Flashing Wickets

Here is a video showcasing the newest technology on the scene in the sport of cricket:


This technology was introduced at Australia’s Big Bash season 2 in Melbourne.  The goal is to enhance the spectators’ experience by giving fans an instant, clear sign when the wicket is broken.

According to The News Tribe, “the new technological innovation in cricket was Australian-designed Zing Wicket System which has a sensor in the bails that can determine within one-thousandth of a second when the wicket is broken.

Once the wicket is broken or even touched, the bails instantly lighten up with red LED lights through a radio signal. They are powered by low voltage batteries in each of the bails and also in the stumps.”

Enhancing the fan experience is not only driving this new technology.  This season will also see the introduction of helmets with cameras, so fans can see what it is like to be a batsmen and wicket-keeper. Ref. thenewstribe.com

Picture Yourself at the World Series

Last night the San Francisco Giants defeated the Detroit Tigers to win the 2012 World Series.  Lucky fans that were able to attend one of the play-off games (or perhaps not-so-lucky fans depending on your rooting interest) can definitively prove their 'I was there when' stories thanks to Gigapan photos taken during every game of the post-season.

The detailed hi-res stadium photos were actually created by stitching together hundreds of photos (between 250-500 shots) that were taken over a 10 to 60 minute span.  The photos are taken, according to Wired.com, with an "automated rotating tripod head manufactured by the GigaPan company."  The result is an image approximately 10 GB in size.

Photographers were hired by the MLB, and the photos are available for fans to view on mlb.com.  Fans can zoom in on the photos to see an incredibly clear view of individual faces in the crowd.  From mlb.com, fans can also log onto Facebook, tag themselves and share the photos with friends.  The clarity is unbelievable, and these pictures are definitely worth checking out whether you were at the games or not.  If your team missed out on the post-season this year, still take a look at the website which has photos (captioned with the date of the game) from several teams and games throughout the 2011 & 2012 seasons in addition to all the post-season games.  Below are screenshots of Tiger Stadium from last night's October 28, 2012 World Series game.  The first shot is a full stadium view, and I highlighted in red where I zoomed for the subsequent pictures.  Ref. mlb.com, wired.com Pic. Ref. mlb.com

Race to 100K

Ryder Cup fever has swept through the country and across Europe.  However before the matches start, two Americans had a little competition of their own.  Today US golfers Keegan Bradley and Dustin Johnson raced to be the first between them to reach 100,000 followers on Twitter.  The friendly challenge resulted with Bradely reaching the milestone first, but both have now reached 100K.

This fun race to 100K informally kicks off Ryder Cup week.  The Ryder Cup begins this Friday morning at Medinah Country Club.  Though Bradley may have beaten Johnson to 100K fans, Johnson’s Twitter page (unlike Bradley's) has already been updated to the new Twitter template.  His use of the new template not only looks sharp but perhaps reveals who the true Twitter king is between them. Ref. Twitter.com Photo Ref. Twitter.com

Great Britain's 'Hot' Olympic Technology

A possible ‘secret weapon’ for Great Britain’s Olympic cycling team this year may be their training aid Adidas “Adipower” pants.  The pants have been dubbed ‘Hotpants” or “hot pants” and the concept is to keep an athlete’s legs warm during warm-ups so they are ready to go come race time.

“Hotpants,” According to techdigest.tv, “the custom-fitted trousers are battery powered and are designed to be worn after an athlete's warm-up. Heated filaments in the trousers direct heat to the core muscle groups in the legs, maintaining an ideal 38C temperature, meaning that Team GB's legs should be limber before each event even if they've had a lengthy wait between their warm up session and the competitive races. There are even quick-release zips, letting the athletes get the Adipower kit on and off in seconds.

