Top 10 Sports Technology Stories of 2011

Below are links to my top 10 most viewed sports technology stories of 2011.

10. The End of Sports Journalism Jul 28, 2011
9. Follow Your Favorite Olympian---Right Into London Jun 27, 2011
8. "USA USA USA" Heard at Mets-Phillies Game May 2, 2011
7. Goal-Line Technology Under FIFA Review Feb 3, 2011
6. The Domed Gold Cup To Be Played On Real Grass Jun 6, 2011
5. Do The Clothes Make The Athlete? May 23, 2011
4. Polara Straight Ball Banned by USGA May 13, 2011
3. Technology Leveraged to Create New Sport, Kronum Apr 18, 2011
2. What LeBron James Can Teach You about Social Media... Jun 13, 2011
1. Teddy Roosevelt Tweets About The Nationals Feb 21, 2011

Merry Christmas

Merry Christmas.

Ref. whitneygaskell.com

Super Bowl 2012 will Stream Online

The 2012 Super Bowl will stream online and to mobile devices. Considering the Super Bowl is one of the highest watched television programs all year, this was definitely not a decision made lightly by the NFL and NBC. Specific details about the streaming (such as cost/if it will work on non-Verizon devices etc) are still fuzzy.

This move could mean more viewers for the NFL, which translates to more advertising opportunities. While I am not sure the global availability, I see this as a huge opportunity to reach people who may not be able to get the games on their local channels abroad. Believe it or not, there are a lot of American football fans all over the world, and a streaming video service of the Super Bowl (even if there is a charge for subscription) would be awesome for them.

ECU Bowls Tickets: Get Them Before They Are Real

Bowl season has kicked off this week. Schools across the country are trying to sell their allotted bowl tickets, and ECU (East Carolina University) is no exception. However different from other schools pushing tickets, ECU is not in a bowl this year. However that doesn’t stop their clever marketing department from pushing ‘tickets.’ ECU’s ‘Pirate Club’ recently sent out the following email to Pirate Club members:

Our East Carolina University Pirate football team had an exciting season but fell one game short of qualifying for the program’s sixth straight bowl game. The Pirate football team is in goods hands with Coach Ruffin McNeill and his staff. There is a tremendous amount of young talent and our program has a bright future.

East Carolina University Athletics wants to show the college football world the passion of the Pirate Nation, even in a “bowless” year for the university. The Pirate Club is excited to announce the 2011 Virtual Bowl. Our challenge will be to sell more tickets than our bowl-bound Conference USA opponents and bowl-bound teams from the Big East. The Virtual Bowl appeal will go through December 23.

Tickets for the Virtual Bowl are $50 a piece and can be purchase [sic] by calling the Pirate Club Offices at 252-737-4540 or by going online at ecupirateclub.com. Virtual Bowl tickets purchased will be tax deductable [sic] and donors will receive one priority point for every ticket purchased. All proceeds from the Virtual Bowl will go towards the “Step-Up To The Highest Level Campaign”. Go Pirates!

They are not actually selling tickets. Instead, they are calling a donation to the University a "Bowl Ticket" (which will be used toward construction of a basketball practice facility). Is it working? As of 11:30am this morning they have sold $6,800 worth of ‘virtual’ tickets. Not too shabby. Ref. athleticbusiness.com, wralsportsfan.com Pic Ref. frumpzilla.com

Get a Grip on Your Swing

Sensosolutions has launched a sensory golf glove, SensoGlove, which could potentially help golfers improve their game by means of improving their club grip. The glove features a sweat-proof 1.2 inch digital LED monitor that can analyze grip data gathered from sensors in the glove. The glove audio-alerts the golfer the moment he/she grips too tight. This feature helps train the golfer to know when he/she has reached their ideal grip.

The monitor is removable so the glove can be used as a regular golf glove. SensoGlove is available online at http://www.sensoglove.com/ for both the left and right hands and in a variety of sizes. Currently online the glove with monitor is priced at $89.00 + S&H. Ref. sports.tmcnet.com.com, sensoglove.com Pic Ref sensoglove.com

Happy Birthday!

Yesterday, 12/12, was my birthday. So for my blog post, I wanted to give a special shout-out to all the amazing athletes that share my birthday. Unfortunately, that list was rather slim. Nonetheless, HAPPY BIRTHDAY to the following folks!

1981 – Ronnie Brown, American football player
1979 – John Salmons, American basketball player
1979 – Garrett Atkins, American baseball player
1977 – Orlando Hudson, American baseball player
1967 – John Randle, American football player
1962 – Mike Golic, American football player

The High Cost of Sports

Your large cable bill is probably due (at least in part) to sports broadcasting. Programming costs of sports are very high and networks such as ESPN are passing on the costs to cable companies which, in turn, pass the costs on to consumers. According to the Wall Street Journal, “ESPN charges the highest per-household subscription fee of any cable channel, according to SNL Kagan [a study], which estimates its monthly per-subscriber fees for the flagship channel have risen 42% to $4.69 since 2006. The average cable channel fee rose 24% over that same period to 26 cents a month.”

Of course the market for sports on TV is fragmenting as more and more viewers can stream games on the internet at a fraction of the cost (or for free). However a spokesperson for ESPN defends its value in a statement "ESPN is consistently ranked by cable operators as the most compelling and comprehensive driver of their businesses, offering more total value in a multiplatform world than any other basic cable network by far." How the cable and satellite companies react (either changing bundles or updating costs for sports programming) will be interesting. Personally I think most sports fans will continue to pay rising costs to keep sports broadcasting in their homes, however I do not know home much longer the cable companies will be able to justify spreading those costs across all subscriber packages. Ref. wsj.com Pic Ref. wsop.com

University of Oregon May Get Quicker

The University of Oregon is the latest school to adopt the Neurotracker training system. This system boasts the ability to help athletes train their brains to iterpret many moving objects at once. This ability could, in turn, accelerate the decision making process. According to their website,

NeuroTracker is a scientific innovation in perceptual-cognitive training developed by world-leading neurophysicist Dr.Faubert. NeuroTracker improves athletic performance by increasing player situational awareness and decreasing response time during play. The data can be used for player profiling and post-injury return to play timing assessment.

The 8 second session takes place in a dark room. The way it works is by displaying on a screen 8 3D yellow balls in motion. At a point in the exercise, 4 of the balls turn orange and then return back to yellow. The player must track the 4 balls that changed color, as all 8 yellow balls continue to move around across the screen. After 8 seconds they must identify which of the 4 balls changed color. If the player correctly selects the 4 balls, they complete the exercise again, but the balls move at a quicker pace. If they are not able to select the correct balls, the pace of ball movement slows.

