Bengals join the iPad playbook movement

[CTBengalsFan]

http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2012/06/15/bengals-join-the-ipad-playbook-movement/

[quote]Bengals join the iPad playbook movement

Posted by Mike Florio on June 15, 2012, 10:13 AM EDT

The folks at Dunder Mifflin have moved another step toward irrelevance.

The Cincinnati Bengals, widely regarded as one of NFL franchises most extremely careful with money (is there a limit on how many times the same YouTube clip can be linked in one day?), no longer will be spending that money on paper for playbooks.  Instead, owner Mike Brown has broken open his change purse for 110 iPads, reports Joe Reedy of the Cincinnati Enquirer.

Reedy writes that executive V.P. Katie Blackburn, Brown’s daughter, proposed the move last year.  Coach Marvin Lewis opted to wait, in part due to the lockout.  He’s now a believer.

“For a guy to watch what they’re watching on the screen clearly [and] watch in front of them, too, if they want and be able to take notes on it, it’s very user-friendly,” Lewis said.

From the purchase of the units to the upgrades to the in-house computer infrastructure, the project cost the Bengals “hundreds of thousands of dollars.”  But there can be no dispute it will make the overall process more efficient.  The iPads also allow almost immediate access to game film and practice video, which remotely can be sent to the devices.  Game plans for the coming week no longer need to be manually prepared, with copies collated and distributed on Tuesday.

And each iPad can be erased remotely as well, quickly and easily.

“It is more secure than the old playbooks,” Bengals IT consultant Geoff Smith said.  “If a player was disgruntled they could go to Kinko’s and make 100 copies and send it to everyone.  They can’t do that with this.”

No, but they can take a picture of it and post it on the Internet, whether disgruntled or, um, gruntled.

Still, the fact that the low-tech, bottom-line-obsessed Bengals have embraced the process means three things:  (1) the Bengals are now committed to winning; (2) if it wasn’t well worth the money, the Bengals surely wouldn’t be doing it; and (3) there’s no excuse for anyone in the Bengals organization (or the rest of you who have an iPad) to not download the NBC SportsTalk app, which features all PFT content.

Yeah.  It’s a crummy commercial.  (“Sonofabitch.”)[/quote]

[Oldcat]

The Xs and Os have been replaced by Angry Birds icons as well.

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='Oldcat' timestamp='1339781376' post='1135502']
The Xs and Os have been replaced by Angry Birds icons as well.
[/quote]

[Bengals1181]

[quote][color=#282828][font=helvetica, arial, sans-serif][size=3][background=rgb(247, 247, 247)]Still, the fact that the low-tech, bottom-line-obsessed Bengals have embraced the process means three things: [/background][/size][/font][/color][/quote]


if I'm not mistaken, the Bengals have one of the best video setups for evaluating tape on draft picks in the league.

[|Elflocko|]

[quote name='Bengals1181' timestamp='1339790509' post='1135532']
if I'm not mistaken, the Bengals have one of the best video setups for evaluating tape on draft picks in the league.
[/quote]

That's to make up for their lack of scouts...

[scharm]

Low tech, bottom line Bengals.....

That doesn't make sense. Any IT sales guy will tell you Technology is cheaper than your manual process.

[|Numbers|]

[quote name='scharm' timestamp='1339791914' post='1135537']
Low tech, bottom line Bengals.....

That doesn't make sense. Any IT sales guy will tell you Technology is cheaper than your manual process.
[/quote]

Anything capable of being transmitted on the internet or via radio waves is also capable of being intercepted and or disrupted. Its just not that difficult, just requires time, talent, and money. In other words, the preventative measures put in place to prevent the interception or disruption will cost a significant amount of money and will still not be perfect. We already know there are people stealing signals via electronic means, now they'll have the entire playbook. Low tech has a place in todays world. I applaud the Bengals for moving into the new age. However, use proper precaution.