British Cycling, Adidas and Loughborough University remained tight-lipped about the training garb until the eve of the Games.  It took four years to develop the technology, and there has been a ton of buzz around the added boost these pants could give athletes.  In an interview published on guardian.co.uk, Great Britain cyclist Victoria Pendleton said of the technology, “They heat up almost instantaneously, they're just amazing”…”You really feel the temperature on your quads and hamstrings and it really makes a difference. You have to work with cooling. But for me, as a sprinter, I've got lots of short events spread out during the day so it's essential that my muscles maintain temperature."  Unfortunately for Pendleton, the pants cannot warn the athlete of a potential rule infraction...such as overtaking too early. Ref. dailymail.co.uk, guardian.co.uk, techdigest.tv Pic. Ref. dailymail.co.uk

Science of the London Games

Science and technology are practically cousins when it comes to sports. Recently NBC created great short videos about the science of the Summer 2012 Olympic Games. They have uploaded several of these videos to NBCLearn.com, and I highly recommend checking them out.

My personal favorites are the “Designing a Fast Pool” video and the “Sarah Robles and the Mechanics of Weightlifting.” The pool video dives (I apologize) into the simple but impactful science of waves in a pool. The video explains what makes the London pool so ‘fast’ and why the inner lanes are favored by athletes.  My other favorite video features friend of the blog Sarah Robles. You may remember I wrote about Sarah’s clever marketing techniques to raise money to go to the Games. That video shares the complexity of recreating the amazing strength of Robles with robotics. Other topics these videos cover include the Biomechanics of Usain Bolt, the Long Jump of Bryan Clay and Engineering for Mobility (wheelchair mechanics). (Ref. nbclearn.com)

What the MLB All-Star Game Teaches the World About Social Media

In general, All-Star games are pointless and do not receive much fanfare. But this year, the MLB turned the All-Star game into a week-long social media frenzy. They did it the same way they made baseball's All-Star game the only professional sports All-Star game worth watching; they made it MATTER. The league that wins the All-Star game gets home field advantage for the World Series Final, something that matters...a lot. That exact same principle is true for all social media, be for a team, event, or even a business. Social media will only get attention if it matters and is interesting.

This year the MLB did an amazing job building excitement and buzz by rewarding fans for their participation and making their participation matter. The week leading up to the game, fans could Tweet their votes to fill the final spots on the roster (see #TakeJake). During the game, players were actually allowed to live Tweet to fans. The MLB also planted the very simple #asg (all-star game) hashtag to encourage even more sharing. Teams, leagues and even regular businesses could learn a lot from the way the MLB managed social engagement this year. The MLB simply applied to their social strategy the same concept that works for their sport’s all-star game---make it matter and people will care.

Below is a great infographic from Bluefin Labs about this year's MLB All-Star game.

Goal-Line Technology Approved by FIFA

Today FIFA announced it will introduce goal-line technology at the December seven-team Club World Cup taking place in Japan.  After the Club World Cup, the plan is to use this technology at the 2013 Confederations Cup in Brazil and then at the 2014 World Cup.  Goal-line technology has had a long and bumpy road to FIFA adoption.  Way back in February of 2011, FIFA President Sepp Blatter spoke in an interview that FIFA was very interested in leveraging the technology, but only if it worked perfectly, which would require a battering of tests.  Those sentiments remain but if everything goes well in Japan, widespread adoption does not appear to be too far off.

Both Hawk-Eye and GoalRef technology will be used in Japan after each was approved by the International Football Association Board (IFAB) panel.  I previously discussed the Hawk-Eye system back in March 2011 relating to the potential implementation of goal-line technology in Gaelic Football.  According to ESPN.com, “Hawk-Eye is a British camera-based system already used in tennis and cricket. GoalRef is a Danish-German project using magnetic sensors to track a special ball.” 

One important note, this technology comes with a large price tag.  The English Premier League will likely soon adopt one of these systems with an expected cost of around $250,000 per stadium.  MLS (Major League Soccer) has also indicated an interest in implementing goal-line technology. 

However FIFA’s announcements were not just about high-tech modifications today.  They also approved the use of 5 referees during matches (the additional refs to be placed beside each goal).  Similar to goal-line technology, this 5 ref system was approved in the effort to better officiate the most important part of the game, goals.  However the IFAB approval of both goal-line and the 5 ref system are considered purely optional...if a league chooses to use and pay for it. Ref. espn.com

#TakeJake Campaign Heats Up All-Star Game Vote

The White Sox have put together an All-Star Game bid campaign that has taken social media by storm.  #TakeJake was launched in an effort to persuade fans to vote in pitcher Jake Peavy to the All-Star Game coming up Tuesday, July 10th.  While nearly all the roster is set, fans get the chance to vote for the final person who makes the American League and National League teams. 

