Russell Wilson may have inadvertently invented the geekiest touchdown celebration of the NFL season. The Seattle Seahawks quarterback was on the sidelines reviewing past plays on a Microsoft Surface tablet when his team’s defense forced a fumble and returned it for a touchdown, clinching a big 21-7 win over Minnesota during a primetime Monday Night Football game at CenturyLink Field. The cameras caught Wilson’s celebration, which involved the former Microsoft spokesperson dropping the tablet as if he was doing a mic drop. Russell drops the Microsoft Surface on @Vikings #vikings #dropthesurface sierrra wilson #MINvsSEA @nfl @espn @NFL_MNF @MNF pic.twitter.com/4DgxXYu0pu —… Read More
Jeff Tran, a former director of sports marketing and alliances at Microsoft, was indicted on five counts of wire fraud on Wednesday. Federal prosecutors allege that he attempted to steal more than $1.5 million from the tech giant via fraudulent invoices and selling Super Bowl tickets allocated for Microsoft employees. Tran oversaw the company’s promotional relationship with the NFL, which includes the use of Microsoft Surface tablets on the sidelines during games and other marketing-related initiatives. Prosecutors say Tran used his position to create fake third-party vendor invoices, then routing cash from Microsoft through the vendors to his own personal… Read More
Much like how technology has changed the way you communicate with friends, family, and co-workers, it has also revolutionized how NFL players and coaches talk to each other and strategize on the sidelines. At last month’s Seahawks vs. 49ers game at CenturyLink Field, GeekWire got a sneak peek at the latest geeky tools that the NFL has implemented to ultimately help teams win games. We spoke with NFL executives and gameday crew to learn how the league changed the way it uses radio frequencies to eliminate interference on headsets. We also met with Microsoft to get an update on its… Read More
As Microsoft enters the final year of its reported $400 million deal with the NFL, the Surface tablet will be more visible on the sidelines than ever. Since the 2013-14 season, players and coaches have used the Surface tablet to review past plays on the sideline during games. As GeekWire reported earlier this month, NFL referees this season will now use the tablet to review replays for the 2017-18 season, replacing the “under-the-hood” monitor. We saw the integration during the preseason opener on Aug. 3 and it was used again on Wednesday during the Texans vs. Panthers game. There will be… Read More
NFL players and coaches won’t be the only ones using a Microsoft Surface tablet on the sidelines this season. NFL referees will now use the tablet to review replays for the 2017-18 season, replacing the “under-the-hood” monitor. The new technology was in action for the first time during Thursday night’s preseason opener in Canton, Ohio. Dean Blandino, the NFL’s former vice president of officiating, noted that there are two tablets at each 20-yard line for the referees to use. NFL debuts replay tablets tonite. 2 tablets, 1 at each 20 yd line for ref to use during reviews. Replaces under… Read More