Entries tagged with “XOS” from Global Sports Buzz

Collegiate Images has the vast sports video library and XOS Technologies has the power to make that library more accessible, so it made sense for the two companies to join forces. XOS is making what it calls a strategic investment in Collegiate Images that will make them partners in the business of distributing collegiate video content. CI owns the video and still photo rights to about 80 percent of the top 75 schools and 125 collegiate properties overall, including the BCS and conferences. With XOS's ability to move CI into the digital age, video that used to take about five days to move from campus to customer will soon be available in a matter of hours. Instead of calling up athletic departments for video highlights, networks and others now go through CI and pay a licensing fee, which generates a royalty for the schools. The problem is that CI has been working primarily in an analog world, which meant that schools had to overnight their video (usually beta) to CI, CI editors would spend a few days editing the video and then overnight it to the customers for their promotional use. In all, it was about a five-day process. By digitizing the process, that video can be sent from campus to customer electronically. XOS has been working with CI since the summer to digitize the collection of videos and still photos. Randy Eccker, CEO of XOS, said the library should be fully digitized by the end of the year.

Although the majority of NHL teams have switched to XOS technologies for their digital video analysis, there are still a few teams in the league using something else. The Buffalo Sabres, Dallas Stars, and the Washington Capitals all are still using a program called Gamebreaker by SportsCode. Gamebreaker is a digital video analysis software program that is compatible to Mac computers. Why Apple? Apple computers are said to be ideally suited to working with graphics, especially video. SportsCode also has many features that make Gamebreaker appealing, namely Capture, Code, Analysis, and Presentation.

SportsCode makes capturing video footage a breeze! Whether it's on your video camera, a hard drive, DVD or even on a VHS tape, SportsCode makes it simple to for you to capture directly onto your computer. The power of the Apple Macintosh Platform provides crystal clear images with no need for special cards or external hardware. Want to capture critical information and statistical data during a game - no problem! SportsCode provides the ability to plug a DV camera straight into a computer. The footage will be saved directly to the computers hard drive, and a timeline and instances will simultaneously be created as you code the event. It is well known that visual feedback is the most effective way to generate change. SportsCode's live capture capabilities enables coaching staff to not only make informed game altering decisions but also show athletes actual footage to affect real change.

SportsCode delivers powerful and precise coding tools that work for any sport or discipline. With an open coding template, SportsCode gives you creative options and total control over the information you collect and review. SportsCode's Code Input Window gives you the power to code as little or as much as you desire. You control what you want to explore and to what depth. Impressive coding features lets you work quickly and give you control over "tagging" your footage; ensuring you get the right information every time. From setting up your codes to analysis, SportsCode provides intuitive features that help turn your video into an invaluable coaching tool. 

What really distinguishes Gamebreaker from the rest in its field is its analysis and presentation. In analyzing game play on the ice, SportsCode can focus on a power-play or examine a player's skating ability. SportsCode provides split screen and overlay analysis tools, great assets when you want to highlight differences in technique and to compare similar actions such as a slap shot. When the coding and analysis is through, the presentation that Gamebreaker provides is immaculate. You can simply export game footage into iMovies by Apple and within seconds it can be put up on a big screen.

XOS might be used by the majority of professional teams but Gamebreaker by SportsCode still continues to fulfill the needs of some teams that are trying to "keep up with the Joneses" in the game of competitive advantage.

XOS continues to dominate the information technology field of digital video analysis, especially in the NHL. Currently, 26 out of all 30 NHL teams are XOS clients. The most recent NHL team to switch to the XOS Coaching
System is the Columbus Blue Jackets. For years, Columbus had been using an outdated application, the Hockey System, which a few other teams have utilized including the Montreal Canadiens. After only a couple months of use, the Blue Jackets' video coordinator, Dan Singleton, is one of many video coaches around the league that have been praising this innovative technology.

Dan Singleton joined the Blue Jackets in September 2000 as their video coordinator. He came to Columbus after spending the previous six years as the video coordinator for the Michigan State University hockey team. "Simply put, XOS makes my job easier; I can do what I need to do and transfer video to the coaching staff in a shorter period of time than I ever could before." Singleton explains that when he is done tagging games, he then transfers the video to certain coaches depending on what specialty that coach holds. "For example, the power play coach receives all the power play video to further review himself."

The coaches aren't the only ones getting a look at the XOS software. Once in the their hands, Singleton affirms, the coaches hold video meetings with the players almost on a day-to-day basis to go over specific things and to make sure everyone is on the same page for the next game. Although one of its main uses is to break down their own games, the Blue Jackets also like to see what their opposition in upcoming games are doing. "We usually like to get our hands on the last 3 games the opposing team has played and do some research as to what power play or fore-check they tend to be running." The NHL has teamed up with a company called Hoop 1 Media Services to provide a league-wide internet library so that all the NHL teams can gain access to every NHL game played whether or not your team played in the game. It's as easy as clicking the game you want and importing it into XOS.

Once a game is imported into the system, the user is free to do what they choose. XOS allows clients to tag certain aspects of the game into organized targets such as (but are not limited to) face-offs, turnovers, and shots. XOS also has a live tagging feature that allows a video coordinator to tag a game on the fly. "Every NHL team playing at home on a given night is responsible for providing the opposing team with a live feed of the game. This allows video coaches like me to use live tagging throughout the game instead of spending hours doing it after each game... the extent of my work after the game is over, in respect to video breakdown, maybe going back and picking out the scoring chances the team had... that's it."