The White Sox have thrown their weight behind Jake Peavy with a catchy #TakeJake campaign.  Since its launch, teammates, fans, and even celebrities like Charlie Sheen have Tweeted and shown their support for Peavy.  Paul Konerko and Chris Sale made short YouTube videos urging fans to vote for Peavy to join the AL All-Star roster.  Below is Konerko’s 25 second video.  The White Sox have also put together a pretty funny ‘campaign’ video poking fun at political videos by ending with a picture of Peavy in front of an American flag with a recording of him saying “I’m Jake Peavy and I approve this message.”  You can see the Jake Peavy campaign video here.  The fan-voted favorite will be announced Thursday.  Click here to vote for Peavy.  Ref. mlb.com, youtube.com

Saddle Up – New technology in Polo

New on the scene in the Sport of Kings is innovation in saddle technology. Polo star Nic Roldan helped develop the Polo Gear Elite Saddle with the help of veterinarians and an equine chiropractor and masseur. The design of the saddle has two goals; optimize performance for the rider while providing more comfort and less strain on the horse. According to Wired.com, “Conventional polo saddles place the rider’s weight directly on the horse’s shoulders. Doing so elevates the rider but places great stress on the animal by limiting the range of its joints and stressing its bones…[Polo Gear Elite Saddle] optimizes the rider’s position by keeping him elevated but maintaining his weight on the animal’s back, not its shoulders”

Polo is a sport steeped in tradition. Even the adoption of basic safety equipment (such as helmets) has been a slow process. This saddle is one of the first of its kind to really focus on the health and comfort of the horse. It weighs 14 pounds and at $4,000 apiece, costs about twice as much as a standard saddle. Small first runs of the saddle sold out quickly suggesting the tide of new technology acceptance may be turning. This may be especially true if the technology offers the athlete a competitive advantage.  In the case of these new saddles, the general manager at Polo Gear, Mike Myers, claims that riders are seeing 25 to 30 percent increases in the speed of their horses.  Traditional or not, those are some statics that demand notice.

Staples Center Time Lapse Court Change

Last weekend the Staples Center hosted 6 playoff games for 3 different teams; the Lakers (NBA), the Clippers (NBA) and the Kings (NHL).  The turnaround of changing out the floors and rink was nothing short of incredible.  It takes approximately 2 hours and 15 minutes to switch from ice to a basketball court, and about 90 minutes to change from basketball court to basketball court.  Below is a time lapse video of the weekend’s events.  For my Kindle subscribers, this is one worth checking out on a desktop or phone.  Ref. sbnation.com, yahoo.com

LPGA Caddies’ Bibs Worth a Second Look

LPGA caddies will be doing more than carrying clubs and offering advice this summer, they will also act as a billboard sporting their golfer’s Twitter handle.  Next month, fans will see golfer's handles on their caddy's bibs at the LPGA Championship at Locust Hill Country Club.  According to Kraig Kann, chief communications officer of the LTGA Tour, there are 113 LPGA players with Twitter accounts.

The apparent goal of including handles on the bibs is to boost excitement about the event and encourage a long-term relationship between players and fans via Twitter.  Of course Twitter handles appearing in sports is not an entirely new concept.  They have already appeared on soccer uniforms and in football end zones.  Twitter even helped land a golfer an invite to the Northern Trust Open.  I wonder if this will open the door to other proxy-athletes wearing handles.  For example, will mascots start slapping star players' handles across their shirts?  Will cheerleaders don a handle of the star quarterback?  Probably not, but I love the placement ingenuity by the LPGA. Ref. espn.com, theuksportsnetwork.com Pic. Ref. theuksportsnetwork.com

London Olympics Torch Tech

Last week the Olympic torch was lit in Olympia, Greece.  For many this represents the unofficial start of the Games.  Each Games has a uniquely designed torch.  When you look at the different torches through the years, technology plays a huge role in design.  Each year the torch is designed to be aesthetically pleasing, representative of the county or representative of another special aspect of the Games.  However the design goes way beyond ‘looking sharp.’  The torches must also function as a fire-bearing device.

