Introduction

In many sports, we measure immortal moments in rough estimates. Secretariat's winning margin in the 1973 Belmont Stakes was about 31 lengths. Jack Nicklaus' putt to clinch the 1986 Masters was about 18 feet. Christian Laettner's shot to beat Kentucky in the 1992 NCAA tournament was about 17 feet.

In football, there are no estimates. There are specifics. The yard lines are white measuring sticks painted on the field to record the distance of each play, from the mundane to the memorable. And the yardage of scoring plays is preserved for posterity in the summaries that accompany box scores. -- Pat Forde