The Reaction to NBC's 'Green Zone' Couldn't Be More Ridiculous: Traina Thoughts

1. Let me be clear right off the bat: NBC's new "green zone" gimmick, unveiled during the Cardinals-Cowboys game on Sunday Night Football is stupid and completely useless.

Having said, that Twitter being what Twitter is, would have you believe NBC completely destroyed the broadcast by implementing this feature.

The "green zone" is harmless. Unnecesasry overkill, but harmless. For a handful of plays each Sunday night, you have to deal with seeing a darker shade of green on a portion of your TV sceen. Twitter reacted as if NBC put the game in black-and-white and brought Dennis Miller back to do commentary.

Now, maybe it was hard for me to get worked up over the "green zone" because I kept flipping between NBC and Orioles-Yankees last night on ESPN's Sunday Night Baseball, which is a truly awful telecast to watch for a variety of reasons. But, good grief, people, you can't be this worked up by a slight color change on your TV. You just can't let this affect your enjoyment of a broadcast. It's honestly not a big deal at all.

2. They didn't win a single game last season, but everyone has Cleveland Browns fever. We told you last week that bettors love the Browns and so do TV viewers. 

3. If you saw the quick highlight over the weekend of Dolphins linebacker Kiko Alonso cracking everyone up by accidentally going to the wrong sideline during a game against the Ravens, you see the full clip to realize how unfunny and scary it really was. 

4. No confirmation yet on if this is the actual price, but if Jim Miller is tweeting it, it's true. And if you pay $25 for the Tiger-Phil exhibition, I worry for you.

5. The series finale of Sacha Baron Cohen's Who Is America ended last night with an athlete interview.

6. A brand new SI Media Podcast features an interview with Dallas sportscaster and viral video star Dale Hansen. The 70-year-old Hansen, who works for WFAA, discusses his monologues on Jerry Jones, the national anthem controversy, the Cowboys signing of Greg Hardy, Michael Sam kissing his boyfriend during the NFL draft and more. In addition, Hansen talks about how his liberal views are received by a Dallas audience and the higher ups at his television station. He also shares personal stories about how life experiences have changed and shaped his current world views. You can listen to the podcast below or download it on iTunes.

7. RANDOM COLLEGE FOOTBALL VIDEO OF THE DAY: In honor of the season getting under way, we'll feature some of the most memorable moments in the sport over the past several years. We start with the still-hard-to-believe Kick Six, which features a call for the ages.

Traina Thoughts is the best of the Internet, plus musings by SI.com writer, Jimmy Traina. Get the link to a new Traina's Thoughts each day by following on Twitter and liking on Facebook. Catch up on previous editions of Traina Thoughts right here. And make sure to listen to and subscribe to the SI Media Podcast hosted by Jimmy Traina.

IN CLOSING: Biggest thing that got lost in the announcement of Michelle Beadle leaving Get Up in the wake of poor ratings and poor reviews is that the show has been cut from three hours to two. That's usually the sign that the end will be sooner rather than later.