This year’s torch was designed by the Barber Osgerby firm.  The outside is made of aluminum alloy and punctured with 8,000 holes to represent the 8,000 torch-bearers.  The burner, according to bbc.co.uk has “a propane-butane gas canister that can burn for about 10 minutes - will be dropped into the core. When it comes to the relay, these will be turned on to let the gas flow by a torch attendant before the flame is received by the bearer.”

Below are some of my personal favorite torches from the past and the London 2012 Games torch.  Pictures from bbc.co.uk, click here to view torches from many other Games and read some really cool facts about each.

Berlin Summer 1936

Mexico City Summer 1968

Calgary Winter 1988

Sydney Summer 2000

London Summer 2012

Everton Gets Analytical

Premier League teams, most notably Everton, are at the forefront of using statistics and analytics to prep for upcoming matches.  Leveraging stat providers like Prozone and StatDNA, Premier League teams have been able to gather key information about the opposition long before stepping out on the pitch.  SI.com recently highlighted Everton and their manager David Moyes who introduced data analysis to the team back in 2002. 

Some of the information Everton can gather by examining analytics includes their opposition's style of play, tendencies and set-pieces.  Perhaps most interesting is the detailed look managers take at specific players on the opposing team.  Steve Brown, First Team Performance Analyst at Everton, said "We will identify certain trends of a player, for example a winger, and show our fullback what we think they're more likely to do in certain situations.”  Additionally Brown was quoted, "It's the small detail which we are meticulous in. We examine if the players have certain patterns to their play which we think we can expose or need to be aware of. Do certain wingers have a style of attacking play in order to create a crossing position? Something that we might be able to predict and counter. The idea is to give them a picture of what the opposition [player] is doing."

Not everyone loves the idea of applying analytics to the game.  Many fear the metrics could be misinterpreted, which could lead to confusion and misinformed decision-making.  However others, including Tim Howard and Landon Donovan, are eager to learn as much as possible from analysis done on the competition.  Brown does concede that interpreting the raw data is key, but if done correctly, this information is an incredibly powerful tool for managers and players alike. Ref. Pic. si.com Ref. Tottenham-Spur.blogspot.com

Basketball's 13 Postions

If you thought there were only 5 standard positions in basketball, you may be wrong.  Changing the way basketball positions will be forever viewed, Stanford Senior Muthu Alagappan, is an intern for a data visulationzation company, Ayasdi.  He combined Ayvasdi’s proprietary data analysis engine and tons of computational topology research at Standford to categorize basketball players into 13 new positions. 

According to Wired.com, “Ayasdi takes huge amounts of info like tumor samples and displays it in interactive shapes that highlight patterns like genetic markers that indicate a likelihood of ovarian cancer. It’s called topological data analysis, and it can be applied to sports, too.”  Which is exactly what Alagappan did.  His findings resulted in the following 13 positions: (positions quoted from wired.com)

