Are There Any Sports That Are Shying Away From Technology?

Any time that new technology emerges, it is almost a given that some will try to resist the change. This is true even in the sports world. While we’ve seen leagues such as the NFL embrace the use of technology to enhance the experience for players and fans, some sport leagues take a more traditional approach.

As far as technology on the field goes, the NBA is one league that has been slow to incorporate technology into their games. It took years, for instance, for the league to incorporate some form of instant replay review on close decisions. Even now that they have incorporated replay review into their games, the instances where replay can be used is still limited. This leads to awkward situations on the court where inadvertent whistles on close calls disrupt the game flow. It’s particularly curious when you consider that this happens as a result of the league not wanting to introduce a more widespread replay rule for fear of disrupting the game.

To their credit, the NBA has done a great job of embracing technology in other areas. They offer league pass not just for cable subscribers, but also to anyone with a broadband connection. They also keep their mobile smartphone apps up to date and full of the latest features. The league only seems to shy away from technology when it comes to the action on the hardwood.