Sunday, January 3, 2010

Blog 16 - 1/4/09

Hola Peeps! Thanks for logging in!

So let's continue on with our talk regarding sports and technology. I'm going to link to a Discover article that includes 20 interesting things you might not know about technology in sports. Choose one and comment.

http://tinyurl.com/5qwb75

So here's my comment:

I was around when Fox Sports invented the "glowing" hockey puck. Although I wasn't a "hard core" hockey fan, I can tell you that it was distracting as all get out to try to watch. While it was supposed to make the game easier to keep up with . . . it really just made me want to bang my head into the coffee table. That trailing glow was just infuriating. I wish I could find some video from that era.

So pick one, give me an opinion.

Talk to me . . .

84 comments:

Baker,M-1 said...

Ok, being a former swimmer, ima blog about the new LZR Racer swimsuit. I have actually seen 6this suit live in action because one of the guys on my old swim team had bought it and gotten it approved (because apparently, the board hadnt approved its use before hand). It actually helped him a lot in racing time. Personally i think its over-priced at almost $300. which I'm sure is the lowered price, but oh well.

Barefielde/ Charnae said...

The whole speedo thing is kinda cool, but to be honest I had no clue that you could actually modify a suit that has barely any kind of fabric to make a swimmer go faster. That is interesting, but honestly kinda weird. Thats just my personal comments on the outlook on things. I can honestly say, coming from my mouth, that to swim faster, yeah wearing less clothing is helpful, but you have to have the skill to actually swim. Not just think one day "Hey ima go for a swim and beat Micheal Phelps." No you actually have to have the skill. But that is just my own personal opinion. Can't blame me for speaking my opinion!!!

robinson,s-1 said...

Honestly, i think the idea of enlarging tennis balls and making the game slower would make the game more boring instead of less boring. Being a tennis player myself, i enjoy watching professional tennis and in no way find the swiftness of the game to be dull, in fact the quickness increases my interest and makes the game more exciting. In reality i dont think the true tennis fans would be happy if the game is changed in this way.

Anonymous said...
This comment has been removed by the author.
Brookshire, B-1 said...

I like the lugeing sport,because I always got the need for speed.Its really kool to look at the physics involved in this sport.To get the perfect speed involves how you position your self laying down.

Anonymous said...

cool, i didnt know jai alai is the fastest ball in the world which it can reach approximately 188 MPH, I always thought golf or baseball are the fastest ball in the world.

Szu-yung said...

already blogged 1st period :D

jeffress,r-1 said...

I love how they are improving the Olympics because the whole world participates. One example is lighter arrows and javelins. Also they are preventing every ounce of cheating to give all countries a chance at winning a medal. Lastly, I don't like how they are trying to change tennis by making the balls bigger because the fast action and 100 mph aces pump up the crowd. Another reason is the players would have to change their whole style and gameplan!!

Sampietro, M-3 said...

Uuuummmm well I'm not a big sports buff so I really don't keep up with any sports. The only times I ever watch sports are during big-time tennis matches and the soccer wolrd cup (those are the only two sports I even slightly care about...) So, I choose to comment on the computerized determination of whether a tennis ball is in or out. As a (VVEERRRYY metiocre)tennis player, it's a butt ot have to determine whether the ball was in or out in a serve or play, so if I suck that much and it's annooying to me, I'm sure it must be just as tricky with the proffessionals. So I think that idea is pretty cool. It's easier to watch tennis when they can just show righ tup on the TV and replay exactly where the ball hit.

Spruiell, S - 4 said...

As a tennis player, I think that slowing the game down is just ridiculous. The organizers who are searching to slow down the game claiming that spectators get "bored" watching a fast-paced tennis match must not really know what they're talking about. One of the best things about tennis is the pace involved in the game, without quick passing shots and "blistering serves," there would be nothing to keep the game interesting...

Morones, C - 4 said...

WORLD'S FASTEST BALL SPORT!?!
Cool-lio!("cool-lio -a form of excited expression for Cris ^-^")
but who would play a game with a ball traveling at 118 mph?
AWESOME ANYWHO!!!

Miller, J - 2 said...

i think that the germans women team was rightfully stripped from there metals if you are going to enter a sport and win i would wont to win by non cheating ways

Unger, B - 6 said...

Okaky,I'm gonna talk about the whole yellow first-down line that appears on the screen during football games. And for everybodys information I am not, I repeat am not a football fan. I don't even understand the game, but the yellow line does help me keep up.

Oh, and the bows that were made of aluminum, magnesium fiberglass, and Kevlar and really improved. THe speeds of 150 mph is amazing. THe only thing i can think of is the damage it would do to a person if an accident occured.

liber,k-6 said...

