Rich Eisen Forty Time: NFL Anchor Will Bring the Funny in Yearly Failure

Rich Eisen will once again take his mark and set off on 40-yards of failure. It's a much needed respite from all the seriousness and will actually be different this time around. 

The New York Times' Mike Tanier reports Eisen will actually switch things up in the annual 40-yard dash he has run since 2005. 

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This year, Eisen will trade in his business apparel for an Under Armour E39 Electronic Compression Shirt, complete with biometric sensor, similar to the ones being worn by over 100 of the prospects participating in the scouting combine.

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This time around, the slow-moving man on your screen will actually look a lot sleeker than he usually does. I am not sure that this will have him throwing down a Chris Johnson 40-yard time, but that is hardly the reason this annual event works. 

Shirt and tie or no shirt and tie, Eisen's attempt works on three levels.

First, it is hilarious. 

Watching Eisen constantly try to break 6 seconds only to come up just short every time makes me chuckle. 

We can all agree that the combine is one huge presentation of excess for football nerds. I love it, and even I have to admit that it's overkill. 

Eisen brings levity to something that is far too close to a cattle call, but the Eisen run breaks all that madness up. 

The second and more important aspect of the dash is the familiarity it gives us viewers.

Sure, it's nice to see a bunch of guys that train daily to lay down some sick times, but there is no way of measuring that to some Joe Nobody. 

Eisen who I am sure keeps in as much shape as he can, gives us a measure of what a regular guy can do at the 40-yard dash, and it's not pretty. 

That brings me to the third reason it's great—better him than us. 

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