1. Offensive Ball-Handler. This guy handles the ball and specializes in points, free throws and shots attempted, but is below average in steals and blocks. Examples include Jason Terry and Tony Parker.
2. Defensive Ball-Handler. This is a defense-minded player who handles the ball and specializes in assists and steals, but is only so-so when it comes to points, free throws and shots. See also: Mike Conley and Kyle Lowry.
3. Combo Ball-Handler. These players are adept at both offense and defense but don’t stand out in either category. Examples include Jameer Nelson and John Wall.
4. Shooting Ball-Handler. Someone with a knack for scoring, characterized by above-average field goal attempts and points. Stephen Curry and Manu Ginobili are examples.
5. Role-Playing Ball-Handler. These guys play fewer minutes and don’t have as big a statistical impact on the game. Hello, Arron Afflalo and Rudy Fernandez.
6. 3-Point Rebounder. Such a player is a ball-handler and big man above average in rebounds and three-pointers, both attempted and made, compared to ball-handlers. Luol Deng and Chase Budinger fit the bill.
7. Scoring Rebounder. He grabs the ball frequently and demands attention when on offense. Dirk Nowitzki and LaMarcus Aldridge play this position.
8. Paint Protector. A big man like Marcus Camby and Tyson Chandler known for blocking shots and getting rebounds, but also for racking up more fouls than points.
9. Scoring Paint Protector. These players stand out on offense and defense, scoring, rebounding and blocking shots at a very high rate. Examples include Kevin Love and Blake Griffin.
10. NBA 1st-Team. This is a select group of players so far above average in every statistical category that the software simply groups them together regardless of their height or weight. Kevin Durant and LeBron James fall in this category.
11. NBA 2nd-Team. Not quite as good, but still really, really good. Rudy Gay and Caron Butler are examples.
12. Role Player. Slightly less skilled than the 2nd-team guys, and they don’t play many minutes. Guys like Shane Battier and Ronnie Brewer fall under this position.
13. One-of-a-Kind. These guys are so good they are off the charts — literally. The software could not connect them to any other player. Derrick Rose and Dwight Howard are examples, but you already knew that.

The MIT Sloan Sports Analytics Conference this past spring awarded Alagappan’s findings best Evolution of Sport.  However this technology and analytics was actually created to possibly re-categorize rookie and college players playing styles and maybe uncover undervalued/unrecognized talent. Ref. sloansportsconference.com, wired.com Pic. Ref. wired.com

Hockey's Latest Way to Recruit

Hockey has a new way to recruit. There is a now a site that allows hockey players the chance to put themselves in front of recruiters, virtually. The site is called puckprospect.com and is similar to a LinkedIn for hockey players. Athletes update an online profile with information like height, weight, which way they shoot and position. Recruiters will virtually access the players profiles from the comfort of their home. The site already has over 700 coaches and recruits from the NCAA, CHL, USHL, ECHL, CIS, Women's Hockey, U.S. High School Hockey, Junior A, Junior B, Midget AAA, Prep/Boarding Schools, and International Hockey. Monthly membership fees are billed at $5.95/month for players and $7.95 for scouts and recruits. Ref. puckprospect.com, sportstmcnet.com

Unicycle Football

Hatched in Texas, unicycle football is one interesting sport. Created by Marcus Garland, the sport is a hybrid of flag football and tackle football. The rules are pretty similar to regular flag football but allowing, according to Wired.com, "the least amount of force required to cause the ball handler to dismount their unicycle” as a means of tackling. Oh, and of course the addition of every player riding atop a unicycle.

Other deviations from classic football are that there are 5 players per team and you must make all plays atop your unicycle. Falling off or getting down from your unicycle while you have the ball is an automatic down. Also, in the spirit of safety first, all players must wear helmets. This sport is pretty whacky and the lighthearted spirit of the rules (i.e. instead of a coin toss there is a “joust on unicycles”) illustrates that the game doesn’t take itself too seriously. Like all emerging sports, it will be interesting if it can catch-on like Kronum or Quidditch. Either way, it looks like a goofy good time that requires an incredible level of athleticism and sense of humor. Ref. wired.com, Pic Ref. Sol Neelman/Wired.com

Watson & Motorola Both Winners This Weekend

Bubba Watson won the Masters this past weekend in dramatic playoff fashion. This win not only landed him a nice green jacket and prize money, it did wonders for his sponsorship opportunities. However as I mentioned in a previous post, Motorola scooped him up before he won the Tournament. Last month I wrote about Motorola’s MOTOACVTV Golf Edition which recently landed Watson as their spokesperson. Though Watson did not wear his MOTOACTV during his historic win, he did don the device last Wednesday as he played 9 holes at Augusta. You can check out the specs on his practice round HERE. Ref. Forbes.com, Pic Ref. motoactv.com

Getting a Handle on Women’s Soccer in England

In an effort to increase buzz and ticket sales at Women’s Super League games in England, the Football Association has turned to Twitter. The Football Association has named eight “digit ambassadors” who will wear their Twitter handle on their jerseys. The hope is that emphasizing the social aspect of the players will increase excitement about the sports, which will hopefully translate to larger crowds at games.

