Bucs Go High Tech With Gameday Playbooks
June 17th, 2014
As Jeff Tedford barks play calls into Josh McCown’s headset this fall, will he be covering his mouth with a tablet computer instead of a giant laminated play sheet?
Apparently so.
The Tampa Bay Business Journal reports that the Bucs again will be tech pioneers in the NFL and turn to Microsoft Surface tablets as an upgrade to old school, sideline reference materials.
This fall’s tablet experiment is another in a string of opportunities the Bucs have taken to be the first in the league to use new technology. The Bucs also were the first team to use iPads for playbooks, a practice many teams have since followed over the past few years.
“We’re having to teach some of the coaches of a certain generational age who have been slower to adapt,” [NFL Chief Technology officer Michelle] McKenna-Doyle said to a crowd of about 350 at the Tampa Bay Technology Forum’s Professional Women’s Networking luncheon [this month].
There’s not a ton of football detail in the Business Journal story. So Joe’s wondering how this all might translate when the whistle blows. But it all makes plenty of sense. Having down-and-distance scenarios on computer should only make things more efficient. And the teaching applications it could offer are limitless.
Imagine an O-line coach, for example, huddling guys up quickly and showing them video of a four second play to remind them of their assignments.
Kudos to the Bucs for being fearless in their use of technology.
June 17th, 2014 at 7:18 am
I just hope they don’t get the spinning wheel of death in the 4th quarter of a close game. I suppose they’ll have the old paper on standby in case of a malfunction – at least I hope they do.
June 17th, 2014 at 7:21 am
another nice gadget 🙂
June 17th, 2014 at 7:23 am
Billycheat is hiring hackers as we speak…..
June 17th, 2014 at 7:24 am
Please no products running Windows on the field. Leave Windows were it belongs, in the office.
June 17th, 2014 at 7:27 am
I hope that their “admin” has figured out how to block certain sites and games on the tablets, which led the Bucs to be the first team to have ipads taken away.
June 17th, 2014 at 8:12 am
With the potent offense and stingy defense, it should be easy to maintain our substantial lead in the fourth quarter even calling plays like: Alley-oop, and Tampa-2
June 17th, 2014 at 8:14 am
Let them all wear Google glasses on the field
June 17th, 2014 at 8:48 am
So when we run the ball up the middle on a critical 3rd and 8, we can blame it on the “Blue Screen of Death”
June 17th, 2014 at 9:00 am
If programmed properly it can be really beneficial. I can just see plugging in down and distance for every play bringing up an optimal menu of plays in that days game plan. Could be a real competitive edge.
June 17th, 2014 at 9:25 am
Let’s not confuse activity with results.
June 17th, 2014 at 9:27 am
LOL the professional athletes will be playing madden on the sidelines.
June 17th, 2014 at 9:56 am
Ugh. Microsoft makes buggy, sucky junkware. Those pads will be crashing and slow as molasses by mid season. Hope they go back to iPads asap.
June 17th, 2014 at 10:07 am
Apple shmapple.
There will be plenty of laminated play cards very, very close by on the sidelines. Regardless of the number of gadgets present there will always be backup cards.
Sounds cool, I’m not sweating any malfunctions.
June 17th, 2014 at 10:13 am
I wonder if this means their hiring?
I would LOVE to get a job working in IT for the Bucs!!!!
June 17th, 2014 at 10:37 am
Now they just need to integrate twitter, facebook, etc and have the fan vote on plays lol
June 17th, 2014 at 10:42 am
NFL just signed a massive contract with Microsoft. So, no iPads. At least not on the sidelines.
June 17th, 2014 at 10:44 am
Ha! Imagine if this happened when Greg Olson was the offensive coordinator. “I F’ING TOLD YOU NO MORE MOTHER F’ING BENN’ED AROUND PLAYS, WHAT DON’T YOU UNDERSTAND YOU STUPID SOB???!!!”
June 17th, 2014 at 11:03 am
I would imagine the tablets would have to stay at team facilities and have good security. If the players are not permitted to install games and web browsing is blocked, there isn’t much that can go wrong.
I have no games on mine. I use it strictly for work and basic internet needs like email, facebook and coming here.
And I probably work on it 10 hours aa day 6-7 days a week. (I enjoy my work)
June 17th, 2014 at 11:52 am
Something new to throw on the ground when coaches/players get frustrated.
June 17th, 2014 at 12:17 pm
Celly Says:
June 17th, 2014 at 10:13 am
“I wonder if this means their (sic) hiring?
I would LOVE to get a job working in IT for the Bucs!!!!”
Hey Celly, before you jump into IT, first try something a little less difficult, like English. Here’s an example sentence: The powers that be over there at OBP would have to be out of their collective minds (and they’re not) to hire you.
June 17th, 2014 at 12:31 pm
This is just begging for disaster during a game. Even headset radios go out sometimes, now you want to rely on something made my Microsoft?!? And expect coaches and assistants of older generations to be able to troubleshoot if something goes wrong?!?
You have got to be kidding me.
As long as the NFL and microsoft can make some more money, f*ck how it affects the game.
June 17th, 2014 at 2:06 pm
Do they work in the rain?
June 17th, 2014 at 3:02 pm
@Tom, good point. and what about snow and cold weather? do they have backup batteries? Can they overheat in the hot Florida sun?
Seems like this is just asking for problems.
June 17th, 2014 at 3:09 pm
So glad they are dumping the apple crap and running a real computer. The surface 3 CAN replace your laptop.
Funny jokes with the spinning wheel of whatever… Because apple crap NEVER breaks and they NEVER release OS patches… Yeah right, keep believing that and while you’re at get yourself another cup of that kool-aid… Apple invented that as well.
June 17th, 2014 at 4:18 pm
Congratulations tough guy. You feel better about yourself now? You’ve corrected someone’s error on a public message board.
All hail the mighty Piratic, who I’ve never seen on here besides this one time to offer a completely useless comment.
BTW, I already am in IT….I’ll learn me some good properly English when it becomes a relevant programming language.
Thanks for playing.
June 17th, 2014 at 6:49 pm
Now they also can check their fantasy stats. maybe one day the visor will be a screen and you get your plays called real time. still need a chip in the ball and an infinity laser at the top of the goal posts. Kickers are getting robbed.
June 17th, 2014 at 7:12 pm
so there are still a few d1ckheads on here, i see.
June 18th, 2014 at 12:57 am
[…] tablets for their game-day, sideline sheets, according to the Tampa Bay Business Journal (h/t JoeBucsFan). That makes the Buccaneers once again one of the first teams to introduce a new technology, after […]
June 18th, 2014 at 9:41 am
I sure hope they put those things offline, don’t want anyone in the stadium to have the potential to interfere with them.
June 19th, 2014 at 7:57 pm
Stop worrying this is Lovie making this work; not Stupid Schiano! Now they just need to hire a sports medicine coach like Kelly hired last year and their old OL lost the least amount of hours to injury of any OL in the NFL. Keep thinking outside the box, Lovie!