com/QO7GTReKOZ
— Awful Announcing (@awfulannouncing) March 29, 2025
“The NFL and Sony are integrating world-class on-field officiating with state-of-the-art technology to advance football excellence,” the NFL’s EVP of football operations, Troy Vincent, said in a statement. “Combining the art of officiating with Sony’s trusted Hawk-Eye system is a healthy recipe for success in our commitment to raising the standards of accuracy, consistency and efficiency. Replay technology and data-driven insights from Sony’s Hawk-Eye Innovations aid us in advancing our efforts toward the future of football.”
The NFL’s move to such a system for line to gain measurements has appeared inevitable in recent years, with the league experimenting with the technology during last year’s preseason before opting not to implement it for the 2024 campaign after receiving mixed results. It’s unclear what (if anything) changed since then, but whatever it was, the league now appears comfortable making such a seismic shift.
Ultimately, technology is coming for us all, whether it’s the inevitability of robot umpires in baseball or the author of this story one day being replaced by AI. For now, it appears it was the chain gang’s turn to succumb to our technological advances, leaving us to savor those previous, anxiety-riddled moments that previously shaped our football viewing experiences.
Cleveland, OH
City of Cleveland activates warming centers with brutal cold approaching
CLEVELAND — Ohio is getting a jumpstart on winter.
Through the weekend, highs will drop with wind chills dipping into the negatives, according to Spectrum News 1 meteorologists. To help residents get out of the cold, the City of Cleveland is activating its warming centers through Monday.
Here are the warming centers that will be available:
- Michael Zone Recreation Center
6301 Lorain Ave.
(216) 664-3373 - EJ Kovacic Recreation Center
6250 St. Clair Avenue
(216) 664-4140 - Zelma George Recreation Center
3155 Martin L. King Blvd.
(216) 420-8800 - Collinwood Recreation Center
16300 Lakeshore Blvd.
(216) 420-8323
And here’s how long they’ll be open for, Saturday through Monday:
- Saturday, Dec. 13: 9:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Sunday, Dec. 14: 10 a.m. – 10 p.m.
- Monday, Dec. 15: 11:30 a.m. – 10 p.m.
For overnight shelters, RTA passes can be provided to help with transportation to a nearby facility, the city said.
Cleveland, OH
Cleveland Water Department truck falls into sinkhole and breaks gas line on Cleveland’s West Side
CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A Cleveland Water Department truck working on a water main break in Ohio City was partially swallowed up into a sinkhole, breaking a gas line underneath the street.
The incident occurred near West 28th Street and Chatham Avenue late Thursday afternoon.
There was no fire or injuries, according to Lt. Michael Norman of the Cleveland Fire Department.
The gas company is on scene working to fix the leak.
Copyright 2025 WOIO. All rights reserved.
Cleveland, OH
Bob Dylan Ohio tickets: Best prices for 2026 Cleveland, Columbus, Dayton concerts
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CLEVELAND, Ohio — Music legend Bob Dylan is bringing his “Rough And Rowdy Ways World Wide Tour” to Ohio in 2026, making major stops at Cleveland’s Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre on April 10, along with the Palace Theatre in Columbus on April 9 and Winsupply Theatre in Dayton on April 12.
This Ohio leg of the tour continues Dylan’s ongoing 2026 concert run in support of his 2020 release, “Rough And Rowdy Ways,” an album widely celebrated as among his finest entries in decades.
How to get tickets to see Bob Dylan in Ohio
Tickets for the upcoming Ohio concerts are selling fast, with some vendors reporting fewer than 100 tickets remaining. However, you can still get pass discounts on trusted third-party ticket platforms including Vivid Seats, SeatGeek, StubHub, Viagogo and Ticket City.
New customers can save more with these discount codes:
- Vivid Seats customers get $20 off ticket orders of $200 or more by using the code CLEVELAND20 at checkout.
- SeatGeek customers get $5 off orders of $300 or more with code TAKE5.
Here are the cheapest ticket prices currently available to the upcoming Bob Dylan concerts in Ohio, as of Dec. 11:
April 9, 2026: Columbus, OH — Palace Theatre
- Vivid Seats: $196
- SeatGeek: $194
- StubHub: $198
- Viagogo: $192
- Ticket City: $204
April 10, 2026: Cleveland, OH — KeyBank State Theatre
- Vivid Seats: $217
- SeatGeek: $282
- StubHub: $332
- Viagogo: $322
- Ticket City: $218
April 12, 2026: Dayton, OH — Winsupply Theatre
- Vivid Seats: $261
- SeatGeek: $288
- StubHub: $252
- Viagogo: $245
- Ticket City: $262
What Ohio fans can expect from Dylan’s shows
Ohio fans will experience more than just great seats. For his first date in Columbus, Dylan takes the stage at the historic Palace Theatre, a venue known for its warm acoustics and lavish 1920s-style charm.
Then comes Cleveland, where Playhouse Square’s KeyBank State Theatre will host an intimate, phone-free performance. Fans will have electronics secured in Yondr pouches to ensure a fully immersive concert experience. The embedded nostalgia of the theater pairs perfectly with Dylan’s timeless classics like “Blowin’ in the Wind” and “Like a Rolling Stone.”
Finally, Dayton fans can join the celebration of Dylan’s vast musical legacy at Winsupply Theatre. By choosing acoustically superior venues throughout Ohio, Dylan seems to be deliberately crafting a more personal connection with audiences, transforming each stop into a storytelling event rather than just another headlining show.
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