This idea was hatched out of the wild Twitter response to the USA V Japan women’s World Cup soccer game last year. However this is not the first time we have seen handles and hashtags creep their way onto the pitch/field/court and even players. Last year the Jaguares de Chiapas soccer team of the Mexican Primera Division actually replaced player’s names on their jerseys with the player’s twitter handle. Also, last November the University of Mississippi painted the hashtag #HAILSTATE in their end zone. Ref. guardian.co.uk

April Fools Shenanigans

Yesterday was April 1st (April Fool's Day) and one prankster chose to use Twitter as his channel for tricking friends and fans. On Sunday, Michigan linebacker Kenny Demens dabbled into some monkey business by Tweeting that he had a season-ending hand injury. He went so far as to Tweet a picture of a hand in a cast. Demons did come clean after a few tense late night hours for Michigan fans. At ~2am ET he tweeted, "Ok...April Fools everyone. I'm not out for the season...only in a cast for a couple of weeks!!" Demons will likely only miss a practice or two. Ref. espn.com

Creating the Court - Final Four 2012

Below is a timelapse video of the making of the 2012 NCAA Final Four Court. It's amazing what goes into creating this floor and awesome that somebody set-up a camera to capture this.

Extreme Skydiving

Often I focus on mainstream sports, but today I wanted to bring attention to an amazing skydiving feat. “Fearless Felix” Baumgartner jumped from a pressurized capsule 71,580 feet in the air earlier this month. That distance equates to 13.56 miles above the Earth. During his just under 4-minute freefall, he reached speeds of 364.4 mph. From end-to-end he was falling for 8 minutes and 8 seconds.

The capsule is an amazing piece of machinery. According to Wired.com, “the capsule has a 6-foot diameter pressure vessel to provide protection from the cold air and thin oxygen. Baumgartner will inflate the pressure suit when he is ready to take his big leap. The 2,900-pound capsule will need around three hours to reach 120,000 feet.”

Despite the impressive height of this jump, Baumgartner has not yet broken the record for highest leap. That title still belongs to his mentor Joe Kittinger from Florida who has jumped from a staggering 102,800 feet (19.5 miles). However Baumgartner plans to shatter Kittinger’s record this summer with a 23 mile high jump. Ref. wired.com, wired.com Pic. Ref. wired.com

MOTOACTV Golf

Motorola has added MOTOACVTV Golf Edition to their MOTOACTV line. Endorsed by Bubba Watson, MOTOACTV Golf leverages GPS to give the golfer real distances to the front/middle/back of the green and to hazards while they are on the links. It also tracks shots and keeps score. Once you get home you can analyze your round and even compare it to other golfers’ rounds (including how Pro’s did on the same course). MOTOACTV Golf can track rounds on 20,000 courses worldwide.

This technology seems pretty impressive. I am excited to see the accuracy of the yardage, but even a semi-close estimate (especially for tougher distances like to hazards) could be hugely helpful for most golfers. Perhaps the coolest feature is the ability to compare your round with a Pro’s. For more details on this new tech tool, check out motoactv.com. Fans at the Arnold Palmer Invitational in Orlando, FL will get a sneak peak of the gadget starting today. Ref. yahoo.com Pic. Ref. bfreenews.com

Adidas adiPure Adapt

Adidas has added to their adiPure line a feather light shoe designed for the barefoot running enthusiast. This shoe weighs just 4.5 ounces and was, according to Hypebeast.com, “[m]ade to harness the body’s natural mechanics, this technologically-advanced design offers minimal cushioning between the wearer and the ground, forcing your legs and feet to experience the subtle changes in impact. This in turn will influence the wearer to run on his or her mid or fore-foot, providing a more natural run.”

The shoe is currently only available in Europe, Japan and China but planned to be released in the US in June. Ref. Hypebeast.com Pic. Ref. Hypebeast.com

Tournament Challege Challenged

Sports + Spoof Video + March Madness = Tournament Challenge Challenged.

The Tournament Challenge Challenged from Stan Verrett

Though this video could, nay should, have been a minute shorter, it's still well worth watching. Happy March Madness everyone.