One of the earliest adopters of this technology was Manchester United almost two years ago. Since then, various hockey, rugby, football and Olympic training centers have all adopted the system.

Beyond improving reaction time, this technology could also be a great step forward in identifying when an athlete has fully recovered from a concussion. Regarding post-concussion recovery, CogniSens (company marketing the technology) says, “Training on NeuroTracker quickly provides baselines that can reliably quantify and athlete’s normative perceptual-cognitive ability, and return to these levels can offer medical staff a quality indicator of return to performance level status in the post-concussion return to play stages…”

If this exercise really does improve agility, it could mean so much to the world of sports and possibly more to the medical community as a whole. I wonder if the application could be useful to help people with medical issues outside the arena, like those who have suffered a stroke. My one major reservation is that this exercise could become essentially a skill; with minimal if any actual improvement on the field. This reservation is similar to the question of whether or not exercises like crossword puzzles and Sodoku actually keep brains sharp…or just keep them sharp at doing crosswords and Sudoku. Regardless, in the world of sports, even if this only gave an athlete 1/8 of a second quicker response, this non-invasive exercise was probably worth it. Ref. neurotracker.net, wired.com Pic. Ref. neurotracker.net

Theater During the 2012 Games: To Be or Not To Be?

Some major musicals are debating whether or not to close during the London Olympic Games next summer. Musicals such as The Wizard of Oz and The Phantom of the Opera are on the chopping block. The reason, according to The Guardian, is “The European Tour Operations Association (ETOA) has announced that its members are facing a 95% decrease on London bookings for the period, while the managing director of Encore Tickets, John Wales, said the company was bracing itself for 'sales from tourists to be at least 40 per cent down on last year'."

This type of economic slide for non-Olympic venues is a common consequence of tourist-popular cities hosting the Games. Everything from costs of lodging to costs to travel to and from the host city dramatically rise during the Games. Those additional costs, paired with the crowds, drives potential non-Olympic tourists (such as theater goers) to pick other vacation destinations.

This economic impact is one reason why some locals look for ways to protest their own city’s bid to host. Everything from Facebook groups to blogs emerge citing tons of reasons why hosting the Games is a bad idea. Undoubtedly there are positives and negatives to hosting a huge world sporting event such as the Olympic Games. Some businesses see a drop in revenue and large crowds interrupt everyday life.

I am a supporter of the arts and definitely feel for those individuals whose lives are detrimentally impacted. However, the spirit of the Games is being completely missed here. The whole point of hosting is to welcome people from around the world to your home town in an act of hospitality and comradery (not monetary gain). I also feel these economic finding are a little short-sighted and not taking into consideration the possible upswing of tourists in forthcoming years post-Games TV coverage. Ref. theguardian.com, thesportseconomist.com Pic. Ref. londontravelogue.wordpress.com

Hashtags Popping Up in Unexpected Places #emergingtechnicalfoul

How do you get your college football game to trend on Twitter? Paint your hashtag on the end zone of course. That is just what Mississippi State has done in preparation for their big rivalry game against University of Mississippi this Saturday. They painted in huge letters #HAILSTATE, which represents the school's traditional fight song and rally cheer.

Twitter is utilized frequently by Mississippi State’s athletic director Scott Stricklin. He said they were discussing just painting HAIL STATE on the end zone, then somebody suggested hashtagging it.

This is a first in college football, but not a first for plugging a hashtag. According to Mashable, “A Mexican first-division soccer team recently replaced the player names on jerseys with their Twitter handles, also believed to be a first in the sports world.”

This idea, albeit a little loud, is awesome. While I will quickly become annoyed if hashtags start popping up all over players and courts, I love the ingenuity and creativity of this idea. Ref. mashable.com Pic Ref. mashable.com

MOTOACTV Launched

Motorola launched MOTOACTV on Nov. 6th at the New York City Marathon. This wristwatch is a fitness tracker/music player that utilizes Android software. MOTOACTV has the ability to track extensive data about your workout and trends improvement on a daily basis.

MOTOACTV is sweat-resistant and scratch-resistant and has an anti-glare screen. The device can be integrated to sync with your Droid Razr allowing you to read a text message right on your watch. However reviewers are most impressed with“the SF700 Wireless Sports Headphones with Integrated Heart Rate Monitor, which works via Bluetooth and keeps track of your heart rate through your ears.” The cost is on the high side at $250 for 8 gigabyte or $300 for 16 gigabyte sizes.

This innovative technology takes working out to the next level, but at a cost that may deter potential consumers. It will be interesting to see if this high-end product takes off in the athletic world. Ref. and Pic Ref. innovationforendurance.com

The New Booth Review…Twitter

For many, Twitter has completely changed the way they watch sports. It has allowed fans to watch games with their favorite announcers and sports writers, without leaving home. But this weekend I observed another unexpected way Twitter has changed the game viewing experience…right in the stadium. At the Bears-Lions game this weekend there were several booth reviews, challenges and other calls that required a break in the action for the refs to review the play. At Soldier Field most plays were replayed once but only from a single camera vantage. Therefore, Hester’s long return as viewed by the cross-field camera left the fans wondering if he actually did step out of bounds.

However not all fans wondered. My husband simply retrieved his phone, clicked on the Twitter app and read what his favorite sports guys had to say about the play. While the rest of the stadium held their breath in suspense if the touchdown would be called back, we already confidently knew (thanks to some local sports journalist and the multiple camera angles they saw on TV), that the call on the field would indeed stand.

Twitter is not only helpful at the stadium; it is especially helpful when controversial calls are made. Why was the down replayed? What was the coach thinking running that play? The best part is you control whose opinion to receive and are not forced to listen through silly announcer banter. Pic. Ref. sportslogos.net

What Your DNA Can Tell You About Your Game

Practice and hard work can bring people to incredible levels of success, but most professional athletes are also gifted with extraordinary genes. And while everyone can cite a jack-of-all-trades athlete who is great at many sports, the majority of people are predisposed towards certain types of (endurance or power) sports.

Skill predisposition is exactly what eager parents want to learn about their kids and they are willing to shell out $160 to find out. Atlas Sports Genetics, of Boulder, CO offers parents a DNA swab kit that collects DNA to be analyzed for the ACTN 3 Gene. The levels of this gene potentially determine which sports your child is best suited to play. People with low levels of ACTN 3 are better suited for endurance sports like swimming or cycling. While high levels equate to strength and power, skills ideal for sports like rugby or football, a little ACTN 3 represents mixed-pattern athletes with both strength and endurance skills (who can play most any sport).

