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Technology and it's potential nefarious use (1 Viewer)

BaBastage

Footballguy
Mad_Sweeney In the Pat's Taping thread brought up a good point that it would be fairly trivial to modify a video recording device to broadcast locally in real time.

Without speculating on whether or not that's what the Patriots were doing, it does bring up interesting questions (at least, interesting for me) on the future of cheating (in this particular case the NFL.) What other technology is out there / could be developed that would be used for cheating? What would be the defense against it? How will it affect the game? Will "cheating" become tolerated / "part of the game" like in baseball?

Here are two to that come to mind:

#1) Real-time knowledge of play calling. I agree that given the resources these teams have, it would be pretty straightforward to broadcast in real time. Because the defense changes their plays from game to game, it may take a few series, or a half to crack the new code, but after that, you'd have a huge advantage. The countertactic would be to change your play calling scheme more often, or even better yet, find a way to send disinformation to make the opponent think a different play was being called.

#2) How about a tiny voice-receiver implanted under the skin behind the ear in a quarterback (or any player), that uses cellular frequencies? This would allow someone to be in constant communication with the player, and have it be completely unnoticeable. (Unless they ban all cell phone usage at the event, but good luck with that) If you didn't know the opposing team's play, would it still give you an advantage?

I'm keeping the tinfoil hat off for the time being. What say you?

 
I think any team that would try to cheat again in the future with this commissioner would be taking a SERIOUS risk. The punishment is not defined for offenses and the commish can dole out as he sees fit. It would not surprise me if something were egregious enough and a complete embaressment to the league that he would give coach's liftime bans. I think the risk is too great at this point.

 
Mad_Sweeney In the Pat's Taping thread brought up a good point that it would be fairly trivial to modify a video recording device to broadcast locally in real time.

Without speculating on whether or not that's what the Patriots were doing, it does bring up interesting questions (at least, interesting for me) on the future of cheating (in this particular case the NFL.) What other technology is out there / could be developed that would be used for cheating? What would be the defense against it? How will it affect the game? Will "cheating" become tolerated / "part of the game" like in baseball?

Here are two to that come to mind:

#1) Real-time knowledge of play calling. I agree that given the resources these teams have, it would be pretty straightforward to broadcast in real time. Because the defense changes their plays from game to game, it may take a few series, or a half to crack the new code, but after that, you'd have a huge advantage. The countertactic would be to change your play calling scheme more often, or even better yet, find a way to send disinformation to make the opponent think a different play was being called.

#2) How about a tiny voice-receiver implanted under the skin behind the ear in a quarterback (or any player), that uses cellular frequencies? This would allow someone to be in constant communication with the player, and have it be completely unnoticeable. (Unless they ban all cell phone usage at the event, but good luck with that) If you didn't know the opposing team's play, would it still give you an advantage?

I'm keeping the tinfoil hat off for the time being. What say you?
I think the biggest deterrent against this kind of stuff is that too many players and coaches move around, and the relationships are not always rosy when they leave. Someone with an axe to grind is going to know something, and it only takes one to spill the beans. For example with your #2: "You don't want to give me a $100m contract extension? You know I think I need to go to the doctor about this crazy itching behind my ear."Sure there will always be cheating, and with technology, some of this stuff or something like it will quite likely be part of it, but I don't think there will be a mad-rush to find the new and revolutionary way to cheat. It will be slow and steady improvements to the effectiveness of the things that already fall under the "everyone does it" umbrella.

 
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I think the biggest deterrent against this kind of stuff is that too many players and coaches move around, and the relationships are not always rosy when they leave. Someone with an axe to grind is going to know something, and it only takes one to spill the beans. For example with your #2: "You don't want to give me a $100m contract extension? You know I think I need to go to the doctor about this crazy itching behind my ear."

Sure there will always be cheating, and with technology, some of this stuff or something like it will quite likely be part of it, but I don't think there will be a mad-rush to find the new and revolutionary way to cheat. It will be slow and steady improvements to the effectiveness of the things that already fall under the "everyone does it" umbrella.
Excellent point about letting the cat out of the bag.
 

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