Thank you for tuning into How It's Made, special live edition, featuring the Philadelphia Liberty's own Jasper "Jazzy" Fontaine.
Let's follow along as he guides a group of little league football youths through the process of creating the specific brand of balls used by the International Simulated Football League.
Camera zooms in on Jazzy talking to group of small children, all kneeling around him in the center of a factory floor.
"You wanna catch this ball? Not so fast, bucko. First, you gotta BE THE BALL. And to do that, you gotta learn....How It's Made.
Jazzy turns to the camera and winks.
Queue a montage of Jasper Fontaine guiding the group through a football manufacturing factory. Camera pays special attention to the fact they are all wearing hard hats and following OSHA guidelines. Montage ends with Jazzy teaching the children how to sew leather, and finishes with him throwing the ball to a child in the Liberty Stadium.
Throughout all of this, a narrator explains the following:
The modern process of making a football starts with a cut of cowhide known as a bend, or the strongest hide part. The leather is specially tanned to make it more durable, and it’s cut into four panels using a die-cut process. Each panel is formed into the right weight and thickness by being passed through a skiving machine. A fabric lining made of three layers is then sewn to every panel to prevent them from changing shape or size during play.
Then, facing is applied where holes will be punched. After holes are punched for the lacing and inflating needle, the four panels are then sewn together. A special hot-wax lock stitch machine is used to make the stitching last. At this stage, the manufacturer turns the ball right side out, and a rubber bladder is placed inside. Lacing is added, and the ball is inflated before going through a quality check to make sure it meets size, weight and air pressure requirements.
Roll credits.
Let's follow along as he guides a group of little league football youths through the process of creating the specific brand of balls used by the International Simulated Football League.
Camera zooms in on Jazzy talking to group of small children, all kneeling around him in the center of a factory floor.
"You wanna catch this ball? Not so fast, bucko. First, you gotta BE THE BALL. And to do that, you gotta learn....How It's Made.
Jazzy turns to the camera and winks.
Queue a montage of Jasper Fontaine guiding the group through a football manufacturing factory. Camera pays special attention to the fact they are all wearing hard hats and following OSHA guidelines. Montage ends with Jazzy teaching the children how to sew leather, and finishes with him throwing the ball to a child in the Liberty Stadium.
Throughout all of this, a narrator explains the following:
The modern process of making a football starts with a cut of cowhide known as a bend, or the strongest hide part. The leather is specially tanned to make it more durable, and it’s cut into four panels using a die-cut process. Each panel is formed into the right weight and thickness by being passed through a skiving machine. A fabric lining made of three layers is then sewn to every panel to prevent them from changing shape or size during play.
Then, facing is applied where holes will be punched. After holes are punched for the lacing and inflating needle, the four panels are then sewn together. A special hot-wax lock stitch machine is used to make the stitching last. At this stage, the manufacturer turns the ball right side out, and a rubber bladder is placed inside. Lacing is added, and the ball is inflated before going through a quality check to make sure it meets size, weight and air pressure requirements.
Roll credits.