Atlas Sports admits that kids could potentially succeed in sports that do not match their genetic code. However they are angling this as more of a ‘head start’ indicator to know what your kids are likely going to be better at, while not 100% locking them into just one type of sport. Skeptics argue these tests are a waste of money and could lead to parents pushing kids into sports in which the child does not have interest.

I think this sounds like an expensive, but fascinating test of science. I know genes play a huge role in success in sports, but for kids, it should be about fun and not grooming. Perhaps a better (and definitely less intrusive) test would be to expose young kids to an array of sports and let them decide what they like best. I predict most of the time kids will like what they are naturally good at. Ref. cbslocal.com, thepostgame.com

Sports Pumpkins

Happy Halloween everyone! I decided to do something a little different for today's post. I searched the web for some awesome sports-related pumpkin carvings, enjoy! Ref. allthingsheartandhome.com, mlb.com, terezowens.com, yahoo.com

Michael Jordan

Tiger Woods

Paul Konerko

LeBron James

Miscommunication to the Bullpen

In Monday night's World Series game, Cardinals manager Tony LaRussa called out to the bullpen like he has done thousands of times in his managerial career. However, Monday was different. Two separate times the bullpen coach misheard the request of LaRussa. The first resulted in Mark Rzcepcynski staying in the game longer than LaRussa had hoped. The extra batter faced by Rzcepcynski hit what turned out to be the game winning double. Later LaRussa was forced to bring in Lance Lynn instead of closer Jason Motte.

It is amazing to think that in today's mobile world, a manager in the World Series could still have phone issues. I wonder if this will lead to a change in communication between the dugout and the bullpen. Maybe next year we will see new White Sox manager Robin Ventura tweeting or texting his requests to the bullpen.

iBike Coach For Your iPhone

iBike Coach is a new system that works with iPhones to act as a bike computer. This new product combines a shock and water resistant case and universal mount to work seamlessly with an iPhone app to track various aspects of cycling. Some examples of data that is tracked include speed, distance, time and maps. The application is downloadable from iTunes and works with features already on your iPhone including GPS, music and calendar to enhance the cycling experience.

iBike Coach set will be available at Target and other major retailers for ~$69.95 and includes a free 6-month premium subscription to Strava.com. According to a press release, “Strava.com online social fitness site lets cyclists all over the world log, share, compare and compete with each other’s personal fitness data.” This interesting combination package of case/mount and app is targeted to all types of riders from beginners to athletes. Ref. sport.tmcnet.com, thomas-pr.com,

Michael Phelps Swimming Lessons In Your Living Room

Michael Phelps has a new swimming video game perfect for people with aquaphobia. Phelps teamed up with Xbox 360’s Kinect system to make “Michael Phelps: Push the Limit.” Instead of controllers, players use their body to simulate different swimming strokes. Phelps even does voiceover coaching to help players improve their stroke.

Phelps said in an interview with cnn.com that he is a lifelong gamer and thinks this videogame could help swimmers and nonswimmers alike improve their swimming. He feels this game may help build confidence for those who are afraid to swim in actual water. He went on to say that he really likes how this technology engages fans of swimming, especially during non-Olympic years.

It will be interesting to see how successful this game becomes. Michael Phelps is iconic and has fans all around the world, which will defiantly help boost sales. However the concept of ‘swimming’ in your living room just seems a little strange. Although if the game really is as lifelike as Phelps describes, it might just make a big splash in the world of gaming. Ref. cnn.com, michaelphelpsgame.com

Enjoy the View...From the Ball?

Have you ever wondered what it looks like to walk up to the plate and hit a homerun in an MLB game? Well, there are athletes out there who know what that looks like. However nobody has seen the view from that baseball; being smashed by a bat, flying across the field and into the stands…but that all could change.

A prototype for a new throwable ball consists of 36 mobile phone cameras surrounded by a layer of advanced protective foam. The camera automatically captures a panorama that can be viewed in a specialized application on any standard PC. Users can then zoom into different parts of the picture, giving a really unique 360 degree vantage point.

Right now the ball is in early development and would, of course, need to be made super durable and meet other regulations to be used in professional sports. However this ball is already capturing fascinating pictures that allow a user to see things that humans have not seen before. Beyond that, imagine the application to professional sports? This ball could practically eliminate the need for goal-line technology, challenges and spotting the ball. The box could follow the view from within the ball, and everyone would know for certain whether the ball crossed a plane or flew foul.

Check out the below video to see it in action. This is one video that absolutely needs to be seen to appreciate the value of this technology. To all my Kindle readers, this is definitely one worth viewing on your computer. Ref. thepostgame.com

Londoners Take Steps Toward Green Energy

Walkers in the central crossing between the Olympic stadium and Westfield Stratford City mall in London will be taking more impactful strides. As they walk, they will actually be helping generate enough energy to power approximately half of the mall’s outdoor lighting needs. 20 specially designed tiles will be installed throughout the crossing. According to cnn.com “The recycled rubber "PaveGen" paving slabs harvest kinetic energy from the impact of people stepping on them and instantly deliver tiny bursts of electricity to nearby appliances. The slabs can also store energy for up to three days in an on-board battery…”

How these slabs convert the energy has been kept secret, though it is known that these tiles compress 5 millimeters when they are stepped on. As for cost, developer of this technology 25 year old Laurence Kemball-Cook said, "As with all things of this nature, on a large scale and in the long term, its success will be determined by how cost-effective it is to produce ... If it turns out to be expensive, then it will struggle to find a place as anything more than a niche application."

This technology reminds me of the sOccket soccer ball that leverages “movement of the ball [which] forces a magnet through a coil that induces a voltage to generate electricity.“ sOccket was created by young women in college in hopes of helping kids in Africa power their lights at night from energy genered through play during the day. To read my article on sOccket, click here. I absolutely love the idea of harnessing energy generated from sports and activities to power lights. Both sOccket and PaveGen are conceptually brilliant, but will face roadblocks in widespread adoption due to cost. Hopefully both can get off the ground and inspire others to look at sports in a new, more powerful way. Ref. cnn.com, Pic Ref. cnn.com

Farthest Reaching Athletes on Social Media

Curious which athletes have the farthest reach in the world of social media? Fanpagelist.com lists the most popular athletes, celebrities, politicians and organizations on Facebook and Twitter. Many athletes have made names for themselves (for better or worse) on social media, but who actually reaches the most people may surprise you.

