NFL teams including the Dallas Cowboys could soon be abandoning their traditional paper playbooks and game-day printouts of plays in favor of iPads or other tablets. Pete Walsh, head of technology for the Cowboys, said his team and at least a “couple” of others are currently considering abandoning their playbooks in favor of iPads, a move they feel could save them as much as 5,000 pages of paper printouts per game. Walsh explained this potential philosophical and technological shift to CNET during a discussion about Cowboys Stadium technology at Super Bowl Media Day here Tuesday. The stadium will play host on Sunday to Super Bowl XLV between the Pittsburgh Steelers and the Green Bay Packers. For tech-friendly sports fans, it’s an appealing image–coaches and players sitting on the sidelines of the giant Cowboys Stadium, iPads in hand, studying likely plays for the next few series, or sifting through overhead photos of the last plays in order to assess their performance, or that of their opponents. Still, it’s also a bit difficult to imagine old-school NFL coaches agreeing to carry around a shiny gadget like an iPad instead of their trusty playbooks–or reviewing glossy color photos on the 9.7-inch screen rather than shuffling through paper printouts of the last passing play. One can imagine such coaches agreeing to hand over their playbooks only through tightly gritted teeth. But Walsh suggested that this migration could well be coming, though he didn’t say how long it would be before we see football pros stalking the sidelines with tablets. –CNET News
The mood was excellent for a Super Bowl. The Super Bowl teams arrived and not 60 minutes later, we all were iced/snowed in here and it hasn’t let up yet. Not to worry saith the weather people, 50′s on Saturday and near 60 for Super Bowl Sunday. I call bull! After another 2-4 inches of overnight snow, now the weather gurus are saying 40′s for the Super Bowl.
You mean these weather people get paid ultra big bucks and get media passes to the Super Bowl, and are just as good as I am at predicting the weather? Pashaaa!
Did Jerry Jones and the NFL coerce the weather people to say it’s all ok, come on to Texas and spend money? It’s a theory.
Redskins quarterback Donovan McNabb is going to the Super Bowl. Well, he’s going to Texas for Super Bowl week, but he’ll be working for ESPN, not the Redskins. McNabb will serve as a guest analyst next week for ESPN’s coverage of Super Bowl XLV, providing his thoughts on the game, teams and players. The safe guess is that a Redskins question or three also might pop up. “We’re excited to have Donovan back on ESPN as a part of our Super Bowl coverage,” said ESPN senior coordinating producer Stephanie Druley. “We worked with him in previous years and he always has strong opinions and great insights on the game, the teams and especially the quarterback position.” — Washington Post
Steelers defensive star spending big on Super Bowl trip
Steelers NT Casey Hampton’s “crib” isn’t in Dallas. He was born in Galveston, a city on the Gulf of Mexico. A few years ago, he moved to nearby Houston. His relatives and closest friends coming to the Super Bowl will have roughly a 240-mile drive to Dallas this week. Hampton, a five-time Pro Bowler, is personally taking care of their Super Bowl arrangements. He’s renting a house for them in Dallas. He figures that beats paying for their airfare and hotel rooms. And for at least 15 family members and friends, he’s purchased their tickets at $900 a pop. “It’s going to be expensive for me,” he said. “So from that standpoint, it’s not going to be a good thing.” Whatever Hampton ends up spending for his entourage’s Super Bowl stay, no one feels sorry for him. His base salary this season is $4 million. Plus, Hampton and the rest of the Steelers have already pocketed $21,000 for winning the divisional-round playoff game against the Ravens and $38,000 for the AFC Championship Game against the Jets. If the Steelers beat the Packers in Super Bowl XLV, each player gets $83,000 more (the loser’s share is $42,000). — Beaver County Times
The zoo has begun. It’s official now, one week to go until Super Bowl XLV and people around here in north Texas are getting crazy. It’s the fist time the Super Bowl has been played here, we sort of don’t know how to take all of this.
I went to the NFL Experience today and had a blast. Lots of things to see and do. Got to see some cool jewelry as they had each ring from the winning team for all Super Bowl Champions on display.
And I hate to mention it, but I drove around Cowboys Stadium to see what it was like, and the traffic is terrible already!!
I can’t imagine what this week is going tobe like. I hope my vacation got approved.
I have to preface this story about my interview with Jason Witten. I have been a die-hard Cowboys fan since they day the came into the league. I have never had the chance to ever do an interview of any kind ever. Never have talked to a Cowboy, (except for Drew Pearson last year at Quick Trip Park). It was such a highlight to be able to talk with Jason on the phone today.
Please bear in mind, I am recounting the conversation from memory, so the actual conversation wasn’t recorded, but I will try and give the best answers from memory I can. He is in Hawaii getting ready for the Pro Bowl.
Me: Hello Jason, my name is Lew Patton, and I just want to say it’s a tremendous honor meet and talk with you since I am a huge Cowboys fan. I’ll try not to sound too much like a homer while I ask you some questions is that ok?
