INTERNET


More Streaming Sports News: NHL GameCenter Making Strides — Sort Of

Posted by Seth in GAMING, INTERNET, TELEVISION on 07-18-11    No Comments


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Following up on my fanboy fawning over MLB.TV, there was news that came out a few days ago about the NHL’s online streaming package.

NHL GameCenter Live, which streams more than 1,000 games per season, saw a 31 percent increase in subscribers and an 83 percent increase in renewals during the 2010-11 season. GameCenter Live is available for Apple, Android, Nokia and BlackBerry devices, as well as the PlayStation 3, Roku and Boxee. It provides games in HD. There’s also a big archive of games from the last couple of seasons and classic games of the past, which is something MLB.TV should add.

However, it seems GameCenter Live should add one key element that the MLB.TV package has in abundance: Quality.

The NHL package debuted on the PS3 last year, and predictably there were some bumps in the road, as evidenced by this thread on the PlayStation Community message boards. It seems there were a host of problems with streaming live games via the PS3, and according to folks who posted on the thread, no refunds were available because the NHL said the games were still viewable on the computer. That is a complete crock  for anyone who planned to watch on their TV, and the NHL should be embarrassed to offer that as a response. Even if the problem was on Sony’s end, they’re in this together.

Another issue here is the price point. It cost $159 for the season last year, but actually you can tack on another $10 if you want to watch on the PS3, because that’s what Sony charges you to download the app you need to view live games. It’s free for PlayStation Plus users. Again, the NHL should take a cue from MLB, which offers a free download of the software the PS3 needs to view baseball games. Even at $159, that’s almost as much as it costs to buy NHL Center Ice on DirecTV or cable/satellite providers. MLB.TV is only $120, and the baseball season has more games.

GameCenter Live has gotten some rave reviews for its quality and the depth of its content. But it sounds like it’s a little too expensive, and concerns about the quality are making me hesitate whether to go with it this fall. The question is whether a hit-and-miss experience with games in HD on the PS3 will outweigh the nightmare of watching hockey in standard-def on Verizon Fios.




The Twitter 100: Influential Sports Twitter Accounts

Posted by Anthony Mowl in INTERNET on 07-18-11    No Comments


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It’s Twitter’s fifth anniversary. Although I could have sworn that Twitter was just 5 months old (I joined last month), I guess the cool people have been at the party all this time. Twitter has moved beyond being just a fad, and become a bona fide tool for journalists and information. It’s also penetrated the sports world on every level, which is why Sports Illustrated recently came up with the Twitter 100: A list of the Twitter accounts considered the most essential to reporters’ daily routines in finding news and information.

Here all this time I considered CNNSI to be the most essential source in my daily routine, I should have been checking these Twitter accounts instead. (Full disclosure: @anthonymowl did not make the top 100 for reasons unknown.)

Kevin Durant @KDTrey5. “The Decision” was upstaged by Kevin Durant announcing that he’d signed a new deal to stay with the Thunder on his Twitter account. A great example of Twitter becoming a platform for original sources in news.

Hikaru Nakamura @GMHikaru. Yeah, I thought “Who?” too. Turns out he’s a 23-year-old American chess grandmaster. Bobby Fischer never had Twitter, so here’s the next best thing.

Chad Ochocinco @ochocinco. Tops the Twitter 100 with 2.2 million followers, and leads the Twitter-verse in fines for Tweeting.

Old Hoss Radbourn @OldHossRadbourn.  Old Hoss, not to be confused with Pawn Star’s Big Hoss, was a pitcher from the 1800s. Somehow he manages to Tweet from beyond the grave, sharing his perspective on baseball today.

Jim Irsay @JimIrsay. The eccentric billionaire owner of the Indianapolis Colts is also an eccentric Tweeter. He has yet to lock out his Twitter account.

Steve Wilson @stevewilsonap. I felt bad. This Associated Press European sports editor had the fewest followers on the list with just 1,388 people keeping up with him. CNNSI seems to be helping him out though, saying he’ll be a must-read during the 2012 London Olympics, but it isn’t working. Somehow he actually has one less follower five days after the Twitter 100 was released (1,387). How is that possible?

Sports Law Guy @SportsLawGuy. Gabe Feldman, a professor at Tulane Law School gives legal analysis of issues regarding sports and law. Unfortunately with two lockouts, steroid rage, and athletes seemingly getting in trouble every week, this is probably the most important Twitter account in sports today.

These are just seven of the accounts on the Twitter 100, mostly made up of sports reporters, athletes, and other influential people in sports. The list is definitely worth checking out, as it is extremely diverse, covering a wide variety of sports and perspectives. Major props to CNNSI for adding a “Follow” button alongside every person on the list, making it extremely easy for me to follow the people I found interesting. The only flaw I could think of was that @sportscircuit did not make the list. But then again, considering Steve Wilson lost a follower after making the list, maybe that was a big plus.




