footballipad
It's not just pilots who are finding iPads help them at work. Football players are too.

The Tampa Bay Buccaneers have given all 90 of their players iPad 2s, loaded with playbooks, and practice and situational videos from any NFL team. The iPads are considerably easier to use, and carry around, than thick books the size of Yellow Pages, and spending hours sitting around a projector watching game film.

Buccaneers head coach Raheem Morris:

With this iPad, I can just flick through, and if that play doesn't apply to me, I just touch it and get out of there and go here, and there's third down. Get out of there, and let's go to the red zone. Okay, there's the nickel. It's a different deal now.

It goes further than simply being more convenient. The younger players grew up using technology much more than their veteran counterparts. Today's football players grew up playing the Madden video game series and are very comfortable with technology like the iPad. Running back Earnest Graham:

It's not that guys don't want to look at plays, but it's the convenience ... Guys are accustomed to already doing things on their iPads anyway.

But, the most important feature of the iPad playbooks? If one gets lost, it can be wiped clean via Find My iPad to keep team strategy a secret.

(Image via Justin S./Shutterstock)

Top Rated Comments

blizaine Avatar
158 months ago
I bet RIM is pissed that iPads are being used as Playbooks.
Score: 8 Votes (Like | Disagree)
hobo.hopkins Avatar
158 months ago
But, the most important feature of the iPad playbooks? If one gets lost, it can be wiped clean via Find My iPad to keep team strategy a secret.

That's really cool. Sounds like an iPad fits the bill perfectly for their needs.
Score: 5 Votes (Like | Disagree)
tlevier Avatar
158 months ago
except for the fact the Find my iPhone can be completely disabled in what? 3, maybe 4 taps of the screen? Not to mention there is absolutely no way to password protect the feature from being disabled. It should have a lock setting just like the actual "pass code" pane in the settings. Not all of us want to pass code protect our phones everytime it locks.

Actually, if the Find my iPad feature is linked to an email account like my iPhone is to mobileME, you can apply a restriction that changes to email accounts are not permitted. To change restrictions, you need a passcode.

4 taps just went out the window.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
Navdakilla Avatar
158 months ago
As soon as I saw this article (being a football fan). I thought of what would happen if they lost their ipad (there was a huge spygate scandel recently, related to cheating, and finding out play calls)

Then I read this
"But, the most important feature of the iPad playbooks? If one gets lost, it can be wiped clean via Find My iPad to keep team strategy a secret. "


Perfect idea
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
marksman Avatar
158 months ago
It is awesome. Not to mention they could attach actual game footage to the plays so players could see the film.

Really good idea.
Score: 4 Votes (Like | Disagree)
TheOrioles33 Avatar
158 months ago
I don't get it.

People are advertising all of these "new" uses for ipads.

Couldn't all of this be done before on a laptop? (airline pilots maps, these playbooks, etc)?

The only difference is the ipad is slightly lighter and smaller. As a man, I would have to carry both around in a messenger type bag anyway, so I don't really see the big deal.

Would you rather hold a bulky laptop the whole game that would probably die before the game ended or a nice light iPad?
Score: 3 Votes (Like | Disagree)

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