NFL players notice something different with Vicis’ new helmet. Seattle-based startup Vicis has its high-tech helmet on the NFL playing field this month as several players are trying out a new way to protect their head from injury. As we reported earlier this month, a handful of Seahawks have been testing the Vicis helmet during practice and preseason games. Cliff Avril, a ninth-year defensive end who was named to the Pro Bowl last season, told GeekWire that he wanted to try something else that might help keep him safer on the field. He and his wife did some research and… Read More
Several Seattle Seahawks players, including stars like Russell Wilson and Richard Sherman, are wearing the new Vicis helmet during games. Embed from Getty Images The Seahawks had their preseason home opener on Friday, beating Minnesota 20-13 at CenturyLink Field, and a handful of players sported the high-tech helmet that is being used during actual games for the first time. In the Zone. : @DjMogg @West2EastEmpire pic.twitter.com/oxQZNjGz27 — Russell Wilson (@DangeRussWilson) August 19, 2017 During Seattle’s second preseason game, you could recognize the helmet from its triangular air pockets on the front. Star wide receiver Doug Baldwin, also an investor in Vicis,… Read More
SoftBank sparked headlines in the technology world this week as the tech giant prepares to invest $1 billion into online sports apparel company Fanatics, according to The Wall Street Journal. It’s a peculiar investment for SoftBank and its Vision Fund, which typically focuses on more traditional tech companies like Boston Dynamics, Nvidia, or OneWeb. But it highlights how Fanatics, now valued at $4.5 billion, has caught the attention of big-name investors with its formidable e-commerce engine that pairs high-speed manufacturing with crucial sports league licensing deals — a formula that one Seattle startup is also using on its own pathway… Read More
Pete Carroll just can’t help himself: He can’t stop coaching, no matter the environment. That was the case even when the legendary head coach of the Seattle Seahawks appeared in front of a room of tech geeks and mobile marketing professionals on Thursday afternoon at the annual Postback conference in Seattle. Related: Seahawks coach Pete Carroll’s tech dream: Holographic robot players so the real ones don’t get hurt The high-energy 65-year-old football coach got so excited midway through the 30-minute fireside chat that he jumped out of his seat, and started coaching the crowd on the art of leadership. Audience… Read More
Technology is shaking up the NFL, from how fans watch games to keeping players safe on the field. Attendees at our second annual GeekWire Sports Tech Summit got the inside scoop from NFL COO Tod Leiweke on how the nation’s most popular professional sports league is tapping into the latest innovations both on and off the field. Veteran NFL reporter John Clayton sat down with Leiweke, the former CEO of the Seattle Seahawks and Tampa Bay Lightning who became the NFL’s COO in 2015, to talk about everything from the league’s new streaming deal with Amazon to the declining TV ratings… Read More
