One of the best coaches in NFL history is done with the Microsoft tablet. A coach who frankly may not be an NFL coach for a lot longer has no issues with the device.
“I think sometimes they’re not, you know, you have the pictures to back them up that are printed out and those don’t change,” 49ers coach Chip Kelly told reporters on Wednesday. “Just there have been times when there are some glitches in them and I also think there’s some times when it’s really sunny out that it’s tough to see the tablet. So I haven’t had any issues with them where they just don’t work or anything.
“But, it’s like any, sometimes that doesn’t work perfect, you know what I mean? So, you’ve got to shake it a little bit.” (He’s still talking about the tablets, right?)
Ultimately, it’s a matter of personal preference. The photos are what the photos are. If they can be viewed in the old-fashioned, hard-copy way nearly as efficiently as they can on the tablets, then Belichick or anyone else can use the printed photos instead.
The broader question is whether the NFL ever would force coaches to use the tablets, either by decree or by allowing the printed photos not as an option but only if the tablets aren’t working. Already, coaches must wear the approved game-day attire; when coaches like Jack Del Rio and Mike Nolan have wanted to suit up on the sidelines, they’ve had to negotiate for special permission to deviate periodically from the intended approach that they be mannequins for stuff the league’s sponsors want us all to buy.
Microsoft wants us all to buy their tablets, and if guys like Belichick publicly trash the product and refuse to use it, Patriots fans (at a minimum) will be less likely to buy Microsoft tablets.