Tampa Bay Buccaneers To Use iPads For Playbooks

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We’re hearing more and more stories all the time about the iPad being adapted for business, but this fall, you’ll see it pop up at an unlikely place – the NFL sidelines. Yep, the Tampa Bay Buccaneers of the National Football League (that’s Girdiron Football for our non-American friends, or as you call it, “not football”) will be using iPads as playbooks this upcoming NFL season.

The Buccaneers have purchased 90 iPad 2s for use by the team. Both the players and coaches were given the Apple tablets, which is preloaded with plays and other team content. The idea of using iPads for game film, plays and other material was hatched by Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris after Morris used an iPad 2 to prepare for this year’s NFL draft.

The players are responding well to the iPads, as you might imagine. Buccaneers safety (#35) Cody Grimm said:

It’s crazy how much technology has changed the game. Back in the day, I think probably the whole team had to sit down with a projector and a reel, and watch the film together. They’d have the whole offense in the same meeting room. Now we all have our own iPad. Stuff that we used to come in here to see, we can sit on our couch at home and have access to it 24-7. It’s awesome.

The Buccaneers are thinking of security, too. According to reports from the St. Petersburg Times, the Bucs’ iPads can be remote wiped in case it’s stolen, preventing somebody from getting their hands on the plans and gameplan of an opposing team.

You have to imagine that if the iPad is a big hit, all the other NFL teams will soon adopt it. Then, considering the heavily merchandised world of the NFL, Motorola will probably swoop in with a merchandizing deal and the NFL teams will all have to use Motorola Xooms instead of iPads. Ah, but that’s life.

(Image Credit: flickr user bobindrums)