As I travel back from the studio, I usually watch at least one to two of the previous weeks games on my iPad to prepare for the following week. Jonathan Toews Autographed Jersey . Lets talk about how technology has changed for coaches and players the past few years. When I first came into the CFL in 2000, our video department was using SVHS tapes to record games and to watch game and practice film. The process of creating cut-ups or segments of the game film such as all first downs and blitzes and all red zone plays was a slow process. You had to start the tape from the beginning and the computer attached to a bunch of VCRs would fast-forward and when the database, which the coaches inputted into the computer, found a play that was attached to the time code on the counter, it would record it to one of the other VCR decks and it would do that for as many games as you had in your breakdown. It is a linear process meaning you always have to start at the beginning and fast-forward. The term cut-up is derived from the days before I was coaching and film projectors were used. Coaches actually cut up the film and organized the clips on the walls and then spliced them back together. Back in the days of using tapes after a game, you were given copies of the tapes to take back with you to your facility but did not have the technology to watch it on the plane. Imagine coaching for the B.C. Lions and you had the 5-hour flight home from Montreal and you would lose all that time because you couldnt watch the film. You had to wait to get home and then the video department would have to make copies of the three tapes (offence, defence and special teams) and it happened in real time so if each tape was an hour long, it took three hours to finish. The coaches were always trying to get their side of the ball recorded first so they wouldnt have to wait for two extra hours to watch tape and grade the game. Players had to come to the facility to study opponent film as well as practice and game film. The tapes would not work in regular VCRs so all film had to be seen at the offices. The advent of the non-linear editing system has been great for football. In basic terms, that means you are now capturing the images digitally and inporting them into the computer. The cameras used today actually have hard drives attached to them and, as you record the game, it actually time codes it as you film. Time code means you are marking the plays so the computer can know which film to splice together. Coaches watch what is called an intercut copy which has a sideline and end zone angle. The sideline angle is high above and has all 24 players on the field and the end zone angle is from behind and has the offensive line and backs. Nowadays, the computer can organize these angles for the offence/defence/special teams in minutes and allow those digital files to be copied in minutes. Now the coaches and players have the luxury of using iPads and computers to watch the film. Most teams use Ipads as a way to watch the film when not at their office. The video department will get the game that was played into their system and then upload it to a server that the coaches can then download to their iPad. There is an application that they use that can play the film and allow the film to be played back and forth at different speeds. You can also use the application to take pictures of a play and then draw on it or write a note to a player. This is why the iPad is a great tool. In 2012, our coaches and myself used iPads in Winnipeg. I could be watching some practice film at home or in the office and see something that I wanted to communicate to the QBs. For example, if Buck Pierce was overstriding as he threw the ball forcing the ball to go too high, I took a picture of it, wrote on the picture and e-mailed it to him and he got it immediately. Often times, there would be a concept that I thought of to attack a certain coverage and I could draw it on the screen showing the coverage and then take a picture and send it to the QBs while they were at home. The video coordinators now can get the video to the coaches by the time they get to the airport and allow the coaches to watch and grade the game on the way home. Imagine how much better it is for the BC/MTL teams being able to finish their work on the plane ride home. The players can certainly benefit from the technology of today. In Winnipeg, we gave scouting reports out digitally to anyone who had an iPad and they took notes on it that way. Players are now able to watch practice on their own that night and watch opponent film. We would send them cut-ups daily with what we would be game-planning the following day. Players with a day off after the game can watch the game and already have seen it before they see it with the coaches. Another advantage of the technology for the coaches that the