The Tech Savvy Atlanta Teams and Their Futures
If you were someone who casually follows both sports and technology, and I asked you which professional sports franchises used technology the best, what would you say? While I lack the resources to conduct exhaustive statistical analysis on this question, I imagine that most people would answer with some combination of the teams bordering Silicon Valley. The reason I bring this up is because Sport Techie just published a list of the most Tech Savvy teams. And yes, several teams from Oakland/San Francisco made the list.
What is most interesting to me, a follower of Atlanta sports, is that both the Atlanta Braves and the Atlanta Hawks made the list (coming in at sixth and third, respectively). Neither of these rankings are shocking, since both of these teams have made concerted efforts to utilize technology and new media. Seeing each team do this well, though, is highly encouraging for sports across the Atlanta landscape for multiple reasons.
The Braves made the list on the strength of their new stadium and several media partnerships. However, this article also seems to point to the general mindset behind these moves, as the author (Mark J. Burns) writes:
In August, the team announced a partnership with the Atlanta Tech Village, one of the largest technology hubs in the United States. With the unveiling of the new ballpark, the Braves plan to leverage the Silicon Valley-esque innovation hub and its technology startups to heighten the digital fan experience. Part of the Braves technology-first mindset has already been in full effect, having been long-time partners with Atlanta-based mobile company Experience along with forming a new relationship this fall with 15 Seconds of Fame, a social app that delivers personalized videos to fans after they appear on stadium jumbotrons.
As you can see from the pictures below, SunTrust park is shaping up to be an impressive (if somewhat oddly-placed) stadium. It may be difficult to get to, it may be impossible to park at, and it may have local residents ready to strangle the team’s management. But, once fans actually get inside, it’s shaping up to be an impressive place.
For the Hawks, their high ranking comes on the strength of numerous promotions and use of existing technology. The team was famously one of the first to adopt 3D court projections for pregame routines, impressive shows that are now mainstays at Hawks events. Even more importantly, though, the franchise is attempting to use new forms of technology to improve player health. Burns writes:
Not to mention, it partnered with Emory Healthcare in April to build the first team training facility co-located with an entire sports medicine center. It will combine 3D motion capture technology, cryotherapy, sensory deprivation tanks and in-ground hydrotherapy to better treat players.
The Hawks are far from the only team to make player health a priority, but using new forms of medicine to prolong players’ careers is a smart move that speaks to the organization’s willingness to try new plans and ideas. Although the team’s Twitter account didn’t make the list of tech moves that the Hawks are responsible for, its prominence has been recognized by many for a long time. The account routinely makes jokes, finds new ways to interact with people, and even tweeted out the entire 2016–17 schedule in emojis.
Being Tech Savvy isn’t the same as being good, and both the Hawks and the Braves have dealt with problems lately. As many have pointed out, the Braves probably won’t have a winning team in their new stadium until 2017 at the earliest, which sucks at least some of the excitement out of the event. The Hawks sit at 13–14 as of this writing, and their playoff hopes are facing some serious concerns.
That being said, though, it’s encouraging to see two of Atlanta’s three major franchises on this list (more on the Falcons in a second). The Hawks’ new facilities could be a huge draw to free agents in the future, and the Braves are clearly hoping that their stadium becomes one of Major League Baseball’s premier venues. There are multiple scenarios in which this use of technology can actually lead to wins in the future.
Beyond that, there is also a very clear correlation between technological skill and overall success, at least according to this article. Look at some of the names here: the New York Yankees, the Golden State Warriors, the Los Angeles Dodgers, the MLS-champion Seattle Sounders. These are all marquis franchises in their respective sports, and seeing Atlanta teams on any list with these names on it is impressive. Of course, my previous caveat that technology is not equal to wins stands, and many of these teams were good long before they adopted new technological and media advances. But as long as there are benefits — like medical advancements and the draw of a new stadium — there is ample reason to believe that making lists like these points to at least the chance of increased future success.
Finally, you might ask, why didn’t the Falcons make the list? Given that teams have to be generally exceptional in their use of technology to get to top-25 status, it isn’t a knock on the franchise to not be listed here. However, I fully expect the Falcons to start making lists like these next year after Mercedes-Benz stadium opens. From all accounts it is a state-of-the-art marvel, and should be an absolute joy to visit.
I wrote not long ago about how all of Atlanta’s sports franchises are trying to remake or remodel themselves in some ways, and that ties in beautifully with two of them making a tech savvy list. Will the Braves and Hawks be elite contenders in two or three years? I can’t say. I can say, though, that their presence on this list bodes well for their futures and is a great reflection on the state of sports across the Atlanta landscape.
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