March Madness Bracket Infographic

Infographics have been around for a while but are now popping up everywhere as a way of visually sharing pieces of information (usually numbers or stats). This is an especially great tool for showing interesting facts about sports/teams/tournaments etc. Here is a really cool infographic I came across about March Madness, specifically brackets. Hopefully it will help you as you make your picks this year. Ref. totalprosports.com



Created by: Business Degree

World Cup's Impact on Wall Street

Last month the Washington Post published fascinating findings about the influence of soccer matches on Wall Street. *While this topic veers slightly off course from my typical articles, it was so interesting I wanted to share it anyway.

According to the Washington Post,

How popular is soccer? Popular enough to bring financial markets to a halt, it seems. A new paper (pdf) from the European Central Bank finds that during the 2010 World Cup, the number of stock trades plunged an average of 45 percent in countries whose teams were playing at the time. (A goal caused a further 5 percent drop.) “We conclude,” write Michael Ehrmann and David-Jan Jansen, “that stock markets were following developments on the soccer pitch rather than in the trading pit.”

It is crazy how far reaching and impactful an effect sports can have on business. There is no doubt numerous articles will be published over the next few weeks about the dramatic drop in work productivity during March Madness. My opinion (while skewed since I like sports and am not attempting to run a business) is that employers need to be aware of what’s going on, respect the interest, and if possible embrace it. Permit games to be on in break areas and allow for flexible hours so employees can watch games and return to work. Whether it’s the World Cup, March Madness, the Olympics etc, like it or not watching these sporting events will take precedence over most everything else (especially work). So be reasonably flexible and enjoy the renewed excitement and energy these events bring to the office morale. Ref. washingtonpost.com

Vintage NY Yanks

New York photographer Nick Laham used a basic phone app to take truly remarkable photos of the New York Yankees. Laham took part in the team’s traditional photo day. He lined up at 6am alongside many photographers in the Yankees' Spring Training facility in Tampa to snap the best shot he could of the team.

Laham ended up shooting players in the locker room bathrooms with a regular camera and his iPhone 4s. He then used Instagram (a free photo sharing application that runs on iOS and “allows users to take a photo, apply a digital filter, then share it a variety of social networking services” ref Wikipedia.org) to upload the pictures to his blog. The results are extraordinary, vintage-looking shots of the team. Below is Nick Laham's photo of Yankee third baseman Alex Rodriguez. Click here to see more pictures. Ref. blog.wsj.com, nicklaham.com, wikipedia.org Pic. Ref. nicklaham.com

Let the Madness Begin

It is the first day of March! This means one great thing for college basketball fans, MARCH MADNESS. Selection Sunday, the day the bracket is announced, is just over a week away. The amazing process of selecting which teams dance and which head for the NIT is one of the most fascinating processes in sports. NCAA.com recently posted a great video on their website explaining the selection process. (Editor’s note, lots of love for the first team highlighted). To see the video, CLICK HERE
Pic. Ref: tv.popcrunch.com

Visa and Samsung Payment Technology at London 2012 Games

Despite fears that internet & phone service me be weak during the London 2012 Games, internet-based technology is still driving forward. Visa and Samsung (both Olympic & Paralympic Games sponsors) revealed today the official mobile payment application for the 2012 Games. The application “enables consumers to make payments through the phone in front of a contactless reader at the point of purchase, while purchase above GBP15 will require a pass code.” It is based on Visa’s payWave technology. The companies added that the application is backed by Visa’s multi-layered security. The application even allows customers to check their payment history and their account balance. This will be a great help to foreign visitors that are not used to dealing in the strong Pound (GBP).

Aside from security concerns, the other major question is whether this form of payment processing will put even more strain on the already questionable network bandwidth. Visa is planning to install more than 3,000 terminals across the venues to accommodate this new payment process. This new technology paired with mobile traffic by fans from more than 200 countries will likely take a toll on the internet service. Experts anticipate bouts of slower service and occasional internet drops during high-traffic times.

