F O O T B AL L E D I T I O N
BOOK ON HOW TECHNOLOGY HAS INFLUENCED SPORTS OVER TIME .
2000 -2018 FEBRUARY ISSUE
2000 -2018
TABLE OF CONTENTS 01 18 22 30
PLAYER DEVELOPMENT
recovery techniques, drug testing, training, wearable technology
EQUIPMENT
helmets/audio/concussion, shoes, clothes, devices for disables athletes, analytics, bodybyte
DIGITAL TECH
computer software, video technology, streaming, social media, instant replay
GAMEPLAY
fans, tablets, scoreboard, artificial play surfaces, hawkeye technology, buy tickets
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Because of improvements in technology, sports coverage is much more extensive than it has ever been before.
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DEV
ELOP MENT
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“PLAYER DEVELOPMENT HAS EVOLVED
RECOVERY TECHNIQUES, DRUG TESTING, TRAINING, WEARABLE TECHNOLOGY. ETC.
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DEVELOPMENT
n the past, athletic trainers were known for taping ankles and icing injuries, but new technology advancements are helping give these industry professionals the chance to be a part of an athlete’s injury prevention, treatment and rehabilitation process. Enhanced Performance. Sensors placed on the body or in “smart clothing” deliver real time data to athletic trainers. Almost anything can be measured from these sensors including heart and breathing rate, hydration levels and core temperature. Athletes have individual needs, so this specific data can help trainers decide when
to give them a break or train harder, helping their overall performance. Injury Prevention, ot only does this individualized data help performance, but it can also help prevent injuries. With fatigue being one of the leading causes of injury in athletics, athletes can now wear sensors that alert athletic trainers and coaches when they have muscle fatigue and injury.
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DEVELOPMENT
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DEVELOPMENT
ot strictly an individual technology, but more a collection of technologies that has changed almost every sport in the world. Drug Testing. Until 1999 there had been small scale and uncoordinated drug tests across individual sports, but these were fairly easily bypassed and in many sports drug abuse to improve performance was endemic. Since then, WADA (World Anti Doping Agency) has helped to push forward the use of drug testing technologies to help fight the use of performance enhancing drugs in sport. This has levelled the playing field in many
DEVELOPMENT
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ability to view and analyze videos of themselves in action, and can learn to improve technique and form. These technologies assist athletes and coaches in viewing the plays and motions of the game.
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is now more high-tech and much more high-functioning.
The increase in technology has provided a convenient opportunity to athletes to be able to elevate their skill. Teams now have the
shoes to uniforms to gloves, “ From helmets, and pads/sporting equipment
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echnology has entirely revolutionized the manner in which we are able to design apparel and equipment. From shoes and uniforms to gloves, helmets, and pads--sporting equipment is now more hightech and high-functioning. The experience of going to a sporting event is very different, too. Scoreboards are now high-definition, fans have access to wireless internet, and recreational devices like batting cages and hitting machines have become more popular.
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EQUIP YOURSELF
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Leatherhead to Radio-Head
EQUIP YOURSELF
One of the biggest improvements in sporting tech is smart helmets. With concussions damaging the sport, something had to be done to protect athletes. New helmet technology offers sensor and magnet tech built in, which is able to detect and disperse force, thus decreasing the changes of head injury. In fact, the magnets themselves play a role in displacing the force of impact. When an impact occurs, the helmet communicates to the coach that the player has been hit. This way, the coaches
can take action immediately in completing concussion diagnoses. Tech isn’t just making sports better for the fans--it’s looking out for the wellbeing of the players In fact, the magnets themselves play a role in displacing the force of impact. When an impact occurs to the head.
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Evolution of the Face Mask Again, it’s worth reiterating that helmets were not mandatory. That wouldn’t happen until 1943. During the 1920s and 1930s, variations of the leather helmet appeared, but in 1939, the game changed –or at least became safer– when John T. Riddel introduced the first plastic helmet. Unfortuwnately, as plastics became more scarce during World War II, so did the more durable helmet. After the war, the helmets went back into production, but there was a problem with the plastic mix that cause many helmets to break into pieces. Remember that scene in Batman Begins where the cowl shatters? I imagine it was something like that. As a result of the faulty plastic, the NFL banned the helmets. Within a year, the error had been corrected and the plastic helmet was formally re-introduced to professional football just a year later, quickly followed by the padded plastic helmet. (Note to people who get hit for a living: EQUIP YOURSELF
it’s always a good idea to add more pads.) Another important change came in 1948 when Los Angeles Rams halfback Fred Gehrke painted horns on either side of his helmet, making the rams the first professional team with a helmet emblem. Up to this point, all the helmets were still open faced. And almost all those open faces had black eyes, bloody noses, and swollen lips. That changed in 1955 when a single face bar was added to the padded plastic helmets. And of course, with the invention of the face mask came the invention of the face-masking – banned in 1956. The single bar face mask was the invention of Paul Brown, the first coach of Cleveland’s professional football team, who came up with the prototype in order to keep starting quarterback Otto Graham in a game after he took a hard hit right to the kisser The single bar face mask was the invention of Paul Brown, the first coach of Cleveland’s professional football.