I think they should stll make the enlarged tennis balls to help beginners like use them to teach not for like competitions because i do think that its fun to watch the ball go back and forth swiftlly and with speed.

Small,K-6 said...

I had no clue that badminton shuttlecocks could go faster than 150mph! I imagine that would hurt quite a bit if anything other than the racket got in the way of that... To think that I could have risked my life playing badminton in PE year before last...! (Note: Yes, I am exaggerating the life-threatening-ness of badminton)

Russaw, N - 6 said...

i love playing basketball but changing the leather is well i dont think is nessecary it is just the way you accuracy of shootin the ball is and how well you can play

lyles,m-6 said...

wow,why would you force someone to wear a uniform that absorbed up to seven pounds in presperation.
thats kinda insane,i'd say.
i wouldnt want to wear anything like that.
if i was those hockey players,
i'd be glad they made a better suit.

chitopina-2 said...

In the past few years we have lost many professional football players, Most recently Chris Henry, however none due to injuries on the Football field. In , 1905 18 players were killed due to injuries sustained on the field...WOW. Thanks to Teddy Roosevelt the game was changed to become a little less brutal and safer for the athletes to play. Smart thinking Teddy!

Padilla, E - 6 said...

wow!!this bow thats made of aliminum, magnesium fiberglass, and Kevlar can shoot an arrow faster than 150 miles an hour... impresive

Trikosko, M-1 said...

I liked the fact about the 1968 Winter Olympic luge racers who heated their runners to make them go faster on the ice. I find it intersting how just heating the runners can give an unfair advantage, I'm interested in the physics of it too.

Morrison,K-1 said...

I decided to go look for a different website, since I found nothing really on the one provided. Also, I'm not a sports fan or person. http://dvice.com/archives/2008/08/10-new-technolo.php this site had a few things I though were interesting. First was the Nike Precool Vest, you freeze it before a competition and wear it as you warm up. Allowing your muscles to warm, but your core to stay cool. Another was the Nike Ippeas Riding Boots, not because I'm into horse riding, but because they look interesting and I wouldn't mind having a pair.

villanueva, manuel, N. 1 said...

I think the jai alai was really cool...I didnt know that it had the fastest ball...188mph...thats really fast...and I always thought it was tennis that had the fastest ball

Lopez, M-1~☺ said...

The glowing FoxTrack Puck, to me seems very interesting~ Maybe its because it glows and it'll attract my attention automatically. That's possible the only reason it's awesome. But I'd have to agree, that at some point I'd get irritated by following the puck during a game.

Patton,A-1 said...

the whole idea of having a bigger ball is a good idea i guess. it mite make people watch because they will be facinated with the abnormally big ball. but if it make people watch then go for it

jeffress,r-1 said...

DON'T CHANGE TENNIS, ORGANIZERS!!!!!
The game is perfectly fine and one of the only reasons I watch it is because of the fast action.

mayfield,s-1 said...

TYR's new swimwear is cool,I like it because it increases your oxygen, so you can have a better performance, and I think its a clever idea.

Barefielde/ Charnae said...

I seem it to be cool about the luge racers. Dude how in the world can you just lay down in a tiny sled going extreme miles an hour and not use the bathroom on yourself. That is to big of a deal for me and I don't think that I would be able to do it, but man is it cool to watch. Oh and the suits that they wear. They are sliding on ice and wearing skin tight rubber suits. How can that keep them warm? I don't really think it does, but oh well. But the wind resistant helment is cool though. I didn't know that there was a helment that could make you go faster. Thats awesome. I just think that the whole entire idea of Luge Racing is great, and it would give me an adrenaline rush. LOL!!

Gonzalez, C-1 said...

I didn't even think that you could make that type of fabric with that type of methods for the speedos. Why a speedo of all choices!? Also I have to agree with robinson on the whole tenis ball theory. How would slowing down the game increase interest? Would it increase the suspense and tension of the game or somethin?

Nealy,J/1 said...

I really couldnt find something to talk about...

but the whole thing about the LZR swim suit doesnt seem like something a person should want to try...

anderson a-2 said...

i think the pole vaulting thing is kool.
Pole-vaulting hits new heights with poles moving from wood to light metal and to fiberglass resulting in 120 to 160 degree bends.
It makes me wounder what wound happen if they could make them snap back to the original position in an instant, it would be awsome to see someone get hurled across a stadium because of a pole lol (NOT REALLY THAT WOULD BE EXTEREMLY DANGEROUS AND SHOULD NOT BE ATTEMPTED BY ANY PERSONEL ANYTIME)

Goff,R-2 said...

when i was at the state swimming competition last year i saw plenty of fast people with interesting suits. when it came time for Jake McClain to do as well as he wanted in the event he wanted, his dad bought him a LZR racer. it cost him a large amout of money and i really couldnt see myself paying hundreds of dollars on a swim suit. he did say that he felt like he went a little faster, which counts majorly in swimming. but he also said that the material that is used to make the suit only lasts for about 2 or 3 races. so why pay hundreds of dollars for something that you can use 2 or 3 times...it seems pointless. but otherwise the suit is pretty legit.

