Articles
Sample Articles from Bob Wallace.
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Tackling Tech: A Banner Tech & Super Bowl Season for the Vikings?
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- Published on 04 January 2018
When construction began on the nearly $1 billion US Bank Stadium in Minneapolis, Vikings fans expected very big things. What they got was more than they could imagine; a new tech-infused venue, new content apps, a 360-degree camera system and a tech accelerator to attract startups.
And thanks to a solid season in the new digs, the Vikings won the NFC Central to land at least one home playoff game and a shot at a NFL first - playing in the Super Bowl on their home field in February.
Tackling Tech: More, Better Post-NFL Careers Marked 2017
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- Published on 28 December 2017
When it comes to building an off-the-field career, there's no time like the present for NFL players to start, as the league, the players association and the sports-tech industry have collectively generated more opportunities than ever before. Experiences - and even their biometric data - count as a valuable, marketable asset.
The list of resources for players and alums includes learning from spring football leagues, teaming with sports accelerators who seek experience to hone their wares, attending profession-specific boot camps co-created by the NFL, and tapping resources created by partnerships struck by the NFL Players Association.
Tackling Tech: Big Yearend Change for NFL Fans & Beyond
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- Published on 21 December 2017
Sports fans wish for a winning season, playoff appearances and solid matchups to watch when their teams are in the mix. They have worries concerning the health and well-being of those that play the game. And finding less expensive ways to watch games of interest is high on their lists.
Well, just when it looked like they could downshift into December and focus on enjoying the yearend holidays, multiple developments on numerous fronts that could impact the way they consume sports were revealed - and we haven't even reached Christmas.
Tackling Tech: Can Tech Lift an Upstart Football League?
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- Published on 14 December 2017
With money comes access to tech that can help grow a sports league. Working on a low budget, however, brings financial challenges. Can current staples - the web and apps - help build a league from near scratch?
That's the question for the National Arena League (NAL), which aims to field seven teams for its upcoming second season this spring. The NAL, not to be confused with the Arena Football League (AFL), is literally banking on ticket and merchandise sales, sponsors and a cut of concessions to advance in 2018
Tackling Tech: NFL Teams Embrace Zebra to Elevate Practices, Performance
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- Published on 07 December 2017
When most folks think of player location data collected by the NFL, they likely think of the Next-Gen Stats undertaking for live games. But in the shadow of this high-profile, multi-year league initiative, a growing cadre of clubs are using the same data in systems to optimize practices.
Zebra began putting its tags in NFL players shoulder pads four years ago to track players during games for the primary purpose of gathering data to drive the next generation of stats for NFL fans at home and in the stands.
Tackling Tech: Changing The Pitch to Sports Tech Startups
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- Published on 30 November 2017
When you here a company is planning to shut down a service it offers, you almost automatically think bad news. But upon further review it's often the case that one offering is being closed down so others can grow.
That's the case with pioneering sports tech hub The Pitch which has decided to close down its coworking space for sports tech wannabes next year amid a glut in supply of the high overhead, low profit margin asset.