Witten: That’s fine, it’s always good to talk to Cowboys fans.
Me: Jason, I know that Proctor and Gamble is a huge sponsor of the Pro Bowl there in Hawaii, what are they helping the NFL with there?
Witten: They are working with the Slant 45 program to help kids experience the NFL. It’s a lot fun helping the kids in that regard.
Me: That’s great. I have seen your “I am second” video and I wanted to say congratulations on making your 2nd Pro Bowl. Do you ever think about the possibility of going in to the Hall of Fame?
Witten: To be honest, I never really think about that. The players that are in the Hall of Fame are such great players, I just don’t think about myself in there. I think about just playing today.
Me: Jason, I know you are from Tennessee, and I have relatives in Tennessee too, what teams did you follow when you were growing up there, and who were some of your favorite players?
Witten: Well, when I was growing up the Tennessee Titans weren’t there yet, but some of my favorite players were Steve McNair, and when I was in school, I played linebacker. I always admired Junior Seau.
Me: Do you think there will be a strike next season?
Witten: I sure hope not. Our Union is working with the owners and so hopefully they can get an agreement in place without any stoppage. A strike wouldn’t be good for the fans.
Me: What needs do the Cowboys have to address in the next draft?
Witten: Well, Jerry is good about handling that, but we have to be able to replace a safety if they leave, just be able to have good players if anyone leaves.
Me: What do you and your family like to do in the off-season.
Witten: Well you know, just be a family and hang out together. This Pro Bowl trip to Hawaii is a nice gift to start the off-season with.
Me: Do you think the Cowboys will be able to clear that last hurdle to next year’s Super Bowl With Jason Garrett and his staff with having a full off-season to put his plans in effect?
Witten: Absolutely! Jason Garrett is very organized and meticulous in getting things done. He expects the best from his staff and players and that’s the way it’s going to be.
Me: Do you think the Pro Bowl should be played after the Super Bowl?
Witten: Yes! I’m an old-school kind of guy and I liked the way the Pro Bowl was played before. This format has been in place for two years now, but I like the old way better.
Me: And finally Jason, obviously we would much rather have seen the Cowboys getting ready for Super Bowl XLV, but since the Boys aren’t going to play there, who do yo like the Packers or Steelers?
Witten: Well, the Packers represent the NFC so I have to pull for them, but Pittsburgh has a pretty good defense so I don’t know.
Me: Thanks so much Jason, it was great speaking to you today!
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Thanks so much to Rick Chandler atOff the Bench, for this great opportunity to talk to Jason Witten. Thanks also to Brian Manning and Christian Matthews of Taylor’s Strategy for the hook-up, you guys are awesome!
Wow, can it get any more crazier here in north Texas than having a Super Bowl in the back yard?
Thanks to my good friend Rick Chandler over at Off the Benchan NBC owned blog, I am able to do some work for that site and it’s a blast so far. I’m getting calls to do interviews of players. I’ll be interviewing Jason Witten later on this evening via phone, and next week Jerome Bettis.
Our good friend Rick Chandler, over at NBC’s Out of Bounds has a great story about the North Texas Super Bowl Committee and their new video introducing the Host Committee’s Super Bowl XLV extravaganza.
The video is funny, but you can’t help but hope these folks keep their day job.
Now without further ado, here are several “North Texas athletes, mayors, and personalities” singing This Kiss, which is supposed to get you excited for the arrival of Super Bowl XLV in Dallas. This was my reaction.
When you choose a song with an octave range that would challenge any singer, and pair it with a dozen or so of the most tone-deaf people in Texas, the result cannot help but be golden. The video debuted at the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Host Committee’s Kick-off Concert Series on Saturday in Fort Worth, headlined by Faith Hill. From the Dallas Morning News:
Baseball Hall of Famer Nolan Ryan, Pro Football Hall of Famers Roger Staubach and Emmitt Smith and Hockey Hall of Famer Brett Hull join Rangers Michael Young and Ian Kinsler, Mavericks Dirk Nowitzki and Rolando Blackman, Dallas Cowboys Tony Romo and Daryl Johnston, Olympic gold medalist Michael Johnson, broadcaster Pat Summerall and a kinda creepy looking Cowboys owner and general manager Jerry Jones to sing Faith Hill’s “This Kiss.” All I can say is the folks at the Super Bowl XLV Host Committee office are geniuses. Or have pictures of people. You can’t help but smile.
In other news, hell is real. You can’t help but smile.
On October 19, 1912, Oklahoma defeated Texas, 21-6 in Dallas’ Fair Park, in a game that would eventually be called the Red River Rivalry. That football game marked the first large-scale game ever played in North Texas.
One hundred football seasons later, Super Bowl XLV will be played in Cowboys Stadium. While most regions plan 2-3 years to host a Super Bowl, it is our belief that North Texas has been laying the ground work for 100 years.
Come see and enjoy 100 years of North Texas football…courtesy of the North Texas Super Bowl XLV Committee.