Who Needs TV When There’s MLB.TV?

Posted by Seth in INTERNET, TELEVISION on 07-14-11    1 Comment


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I’ve always been a little bit skeptical of watching sports on anything over than good old fashioned cable or satellite TV. Within the past decade, we’ve seen the rise of sports broadcasts on the web, but it never seemed like a particularly good option to me.

Until now.

I have seen the future of live sports broadcasts, and it’s called MLB.TV.

MLB Advanced Media is the clear leader in online sports packages. This we know. But you don’t get a full appreciation for it until you check out the MLB.TV package, which I’ve been doing since last weekend. I’ve been an MLB Extra Innings subscriber for several years, and I was disappointed earlier this year when I switched from DirecTV to Verizon Fios TV and discovered that Extra Innings on Fios carries very few games in HD and simply isn’t as good as it is on DirecTV. Well, I’ve made a determination: Starting next spring, it’s MLB.TV for me. Goodbye Extra Innings. Goodbye Extra Innings hefty $180 price tag — which is particularly galling, considering that Verizon charges the same for it as DirecTV does even though it’s a vastly inferior product on Fios.

But I digress. Let’s talk about MLB.TV, which is $119.99 for the full season and is $79 if you sign up now for the rest of the season. Here’s what there is to love:

Portability: First of all, like any good piece of entertainment content, they’ve made the package portable to a whole bunch of different devices. I’m running it to my TV via my PlayStation 3, but you can also watch on a PC, an iPad, Roku, Boxee, or through an app built into some newer Samsung and LG televisions.

Picture: Unlike the woefully fuzzy standard-def picture I get from Extra Innings on Fios TV, I’m getting an HD picture from MLB.TV. Occasionally there are some buffering issues, and my TV is a few years old and not a 1080p display, so I get some artifacts on the screen when there’s a lot of fast motion. I think there might be some compression issues as well that impact the look of the picture. But none of this makes the picture undesirable. Even at its worst, it’s better than the standard-def picture on Fios.

Functionality: This is where MLB.TV blows away Extra Innings like a Roy Halladay fastball. You’ve got full DVR capability and the ability to jump to earlier innings of any game whenever you feel like it. So let’s say you sat down to catch the Yankees-Blue Jays game tonight (July 14), and you were a little late, and were shocked to find out that Toronto scored eight runs in the first inning. How did that happen? Well, the short answer is that Bartolo Colon’s magic is gone. But you can punch up the bottom of the first inning at the touch of a button and watch it for yourself. There’s more. You can get home and road team feeds of each game, with your choice of the TV announcers or the radio crew. So let’s say you want to listen to Jon Miller call the Giants game instead of the TV team of Duane Kuiper and Mike Krukow (who are very good, by the way). Again, touch of a button, and you get Miller’s dulcet tones. You can even choose the ballpark setting, which gives you the noise of the park — the murmur of the crowd, the crack of the bat, the umpire’s strike calls — with no announcer at all.

If you’re watching on a PC, there are a few other options that aren’t available if you stream to your TV. You can view up to four games at once on your PC screen. Streaming to the TV you’re limited to one at a time. That’s something they should fix, especially since a big TV screen is far more conducive to a multi-game view than a small PC screen. There’s also a fantasy player tracker available on the PC, although this isn’t that big a deal, since avid fantasy players probably have the live scoring page of their fantasy league site up and running on another browser tab.

There are a couple of minor quibbles. First, MLB.TV cuts the signal when a game goes to a commercial, and you get a message on the screen saying there’s a commercial break in progress. I sort of like seeing local TV commercials from across the country when I watch on Extra Innings. But I can live without them. Also, MLB.TV blacks out live broadcasts of teams in your home market. For me, living in Maryland, that means no Orioles or Nationals games, but of course they’re available as part of my Fios TV package. Your home team’s games are viewable as part of the season archive, starting 90 minutes after the games end.  But there are some parts of the country that are considered the home market of several teams, so that could be a drawback for some fans.

Simply put, MLB Advanced Media has created a streaming package that is more worthwhile than watching on TV. It’s the future of sports broadcasting. And it’s here now.

 




The Sports Tech Nihilist: I Don’t Get Apps!

Posted by Seth in INTERNET, MOBILE on 07-14-11    No Comments


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Is it just me, or does this whole urge for apps not make any sense?

The way people talk about apps for smart phones and the iPad, you’d think these things were complex or were really doing something special. There’s one TV commercial running right now with a woman eyeing a smart phone in a store window and we hear the thoughts in her head: “Hmm, I could use a smart phone with social apps.” Aside from being horrible dialogue, they make it sound like “social apps” are far more important than they are. An icon that takes you to Twitter and another that takes you to Facebook … wow! Give me a minute to catch my breath.