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='Numbers' timestamp='1339794015' post='1135541']
Anything capable of being transmitted on the internet or via radio waves is also capable of being intercepted and or disrupted. Its just not that difficult, just requires time, talent, and money. In other words, the preventative measures put in place to prevent the interception or disruption will cost a significant amount of money and will still not be perfect. We already know there are people stealing signals via electronic means, now they'll have the entire playbook. Low tech has a place in todays world. I applaud the Bengals for moving into the new age. However, use proper precaution.
[/quote]

I would think they would be safe if they just turn off the wi-fi and if it has 3g turn that off too.

[Rumble In the Jungle]

I heard they got the First iPad since it is on major sale

[mongo]

[quote name='Numbers' timestamp='1339794015' post='1135541']


Anything capable of being transmitted on the internet or via radio waves is also capable of being intercepted and or disrupted. Its just not that difficult, just requires time, talent, and money. In other words, the preventative measures put in place to prevent the interception or disruption will cost a significant amount of money and will still not be perfect. We already know there are people stealing signals via electronic means, now they'll have the entire playbook. Low tech has a place in todays world. I applaud the Bengals for moving into the new age. However, use proper precaution.
[/quote]


1. It's easier to Xerox a playbook than hack, so it's already more secure than the old method.
2. iOS's walled garden is fairly secure even for the average user. I can password protect mine, and remote wipe everything if it goes missing. Imagine what the Enterpise solutions are...
3. Enterprise security for iOS is pretty substantial. Fortune 500 companies use iPads, and there information can be much more valuable.


In the end, nothing can stop someone willing to commit lots of crimes from getting the information. However, he has to spend more money, and commit tougher crimes to get at these playbooks.

[T-Dub]

Anything they send over the air is probably encrypted all to hell.. Someone would have to have access to some pretty serious processor power (ie, mainframe-type, not a spare home computer) to even attempt it in anything like a useful time frame, and even then they wouldn't know what the packets they'd nabbed actually were until they'd already invested the time and resources - it might be the week's gameplan, or it may be the week's menu for the team cafeteria. Ipads have built-in hardware encryption keyed off a unique serial # on each device that isn't even directly readable, & since the ipads belong to the team, could easily have other access restrictions in place preventing players from using them for anything other than official business. They could set them up to only connect to their own IP's, for example, & could even potentially "brick" or disable a specific device remotely.

So yeah, geek shit aside, even though it could be done, compare all this to a 3-ring binder and it obviously has the advantage.

[scharm]

Jim Lippencott was replaced by an iPad.

[|Elflocko|]

[quote name='T-Dub' timestamp='1339815161' post='1135581']
[b]Anything they send over the air is probably encrypted all to hell.. Someone would have to have access to some pretty serious processor power (ie, mainframe-type, not a spare home computer) to even attempt it in anything like a useful time frame, and even then they wouldn't know what the packets they'd nabbed actually were until they'd already invested the time and resources[/b] - it might be the week's gameplan, or it may be the week's menu for the team cafeteria. Ipads have built-in hardware encryption keyed off a unique serial # on each device that isn't even directly readable, & since the ipads belong to the team, could easily have other access restrictions in place preventing players from using them for anything other than official business. They could set them up to only connect to their own IP's, for example, & could even potentially "brick" or disable a specific device remotely.

So yeah, geek shit aside, even though it could be done, compare all this to a 3-ring binder and it obviously has the advantage.
[/quote]

Wireless encryption is some of the weakest in existence, and I could hack it with a medium powered laptop and a copy of [url="http://www.backtrack-linux.org/"]Backtrack[/url] in a matter of a few hours from the PBS parking lot...

[sois]

[quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1339855560' post='1135610']
Wireless encryption is some of the weakest in existence, and I could hack it with a medium powered laptop and a copy of [url="http://www.backtrack-linux.org/"]Backtrack[/url] in a matter of a few hours from the PBS parking lot...
[/quote]

Use your powers for good, not evil. Hack the Stealers.