Below is the list of the 5 athletes with the highest number of Facebook fans:

1. Cristiano Ronaldo - 34,869,980 Facebook Fans

2. Lionel Messi (Leo Messi) - 25,698,556 Facebook Fans

3. David Beckham - 13,983,572 Facebook Fans

4. Michael Jordan - 13,779,538 Facebook Fans

5. Ricardo Kakà - 11,563,286 Facebook Fans




This is the list of the 5 athletes with highest number of Twitter followers

1. Ricardo Kakà - 6,298,368 Twitter Followers

2. Cristiano Ronaldo - 4,620,674 Twitter Followers

3. Shaquille O'Neal - 4,411,698 Twitter Followers

4. Lance Armstrong - 3,081,046 Twitter Followers

5. Chad Ochocinco - 2,865,388 Twitter Followers

U.S. Weightlifter Fundraises Via Web 2.0 Sites

Sarah Robles was chosen by the London Olympic Committee and the International Weightlifting Federation to be the sole US representative at the weightlifting Olympic Test Event. There are two classes for women lifting and two for men. Only 12 people per weight class (48 total) from across the world were invited to compete at this Test Event. Robles is a 3X National Champion and 3X World Team Member.

The event will take place December 10th and 11th in London, England. The USAW (USA Weightlifting) does not cover airfare to this event, so Robles is leveraging Web 2.0 technologies as a means for fundraising. Ways to donate to her cause have been published on the Performance One Advanced Sports Training Facebook page and website, and a buzz has been created on various sports blogs.

Robles is an accomplished athlete and has looked to different mediums to hopefully raise enough cash to compete in London. If interested, people can help 3 different ways: donate to her cause directly through PayPal via the Performance One webpage, purchase an Arizona Strong t-shirt, or attend an Olympic Weightlifting seminar. Ref. PerformanceOne.net, Womentalksports.com Pic Ref. Womentalksports.com

Golfers Take to Twitter In Hopes of Landing The Cover of Tiger Woods PGA Tour

"Tiger Woods PGA Tour 13" will let Facebook fans decide who will appear beside Woods on the next video game cover. Electronic Arts Inc. (ERTS) will be launching two different covers based on territory in March 2012. One cover will feature Woods with one of the following eight American golfers: Ben Crane, Rickie Fowler, Jim Furyk, Dustin Johnson, Zach Johnson, Hunter Mahan, Rocco Mediate and Bubba Watson. The other cover will have Woods alongside one of the following eight European golfers: Paul Casey, Luke Donald, Ross Fisher, Graeme McDowell, Rory McIlroy, Edoardo Molinari, Ian Poulter and Justin Rose.

Fans will have the opportunity to vote via a Facebook app that pits golfers against one another in a bracket. The winner of each match-up (as voted on Facebook) advances to the next round until one American and one European golfer are crowned the winners on October 24, 2011.

According to Bloomberg, the pool of sixteen golfers were chosen based on their “world rankings, in-season tour standing and popularity as measured by followers on Twitter, Facebook and their own website.” The social media frenzy has begun with different athletes turning to their Twitter fans to help them advance to the next round. Some golfers are becoming quite competitive. While @ZachJohnsonPGA has been retweeting fans for votes, @bubbawatson is pulling out the big guns and Tweet pleaing to Justin Bieber. Ref. bloomberg.com, facebook.com

Andy Rooney on Sports and Technology

As Andy Rooney once said, “I don't pick subjects as much as they pick me.” Well, after what seems like 250 years on TV, Andy Rooney is retiring from 60 Minutes this weekend. I was hoping to find a video of his opinion of sports technology. Unfortunately through my research I could only find his take on technology independent of sports and his take on sports somewhat independent of rational.

This week, in honor of one of the most traditionally-minded journalist of our time, I am embedding videos of Andy Rooney’s thoughts on sports and his thoughts on technology. For those who follow me on Kindle, you will unfortunately not be able to see these videos, but I will summarize the content for you. Ref. brainyquote.com

This first video is of Rooney discussing technology, or at least computers. In essence, Rooney does not like how long it takes for computers to start up.



This second video is Rooney’s take on sports, specifically the Super Bowl. Rooney loves football, and also observes that some people eat carrots and some people hate carrots.

Nike’s Dri-FIT ‘Technology’ All Wet

Barcelona soccer team recently met with Nike to complain about their Dri-FIT shirts. The shirts are supposed to wick away moisture (sweat) to help keep the players cool and dry. The problem is that the shirts are absorbing so much moisture, they are actually weighing down the players. One source actually said the shirts weigh nearly double by halftime.

Nike Dri-FIT is “a high-performance, microfiber, polyester fabric that wicks sweat away from the body and moves it to the fabric surface, where it [supposedly] evaporates.” These shirts are not available to be purchased by the public and are only worn by Nike sponsored teams.

Nike said they are "working to find a solution to the problem with the shirts along with the club.'' They hope to have a solution for Barcelona within a few weeks. No other teams have complained yet, but tennis player Rafael Nadal had a similar issue this year at the Australian Open. Ref. undershirtguy.com, si.com Pic. Ref soccergolazo.com

Favre? LeBron? Now Enjoy The Sweet Sound of Silence

A huge problem with 24 hour sports coverage is that big stories tend to get over covered. Matt Richardson may have come up with a solution for the annoyed sports fan. Richardson hacked his TV remote to automatically mute the TV when a certain celebrity name was mentioned. The inspiration for his invention was not actually sports but celebrities that have crept their way into mainstream news.

To create his remote, Richardson “combined a couple of Arduino circuit boards with an infrared LED light -- that little red bubble on the front of your TV remote -- and programmed the whole thing to interact with a TV's closed-captioning system. [It] reads the closed-captioning transcript as it's aired and then automatically mutes the television for 30 seconds when it picks up certain words.” Arduino is “a piece of computer hardware that can be programmed to do anything you want.”

Unlike Richardson I'm less irritated by the Kardashians and Snooki. So instead I looked back over the past few years and below is my list of sports topics I would have liked to mute during their reign of media terror.

1. Brett Favre - Every summer before training camp.
2. LeBron James - Summer of 2010
3. Tiger Woods - Nov. 2009 - Apr 2010
4. “NFL Lockout” – March 2011 – August 2011
5. Michael Vick - All of 2007

Ref. cnn.com, Pic Ref. cnn.com

New English Premier League Club Security System Raises the Bar

English Premier League club Fulham Football Club has deployed a new physical security system that will enable their security team to monitor crowds and improve stadium security. This new solution will incorporate “VMware virtualization and cloud infrastructure framework to set up a private cloud environment.” This solution will not only allow the security team to better monitor fan safety, it also gives them and the police streaming access to videos from any location and on mobile devices. This new system will save Fulham money on operational costs by integrating 36 servers into just 6 servers.

