After returning from a brief hiatus, I decided to write about a recent article that caught me by surprise. While doing some much needed time killing, I stumbled across a copy of ESPN The Magazine and in this particular copy they highlighted a recent trend in the NFL: Playbooks are going digital.
Just try to imagine how many movies, episodes of NFL Hard Knocks you have seen that have the catch phrase "the coach wants to see you, bring your playbook". This playbook has notoriously been a encyclopedia thick binder full of the teams plays that will be practiced/played in live games that season.
The latest trend is to store these plays in Hudl Pro, an online database that allows teams to store their entire playbook and video library. Each player is now able to view the plays or videos from the comfort of their home and at a time they choose. This is clearly a benefit for the players and their families, but a what cost?
Not all teams have bought into this online playbook because they are concerned about storing their secrets online. Teams can actually pony up $40,000 to host secure servers at their own facilities. In case you didn't know owning an NFL franchise is a million dollar business and for those lucky enough to make it to the Super Bowl it can be a financial windfall. So the question becomes that with millions of people that have fallen victim to Identity theft and other online criminal activities, what would stop a hacker from breaking into the "secure" database to leak information for an advantage.
Just imagine the media frenzy that would come from a hacker leaking a playbook days before the Super Bowl!
The times-are-a-changin'!!