With the XOS system so user-friendly, it's easy to see why many NHL (as well as AHL) teams are changing from their previous programs to the up-and-coming technology. No other system allows you to not only organize video, which is pivotal in breaking down game tape, but to quickly put that video in the hands of the coaches who need it. The efficiency of XOS is simply second to none when it comes to team digital video analysis.

At the beginning of this hockey season, the Ottawa Senators presented the Binghamton Senators with a gift. Binghamton, who is the AHL affiliate for Ottawa, received the digital video analysis software XOS to replace their old, outdated method. "With a fairly new coaching staff, this is a learning experience for all of us on the coaching staff," affirmed B-Sens head coach Cory Clouston.

Clouston, a native of Viking, Alta., enters his first season as head coach of the Binghamton Senators following a decorated coaching career for the Kootenay Ice of the Western Hockey League. "We are currently working with XOS representative Doug Cole and an intern from a local college intern that is familiar with the system.

The Senators' use of the software is pretty basic at this point. An intern implements a live tagging technique throughout the game which is very efficient. This means that by the end of the game, the game tape is already coded and ready for the coach to look at. Certain targets the intern looks for differ from shots and turnovers to hits and fore-checks. That saves a lot of time as each period carries around 100-125 tags, totaling almost 400 a game. "It's a pretty good feeling knowing that after the game we, as a coaching staff, don't have to sit around in the arena for another two hours after the game to review the game.

Live tagging isn't the only thing the Sens are looking to do. "With the help of this intern, we are hoping to put together presentations on things we need to work on and display the video up on the big screen in our locker room... whether it be for practice purposes or during game intermissions," explains Clouston.

As in the NHL, the home team is responsible for providing game copies to the opposing team, as well as AHL officials. In edition, teams offer a firewire connection of the game that can be plugged right into a laptop that allows you the use the method of live tagging.

The Binghamton Senators are currently 3-3-1 on the season so it will be interesting to see how this software will effect the season on the whole as opposed to last year's record of 23-48-4. "What are we doing is just the tip of the iceberg, I see the use of this XOS software as a cornerstone to what will become a successful season for us this year."

According to their website, www.xostech.com, "XOS is the leading provider of advanced digital video editing solutions for North American hockey programs.  More than 85 teams in amateur, collegiate, professional and international hockey use XOS products to help maximize the efficiency and effectiveness of their game preparation, player evaluation, game analysis, recruiting & scouting and player development." This has become very apparent in college hockey in recent years.

 

XOS officially broke into college hockey 4 years ago when it started to be used by the University of Denver Pioneers. "XOS has changed the way we analyze game footage. Instead of spending 8 hours editing a video tape in the VCR, like we did before 2003, our staff spends 3 hours on a computer doing the same thing," states Pioneer's Director of Hockey Operations, David Tenzer.

 

The majority of the Pioneer use of XOS is done by Tenzer, with some help from Volunteer Coach PJ DeLuca. They are in charge of breaking down games and finding clips that show what the team needs to work on more. "We also use it to pre-scout opponents to see exactly how they run their power play or penalty kill," replied Tenzer, though he made it clear this technique was used very limited.

 

The Western Collegiate Hockey Association (WCHA), the conference in which the Denver Pioneers participates, is the only college hockey conference which exclusively uses XOS. Some teams in other conferences, like the CCHA and ECAC, use this technology as well but it is not mandatory. Every WCHA arena is equipped with instant replay technology to review goals and certain penalties, which may be classified as intent to injure. "Every 5 minute major penalty was required to be sent to league officials for review," says Tenzer, "now the conference is requiring that they be sent every penalty so that further punishment can be enforced if need be."

 

Not only does XOS assist in enforcing rules but it also provides every team in the conference a quicker, easier avenue to game tapes. All ten teams in the WCHA have access to the games of conference teams as well as to some non-conference teams that they play against. By rule, the home team is responsible to post that night's game on the internet in a video library. Using a high-bandwidth network, video of entire games can be downloaded in minutes. This allows teams to begin game preparations earlier, saving them time and money and making it possible to operate more efficiently.

 

In a typical step-by-step process, a conference game is taped by the home team. It is then uploaded onto an exclusive video library. From there, conference teams can download any uploaded game. Then, it takes about 3 hours to actually break down that game into clips that can be shown in team video sessions or for coaches' use. In fact, the Pioneer players are required by the staff to watch previous games to find out how they can perform better in the next game. "Using XOS makes the process so quick; we can break down Friday night's game that night and have it ready for the players to watch for themselves at their Saturday pre-game skate... worst case scenario it's in our players' hands within 72 hours," assures Tenzer.

 

XOS seems to let its results do the talking as only two teams, in both men's and women's hockey combined, have made it to the semi-finals of the NCAA tournament without the aid of XOS in the past 4 years. As for the Denver Pioneers, XOS not only assisted them to a national title in 2004, first in 34 years, but helped them win back-to-back titles within the first 3 years of their partnership.

 

From The Field of Ticketing
Originally published in Street & Smiths SportsBusiness Journal

The majority of intercollegiate athletic departments, regardless of division, face the same challenge: how to increase attendance at sporting events.

The significance of the goal is not difficult to comprehend. Increased attendance provides greater ticket revenue, a better atmosphere, more ancillary revenue (concessions, parking, merchandise, etc.) and more leverage for negotiating corporate sponsorships.

Innumerable promotions have been implemented over the years. Yet one possible answer to this challenge may be as simple as the variety of rewards cards we carry in our wallets.

■ Rewards-based ticketing
The new spin on existing technology in intercollegiate athletics is referred to as "rewards-based ticketing." The system is managed by using the bar code and/or magnetic-stripe-card technology at stadium and arena access points.