These days whenever I find an interesting interactive/updating flash app I tend to fire up Firebug and see where the data is coming from. Quite often there’s an XML data feed somewhere that the flash app is being fed with. For example, you can get an XML feed of parking space availability or a list of airlines with gate information at Kansas City International Airport. As with many XML feeds designed for consumption with Flash, these feeds aren’t always well-formed but the data is there for the taking.
I went on a similar quest after checking in on my Redskins at NFL.com. I was pleasantly suprised to find JSON driving the live game update instead of XML. There are three JSON feeds exposed on the live game update page.
The first is the game-specific updates. This feed includes a score breakdown by quarter, who has possesion, time left, and the last few recent plays, along with a few other things that weren’t obvious at first glance.
The second drives the league-wide scoreboard at the top of the page. This includes game date/time, the teams involved, what quarter they’re in, who has the ball, and what the score is. From time to time this feed will also include extra information such as a recent score change.
The third feed includes information about weekly leaders in the NFL. This includes the top five passing, rushing, receiving, and scoring players this week. That sounds like great information to have programmatic access to if you’re in to fantasy football.
It makes me happy to see big companies use XML and JSON feeds for their flash apps rather than a proprietary alternative. It’s also fun to see things like Prototype and Sciptaculous on a site like NFL.com. These feeds are rarely documented, but for the large part are self-documenting. Some of the subtitles in teh NFL feeds can most likely be determined by watching the feed and the flash display over time.
Hi,
I’m wondering if you’ve ever come across a drive summary or ‘plays’ data feed that would have clock time, down, distance, yardline, drive number, play number, yards, players involved, etc.
I’ll be taking a look in Firebug at some of the sites that I follow to see if I can find it, but was wondering what you had come across.
I’m building a database of plays and am going to review video to add some attributes to each play, like formation, etc. It’s for a newspaper columnist, so hopefully he will have a lackey going thru the video
Cheers,
Brad
btw, Erlang ftw! although I’m into D and Python/Django as well…
Really nice find. I’ve been using them to make live updates for my Pick ‘Em pool. Thanks for the help!
Statement that a major publication supports the present view: http://www.results-videos-news.com/index.html
nice find, props!
Hey Matt,
I just came across your blog and loved it. I know its a little dated by now, but the information that you blogged about is still relevant.
I wrote my own blog about this similar topic.
http://www.wecodethings.com/blog/?p=31
The action taken to local and national disasters is awesome but it’s a real shame that so many citizens take advantage of the negative situations.
I mean everytime there is an earthquake, a flood, an oil spill - there’s always a group of heartless people who rip off tax payers.
This is in response to reading that 4 of Oprah Winfreys “angels” got busted ripping off the system. Shame on them!
http://www.cbsnews.com/blogs/2009/08/19/crimesider/entry5251471.shtml
This is in unison of the pernicious effects of affirmative action. In our PC/affirmative skirmish mores, we likely to discern the achievements and promotions of minorities as a consequence of affirmative effectiveness policies as contrasted with of individual diligence and talent. This undermines these vastly achievements.
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Eating, loving, singing and digesting are, in actually, the four acts of the jocose opera known as life, and they pass like bubbles of a bottle of champagne. Whoever lets them contravene without having enjoyed them is a entire fool.
Eating, loving, singing and digesting are, in fact, the four acts of the mirthful opera known as life, and they pass like bubbles of a bottle of champagne. Whoever lets them tell without having enjoyed them is a entire fool.
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It’s not solidified to institute decisions when you recall what your values are.
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This is awesome. I have been looking for this. Great article, thanks for sharing
Football fans who want to watch every game have often been disappointed by blacked out games. However, recent technological advances now make it possible to watch NFL games online, even the games that have been blacked out in your area. The really convenient thing about this technology is that you can watch NFL games from anywhere.