[T-Dub]

[quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1339855560' post='1135610']
Wireless encryption is some of the weakest in existence, and I could hack it with a medium powered laptop and a copy of [url="http://www.backtrack-linux.org/"]Backtrack[/url] in a matter of a few hours from the PBS parking lot...
[/quote]

Yeh, but where would that get you? I seriously doubt wireless encryption is all they are using. At least, I'd hope they are using something more robust than that.

Again, we're comparing all this relative to the security of a 3-ring binder.

[T-Dub]

[quote name='sois' timestamp='1339862903' post='1135617']
Use your powers for good, not evil. Hack the Stealers.
[/quote]

I heard they've implemented their own high-tech solution











[img]http://i144.photobucket.com/albums/r166/Funnyoldlife/tin-can-telephone.jpg[/img]

[|Elflocko|]

[quote name='T-Dub' timestamp='1339904486' post='1135677']
Yeh, but where would that get you? I seriously doubt wireless encryption is all they are using. At least, I'd hope they are using something more robust than that.
[/quote]

The point was that the bold portion of your post was A. Wrong and B. Patently ridiculous...

[T-Dub]

[quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1339905168' post='1135681']
The point was that the bold portion of your post was A. Wrong and B. Patently ridiculous...
[/quote]

I said it was "probably encrypted all to hell", as in levels of security.

How about this; why don't you just post up the playbook, since it's such a trivial thing? Or the menu from the team caf, either one will do.

Until then I stand by my statement because I seriously doubt wireless encryption is the only security measures they are using. For the 3rd time.

[|Elflocko|]

Whatever you say Mr. Mitnick..

[T-Dub]

Elflocko displaying his "leet haxor skillz" :

[img]http://i216.photobucket.com/albums/cc139/AndreAgog/nerd46422fm3.jpg[/img]

[|Elflocko|]

Sorry, I need to go get some time on a mainframe to see that post...

[T-Dub]

[quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1339906955' post='1135688']
Sorry, I need to go get some time on a mainframe to see that post...
[/quote]

What, you don't work for the NSA?

Yehhh.. I think I'll drop this topic in the interest of not boring the ever-living shit out of everyone.

[Jamie_B]

[quote name='Elflocko' timestamp='1339855560' post='1135610']
Wireless encryption is some of the weakest in existence, and I could hack it with a medium powered laptop and a copy of [url="http://www.backtrack-linux.org/"]Backtrack[/url] in a matter of a few hours from the PBS parking lot...
[/quote]

This.

Which is why I said turn the wireless off, no real need for it.

[Vol_Bengal]

[quote name='Jamie_B' timestamp='1339794453' post='1135542']
I would think they would be safe if they just turn off the wi-fi and if it has 3g turn that off too.
[/quote]

They wouldn't be able to remotely deliver the content if the wifi and 3g are both turned off... I'm no Mac expert but it seems you could easily make all of these part of the same cloud and deliver the contect in one shot to all the devices pretty easily. At least, that is how I have all our iPod / iPad / iPhone devices set up at home now...

I guess this story covers the Bengals as a whole going the tablet route... because I distinctly remember a story about David Pollack having either an original version tablet or a laptop that he would get video cut ups and take home with him. I'd assumed then that it was standard... maybe it was just his way to do it.

[mongo]

The long and the short of it is that there are all sorts of security avenues to make it damned tough to steal the information. Mobile security is not a new field, and it's not filled with bozos. The Bengals, and the other teams, aren't going to let the information just float around for guys like Elflocko to grab. They're going to lock it up so you'll need a pack of Russian teens mainlining RedBull to steal it.

Could a team hire people to steal this stuff? Sure. Industrial espionage is also a field that's been around awhile, and filled with bright people (and Russian teens mainlining RedBull)... I just don't see that as the big concern. Intellectual property/cybercrimes are big time points of emphasis for the FBI, and I don't think any team in the NFL wants to fuck with the FBI.

If I'm the Bengals, I'm not too worried about the delivery method. I think they have that figured out. I'm most worried about the information once it's in the players hands, especially while the iPads are still new and neat. People like to show off their cool toys sometimes.