Showcasing this technology partnership at one of the biggest sporting events in the world was a strategic move on Visa and Samsung’s part. During those two weeks, the Games will be the focal point of the world. 3,000 terminals will attract the attention of fans and media alike. Obviously this type of grand unveil carries with it great risk; however barring a disastrous hacking incident or great internet crash, it will likely prove a worthwhile endeavor. Ref. html5.tmcnet.com, projectbritain.com, sport.tmcnet.com Pic. Ref. androidguys.com, logostage.com

Braun Successfully Wins Appeal on Positive Drug Test

Baseball fans woke this morning to learn that Ryan Braun won his appeal regarding testing positive on a drug test from last October. The panel ruled in a 2-1 vote that “valid questions had been raised about the manner in which the test sample was handled” according to nytimes.com. Braun is the first player to successfully appeal a positive drug test. Reportedly Braun’s sample was taken on a Friday and stored in the tester’s home refrigerator until a FedEx store was open Monday for him to ship off the sample to the proper testing facilities. This does follow protocol, but the 48 hour delay gave the panel enough doubt to rule in Braun’s favor.

While there appeared to be no tampering to the sample (everything was sealed properly), 48 hours is a long time to be stored in a personal refrigerator. My question is how in the world did this happen? Why is there not a more efficient and instant way to read a drug test? Why does the sample need to be shipped off to some Canadian laboratory? Time is of the essence when it comes to ‘surprise’ testing for drugs. Some drugs are only detectable within days of use. Retesting allows too much time for a player to get the drugs out of their system.

This case will most definitely require a reevaluation of the methods in which drug test samples are handled. (Click here to read more about how drugs are detected in samples.) The NY Times reports that the MLB has already instituted a new rule requiring testers to ensure there is a 24-hour FedEx available to drop-off the sample. This is one step in the right direction, but until players & owners agree on a better way to test; these controversies will be here to stay. Ref. nytimes.com Pic Ref. inquisitr.com

Will Vanishing Spray Make an Appearance in Europe?

Vanishing spray has been making its appearance on the pitch in South America, the US and at last summer’s COPA America. Next month the IFAB, The International Football Association Board (which consists of FIFA and the English, Scottish, Welsh and Northern Ireland Federations) will meet and discuss possibly introducing the spray into certain Europe matches.

The lightweight spray is visible for 45-90 seconds until it disappears. Usually the sprays are natural and biodegradable. Referees use the spray to mark the 10 yards between a free kick ball placement and where the opposing team can line up. Encroaching on the ball is a common issue during free kicks. This problem can mean an unfair advantage for a team or time wasted as the referee enforces the 10 yard rule.

Overall reception of the spray has been positive. It also has appeared to serve its purpose in moving the game along while keeping players in check for encroaching violations. It will be interesting to see how the IFAB rules. The change is somewhat small, especially considering the magnitude of possibly introducing goal-line technology. Even so, purists of the game may be resistant to this change. Ref. soccerlens.com, soccersprays.com Pic. Ref. theoffside.com

Taking the Playbook to the 21st Century

Last season, for the first time, two NFL teams were allowed to use 64 GB iPad 2s as their official playbooks. The teams were the Baltimore Ravens and Tampa Bay Buccaneers. The digital playbooks stored all the key information players needed and allowed them to interact by taking notes and drawing in changes right on their devices. Coach were able to make changes on their device and every player was able to have the update in no time. The iPad has also been used unofficially around the NFL in other ways too. From viewing videos to checking out scouting reports, coaches and players have been viewing and sharing information this way for seasons.

The major question is, of course, security. Many argue that data on the iPad is actually safer than in the physical playbook. According to Popular Mechanics, the tablets are password-protected with two layers of security. Additionally the tablets can be remotely wiped clean if the iPad is compromised (if a tablet is lost, a player is traded, etc).

What’s perhaps more exciting is the software that teams are coupling with their portable devices. A leading video edit software, XOS, offers coaches the capability to pull up a video and send it to a specific player’s device. XOS is very interesting because it cuts video clips from different viewpoints so all aspects of plays can be evaluated. Coaches can pick which videos/angles are most important for their players to review and send them out immediately.

Currently the NFL does not allow iPads or other such devices on the sidelines during a game, however changes in could be coming soon. Ref. popularmechanics.com, xosdigital.com