When I got my BlackBerry — which admittedly has a far less extensive app market than the iPhone and iPad — I found a couple hundred sports apps. Two of them are worth having. Sports Illustrated has a nice one, and there’s ScoreMobile, which can be a little cranky at times, but has plenty of information. Both of them are free, and I wouldn’t dream of paying for them.

Apparently some iPad users don’t have the same attitude. I got a kick out of a couple of comments from people complaining about ESPN’s ScoreCenter XL for the iPad, which used to cost $4.99 and is now free. The iPhone version was free, but they had been charging for the iPad version, which made no sense.

Don’t get me wrong, it’s a great-looking app, jam-packed with information. The problem is it’s pointless. If you’ve got an iPad, you’ve got web access. There’s no reason you can’t just point the iPad’s browser at ESPN.com — or CBSSports.com or SI.com or Yahoo Sports or The Sporting News or FoxSports.com or The Sports Network or the league websites … or any number of other places — to get the scores and info you’re looking for. OK, so it’s a couple extra taps of the touchscreen.

Anybody who felt a need to pay $4.99 to avoid that needs their head examined.




Twitter: Killing Sports Journalism 140 Characters At A Time

Posted by Seth in INTERNET on 07-06-11    2 Comments


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Holy crap, has Twitter ever royally screwed up the sports journalism business.

Depending on your perspective, this may be a good thing. As a career sports editor, I have a tough time getting on board with the whole social-media-has-changed-sports-journalism-as-we-know-it vibe. But my old-school journalistic sensibilities are being overrun by the ever-increasing evidence that my species is becoming irrelevant.

The latest example comes courtesy of a blogger named Nate Dunlevy, who runs an Indianapolis Colts site called 18to88.com. That’s 18, as in Peyton Manning, to 88, as in Marvin Harrison, in case you’re completely oblivious. Last week, longtime NFL writer Len Pasquarelli wrote a story that got syndicated to many outlets on the web, claiming that Colts’ defensive end Robert Mathis is planning to hold out of training camp once the NFL labor situation is settled.

Pasquarelli reported “with some degree of certainty” (whatever the hell that means) that Mathis won’t show up for camp without a new contract. While he quotes an anonymous source saying so, he does not quote Mathis. He also makes no reference about having attempted to contact Mathis for comment. Forgive me for criticizing a writer infinitely more accomplished than I will ever be, but that’s News Reporting 101. When you make a claim about someone, you owe them the opportunity to respond. Even a line in the story that says attempts to reach Mathis were unsuccessful is better than nothing.

Well, it turns out Dunlevy decided to do what Pasquarelli didn’t. Dunlevy tweeted Mathis to ask him about the report, and what do you know, but Mathis responded with a denial.

So here’s a guy sitting on his couch in his underwear somewhere in Indiana — and we say that because we have some experience with blogging and it involves couches and an unbelievably relaxed dress code — who got an answer that a well-respected football writer didn’t.

Now, the one thing that bothers me about using social media as a reporting tool is that it’s impossible to be certain that the person you’re interacting with is the person you think it is. It takes no skill to set up a Twitter account and pretend you’re an athlete or celebrity. Just do a Google search for “impersonated on Twitter,” and that much becomes obvious.

Assuming for the moment that this really is Robert Mathis’ Twitter account — which it apparently is — this is a striking example of the way a simple web-based tool has circumvented the sports media establishment. Of course, it’s not every athlete who is going to respond to random tweets from people they don’t know. But with an endless stream of chatter being churned out by sports websites and talk radio and TV, you can understand athletes getting fed up with misinformation or misrepresentation and using their own means to get their message out.

Don’t be surprised if little old Twitter kills sports media as we know it — 140 characters at a time.

#SportsJournalismIsDoomed!




It’s Official: All Old School All The Time On NBA.com

Posted by Seth in INTERNET on 07-01-11    No Comments


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It is the height of absurdity, but as we wrote earlier this week, all traces of current NBA players have been wiped off the face of NBA.com and each of the team websites in the wake of the lockout.

Now, if you’re into old-school NBA heroes of the past or stories about team support personnel or cheerleaders you’re in luck, because that seems to be all you can find on the league and team sites right now, as well as the NBA’s YouTube channel. Everything current is gone. The Oklahoma City Thunder even deleted their roster from their site. Go ahead, try and find it. Many of the other teams still have their rosters listed, but clicking on the players’ names takes you back to NBA.com.

We’re not sure if this is a mistake or an oversight, but the player database link on NBA.com seems to be functioning for now, so you can find stats. Of course, there are lots of ways around the league site for that sort of information. Basketball Reference is my favorite.

And if you need to see NBA players again, just to reassure yourself they still exist, Yahoo Sports has big photo galleries on each of their team sites.