Nicolas Pendlebury, Head of IT Projects at Fulham F. C, said in a release, "We were incredibly impressed by EMC's proposal, which presented us with an entire security package from storage to cameras. In addition, it was based on an open-architecture model, allowing us to choose best-of-breed products. The cloud environment is key to the success of the new system, which we estimate will pay for itself in two years. It has enabled us to increase the agility, speed and functionality with which the security team can monitor our sites remotely and safely, and new cameras can be connected to the network at any time." Ref. sports.tmcnet.com, Pic Ref. foot-team.webou.net

What's Social Media Got To Do With It?

“Monday Morning Quarterback” author Peter King recently discussed his career in sports journalism with students at Marquette University. He talked about his work experience at Sports Illustrated and commented on how journalism and the entire industry of sharing sports information has changed over the years due to technology. With an audience of soon-to-be college graduates, he explained that the world is very different from the one he entered into as a young professional 30+ years ago.

King’s advice to aspiring journalists is that they need to have experience in all forms of media instead of an exclusive expertise in just one. He suggests young students spend time working for the school newspaper, TV and radio stations. Concluding that all forms tend to roll together because information sharing is an evolving and changing process. He sighted an interview he had with Brett Favre about Favre's 1996 trip to rehab. King said he met with Favre 8 days before the story was shared with the public. Today, likely that story would have been leaked via Twitter/blogs/TV/radio in a matter of minutes.

King recognizes how technology has completely changed the journalism aspect of the sports world. No longer does a journalist have the luxury of time to frame a story and release it on their own terms. All information is time sensitive because essentially any person with a computer or smart phone can scoop a story at any time. Beyond that, social media has created an unavoidable matrix dynamic intertwining different ways people digest information. The sports journalist becomes trapped in the center of the media web making it no longer sufficient for journalists to simply write a great story; they need to be able to adapt themselves across all forms of medium to stay relevant. Ref. marquettetribune.org Pic Ref. marquettetribune.org

L8R Obnoxious Fans

If you have been to a major sporting event recently you might have noticed signs around the stadium with an interesting message, “If you have any security issues, text #### with the issue and your location.” This service allows fans to anonymously report unruly or disturbing behavior without having to leave their seat (or out themselves as the whistleblower).

The use of a text messaging reporting system has been implemented by many professional and college programs as a way to better manage fan security and safety. At the 2011 National Sports Safety and Security Conference & Exhibition, held in August, texting systems were a hot topic for discussion. Everything from ways to inform fans of the service to what the expected volume increase in incidents reported was discussed. A final (and perhaps most interesting) lesson shared was that there are great benefits to extending the texting system to cater guest services. This means allowing fans to not only text for security issues, but also guest services questions/issues such as ‘my seat is broke’ ‘where is an ATM?’ ‘where can my kid meet the mascot?’

My reaction, as a sports fan, is that this type of program is fantastic. Anyone who goes to sporting events knows that a great day at the ball park/stadium/arena etc. can easily be destroyed by drunk or foul-mouthed fans. For adults, thist type of fan is usually just a minor annoyance. However families with little kids should not have to deal with belligerence. The reaction from the other side (that is, the stadium managers who are on the receiving end of the texts) is similarly positive. Jeff Miller, director of security for the NFL, said, "Text messaging has been a huge bonus to us. It is an early warning system. Fans in the stands are going to pick up on those [security incident] indicators before police or our security people might know. That allows us to intervene on the early side. We can send someone down to talk to that fan so that we don't have to get to the point where they need to be ejected or arrested." Everyone wins….except those mutha &$*#ing fans who must be BLIND or took @$%&ing STUPID PILLS that morning because they can’t show some %*&# respect for the other people around them. Ref. sumotext.com

Challenging The Challenge In Tennis

An interesting article titled "Why Tennis' Challenge System Has To Go" was posted on Women Talk Sports this week. The author challenges the use of instant replay in professional tennis. The author argues that challenges are not fair because the technology is not available at every venue. Additionally, the author suggests that preferential priority is given to more famous athletes, allowing them to play more matches on the replay-equipped courts. Finally, the author insinuates that less experienced athletes (who are not accustomed to playing on courts with this technology) may forget about the challenge rule, and therefore are at a disadvantage.

I disagree with these arguments. There are many points (and for that matter games) that may have been lost on a mistaken call. The challenge rule was established to allow a player to make up to 3 incorrect challenges per set. Therefore they can challenge as many times as they want, as long as they correct. According to Wikipedia, during the 2006 US Open, 30.5% of men’s and 35.85% of women’s challenges were overturned. The next year at the US Open, 30.6% were overturned. While slightly older data, it still equates to roughly 1 in every 3 challenges where the line judge got the call wrong! Without a challenge system, those go uncorrected. It is true that the more seasoned players will have the advantage of ‘being used to the rule.’ However all athletes on the court are allowed the same number of incorrect challenges. As with anything, it is up to the athlete to be prepared and knowledgeable about the rules.

Technology is a progressive movement, especially in sports. It is virtually impossible to have all venues around the world equipped with the latest, greatest technology at all times. The “Why Tennis’ Challenge System Has To Go” author does not state issue with the actual technology. The technology, it seems, is not the problem. It appears the issue is more with the availability of this technology in different matches. This is where I disagree. As long as all athletes in the given match are on a level playing field (meaning given equal opportunity to challenge), I see no problem with some venues using the technology, and others not. I take issue when one athlete in a match is given a definite advantage not afforded to their competitor. Ref. wikipedia.org, womentalksports.com

My Virtual Golf Lesson

In a July article I discussed the use of video review to improve a pitcher's throw. Don Cooper, pitching coach for the White Sox, invited young pitchers to send him a video of themselves pitching and (for a fee) will send them tips for improvement. To read the full Cooper pitching article click here.

I had the opportunity last week to have my golf swing reviewed and videoed by the PGA Golf Professional Staff at Makray Memorial Golf Club located in Barrington, Illinois. They came to my fitness center at work, discussed my swing and videotaped it for further analysis. Below is the result (note: despite 6+ years as a caddy, I am beginner golfer---so no judgment). Having the opportunity to see my swing in action allowed me to visually understand exactly where I can improve. This is amazingly basic but effective technology in action.

