Turns out, indirect light does more than make players blink. It creates "veiling glare," which reduces their ability to see clearly. Wearing eye black won't keep this optical phenomenon from happening, but it can tone it down. read more
Although it is extremely reasonable to conclude that it is a coincidence, it is interesting to note that last year’s two top NFL receivers in terms of receiving yards, Calvin Johnson of the Detroit Lions and Andre Johnson of the Houston Texans, both regularly wear eye black during games. read more
As others have noted eyeblack is used by baseball players to reduce the glare from sunlight and help then track the ball. As ballpark lighting improves we started to see some players wear it at night. read more
The MythBusters put this smear campaign to the test to uncover eye black's visual advantage, using a light meter to measure its effectiveness. Turns out, indirect light does more than make players blink. read more