Parkhurst, M-2 said...

I'm not really a big tennis fan but I have a lot of friends who are. The tennis ball that tracks whether the ball is in our out of the court really narrows down any questioning of either active team. Allowing them to focus more on what they need to do to fix it rather than fret over if the ref is favoring one or the other. Overall just a small adjustment that can improve an entire mind set.

Abernathy, J-2 said...

I like how they are improving the time keeping in races. I guess if it was a really close call at the olympics it would come in handy to have the timing down to the thousandth of a second. The other improvements are good i guess but i like the traditional stuff--like the leather on a baseball. There is no need to change it.

villanueva,f-2 said...

The Time’s arrow is really coolits a modern archery bows that are made from aluminum, magnesium fiberglass, and Kevla and they can shoot arrows faster than 150 miles per hour which helps the person have a pinpoint accuracy.

Anonymous said...

Okay so, I'm athletically challenged. I cringe and like throw my hands in my face if something flies near me - so why would I WANT a ball near me going 110+? That's scary fast. I had no idea Badminton could be that extreme either...I had always thought baseball was the fastest. I actually like archery though, so the modern aluminium bows that can make arrows fly at 150mph is really cool. Now with pinpoint accuracy!

Hernandez, J - 2 said...

Wow this new technology is awsome. Im going to blog about the new laser beams that can time you to a thousand of a second. This can be very useful. Me being a former speed skater compititors would always argue who won.So this is more useful and resourceful than beating each other with clubs like cavemen.

gonzalez, c-2 said...

"Designer speed: Speedo introduced a new racing swimsuit this year, the LZR Racer, featuring ultra­sonically bonded seams and water-repellent fabric to reduce drag"
Those nerds hahaha.. they make everything they say so smart.. i dont like this topic because first of all i cant swim. but thats not all a person dosnt need al this tech. to swim fast they just need to belive

Cortines,m-2 said...

With all this cool sports technology, you would think that they would find a way to keep a person from getting hit by a stray javelin. Just sayin.

Other than that danger, the tennis thing does seem kinda ridiculous. Why slow it down? People watch it because it's quick and energetic! And it seems like hitting a bigger tennis ball might hurt your arm a bit... idk. maybe not.

Oh...and luge sounds scary.

Weatherford, R-3 said...

I remember when they came out with that basketball. My brother got one and was making fun of me cause I still had a leather basketball. When they switched back I got to rub it in his face, it was pretty cool.

perry, w - 3 said...

i like the sport football beacuse i love the speed they always runs. the idea of football was very cool personally to me. i wish i could play football for once in my life and make a big difference in football.

Yarbrough, V - 3 said...

I believe that technology wont ony make football players grumpy it could pertain to everyone but this was shocking i had no idea football players had much to do with technology maybe i should look more into it

Williams, T-3 said...

I think the light beams that record racer's times are very unique and useful. Of course they would be better than an average stopwatch with a human operating it. There is always a possibility of a delay or some kind of malfunction. The fact that the light beam can measure racer's times within a thousandth of a second is pretty nifty :).

Hawkins, M - 3 said...

Why would you want to slow down a game thats already boring(Tennis)...isnt it not made to be fast paced...

Wiley, C - 3 said...

I dont like the idea of enlarging tennis balls because i think it makes it easier for the tennis players and that wouldnt be any fun.

Padilla, J - 3 said...

Who knew javelin throwing could be so dangerous? Isn't the point of javelin throwing to have the farthest distance? By creating a new javelin that shifted the center of gravity, shortening its flight, a player can't fully show his/her full ability of the sport. I think they should just move the sport to a longer field or have the players aim at certain spots in order to avoid injuring someone.

reichert, s-3 said...

I had no idea skateboards were made of fiberglass. i think my board is made of ply wood because it was cheap even by wal-mart's standards. and even then it may not be ply wood but more like balsa (very week wood) or driftwood...so i feel safe=)

Asquith,C-3 said...

"18 ...Think a baseball moves fast? Badminton shuttlecocks have been clocked at more than 150 mph, far outpacing the swiftest pitch."

