The technology of boxing has changed drastically since this 1995 Pan American Games match. Credit: Wikimedia Commons
When older sports meet newer generations, the challenge is to keep them current. Boxing has been around in one form or another for millennia, but how we show it off is rapidly changing. A few decades ago, there was radio. Then television. And now, the hyperconnected twentysomethings may be looking for something a little more computerized.
That's why NBC is now piloting the use of sensors in boxing gloves and shorts, according to Fast Company. You can watch how fast a fighter throws a punch, where it lands and how the boxers are generally doing. The network is also investing in more video cameras (and in higher definition) to get more angles of the fight.
"The fan experience is everything in boxing, and I think it's something that has been missing over the years," name-brand boxer Sugar Ray Leonard told Fast Company. "The naked eye can only tell you so much, but this technology will show us much more."
For the lucky few who got Google Glass before the company chose to wrap up the technology for now (due to privacy and adoption issues), the eyeglass-like technology allowed you to capture action happening right in front of you; imagine how much different horse racing would look with these glasses on board a jockey, for example. It's a blow for sports, but it's possible that wearable cameras could become a big thing one day.
If so, in a few years perhaps you can watch the gold-medal Olympic 200 meter swimming match from a waterproof camera on the swimmer's cap. Or check out how crowded the start gate is at the Boston Marathon, from a runner's perspective. Or you can really figure out what the referee in hockey sees as he or she beams back information from his or her point of view (which could make things easier or harder on the ref, depending on if the fans agree!)
But just because a sport embeds technology, doesn't mean necessarily that it is going to take off. Fast Company points to other sports that are trying to become more millennial-friendly, such as baseball and basketball. Long-time hockey fans, however, may remember the "FoxTrax" that purported to track the puck in the 1990s. It was supposed to make the puck easier to find, but fans complained that it was distracting them from looking at the action in other parts of the ice.
Additionally, sometimes a sport will try out a technology and then determine that the time is not right. The National Football League has come under fire in recent years as former athletes have reported concussions, and implemented sensor technology in the helmets to track head hits. The voluntary program has now been suspended, partly out of concern that players could be penalized for using the sensors.
So the use of technology in sports could be a boon. Or it could be a big flop, as other sports have discovered. Like any business, there is a thin line between reward and undue risk. Can you think of what could be the next big tech revolution in sports?
