Agreed. I have never understood the argument about resources. If the game is lacking resources for side line animations then there's something severely flawed with the game's engine or the game's design. In either case, the development team should be able to fix it. How can a game 5 years your junior achieve something that you're still claiming can't be done with your engine? Don't tell me it can't be done, don't tell me your engine doesn't support it. Fix it.
I'll still take game play fixes over side line fixes, but it really irks me when I hear that 'we can't do it'. When my developers tell me that, then I tell them if we can't do it, we might as well go home. The animated / alive side lines adds a huge element from an immersion standpoint. Next to the grass and players, it's one of the aspects of the game that you see in some respect all game long.
It would be great to see a coach get animated when there's a questionable call, or in a tense 3rd/4th down conversion. Or even a pan over to them as the huddle breaks where the coach has the clipboard over his mouth as if he's calling a play in. You could even have the announcers work in some commentary with regards to the coach (dynamic and specific).
The dynamic aspect of APF2K8's sideline adds so much realism to the game. The bench lights up when you make a big catch, and when you run down the side line next to it the guys will move from standing in a spot to run towards you and swing their arms telling you to keep on going. The emotion it brings to the moment can't be under rated.