Reading this was a bit of a shock to me..Badminton...really? I never knew the sport was so serious! 150 mph hits. That's just insane to me.

cortes, j - 3 said...

Why would they even think of changing the size of the tennis ball, its already bright yellow what else do you need to be able to see it, but the computerized tracking system to see if the ball is in or out was a great idea

Flynn,R-3 said...

In my opinion,and my opinion alone... The sport of tennis is boring as is-I myself used to play tennis back in middle school and enjoyed PLAYING the sport, not WATCHING... Making tennis balls bigger would in no way make the sport more interesting, if anything the spectators and the A.A. should find creative ways to make the sport more dangerous to actually help add some excitement... Just compare the popularity of a sport like football or NFC cagefighting to golf. Enough said.

payton, j - 3 said...

Making the tennis balls bigger is a great idea now somebody who absolutly knows nothing about tennis can play and probaly win,probaly....too me slower is better

zavala,P -3 said...

the tennis balls making them bigger seems kind of not cool, because it will make the game slower. and it will defenitely make it boring. Not cool.

Deckard, D-3 said...

I like the new improvements in sports, especially the first down line that is on tv now. I love that thing. Now they just need to make some new basketball shoes that feel like you don't have anything on your feet, or high jump spike taht are the same(or could add springs :-))

Harper, T - 3 said...

i really just dont see how a basketball could cut someone.but its maybe because i dont play. but that just sounds very crazy to me. cuase you would think that the leater balls would effect something

Pixley, J-4 said...

Personally i think they should leave sports the way they are, there's nothing wrong with how they are now. If they want to make technological changes in the sports they should make different devisions or even different sports to accomodate these advances

Garza, G-4 said...

Jai Alai sounds very difficult to play but also very fun to watch.
I can't believe that by throwing the ball with your hand and cesta - glove type thing - it can reach speeds of up to 300 km/h!

Pina, R-2 said...

I like how thw NBA swiched back to the traditional leather basketballs, instead of having the Microfiber-composite ball, because it was too slick and cut their hands. Being a fan of basketball, I know it is hard to shoot with cuts on your hands and a ball that is really slick, I bet there were many unhappy players before the switch.

alvarado, m-4 said...

i think the idea of have basketballs that cut your hands is dangerous. i think we should just leave the sports how they are.

Howard, Z - 4 said...

the goalies used to absorb up to 7 pounds of sweat, thats insane, i guess thats what happens when you use leather..

Cole, S - 4 said...

I think making the tennis balls larger would make the game boring because I think the speed is what keeps that game alive.

Also I think the padding for the hockey goalies is a really good idea.Wearing leather padding that absorbes up to 7 pounds of sweat during each game is just flat out gross!!So the lighter padding is way better!!!!

shepherd, a - 4 said...

being the band geek that i am, i've gotta say that the artificial turf on football feilds is really slick & you're more likely to slip & fall on it rather than regular grass. i can only imagine how often football players get hurt on that stuff.

Willis, A - 4 said...

*In hockey the goalies were forced to wear leather padding which weighed 7 pounds to each game they played. It was hard to breathe sometimes, but now they can move much better since in the late 1980's it was change that they didnt have to wear them anymore.*

Tate, T - 6 said...

Out of the twenty things that there was to choose from, I thought the fact that most skateboarders are switching back to pain old maple wood for thier skatboards was an interesting fact. Plus.. thats what my skateboard is made of.

Miller, R - 6 said...

okay i really don't care about any of this but since i have to do this for a grade i would say the who wouldn't a bigger ball? is kind of cool like their right it is slow but if the ball is big it"might" make it seem nore interesting,but i don't count on it......

Wilson, J - 6 said...

The tennis ball inlarging thing is retarted. If you cant hit a regular sized tennis ball then your either blind or stupid. Plus they say it would make the game less boring to watch. It would make it more boring though. No one likes a slow moving game, they like a fast pace game!

Castellanos, A - 6 said...

I agree with a lot of the tennis players about the balls being slower. Im not into sports that much, so I already find it boring, and slowing things down would definately not catch my attention any more than it does regularly. Soccer and tennis games are already intense sports due to the fact that the ball travels fast unlike football. Slowing things down wouldn't be in the best interest for the sports world.

bushiey, k - 4 said...

