Information Technology Influences on NFL, NASCAR and Other Sports

Information Technology Influences on NFL, NASCAR and Other Sports

Information technology has influenced sports in many ways. Not only has it influenced sports in North America but also sports across the world. “In 1988, Stan Honey, Jerry Gepner, and Bill Squadron—three former executives at News Corp. and Fox Sports—founded Sportvision (http://www.sportvision.com). They used their extensive technology, sports production, and broadcast experience to create an innovative company that focuses on developing technology-based enhancements for the Internet, sports television, and new media platforms” (Shapiro). Sportvision has impacted sports like football, baseball, basketball, auto racing, horse racing, hockey, and a wide variety of Olympic sports.

“The technological boom began with a glowing hockey puck” (Pierce). In the 1996 NHL All-Star game, the glowing hockey puck was introduced to viewers. By giving the puck a radiant glow the viewers were better able to follow the puck as it was passed from player to player and across the rink. Without this innovation of the glowing puck it was very easy to loose track of the player carrying the puck and at times which team had possession. “The idea was to give new viewers a closer glimpse of where the puck was flying and help them keep up with the game” (Pierce).

Information technology has also helped college and pro football teams in a number of ways. The use of instant replay has decided the outcome of many professional football games. Without instant replay a bad call by the umpire could result in a loss for a team that actually should have won. Now with the ability to review a decision on the field, many bad calls are getting overturned and the team that should have...

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... That way, graphics in the corner of the TV screen can show where they are on the oval track and how far apart competitors are. And the sensors can tell them how fast the skaters are going, what their acceleration is and how close they are to the current leader’s time” (Horiuchi). Since the skaters switch lanes so often, a graphic of each country’s flag will be electronically inserted into the lane that corresponds with that of the racer. “Sportvision also is using a system called AIRf/x during the free style aerials to show how far and high the skier went from the edge of the ramp” (Horiuchi).

In any case, it is evident that information technology is changing the way audiences across the world watch sports. From a glowing hockey puck to a real time update on just about anything at as to do with statistics, technology is affecting sporting events everywhere.