Technology continues to make our way of life much better than it ever has been, and that trend isn’t going to be stopping anytime soon. Since sports is also a major part of the culture and everyday life for so many people, it was only going to be a matter of time before those two industries mixed.
Making NBA picks today is now much easier to do because of technological advancements, but there is no reason to stop there. Instead of only focusing on the betting or viewing aspect of the game, leagues should be looking to use technology to improve the overall product.
While there have been some great advancements in technology that have improved sports over the last few years, more is needed. Here is a look at three major ways in which technology can improve the wide world of sports.
“K” Zone in MLB
Major League Baseball was a league that resisted the use of technology the longest, but that is no longer the case. League executives have now fully embraced technology, and it is used in a number of different ways it has been used.
Instant replay was the first major technological advancement in baseball, but there are still some issues with that program. Major League Baseball is now using a pitch clock as well, and those cameras and clocks can be found throughout a stadium.
The one thing that the league hasn’t fully introduced yet, though, is the automatic strike zone. MLB has been testing this out at some of the lower levels in baseball, but there have only been mixed results.
This is something that simply must have to happen, as home plate umpires have a massive impact on the outcome of every single MLB game. There are also different strike zones for different umpires, and it makes things incredibly confusing for the players and for viewers.
Introducing an automated strike zone will definitely change the game, but it would be a change that is both welcomed and needed. If MLB is willing to review calls and plays throughout a game, then it has to focus on home plate, as that is where all of the action starts.
Digital Yard Markers
The National Football League continues to take risks, and it’s not afraid to introduce new forms of technology into its games. The NFL has greatly improved the instant replay system since it was invented, and it has worked much better than it does in other sports.
The one thing that the NFL hasn’t figured out, though, is how to do away with the stupid yardage chains that are used to measure down and distance. Anytime there is a close decision, the league has random people run the chains out onto the field, and that is how they decide whether or not a first down was made.
There simply has to be a way to get a digital yard marker on the field so that the chains are no longer needed. It would even be beneficial to get some sort of chip in the ball so that it’s clear to see where the ball is at all times.
This is a multi-billion dollar league, and there is enough money to do whatever it takes to figure things out to make things better. Having officials guess where the ball should be placed is simply outrageous in 2023.
NBA Needs A Command Center
The NBA has been aggressive in using technology over the last few years, but there is one major change that needs to be made. There are way too many instant replays in the NBA, and it makes the final few minutes of games almost impossible to watch.
It’s great that the NBA allows for the use of instant replay, but the league has to find a way to put a command center in place. There should be off-court officials reviewing every single play, and they should be in constant communication with the on-court officials.
Not only that but all of those replay decisions should be piped into the PA system of the arena so that everyone knows what is taking place. There is no reason that these instant replay decisions need to take more than a couple of seconds, and it will allow the action to resume much quicker.
