Nowadays that zooming-out trick is a familiar spectacle for fans of Google Earth.
It will probably take at least another year of 1-0 snooze-fests for the game's leaders to spring into action on improving the spectacle for fans.
Agents have had little sleep, and front offices are overwhelmed, but the compressed off-season has been a riveting spectacle for fans and an unexpected boon for a league eager to put the lockout behind it.
At first glance it felt like any other, the first of three days steeped in spectacle, with fans decked out in jerseys, players strolling the red carpet and interviews conducted in platitudes.
Ellison introduced a new class of catamaran, the fiendishly expensive AC72s, The twin-hulled 72ft vessels, replacing the single-hulled catamarans that previously featured in the race, whip along at high speeds, delivering a thrilling spectacle to fans.
But down a level, and literally in the shadows of the main event, was a spectacle for fans of men (and women) who wear uniforms of a different sort: the second annual New York Law Enforcement Expo.
Tebow led the Gators to a 24-14 victory against the Sooners on Thursday night, and his familiar image resulted in a familiar spectacle: Florida fans, celebrating their third national title and second in the past three seasons, unleashed the haunting sing-song that has become so familiar to college sports fans: "Its great, to be, a Florida Gator".
By the time Rivera got up in the eighth, the buzz that had been building in the stands became a spectacle as fans were seen with their backs to the field, standing on seats, facing the bullpen.
That would make for a worse spectacle for Premiership fans, and hurt English clubs' performance in the high-stakes Champions League.