Who’s On First: How Umpires Are Scheduled

Coaches, managers, players and fans all scrutinize and complain about the ‘fairness’ of scheduling. Professional sports leverage different technologies and human expertise to create these schedules. Organizations ranging from the NBA (click here to read about the NBA process) to the MLB (click here to read about the MLB process) have fascinating scheduling techniques. However a team’s schedule is only a part of what it takes to plan a sports season.

There are very strict rules for assigning umpires to MLB games. An assistant business professor at Michigan State University, Hakan Yildiz, along with a team of researchers, decided to tackle this complex scheduling process with the aid of technology. The result? The MLB has used their proposed umpire schedule 5 of the last 6 seasons. Scheduling 4 umpires for 2,430 games is nothing short of a complicated process. This is especially true considering a slew of restrictions including union-mandated vacations, the rule that umpires must travel to all 30 ballparks at least once every season all while avoiding any one umpire disproportionately umpiring any given team.

Yildiz’s team began designing and testing their scheduling methods by first examining the top key constraints (like the rules listed above) and overlooking less critical ones (like an umpire’s preferred vacation days). From this they leveraged their technology to test various test data. Once tested, they determined the fairest schedule for the umps, all restrictions considered. While specifics about this and other scheduling technology are kept pretty secret, it is clear that scheduling a season for teams and umpires is no easy task. Ref. espn.com, sciencedaily.com, sports.espn.com

Heathrow Airport Inspired by Formula One

Britain's National Air Traffic Services (NATS) is looking to leverage Formula One (F1) technology to help cut carbon emissions at Heathrow Airport. F1 currently uses “modeling software to analyze live racing data and visualize a range of potential scenarios -- allowing pit crews to make strategic decisions in the blink of an eye -- all in an effort to get their cars back out onto the racetrack milliseconds ahead of their competitors.” NATS hopes to leverage similar software to reduce CO2 emissions that result from wasted time circling over the airport and taxiing on the ground.

The technology currently streamlines complex race data to a simple circle. Similarly the technology will simplify multifaceted airport data into a rectangle. While currently in a proof of concept phase, if successful this technology could potentially reduce CO2 emissions significantly for the 3rd busiest airport in the world. The benefits do not stop with the environment. More efficiant logistics means less wasted fuel (money saver for the airlines) and less time wasted taxiing (happier passengers).

The below video further explains this fascinating best practice sharing between two seemingly unrelated businesses. Ref. cnn.com, wikipedia.org

London Launches Website For Visitors With Access Requirements

The city of London has launched a new site to assist those with access requirements. The site Inclusivelondon.com gives users the ability to filter and search for various accessible features. These features include facilities for the blind, accessible car parking, baby changing facilities, sign language for deaf people, customer bathroom facilities and more. Additionally the site provides listings of healthcare facilities, police stations and banks.

Inclusivelondon.com is really impressive. It includes maps, pictures and even links to websites while being easy to use and having a clean, simple layout. A site like this is bound to be a very helpful reference for the millions of tourists navigating the city. Well done London. Ref. inclusivelondon.com, london.gov.uk Pic Ref. inclusivelondon.com

ACC Highlights At Your Fingertips

The ACC (Atlantic Coast Conference) announced they will be utilizing “Thought Equity Motion's T3 Library Manager to create an advanced digital workflow that provides sports broadcasters and other media with timely, online access to ACC sports content.” According to Yahoo Finance, “This service will replace traditional satellite and physical workflows historically used to distribute interviews and other video content. The platform's online portal allows sports producers and media to easily search for and download broadcast-quality packages of ACC content that will better meet broadcast deadlines. The ACC and its twelve member institutions will utilize the T3 Library Manager to upload highlights and interviews starting with the upcoming football season and continuing throughout the 2011-12 athletic season.” Additionally within the ACC Vault's, “Video Media Guide & Link Database, complete games have been tagged with rich play-by-play data, enabling search and syndication at the level of teams, players, highlights and individual moments (i.e., great blocks, great finishes, and dunks).”

Essentially, this technology puts thousands of hours of archived video footage at the fingertips of broadcasters and fans. Currently, the ACC Vault gives fans the chance to access many full length tournament and regular season men’s basketball games from as far back as 1983. The videos have been structured to allow fans to jump into a specific moment or play and share it via social media like Twitter, Facebook and blogs. Check out this link: http://bit.ly/nuVPxW. It is a direct link to an alley-oop by Michael Jordan in a 1984 UNC vs Duke game. Different major minutes of games are actually highlighted with a comment when you mouse over the bottom of the video. In this same game you can jump from Jordan’s alley-oop in the 59th minutes to Duke’s Mark Alarie “crashing a powerful dunk from underneath” in the 15th minute. Imagine during a game a broadcaster is discussing an awesome alley-oop by Harrison Barnes and wants to compare it to Jordan's…a quick search in the vault, side-by-side screenshots, and fans at home can compare for themselves. Ref. thoughtequity.com, valut.theacc.com, yahoo.com Pic Ref. thoughtequity.com

First Pro Baseball Player Tested Positive for HGH

Mike Jacobs, minor leaguer with the Colorado Rockies' Triple-A club and former Mets first basemen, is the first professional baseball player to test positive for human growth hormone (HGH). Jacobs’ positive blood test will saddle him with a 50 game suspension starting immediately. Though Jacobs is the first player actually caught, the MLB began testing minor leaguers’ blood back in early 2010. Today, professional sports leagues in addition to the International Olympic Committee and the NCAA all ban HGH. Though banned, without the approval of the Players Association, major league players cannot be blood tested for the hormone.

Currently the most reliable and efficient test for HGH is a blood test. This works by taking multiple samples of blood during different times of the day to measure a person’s level of HGH production. From these samples, an analysis chart is created. This chart shows the maximum and minimum levels of HGH produced in the body. Athletes who dope may have an elevated level. However there are some major limitations to this type of testing. First, the test will only detect if the athletes were doping within 24-48 hours of the test. Additionally, these blood tests can be expensive and are invasive to the athlete.

Due to these problems, research is underway to develop accurate HGH detecting urine tests. According to hgh.org, “A recent and promising HGH urine test is being developed at the George Mason University, which uses nanotechnology that binds and amplifies HGH in urine. This technology will allow detection of urinary levels of HGH up to a two-week range.” Unfortunately detection in urine is very difficult because the level of HGH in urine is small, just 1% of the level in blood. Therefore many believe a reliable urine test may just be a hope for the distant future.