I like the luge sport i think it that ir would be cool to travel 65 mph over ice....three inches above the ice. i do,however,think it would be hard trying to stay a hold on a tiny sled. i think that the physics that are involed in this is interesting as well

Rodriguez,A-2 said...

im not a really big fan of tennis..probably because i dont knw the game..but i think that way a smart idea about the tracking system..actually soccer has something like it. but it is used to tell if a ball completely crosses the goal line and is considered a goal or not.. they came up with this system because of controversy in a world cup game a few years back

lyles,m-6 said...

i wonder what the difference is between the football protection gear we have now,and the gear they had in the earlier daysss.
it says that 18 players died in a game once because the helment wasnt protective enough.
thats pretty insane.
i wouldve been terrified to keep playing football if 18 players died due to unsafe helments.thats intense.i mean,dont you think that they could've gone into further research on the helments before allowing football players to use them?

Gonzalez, M - 6 said...

"After complaints that the new basketball was too slick and cut players’ hands, the NBA switched back to leather just two months into the season."

I never knew they switched!! I always thought it was the same ol' ball we always see lol

microfiber-composite ball?? Really?? I can't remember...

Padilla, E - 6 said...

that suit is not so cool it absorbs 7 pounds in presperation!!! that is totally wrong besides i think you would want the player to be light but with 7 extra pounds on him it might be difficult.i bet they're glad they got new suits, i know i would.

Russaw, N - 6 said...

a puck that can see the pass that the black thing travels in is cooool but i think it also cheating becuase another team could use it on you

Jim Taylor said...

So I know for a fact that Jai-Alai is the most hardcore game ever. Maybe the fact that they use the same old stuff with no new technology has something to do with it.

Fedun, M-7 said...

So I love the speedo lzr racer. I agree that it probally gives the user a menal boost to go his fastest but really a suit can make quite a difference to. The different materials used to make you slide more throught the water can shave off time much easier than just lots of practice. Everyone hits peaks in swimming where they dont get much faster and therefore this suit can help them get over these peaks. It is a great suit

Goad, G - 7 said...

oh man, so the yellow first down line has made it so much easier to watch and follow a football game. People take it for granted and dont realize hoe cool it really is, and they would prolly go crazy if it wasent there.

Esparza,J-7 said...

Modern archery bows made from aluminum, magnesium fiberglass, and Kevlar can shoot arrows faster than 150 miles per hour with pinpoint accuracy, which is amazing. I love bows and arrows, i used to have one but my friend broke it, but of course it never reached 150 MPH. Wow i know this is completly random but my weaopon of choice during a zombie attack would be this bow with as many arrows as i could get.

Tutt, S - 7 said...

I'm a skater and it's pretty nice to know that we're not alone. Jai Alai sounds really really hardcore and awesome.I think i saw it on tv once. Maybe some technology is great the way it is now

Sydney Purser said...

"Time’s arrow: Modern archery bows made from aluminum, magnesium fiberglass, and Kevlar can shoot arrows faster than 150 miles per hour with pinpoint accuracy"

Why don't some of our snipers have /these/? I mean, yeah, bullets are nice and all, but they don't have the threat factor of an arrow sticking out of someone. Fear is half of a war. :3

Crenshaw, K - 7 said...

I like the times arrow even though i dont shoot arrows or even know how to shoot an arrow but it seems like a cool thing arrows going at 150 mph

Hughes, T - 7 said...

Ive seen some of that JAi Alai stuff on the internet and it looks pretty intense. Also I think its pretty cool the way Speedo spells their new suit. Its like laser but with letters instead. Blowin My mind.I wanna know how the basketball cut their hands. Someone explain that one please.

Clark,A-7 said...

SPEEDOOOOO SWIMMINGGGG!!!!!! these new improvements are great!!!EXCEPT that they are not allowed in UIL competition meets. the suits are still ridiculously expensive, even though they cut the price becuase they cant be used in highschool meets. the suit does give the person an unfair advantadge but why doesnt the other competitor just go buy instead of whining about it!!!! i know that there are several typing/gramatical errors in this but im sure you can get over it, kthx

Cole, V - 7 said...

"Happy fans: Adding a yellow, computer-generated first-down line in National Football League television broadcasts has been a resounding success."

So this lines helps the fans know when their favorite running back gets a first down. However, sometimes when watching football sometimes, when a runner gets close to the line then don't count it as a first down. Is the line always accurate? However, I don't really like football.

Hoffman, C - 7 said...

I think that the light beam traker that they set up for the olympic runners is a good addition to accurate timing.

Vinther,T-2 said...

I found number 6 to be pretty amazing. I never realised that when somebody pole vaults, the pole can hold together during a 160 degree bend; yay for fiberglass.

brooks.hobie said...

i think Jai Alai Ball would be a lot of fun . there has got to be a lot involved in this sport, not only is the ball going incredibly fast, but then you have to catch it with out getting injured, or even killed.