Obviously, the NBA doesn’t need to worry too much about traffic on its website in the middle of the summer. They probably don’t draw much traffic in July anyway. But in the age of instant, on-demand information, it’s really striking to see one of the best pro sports leagues in the world pretend its players don’t exist. What a joke.




Will NBA.com Do A Disappearing Act?

Posted by Seth in INTERNET, Uncategorized on 06-28-11    No Comments


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Imagine a major pro sports league website without any photos or videos of the league’s players. Later this week, it’s possible you may not have to imagine, because that’s what NBA.com might look like.

While the entire world remains breathless about the status of the NFL’s labor situation, the NBA is also getting ready to revisit its collective bargaining agreement. There could be a lockout coming, and if that happens it seems NBA.com as we know it will disappear with the old CBA. According to several sources, with no CBA in place the player’s association could force the league to remove all player likenesses from league and team websites. Apparently the league and teams have been scrambling their web staffers to get a redesign of every team’s page and the league page by the end of the week. We assume this means the NBA’s YouTube channel will go dark as well.

Wow … where to begin?

First of all, this is ridiculous. Why such a provision would even be part of a CBA is a major question. Obviously, the players have a right to negotiate the use of their likenesses, but forcing the league to yank all that content off the web in one fell swoop is just plain ludicrous. Even in the worst pro sports labor disputes — the 1994 baseball strike and the cancellation of the 2004-05 NHL season — the league survived. The need to promote the teams and players goes on. Indeed, that need is even more critical when you have a work stoppage. It took baseball forever to bounce back from 1994. Public relations is everything, and a vibrant website is a big piece of that.

Beyond that, it’s truly hilarious that anyone could be talking about wiping such a large swath of content off the face of the web. This is the digital age. You can’t stick the toothpaste back into the tube. Once it’s out there, it’s out there, baby. Just ask Anthony Weiner.

Either way, if you want to watch video clips of your favorite players, you’d better do it in the next few days.




Tackle, Touchdown, Type

Posted by Silissa Kenney in INTERNET on 06-28-11    No Comments


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Are you ready for some football? Well, women across the U.S. and Canada are saying hell yeah. I’m not talking flag football, and I’m definitely not talking lingerie football. The Independent Women’s Football League is hardcore, top-tier competitive tackle football. Move over NFL, there’s some new blood in town.

Started in 2000 by women football players, the IWFL now boasts 1,600 women playing for 51 teams across North America. The league is a nonprofit organization, based in Texas, with big-name sponsors like Reebok and Under Armour. These teams are currently playing hard hoping to make it to the IWFL World Championships on July 30 in Round Rock, Texas. But while they’re off the field, there are plenty of opportunities to connect online.

The IWFL is on Facebook, with more than 3,000 fans, and Twitter, with more than 1,500 followers. There is also a Network page on their website just for coaches, players and fans with videos, photos, and conversation. On Twitter you can even find play-by-play updates, just like the NFL. The IWFL has created quite the online community.

Check out this video of the Baltimore Nighthawks:




Way To Go IOC: Olympics Embrace Social Media

Posted by Seth in INTERNET on 06-27-11    No Comments


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The International Olympic Committee isn’t exactly the most forward-thinking body in sports. While the Olympics are exceptionally well televised throughout the world, particularly by NBC here in the U.S., the IOC still doesn’t allow non rights-holders to use video or audio recorded in the Olympic venues.

But starting next year, Twitter and Facebook will go where ESPN and the like can’t tread.

The IOC has announced that both athletes and reporters will be permitted to use social media — including still photos — from within the hallowed Olympic venues. Here is the full text of the recently released social media guidelines.

It seems like a no-brainer, but it’s a pretty big move for the IOC. Maybe one day they’ll let the rest of the TV networks report on the games with actual video — and in color!

 




Geeks Turn Twitter Into TWESPN

Posted by Jonathan in INTERNET on 06-24-11    No Comments


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via MIT Technology Review

You know the  nerds have waaaaay too much time on their hands when they start figuring out ways to turn Twitter into live play-by-play.

But that is the state of things.

Researchers from Rice University and elsewhere have published some decent research that shows it is possible to sift through the mountain of crap that is Twitter and come up with meaningful live sports content .

One researcher, Siqi Zhao, according the MIT Technology Review, found that Twitter provides a remarkably accurate sports experience when filtered properly.

There are a couple of catches. For the system to work, you need to know search words to look for  in advance: “goal,” “score,” “kick,” etc. For new events like “meltdown,” “pregnant housekeeper” and “naked Facebook pictures,” the system does not perform well.

Still, it is interesting to see how the destructive tendrils of the web are sneaking into sports. Twitter it seems, like the rest of the digital mob, will not be controlled.

Here is a link to the study and the MIT story.