The NFL is letting teams use Microsoft tablets on the sidelines this season for the first time, and it is a "wonder why they didn't get to it sooner," according to Fox' Troy Aikman. The HD quality of the tablets "is outstanding because the Polaroids were always dark." Aikman: "To be able to get the information that quickly and look at it on the spot is pretty cool." He speculated the reason tablets were not allowed prior to this year is "because they didn’t have a sponsorship deal" ("Chargers-49ers," Fox, 8/24). CBS' Jason La Canfora notes teams will have 15 tablets on the sideline, meaning the days of "having to wait for those images to get printed after a series and then run down to the sidelines" are gone. If there are "any glitches in the system," teams will still "have access to the old-school printouts" (CBSSPORTS.com, 8/25). Meanwhile, play-by-play announcer Kevin Harlan talked about the possibility of referees using tablets for replay challenges and said, "Pretty soon they’re talking about bringing tablets out to the field. No more hood” (“Redskins-Ravens,” WSOC-ABC, 8/23).
