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R.I.P. Chain Gang: NFL moving to electronic first down measurements

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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.

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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.

“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.

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Cleveland, OH

Woman found dead in backyard of Cleveland home

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Woman found dead in backyard of Cleveland home


CLEVELAND, Ohio (WOIO) – A woman was found dead in the backyard of a home on the city’s West side Friday morning.

Officers responded to the 3400 block of Bosworth Rd. around 9 a.m. for a welfare check.

This is in the city’s West Boulevard neighborhood.

When officers arrived at the home, they found the victim.

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The Cuyahoga County Medical Examiner’s Officer will now determine the victim’s name and cause of death.

A child connected to the woman has been located and confirmed safe, said Cleveland police.

Police added the circumstances regarding the death remain under investigation.

Copyright 2026 WOIO. All rights reserved.



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Cleveland, OH

Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect

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Extreme heat warning ends Friday evening: What to expect


This forecast is outdated and inaccurate. Get the latest forecast here.

CLEVELAND (WJW) — (WJW) — The National Weather Service has extended its EXTREME HEAT WARNING for all of Northeast Ohio.

It will remain in effect until 8 p.m. on Friday, July 3, in Ashland, Ashtabula, Crawford, Cuyahoga, Erie, Geauga, Holmes, Huron, Lake, Lorain, Mahoning Medina, Ottawa, Portage, Richland, Sandusky, Stark, Summit, Trumbull and Wayne counties; and until 10 p.m. Friday, July 3, in Carroll, Coshocton and Tuscarawas counties.

The heat waves continues! An EXTREME HEAT WARNING will remain in effect through 8 p.m. Friday. Heat indices could top 105 degrees during the hottest time of day on Friday.

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Once again, there will not be much relief from the heat and humidity overnight. Tonight lows will be in the mid to upper 70s again. Feeling warmer with the higher humidity. Mostly clear skies.

Friday will be the last sweltering summer day before the heat starts to back off for the Fourth of July holiday weekend. There is the chance of rain and storms Friday evening, around 7pm that could go through the late evening. This may impact some 4th of July celebrations on Friday. Any storm that pops up we’ll have to watch for the potential of gusty winds, heavy downpours and large hail.

This is what the radar could look like by the time some Fireworks celebrations are expected Friday evening. We have a level 2 out of 5 chance of any storm turning severe, meaning that 1 or 2 have the chance.

The upper-level ridge, or heat dome, will start to breakdown on Friday. This means two things. The first is it will go from being very hot and humid to being very warm and humid. The second thing is the chance of rain and threat of storms will return.

The Fourth of July holiday weekend will be far from a washout! There will be more dry time than time with downpours and storms. However, clusters of downpours and storms will move through Northeast Ohio at times. This means some Fourth of July events, backyard BBQs, pool parties, and firework shows could be impacted by rain and storms.

With all the heat and humidity around, any downpours or storms that develop could be strong and produce gusty winds, small hail, torrential rain, and lightning. Here’s the latest 8 Day Forecast:

Keep up with FOX 8 News for the latest weather updates.



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Mason and Bell preview all-Ohio showdown – FIGHTMAG

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Mason and Bell preview all-Ohio showdown – FIGHTMAG


Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell previewed their championship bout and came face to face at the press conference. The two fighters square off this Saturday, July 4, at Cleveland State University’s Wolstein Center.

  • Cleveland-based 22-year-old southpaw Mason (20-0, 17 KOs) of Bedford, Ohio, defends his WBO lightweight title after claiming the vacant belt last November by decision against Sam Noakes.
  • Toledo’s 33-year-old Bell (28-0, 9 KOs), who makes his first bid to become a champion, took the fight on short notice, replacing Joe Cordina of Wales.

See below what Mason and Bell had to say at the press conference on Thursday, following the open workout.

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Mason: I’m prepared to come out on top

“I’m excited. I’m super excited,” Mason said. “This is something me and my brothers have been looking forward to doing since we were amateurs. We fought on the same card a few times as amateurs, and all of us did it together on the last show my father threw here in Cleveland. It was huge.”

“At that time, we were like, ‘Yo, when we do this on a professional level, it’s going to be big for Cleveland.’ And now, it’s big for not only Cleveland, but it’s on TNT, so this is a national stage, a world stage with DAZN. I’m just excited to be able to put this show on with two of my brothers on the card.”

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“I feel like it [fight vs Sam Noakes] was definitely a much-needed experience. That’s not the type of fight you have all the time in your career. It was something I felt like I had to do that night. Every fight is different, and it definitely gave me some insight into how I’ll approach the rest of my career. So, it was a much-needed experience and a great fight.”

“It [opponent change] was definitely unexpected. Albert Bell – that’s our guy from Toledo. But it’s boxing. You’ve got to be prepared for anything, and I’m prepared to come out on top. Everything happens for a reason.”

“One thing I do want to say is, I’m the youngest world champion in boxing for a reason, and I’m prepared to show that when I step into the ring.”

“Boxing is offense, defense and IQ, and you’ve got to put it together and tailor it to the person you’re stepping in the ring with. So, with the opponent switch, I just have to tailor it to the person across the ring from me, and that’s Albert Bell.”

Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell face off at a press conference in Cleveland
Abdullah Mason and Albert Bell face off during a press conference in Cleveland, Ohio, on July 2, 2026. Photo by Top Rank

Bell: We’re here now, and that’s all that matters

“I mean, it caught me by surprise,” Bell said on stepping in to face Mason on short notice. “It was an ideal opponent for me. I wasn’t really thinking about fighting Abdullah, especially not this soon. But everything made sense. I talked to my pops about it, and it made sense, so I stepped in to save the card, get my world title opportunity and put on a show for all of Ohio.”

“I mean, I get turned down by a lot of guys. I’m not saying that in a cocky way or trying to act like I’m the boogeyman or anything like that, but a lot of guys say no when my name comes across their table. I would’ve had the name I was supposed to have by now if it weren’t for that, but what’s delayed is not denied. We’re here now, and that’s all that matters.”

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“I just need to be the best version of myself. I know he’s coming to be the best version of himself. He’s prepared, I’m prepared. We’re ready. We’re two top fighters, and we’re professionals. We’re both Ohioans. We’ve got history with each other, and it’s gonna be a show for sure.”

Mason vs Bell undercard

In the co-feature, Bruce Carrington (17-0, 10 KOs) of Brooklyn makes the first defense of his WBC featherweight title against Rene Palacios (19-0-1, 10 KOs) of Mexico.

On the undercard, Cleveland’s Delante “Tiger” Johnson (17-0, 8 KOs) takes on Canada-based Mexican Christopher Guerrero (16-0, 9 KOs) at welterweight.

Plus, Deric Davis (11-0, 10 KOs) of Fort Washington, Maryland, and Carlos Ramos (18-4-1, 10 KOs) of Spain by way of Ecuador, square off at lightweight.

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