Brown and the equipment manager quickly assembled the crossbar, patched up Graham, and sent him back on the field to win the game.
By 1962, facemasks were worn by every player in the game of footbal. After the victory, a slightly more formal design was created and all Cleveland players were required to wear the single bar masks. Other NFL teams soon followed suit. Brown patented his design, known as the BT-5, and it went into production by Riddel, who still make the official helmet of the National
Football League.
DIGITAL TECHNOLOGY
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“We respect our traditions, but we embrace evolution.� -MICHELLE MCKENNA-DOYLE, NFL CHIEF INFORMATION OFFICER
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ach week, millions of people watch NFL games on their televisions or in person. Increasingly, they also follow the action on a second or even a third screen. Smartphones, virtual reality, tablets and computers let fans follow their fantasy teams, talk about football on social media or even watch another game, all from the stadium or the couch at home.
After The Review The league didn’t fully embrace the replay ystem until advances in technology improved its effectiveness, integrity and impact on the length of games. The NFL got a little ahead of itself with instant replay. The league debuted its first system in 1986, but the process of rewinding physical tape proved sluggish and provided grainy footage, so the league scrapped the idea before the 1993 season. Instant replay made a comeback in 1999 and has improved with new video technology. Highresolution 1080i cameras allow a clear view of, say, whether a player stepped out of bounds, while the lower-resolution but higherframe-rate 720p progressive cameras can get a better view on bang-bang plays, such as a fumble.The league didn’t fully embrace the system until advances in technology improved its effectiveness, integrity and impact on the length of games played throught the entire season.
The first use of instant replay in an NFL regular-season game between the Chicago Bears and Cleveland Browns gave the Browns a touchdown, overturning the initial ruling on the field that the ball was recovered out of bounds.
Line Referee: Patty Simms
DIGITAL TECH
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“Ravens use iPads to post strength and conditioning workouts per week.”
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extensive than ever before.
of improvements in “ Because technology, sports coverage is more
-BRIAN DOYLE, RAVENS GM
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uring games, coaches previously received faxed black-and-white bird’s-eye view images of offensive and defensive formations to analyze on the sidelines between each series. Now, they get highresolution color images transmitted immediately to secure tablets, allowing them to zoom in or draw on the screen while instructing their players. When they use tablet playbooks, teams can sync the password-protected devices together, allowing coaches to make one digital change that updates on the fly to every player’s device. Teams have custom-designed apps for the playbooks, allowing personalization based on a coach’s whim. Players can make notes about plays directly into the program and even
choose video links for more research. Using iPads instead of ripping hundreds of DVDs each week saves the team time and money, and makes it more likely players will invest in watching the instructional clips. The iPads also serve as a way to stay connected.
DIGITAL TECH
DO IT FOR THE FANS
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Startup and established companies alike are focusing on new technology to affect not only sports teams but also their fans. For the most part, companies are looking to enhance the fan experience in the stadiums, online and on mobile devices. When fans have a better experience, they are more than likely going to
support their teams. For example, in the Meadowlands Stadium, fans will be able to see live games throughout the venue. This means that they can watch the game they came to see from anywhere in the stadium at any time.
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Tickets, Here! Now, however, sports fans are able to buy tickets online in a matter of minutes. New online platforms like Eventbrite have made it easy and convenient to check in and coordinate the entire ticketing process, which entices more people to attend sporting events. Other companies like Barry’s Tickets focus on getting cheaper tickets last minute, completely changing the “scalper” method of buying tickets outside stadiums. This has spiked growth across e-commerce, with websites like Facebook and Craigslist offering fans the chance to purchase and sell tickets without having to navigate through ticketing websites. Apps now offer ticket purchases, with ticketsnow and StubHub bringing ticket orders to the palm of people’s hands.
Not too long ago, buying sports tickets was sometimes as hassle. If you had extra tickets or you wanted to buy some, your only option was scalping. Trading or otherwise obtaining tickets was a costly process that took time and was not very efficient.
FANS
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“ Coverage is available everywhere, all the time. ” -PETER BROWN, NFL GM
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reviously viewers had to select between on a few channels to catch the game--now there are a plethora of options. Plus--coverage is now available live and fullreplay. In recent history missing the big game meant having to wait until then following morning when you could read about the results in the newspaper, or hear them from your friends. Now, however, people are able to record, save, and replay any footage.
FANS
The media channels that broadcast sporting events are now able to use technology to share information at a pace quicker than ever before. News and updates are send quickly to smart phones the moment the news occurs. In addition, social media
is creating opportunities that never would have been considered possible. A few years ago, if you had suggested that you could “tweet” Lebron James and that he might “tweet” back , it would have sounded like nonsense. Twitter, Facebook, and other social media have provided access to an incredible platform for fans and athletes to connect. This connection raises fan enthusiasm and contribution to the sporting events. Instagram and other social media sites have connected the sports community. Fantasy sports are another new digital implementation to the sporting world. You compete. This is a fun way that fans are able to have yet another outlet to their favorite teams and players.
FOOTBALL
EDITION