TechGraphs News Roundup: 8/21/2015

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August 21, 2015

My skin is finally starting to recover from the wicked sunburn I got at the PGA Championship last weekend, but my brain is still thinking about what’s going on in the sports-tech world. Here are some stories we here at TechGraphs found interesting this week.

It looks like in-market baseball streaming is coming. Well, sort of. As of now, it only applies to subscribers of Fox Sports regional sports networks. Basically, if you subscribe to Fox Sports [Something] via cable or satellite, you’ll be able to stream a baseball game on your phone if you aren’t near a TV. So, no, an MLB.tv subscription won’t save you from the grips of local blackouts. It is a step in the right direction, but we’re still a ways away from watching your local team on your At Bat app.

FiveThirtyEight did some really interesting work with Pitchf/x data looking at the accuracy of umpires’ balls and strikes calls over time.

Ned Yost won’t be able to look up Pitchf/x data on his Apple Watch, because he still isn’t allowed to have a smartphone in the dugout. But MLB says it’s OK if he wants to wear his expensive timepiece in the dugout.

FanDuel, a daily fantasy sports company, has purchased numberFire, a fantasy sports recommendation site. Mark my words, FanDuel and DraftKings will merge and buy Disney and Google some day.

Engadget has a story about a really cool project involving detecting head trauma in football using special polymers in the helmet. While a motionless player is never a good sign, many players could suffer possible brain damage without having as drastic outward symptoms. Learning the level of force applied to the head just by looking at the helmet could be huge.

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World Rugby is also looking to better assess head injuries, as well as enhancing their official review system with a new partnership with Hawk-Eye.

According to the Telegraph, Rugby is also getting in on that sweet, sweet analytics game.

The role of 3D printing has boomed in the world of prosthetics lately, and now it’s helping youngsters throw out first pitches at baseball games. Pretty cool.

Do you want a shirt that tracks your vitals while you work out?! Do you want to pay $300 for it?! If so, then Ralph Lauren has your back, friend.

That’s all for this week. If you need me, I’ll be bathing in aloe. Have a good weekend. Be excellent to each other.

 





 

David G. Temple is the Managing Editor of TechGraphs and a contributor to FanGraphs, NotGraphs and The Hardball Times. He hosts the award-eligible podcast Stealing Home. Dayn Perry once called him a "Bible Made of Lasers." Follow him on Twitter @davidgtemple.

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