iPads and Their Impact on the NFL

By: Kuljit Grewal  |   July 7th, 2012   |   Apple, Sports, Tablets

I take pride in the fact that I was a part of the guinea pig generation of the 1990’s. By the turn of the new millennia we were more than familiar with the desktop, the laptop, the original flat screen and the technology that has defined our generation, the Internet. As the computer bubble burst Microsoft were the clear cut leaders of their industry, but as the last decade has unravelled Apple has quickly taken the lead. As more and more people are switching to MacBooks, iPods, and iPhones, the NFL is going from old school to new school by using the iPad.

 

During the football season players and coaches would meet and study film and review hundreds of pages of plays and formations. They would also review game and practise film at home through DVD’s. Now teams such as the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers have taken the first step and converted from paper and DVD’s to the Apple product, with more teams such as the Denver Broncos following suit almost immediately. With this device teams have expanded the realm of possibility, allowing players and coaches to do anything from dissecting a play to going over coverages during practise or scouting reports on rookies. Players are also able take the portable and compact tablet home for further study and preparation in a much more convenient package that the playbook and DVD’s that served as predecessors.

 

As an added bonus, the iPads allow people to go through film more quickly and it appears that the devices could be cheaper for teams as well. Organizations would rid themselves of the cost of burning DVDs of film and producing plays on paper. The Jacksonville Jaguars estimate they spend $50,000 annually for their scouting reports. Teams would be able to share information within its own organization, through the use of the Apple product, however they must exercise caution, as this could lead to various security issues. A player could leave the iPad at practise or at an airport thus allowing someone else may pick it up or a coach could leave it in the board room. The Baltimore Ravens have taken proactive measures to ensure that their information stays safe. Each iPad allows the use to enter their password up to three times and after the third trial fails all the information on the tablet is erased. iPads that may be lost or stolen can also be scrubbed remotely by team officials to ensure plays and strategy are not vulnerable. Various websites can also be blocked in order to ensure that the team devices are being used for their intended purpose.

 

Even though half of the NFL’s teams are switching or planning on switching to iPads in the coming season, the NFL has not allowed the teams to take it on the field during a game. Players are allowed to have the device with them in their locker rooms until kickoff. It would not be surprising that in the copycat league that is the NFL, all 32 teams will adopt the iPad, or another tablet. The concern would be whether the league will allow these products on the sidelines, something that is currently prohibited. This could be a step in the right direction for the NFL to modernize and keep head of the technology curve.