Let's Go To The Tape: NFL, XOS Technologies In Content Standoff

The NFL is "locked in a multi-million dollar standoff" with XOS Technologies after the company requested the league "pay a rights fee between [$20-30M] for a multi-year commitment to electronically receive" coaches' tape of digitized content from eight major NCAA conferences, according to sources cited by Don Banks of SI.com. The videos show the "entire alignment of both the offense and defense on each play, shot from the end zone." The content had been supplied "free of charge in video tape form by schools as a mutually beneficial consideration between the NFL and NCAA." XOS CEO Randy Eccker said that his company "made the rights fee request to the NFL in August on behalf of the conferences it represents, and that XOS is no longer involved in the discussions between the league and the eight conference commissioners." League sources said that NFL officials "continue to balk at paying anything for the game tapes," resulting in no NFL teams having "access to any college action involving those conferences this season" (SI.com, 10/23).

WE MUST PROTECT THIS HOUSE: ESPN's Adam Schefter cited two sources as saying that the NFL Competition Committee "will address the safety of its officials after this season," as players have collided with referees "far too often in this and in recent seasons." Umpires "could be equipped with helmets like the players ... or they could be shifted to different areas of the field further away from danger." If the use of helmets is implemented, they could be "like the ones players wear or even an ear-flap baseball helmet" (ESPN.com, 10/25).