players better learn about is that the coaches can get reports of how much or how little the players are logging on to the application to watch film. I would post a list and put it into the locker room of who had watched the most to the least film. The video departments do a tremendous job of preparing film for coaches and players. Every team has at least one full-time employee and many seasonal people that get everything filmed and ready to be watched every day. We have come a long way from the days of VCRs. Patrick Sharp Jersey . Wright sat out games on Tuesday and Wednesday after learning he broke his finger diving back to a base Monday night. He was examined by a hand specialist for the second straight day Thursday. Patrick Kane Autographed Jersey . The reported price for the Jays was Marcus Stroman and Aaron Sanchez. Would you make that deal? The Blue Jays are in first place in the AL East. GLENDALE, Ariz. -- Two nights after losing to the Eastern Conferences worst team, the Phoenix Coyotes handled the best. Zbynek Michalek scored against his former team, his first goal in 83 games, and the Coyotes became the first Pacific Division team to beat the Pittsburgh Penguins in regulation this season with a 3-1 victory on Saturday night. Mike Ribeiro had a goal and an assist for Phoenix. Radim Vrbata scored the third goal for the Coyotes, who were coming off perhaps their worst loss of the season, 3-2 at home to the Buffalo Sabres on Thursday night. "I think we had something to prove," Michalek said. "We believed in this room that when we play the right way, we can play against any team. I think tonight was a great effort by everybody." Evgeni Malkin scored for the Penguins, who entered 8-0-1 against Pacific Division foes. Michaleks previous goal was scored on March 5, 2012, for Pittsburgh against Phoenix. "Its been almost two years," he said. "Hopefully I dont have to wait that long for the next one." Michalek acknowledged that he had extra motivation for this one. "For sure," he said. "This one feels good, and for me even sweeter. Anytime you play against your former team, you want to show up, you want to win." The Penguins, who had won three straight over the Coyotes, made their first appearance in Arizona in 3 1-2 years. Mike Smith, back in goal after Phoenix had gone with Thomas Greiss the previous two games, made 23 saves. Pittsburghs Marc-Andre Fleury stopped 27 shots. With just 24 shots, the Penguins offence was off its usual form. "Tonight was a tough-fought game. There wasnt a lot out there," Pittsburgh coach Dan Bylsma said. "Thats the kind of games we expect. We have to be able to play a patient game, not be taking chances with the way we play or the way we play with the puck." Playing in front 17,362, the Coyotes second-largest home crowd this season, Pittsburgh fell behind 2-0. The Penguins made it a one-goal game before Vrrbatas shot on a 2-on-1 rush slipped through Fleury to make it 3-1 with 15:47 to play. Custom Blackhawks Jersey. The Penguins fell to 2-10 in games in which NHL scoring leader Sidney Crosby fails to get a point. "They play good team defence as a group," Crosby said. "I think we didnt make it tough enough on them. We didnt hold the puck in their zone. Theyre pretty good at blocking shots and getting their stick on pucks. "You have to give them credit, but I dont think we did a good enough job of creating, either. I think we could have done more there." Coyotes coach Dave Tippett credited the defence of Oliver Ekman-Larsson against the Crosby line. "Ollie was all-world there," Tippett said. "Thats an unbelievable game by him." Ekman-Larsson called it "a good challenge for me and Z (Michalek)." "I think we did a pretty good job all night," he said. "So it was fun." Ribeiro put Phoenix ahead 1-0 with his 14th goal of the season and 200th of his career. His wrist shot from the left circle got past Fleurys left side and rattled in with 7:18 to play in the opening period. David Schlemnko and Antoine Vermette had assists. Vermette extended his career-high point streak to seven games. Ribeiros goal came just after Pittsburgh killed a penalty. After Pittsburghs prolific power play failed to score, Phoenix made it 2-0 on Michaleks slap shot past Fleury with 9:50 left in the second. Ekman-Larsson and Ribeiro got the assists. The Penguins made it one-goal game when Malkin scored his 16th of the season, from the right side of the net off a pass from James Neal. Jussi Jokinen also got an assist on the goal. NOTES: Pittsburgh is 11-4-1 against the Western Conference. ... The Penguins are 10-13-1 when their opponent scores first. ... Pittsburghs Olli Maatta left the ice after taking a puck to the face in the third period. ... The only other Pacific Division team to beat Pittsburgh was Edmonton 4-3 in OT on Jan. 10. ... The Penguins last played in Arizona in November 2010. ' ' '
