“We had all of the players and coaches set up in their virtual classrooms, and that whole process just went off without a hitch. That’s when it kind of just hit me,” Nygaard said, adding: “They were able to continue working as if we were in the office.”
Thanks in no small part to the effort and ingenuity of these often overlooked technical support staffs, the process of player acquisition and development around this schedule-driven, structure-oriented league has pressed on this spring despite the closure of team facilities due to the virus spread. Quarterbacks normally have the market cornered on Most Valuable Player awards, but let’s face it: The front-runners for 2020 work in IT.
“The unsung heroes in all of this,” Atlanta Falcons head coach Dan Quinn said.
Just like in so many other workplaces during these stay-at-home days, maintaining smooth connections for disconnected employees is a vital job. The difference in the NFL? Some of them were on national television.
Detroit Lions director of information technology Steve Lancaster spent the threeday draft in a rented recreational vehicle parked in general manager Bob Quinn’s driveway, on call for socially distanced technical support.
“Bob said, ‘Hey, in five minutes, you’re going to be famous,’” Lancaster said, recalling the first-round TV coverage of the RV. “From the rest of the day and then into the second day, the phone was buzzing constantly from text messages and calls. I had fun with it, though.”
Jacksonville Jaguars vice president of technology Mike Webb was stationed during the draft at general manager Dave Caldwell’s house, 6 feet apart in the same room. Webb wore a mask, had his own bathroom and sanitized every surface he touched.
Continue reading your story on the app
Continue reading your story in the magazine
VERIZON, AT&T DELAY SOME 5G SERVICE OVER AIRLINES' CONCERNS
Federal regulators say Verizon and AT&T will delay part of their 5G rollout near airports to give airlines more time to ensure that equipment on their planes is safe from interference from the wireless signals, but the airline industry is not happy about the deal.
The New iOS Advanced & clever features for your iPhone
At this year's WWDC, Apple lifted the lid on what's next for the iPhone as it unveiled iOS 16, introducing a whole host of new features designed to make our devices even smarter and more capable than ever before.
RYAN FITZPATRICK JOINS AMAZON PRIME VIDEO AS STUDIO ANALYST
Ryan Fitzpatrick is taking his magic touch to the broadcast booth.
MICROSOFT: RUSSIAN CYBER SPYING TARGETS 42 UKRAINE ALLIES
Coinciding with unrelenting cyberattacks against Ukraine, state-backed Russian hackers have engaged in "strategic espionage" against governments, think tanks, businesses and aid groups in 42 countries supporting Kyiv, Microsoft said in a report this week.
M2 Processor
WWDC22: Apple Silicon power going even further
MARYLAND APPLE WORKERS FACE HURDLES AFTER VOTE TO UNIONIZE
The historic vote by employees of a Maryland Apple store to unionize - a first for the technology giant — is a significant step in a lengthy process that labor experts say is heavily stacked against workers in favor of their employers.
FACEBOOK AND US SIGN DEAL TO END DISCRIMINATORY HOUSING ADS
Facebook will change its algorithms to prevent discriminatory housing advertising and its parent company will subject itself to court oversight to settle a lawsuit brought by the U.S. Department of Justice on Tuesday.
ELON MUSK'S $44 BILLION TWITTER DEAL GETS BOARD ENDORSEMENT
Twitter's board has recommended unanimously that shareholders approve the proposed $44 billion sale of the company to billionaire and Tesla CEO Elon Musk, according to a regulatory filing Tuesday.
BROADBAND EXPANSION HAS COMPANIES LOOKING TO RECRUIT
Bridging the digital divide has become a priority for Louisiana since the COVID-19 pandemic put a spotlight on the crucial role high-speed internet plays in the state's education and economic systems.
CURB INFLATION WITH 5 CREDIT CARD PERKS
As prices on goods and services continue to rise because of inflation, scaling back expenses isn't the only way to free up cash to cover essentials.
What Does It Mean to Be ‘Tough'?
If you think that success looks like ruthless competition, Terry Crews wants you to know there’s another way.
2022 NFL Draft
Today's Sports Pick
Tom & Gisele: MARRIAGE IN CRISIS
AFTER AGREEING TO RETIRE TO SPEND MORE TIME WITH HIS FAMILY, FOOTBALL GREAT TOM BRADY BETRAYS HIS PROMISE TO WIFE GISELE BÜNDCHEN — AND SHE’S FURIOUS!
Tom Betrays Gisele!
Less than two months after announcing his retirement, Tom Brady is back, breaking his promise to his wife
Get ready for the Super Bowl of gambling. There's a football game, too
A decade ago, one knowledgeable authority had deep reservations about the idea of the National Football League ever embracing legalized gambling. It would create a corrosive atmosphere in which every penalty or dropped pass—the normal ebbs and flows of games—“inevitably will fuel speculation, distrust, and accusations of point-shaving or game-fixing.” The moralist was none other than NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, declaring the league’s opposition to expanding sports bookmaking outside of Nevada.
Family, Faith and Football
A new movie tells the story of NFL Hall of Famer Kurt Warner’s against-the odds rise to stardom
B'BALL WIFE'S OFFER: GO FIND ANOTHER BABY MAMA!
Reggie Youngblood and Tami Roman tied the knot in 2018
The passion of Papa John
After stepping down three years ago following the revelation that he’d uttered a racist slur on a corporate call, John Schnatter is wandering the wilderness of TikTok and conservative media, criticizing the company he founded even as he dreams of a return
HOME NOT SO SWEET IN NFL THIS SEASON DESPITE RETURN OF FANS
The fans are back and the crowds are loud, but home-field advantage still isn’t a factor early in this NFL season.
Nate Expectations
As a former football star, an analyst on The NFL Today, and a new co-host of CBS’s morning show, Emmy Award–winning Nate Burleson shows his versatility every time he’s on camera. And he’s just getting started.