Modern sports franchises are increasingly finding the need to implement innovative technology to provide fans, players and coaches with a more entertaining spectacle. Although American football’s beginnings were distinctly analog, in the past few decades the sport has become a hi-tech affair.
First came digital scoreboards and jumbo screens. Then came more sophisticated devices like hands-free headsets that allow coaches to communicate with their players. Even more recently, stadiums have started introducing interactive monitors for spectators.
Nowadays, when sports teams want to upgrade their stadiums and training facilities, they need to take tech-related matters into consideration. That is why, when the Miami Dolphins recently decided to renovate the Hard Rock Stadium, the franchise turned to Samsung.
As well as bringing in advances like mobile payment and digital signage, some key improvements have been made behind the scenes – thanks to Samsung Printing Solutions.
Why Printing Matters in Football
Anybody who has ever watched an American football game knows how technical the sport is. The average NFL game lasts around three hours, with teams needing to run multiple offensive and defensive plays in the quest for victory.
The Miami Dolphins often make use of up to 70 different plays in a single game, and countless more over the space of a season. Every player must carefully study each unique play so he can execute it flawlessly on gameday, minimizing the chance of error.
Although training ground drills can be helpful in this regard, professionals also need to see the bigger picture in order to understand their roles – and this is where printing comes in.
NFL teams have upwards of 50 players on their rosters, as well as coaching staff. Providing all these people with detailed information on plays (which typically differ for every game) involves a lot of printing. That is why Dolphins staff members rely on Samsung’s MX7 multi-function printers for this vital aspect of their game.
High Volume
Mike Tannenbaum, the Miami Dolphins’ Executive Vice President of Football Operations, explains that updated offensive and defensive playbooks need to be printed out for the team’s players. These change all the time, and are often tweaked to counter the perceived strengths and weaknesses of the Dolphins’ next opponents.
Tannenbaum says, “A player may be getting maybe 50 or 60 pages a week in terms of the plays needed for the upcoming opponent, with adjustments to plays and suggestions. You can see how quickly these numbers scale.”
Fortunately, explains Tannenbaum, MX7 printers are up to the job. He notes, “Our partnership with Samsung has truly been transformational for us. Having the access to state-of-the-art equipment has truly helped us in terms of the product we put on the field.”
Need for Speed
Speed is a priority for the Miami Dolphins’ top running backs, and the same is true for Samsung printers. The MX7 can turn out 60 pages per minute and scan 240 images in the same amount of time – that is about four pages per second.
Tery Howard, Senior Vice President and Chief Technology Officer at the Hard Rock Stadium, notes, “Samsung devices provide us with a multifaceted ecosystem. What impressed me the most was the MX7’s multifunctional devices. The coaches easily assimilated with them. They were able to do their jobs at the speed they wanted to, with the output, clarity and ease of use that the devices offered.”
Power Run
Power is always a key factor in football, and Samsung also understands the importance of this key attribute. The MX7’s powerful quad-core 1.5GHz CPU with System-on-Chip (SoC) technology provides users with the capacity to execute print and copy tasks of virtually any size or complexity.
Capabilities like these are essential for NFL franchises with some 150 playing and back-room staff members. When you need to print out a lot of pages, including complex diagrams, at a moment’s notice, you need printers you know will not let you down.
Raising the Bar for Professional Sports
The revamped Hard Rock Stadium is now gearing up to host Super Bowl LIV on February 2, and experts say that the arena’s innovative tech ecosystem means it is now ready for anything.
Sara Grofcsik, Business Account Manager at Samsung Electronics America, explains, “With the efficiencies we’ve achieved in the back office with our print solutions, we are raising the benchmark for pro sports organizations.”