Microsoft told GeekWire in August that having NFL players and coaches use the company’s Surface tablet on the sideline during games to review past plays is “the greatest technology integration in sports.” Bill Belichick would disagree. The New England Patriots head coach on Tuesday blasted the devices, telling reporters that he’s “done with the tablets.” Embed from Getty Images Belichick ripped Microsoft’s product, saying that “they’re just too undependable for me” and noting that he’s going back to the traditional printed black-and-white photos. “I’ve given them as much time as I can give them,” he said. “They’re just too undependable for… Read More
James Heckman is getting the band back together. The Rivals.com founder and former Yahoo executive today announced the formation of theMaven Network, a new digital media company that will feature premium stories and video “across multiple content segments.” It is set to launch in the first quarter of 2017. Heckman is well known in entrepreneurial circles, having previously founded the online sports network Rivals.com during the dot-com boom. Rivals.com — which raised $70 million in venture capital and hit the wall during the dot-com bust — eventually sold to Yahoo in 2007 for a reported purchase price of $100 million.… Read More
Athletes can improve their performance and fans can be more engaged while watching sports, all with the help of technology. That’s one takeaway from the first-ever collegiate sports technology hackathon held at the University of Oregon this weekend. QuackCon invited students to come together at UO in Eugene, Ore. — where Nike founder Phil Knight graduated — and focus on creating ideas related to athletic enhancement and fan engagement. A panel of judges, which included Olympic gold medalist Ashton Eaton and Warsaw Sports Marketing Director Whitney Wagoner, heard each group pitch their projects and ultimately picked three winning teams. Coming in first place was “Shadow Trainer,”… Read More
Richard Sherman doesn’t think much of Donald Trump’s comments about concussions in the NFL. GeekWire caught up with the Seahawks star after his appearance at an American Express local merchant event Friday in Seattle, just days after the financial giant extended its partnership with the NFL team. Asked about Trump, who called the NFL’s rules for concussions “soft” on Wednesday during a campaign rally, Sherman initially didn’t have much to say. But given how other players have ripped Trump for the comments — TIME called it “dangerous” — and Sherman’s recent monologue about player health in the NFL, he did have one response. “He’s… Read More
Scott Oki has cashed in again. The ex-Microsoft vice president, who made millions by building the company’s international operations and then left in the early 1990s and eventually purchased a number golf courses, sold eight of those courses on Tuesday for $137 million. Oki Golf announced the sale of the premier Washington properties to HNA Holdings Group, a Hong Kong-based investment group. According to a news release, Oki Golf Management will be retained to run daily operations for each course. The courses are: The Golf Club at Newcastle, Washington National Golf Club, The Golf Club at Redmond Ridge, Trophy Lake Golf & Casting, Harbour Pointe Golf Club,… Read More
