A Slight Departure

I know this blog was supposed to center around emerging technologies in the world of sports, but this gets a pass on sheer coolness alone. Have a watch!

I KNOW RIGHT?!?! This video explains a little about whats going on:

The immediate use of tech like this would be in transit. They are already looking into some high speed rail applications in Europe.

But since this is a sports blog, maybe I can come up with some uses...something like luge and bobsledding taken to a Star Trek level!  And for all those my age out there.....HOVERBOARDS!!!!

I had to do it.....

When I started writing my blog this week, it had nothing to do with Apple or Steve Jobs. However, since he has passed, and since he was such a bright luminary in the industry, it is almost impossible for me to write something that didn't mention Steve's many contributions. But since this blog is described as having a sports slant, I have decided to write about what he has done for the sports industry. Read On!



When Apple introduced the iPhone back in 2007, I was one of the throngs of idiots who stood in line for 4 hours to buy a $699 phone. Looking back, it was money well spent. I don't think Apple realized what they had done with this product. As sports fans, our lives had changed. The iPhone, and the many copycats that have since arrived on the market, have allowed everyone, sports fans or not, to stay constantly connected. But it is the sports fan in particular that has benefited the most.

It is safe to say that the mobile device revolution spawned many of the technologies that are ubiquitous today. Twitter for instance, would not be  a fraction of what it is were it not for mobile devices. As I wrote in a previous entry, Twitter has given the fan a voice. But it has also given the fan a way to be inundated with as much information they can stand about players, teams, and events. Fans can also subscribe to watch live sporting events on their devices. I personally manage four fantasy football teams with my phone. The sports world is literally at our fingertips, and we have Steve Jobs and Apple to thank.

RIP Steve

Put a camera on it!

It is amazing to me that the technology that we have available to us is not being used in areas where there is obvious application. I am a quarterback guy. I played QB for almost 12 years. I study everything about them: throwing motion, footwork, candor, demeanor, attitude, everything. As football has become pass heavy at every level, the quarterback has become even more important. It is the one position that touches the ball on every play. The play of the quarterback is the single most important aspect of football, period. To make my point: of the 45 Super Bowls that have been played, the winners of 31 of them had current or future hall of famers at the helm. Granted, I am guessing at the future, but can anyone really argue that Peyton Manning, Tom Brady, or Ben Roethlisberger aren't going to be enshrined in Canton someday?

THIS HAS TO BE DONE!!!

With quarterbacks being so important, every part of their game becomes fascinating.  The most important and most talked about aspects of their game are reads and progression. Reads are what a quarterback sees before the snap and in the initial movement of the defense where the QB is trying to figure out what the defense is doing. What a QB reads determines what his progression will be. Progression is the process in which the Quarterback goes through in order to determine the best places to go with the football, and the order in which he looks to them. This essential part of the game is mostly invisible to the fans. Why? We can put cameras inside of the smallest blood vessels, surely we have the ability to put cameras in a QB's helmet so that we can see what they see. This has an enormous upside for everyone involved. For a coaching staff; when a defense seems to have a QB's number or the QB seems to have made a bad decision, they can go to the tape to find out exactly what the QB was looking at and what the defense was doing, and use the footage to coach up and game-plan accordingly. For us, the consumer, we can finally see what the QB sees. For the league and its billionaire owners....a new revenue stream. Many people may not care as much as I do about what Tom Brady sees when he drops back, but many will. And I am sure that many fans will pay for it. Imagine sitting in front of your high-definition television. You are watching the game, and you have your MFD in your hand. You just paid for an app and subscription that lets you see the game from the quarterback's eyes on your MFD as you are watching the broadcast on the big-screen. And it doesn't just have to be quarterbacks. Imagine being in the helmet of a safety as he blows up a receiver, or the perspective of a running back as he looks for a running lane before he speeds through it. The youtube hits alone would be worth the price of admission!

Perkzilla

Every Fan Has a Voice!

Your watching your favorite sports team against a heated rival, a bonehead play really fires you up. You want to let somebody, anybody, know exactly how you feel. Who ya gonna call? Until recently, you just had to sit on your well worn couch in front of the TV and sulk. But not anymore.

Now you can grab a computer or multi-function device (phone, tablet, etc) and let it rip. Fans all over the world are more then willing to unleash a weapon that lets their voice be heard. This weapon is know as.....the Tweet.

I know twitter is old news int he world of tech, and that this blog is supposed to be about what's next, but I feel it necessary to discuss the phenomenon known as Twitter. As in everything worth discussing, it is necessary to set a solid foundation that you can build upon. Indeed, Twitter has become the foundation in which everyone with an internet connection can let the world know what they are doing or what they think. All manner of folk, from celebrities to your next door neighbor are able to cut loose with an update that let's everyone know that they are pumping gas or mad at their boss.

The "dark" secret of Twitter is that it has become a gateway drug. While allowing "tweeps" (people who tweet) to shotgun their thoughts into the ether, Twitter also allows them a measure of feedback from the rest of the world. When first starting on Twitter, individuals share their thoughts on all manner of topics. If the topic is trending, then odds are that someone, somewhere will read it. (A trending topic is one that many people are discussing at a point in time) Say something smart, clever, or witty, and you may get followed. Followers are able to directly receive anything that is said by the one being followed. The more followers someone has, the more popular they are. Kinda reminds you of high school, doesn't it.

So how has this become a gateway drug? Fame is addictive. Make no mistake, those who have thousands of followers become internet celebrities. They have a platform where they are able to push any agenda they wish.  Many Twitted celebs have parlayed their popularity into something more, like a radio or online show.

In the world of sports, there is no shortage of these celebrities. It used to be that the thoughts of a small market sideline reporter were limited to their local audience. Now, almost all amateur and small time reporters have a national voice.

It may seem that I view this situation as negative. Far from it. I live the fact that I can get up to the minute reports on my Denver Broncos from the local beat writer. I love the fact that us small people now have a voice. I love the fact that those of us who are intelligent and funny, yet don't fit the mold of a prototypical celebrity, can have a worldwide audience and "be discovered".

Perkzilla

Welcome!

Hello all, and welcome the first of what I hope will be many informative posts about what is going on in the world of sports as it pertains to technology. For clarity's sake, let me explain what I am on about. This blog is not going to dive into new sports medicine tech or new safety equipment. This blog is planted firmly in the realm of information technology. I will be focusing on how players, teams, and organizations are using information technology such as social media to improve the product that you, the fan, enjoy.

But first:
What qualifies me to speak about such things? I have been in the IT industry since 1996, and have worked in many disciplines within the field. I am a complete and utter tech head, and love finding out what is next on the horizon, always searching for the next big thing.

I am also an avid sports fan. I am a Denver homer, pledging allegiance to my beloved Broncos, Avalanche, Rockies, Nuggets, Rapids, Buffs, Rams, and Bears. Aside from these, I enjoy all types of sports. I played football, basketball, and volleyball when I was younger. Now, I play the occasional pick-up football and basketball games, and partake in something that resembles golf. I follow as many sporting events as I can fit in my schedule. And I mean all of them. In fact, thanks to some very rabid fans in my graduate program, I have begun to take a more than healthy interest in cricket.


So, let's kick this thing off. I hope to have fun with it, so please come along.

Perkzilla

World Famous Bronco Barrel Man - Tim McKernan. RIP