Microsoft Surface has been provided to NFL players and announcers in a bid to advertise the product.
Jay Cutler, a quarterback for the Chicago Bears doesn't seem impressed with the Microsoft Surface he was provided with. Jon Greenberg of ESPN Chicago heard Cutler's remark about the Microsoft Surface. Greenberg tweeted, "Cutler just called the Microsoft Surface on sidelines 'knockoff iPads'."
In the next tweet, Greenberg said that Cutler finds the Microsoft surface as great to work with but unfortunately he doesn't know what they are called or who made them. It seems that Microsoft is not doing a good job advertising its product among the NFL players.
Aside from NFL players who have no idea who made or what those tablets "thingies" are called, Microsoft has to "train" the NFL announcers not call the Microsoft Surface as iPads.
There was an incident where an NFL broadcaster called the Microsoft Surface as an "iPad-like tool" Business Insider interviewed a Microsoft spokesperson who admitted that they have "coached" a few of the NFL broadcasters to always refer to the tablet as a Microsoft Surface.
It seems that the coaching worked since no similar incidents have been reported. Microsoft wants the coaches and players use the Surface in reviewing team strategy and photos. They also argued that it can have the photos available 30 to 40 seconds quicker than the old school method. Falcon's offensive coach Mike Tice may not agree with that. During a Falcon against the Giants match, he was caught on camera using a binder to review the photos not from a Surface and NFL announcers were quick to point it out.
Microsoft is reportedly spending around $400M in order to make the Surface the official tablet of the NFL and this is just one of Microsoft's strategies to promote Surface as well as sports themed games to Xbox One. Microsoft hopes that by portraying NFL players, coaches and announcers as avid users of the Surface, NFL fans will follow suit and get a Surface of their own.