Until the urine test is ready or the Players Association allows for random surprise blood tests (including testing in the off season), Jacobs may remain the only busted athlete despite likely not being the only doping athlete. Ref. hgh.org, nydailynews.com

How It's Made: Golf Balls

This past weekend Keegan Bradley won the PGA Championship. In honor of this accomplishment, here is a Discover Channel video of how golf balls are made.



Ref. youtube.com

Changes for the NCAA Rule Book

The Division I board of directors announced this week a major change for the NCAA. The board agreed to raise the historical Academic Progress Rate (APR) cutline from 900 to 930. The APR is an NCAA metric that “indicate(s) the success of collegiate athletic teams in moving student athletes towards graduation.” It is calculated based on athletes being academically eligible and for staying with the institution. Adjustments are made when an athlete transfers schools or leaves to pursue a professional athletic career.

This change is one of potentially many changes to come out of a two-day retreat of over 50 university presidents. The retreat was organized by Mark Emmert, NCAA president. Also in attendance were a number of conference commissioners, athletic directors, and select others. In addition to the APR adjustment, the presidential group plans to reevaluate the 434 page NCAA rule book. Currently there are strict guidelines regarding social media and leveraging other forms of technology to communicate between coaches and prospects.

The current rules on social media and recruiting for Divisions I and II include no “comments about possible recruits on an institution’s social media page or a page belonging to someone affiliated with the institution” including photos of recruits. Additionally, communicating via text messaging, Instant Messaging, chat room and message boards (including recruits’ Facebook walls) are not allowed. The rule for Twitter is a little looser, allowing coaches to Tweet as long as they do not reach out to a specific individual. Division III has some slight variations including allowing coaches and schools to advertise their programs on social media pages. However as with Divisions I and II, no individual contact can be made with potential recruits.

Other rules and guidelines will be reconsidered as well, and it is likely that some big changes are on the way. It is expected that regardless of what changes, the penalties for noncompliance (especially as related to severe violations) will be stricter and better enforced. Emmert says he hopes to have the rule book updated by next April. Ref. espn.com, espn.com, ncaa.org, wikipedia.org

I’ve Got Mail…From Jurgen Klinsmann

Today I received an email from the new Men’s US Soccer coach, Jurgen Klinsmann. Before you become too impressed, understand that this was not a personal email (or at least I don’t think it was considering he addressed me as “Dear U.S. Soccer Fan –“. Either way, he has found his way into my inbox, and I enjoy hearing from him.

My buddy Jurgen tells me that the US has come a long way in this sport. He also says that everyone (especially me, the fan) will have their voices heard. Unfortunately he did not include his cell so I could share my thoughts on who should be in the starting XI. However all kidding aside, I am impressed with the new head coach for exploring this interesting channel to find me. True, I am a soccer fan, but I am not on any US Soccer fan registry, at least that I am aware of.

Jurgen Klinsmann figured out that US soccer fans like to shop for US soccer gear. My email address was lifted from a list of people who have purchased products at ussoccerstore.com. I must say, BRAVO Klinsmann and BRAVO ussoccerstore.com! While I do not know who initiated this partnership, it exemplifies a win-win situation. First, to Klinsmann, great stroke of genius reaching fans by leveraging a soccer store distribution list. And to ussoccerstore.com, also well done. Most stores exclusively push sales/new products/etc in their customer inbox. What happens…their customers unsubscribe. What was the point of having access to these customers’ valuable emails if you abuse them to the point of customers blocking you? This email from Klinsmann (as with all emails from this site) did include the “To unsubscribe click here:” link at the bottom of the email. However now that ussoccerstore.com has proven they offer value to me beyond useless promotions, guess what? I will not be clicking that unsubscribe link any time soon. Picture Ref: iffhs.de

1st Amputee To Compete at World Championships

The world championships will, for the first time, have an amputee competing. Oscar Pistorius, a double amputee, will represent South Africa in the 400 meters. This is a monumental achievement for any athlete, however even more so for this multiple gold-medal winning Paralympian. To be permitted to participate in able-bodied events with his Cheetah Flex-Foot carbon fibre transtibial artificial limbs, Pistorius had to plead his case before the Court of Arbitration for Sport (CAS). Previously the International Association of Athletics Federations (IAAF) banned him from participating due to having a supposed unfair advantage over able-bodied athletes.

Pistorius’ controversy began back in November of 2007 after German professor Gert-Peter Brüggemann studied his prosthetic limbs and claimed they offer an unfair advantage. The study concluded that Pistorius’ limbs required 25% less energy and 30% less mechanical work for lifting the body when compared to human legs. Based on this information, the IAAF decided that the prosthetics could not be used in IAAF ruled competitions. The IAAF’s policy on technology in sports (as amended in 2007) bans, "any technical device that incorporates springs, wheels or any other element that provides a user with an advantage over another athlete not using such a device.”

In May 2008 CAS decided to overrule the IAAF’s ban of Pistorius’ blades. While this decision made him eligible to compete in the 2008 Beijing Games, he did not qualify. CAS claims that the original study did not take into account both the advantages and the countering disadvantages of the prosthetic limbs, such as slower starts. Furthermore, they feel when positives and negatives are weighed in terms of the entirety of the race, no overall advantage is actually given to Pistorius. While a precedent has been set, CAS was careful to say that their ruling is specific to Pistorius and could change as technology advances in the future. Either way, many view this as a step in the right direction toward breaking down barriers for different types of athletes to compete together on one stage. Ref. espn.com, wikipedia.org Pic Ref. wikipedia.org

The Chirp About Cricket Ball Technology

The most talked about cricket technology today is ball tracking technology and the Decision Review System (DRS). Though introduced in late 2009, this past Monday (1 Aug) the ICC (International Cricket Council) unanimously agreed to recommend all Tests and one-day internationals be played with DRS.

The purpose of this technology is to allow each team the opportunity to request up to two unsuccessful review calls per inning during a match. Batting teams may use the review to challenge an ‘out’ call while fielding teams may debate ‘not out’ calls. According to DSR rules, only bad calls can be reversed, and if it is too close to call, the original call on the field stands. There are further regulations to these basic rules, which can be viewed here.

Unlike a review in baseball (left or right of the foul pole) or in football (multiple camera angels to catch the point of tackle) getting a clear picture of high speed play in cricket requires more complex technology. Below is a description of the technology from A Cricketing View blog:

Ball Tracking technology involves the use of multiple synchronized, high frame-rate video cameras to capture the path of the cricket ball from the point of delivery to the point of impact on bat or pad. These synchronized videos are then transferred to a calibrated 3D Virtual World of the cricket pitch. The cricket ball is located in the 3D space of the virtual world in each frame of video. The path of the cricket ball is reconstructed by putting together all these available frames. The basic data that are produced by this procedure is a position for the cricket ball at regular intervals of time (the frame rate). These data are then used to calculate what forces act of the cricket ball at any point in time, based on which the position of the ball at the next point in time can be calculated. This is a basic outline of how the ball track and the prediction of where the ball was heading if the pad was absent are produced.

