Technology has certainly helped the world of sports to be even more competitive, as there are various metrics that can be taken into consideration for improvement in performance. In football, “MVP” normally means most valuable player, but it happens to be known as the Mobile Virtual Player among the Steelers. The MVP here is a robotic dummy that can be operated via a remote control, and is being experimented with by the Steelers during offseason workouts.
According to Steelers coach Mike Tomlin, “It’s an awesome piece of football technology. I am always interested in ways to utilize technology in terms of teaching football. We are excited to get a close look at it. The applications we are quickly finding are endless. It never gets tired. It runs at an appropriate football speed. All of the position groups are getting an opportunity to use it. It’s funny, you just put it on the field and watch the guys and they show you the applications. It’s been fun watching that.”
MVP was brought to life because live tackling in practice have resulted in injuries in the past, never mind the fact that tackling is still a vital component of any team to improve on. Hence, the MVP, which can be used by players to practice tackling, as well as to see action in passing drills. After all, the MVP is able to cut, weave, stop and start, and is speedy. The goal is to make the MVP available next year. [Press Release]