This technology is not without controversy. The top vendor of ball tracking tech is up for debate, as is the product reliability. Also, similarly to the goal-line debate in soccer, purists argue ball tracking and DRS undermine the authority of the on-field umpires. Personally my knowledge of cricket does not extend much past eye-wear. However I wanted to cover this topic because the technology is interesting and complex and (as with most sports) peppered with controversy. Ref. cricketingview.blogspot.com, espnstar.com, wikipedia.org Pic ref: espnstar.com

Unlocking Knee Healing With a Bandage

A bandage developed by researchers at the Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Engineering and Automation IPA in Stuttgart, has the ability to measure progress of motion on an injured knee. The bandage contains sensors that continuously measure and record the range of motion and send updates to doctors and patients. Additionally other information such as degree of movement is also tracked over time. Records of this information can help doctors see the healing progress and determine what, if any, adjustments need to be made. Visually seeing the gradual but definite improvement over time can give patients a mental boost while they are going through the slow healing process.

Fortunately these sensors do not disrupt the healing progression. Unfortunately they currently are only available for knee injuries. The future goal is to apply sensors to other bandages for shoulder or hip injuries, but such complexity of movement in all three axes creates a bit of a challenge. One possible solution that is being considered is to pair this bandage technology with 3D sensor systems. Once perfected, this could have huge implications for the sports world. Not only would this data improve the morale of the patient, it could also clue managers and fantasy sports aficionados to when an athlete will be coming off the DL. Ref. gizmag.com, sportstechreview.com Pic. sportstechreview.com

The End of Sports Journalism

Sorry aspiring sports writers. As if the internet’s near massacre of the newspaper business has not eliminated enough journalist jobs, now technology is going for the jugular by actually penning game recaps. A joint effort between GameChanger software and Narrative Science can take raw stats from the local high school baseball game and create an editorial article recapping all 9 innings instantly.

GameChanger Media is a 2009 startup that offers scorekeeping and stat-tracking apps for tablets and mobile phones. It works by having a team admin record real-time game information on the app by moving players around a virtual field and recording outs, steals, hits etc. Furthermore, the data all lives on GameChanger’s servers so it is real-time and does not take up space on personal devices. Many teams have already begun using it. The company added 10,000 teams in 2010 and another 14,000 in this first half of 2011. Currently it is only offered for baseball and softball but there are plans to expand to other sports in the future.

Any high school sports fan knows this app is aptly named; it really is a game changer. Team mangers and coaches will no longer be required to manually copy paper stat sheets into the computer to share. Parents (or alumni) can now follow the results of games and view player information in real time. Super fans can opt for the premium services package and subscribe to email/Facebook/Twitter game alerts. Schools or local online media can even install a GameChanger widget on their site for real time game info (non-Kindle readers will see I installed a sample team widget at the bottom of this article). Additionally, the basic features of setting up teams, using the scoring app and entering game stats are completely free. GameChanger makes money when fans opt to pay for a premium account which offers additional information like access to live play-by-play game stream, spray chats, game logs and premium SMS (text)/Facebook/Twitter alerts. Individual subscriptions to premium accounts are $10 per team, per season.

Teaming up with GameChanger, Narrative Science is a small startup that takes a data set of numbers or text and creates articles. This means that articles can be published about a game seconds after the final pitch. Here is a sample article. To be honest, I doubt Bill Simmons or Rick Reilly are getting too nervous about their job security. My journalistic side thinks these stories read like they were written by an enthused English-as-a-second-language 9th grader who just learned the rules of baseball. The articles have simple sentence structure and are a little repetitive. My technical side is amazed that such software exists. It is remarkable that a program can generate unique (though lackluster) articles that are both accurate and comprehensible.

This partnership will undoubtedly continue to make waves in the sports industry. While GameChanger has strategically positioned themselves in the youth baseball/softball market, growth is imminent. It will be interesting to see how they market themselves as they expand. Whether they go to bigger leagues, different sports or global markets, the options are plentiful. Strategically, the way they plan growth could ultimately determine the success of the company…and how long it will take until I can get my St. Francis High School volleyball app. Ref. gamechanger.io, narrativescience.com, techcrunch.com

White Sox Pitching Coach Launches Instructional Pitching Website

Don Cooper, former MLB pitcher and current pitching coach for the Chicago White Sox, has launched a website targeted at young pitchers looking to improve their game. The site, DonCooperBaseball.com, offers private video analysis of pitchers. The analysis includes evaluation of a pitcher’s style and offers a side-by-side comparison to another pitcher who is properly demonstrating their suggestions for improvement. This personal analysis offers pitchers many benefits. First, a tried and true expert explains what is being done wrong and how to improve. Second, this correction of improper technique potentially prevents future injuries. Finally, this site offers pitchers the all-important exposure to a major league coach.

In addition to a side-by-side comparison for visual learners, Cooper’s analysis will suggest drills used in professional baseball to help shake the bad habits and instill some stronger practices. Bad habits are hard to break, but Cooper’s hope is to mechanically instill the appropriate methods to keep people healthy and hopefully set them up for a successful future.

By simply uploading videos of yourself pitching, (3 pitches from two viewpoints, side and front views) the site’s team will be able to judge your current ability and make suggestions for improvement. The instruction does not have to stop after the initial analysis either (which costs $149.99). Players can continue to correct their pitching and receive further instruction with follow-up analysis ($99.50). According to Wired.com, Cooper “hopes his clients will stick with him for years; he said he’ll go as far as to recommend successful high school players to his numerous contacts in the college ranks.”

This is a fascinating business plan. I believe the spirit is 100% right on. Too many youth are not properly instructed on the mechanics of pitching and will either not reach their full potential or worse, hurt themselves. As a White Sox fan I am biased, but if you are looking for tips on pitching, you cannot get a much better source than an MLB pitching coach. Furthermore, the low injury rate of White Sox pitchers since Cooper took over full-time in 2003 (including winning the 2005 World Series on the backs of their pitchers) only strengthens his credibility. I cannot wait to see how this takes off, and if video analyzing as a service business will explode into other sports (golf, tennis). Ref. DonCooperBaseball.com, Wired.com, Picture: DonCooperBaseball.com