PHP- A PACK OF COUCH POTATO PROS
The Green Bay Packers deploy twenty-five 42 plasma displays in coaches offices, conference rooms, and meeting rooms in the Lambeau facility. 15 of the screens are assigned to the coaches for reviewing game and practice analysis video. According to Bob Eckberg, Video Director, they originally purchased 3 of the displays, but Ted took one look at the picture and instructed me to replace all of our existing rear projection with the plasmas.
The Packers soon discovered that watching football plays in
16:9 is an absolute perfect application for a plasma screen. (Author interjectionBob! Tell my wife!)
In the past, all video was being viewed on the aforementioned rear projection TVs. The problem was, most coaches offices were 12x16, and they couldnt get far enough back to see properly. The images were much larger than they needed, and too diffused. One of the most noticeable benefits of the plasmas is that scouts and coaches are looking for whos in the play, and they are now able to see a players number, which wasnt always the case when the video was projected on a ten foot screen in a small room.
The plasmas are all integrated into a system that not only allows a feed from video and other decks, but from everyones computer.
Hell of a lot of potential for some serious video gaming, Id imagine.
Good work if you can find it.
Now in his ninth off- season as Green Bay's video director, Bob Eckberg is enjoying his 28th year with the Packers overall.
In 2001, Eckberg became only the second full-time video director in franchise history.
Having served as Green Bay's assistant video director since 1982, he had taken over for the retired Al Treml, who since 1967 had headed up the club's filming/taping operations.
In his position, Eckberg oversees the production and editing of all game and practice tapes for the coaching and personnel staffs, as well as the regular exchange of video with other teams. In addition, he is in charge of the purchase and maintenance of the team's vast array of video equipment.
The 58-year-old Eckberg also directs the video department's taping of all workouts on prospective players and maintains a video library of all games for the previous three years. Additionally, the video staff compiles college player profile tapes for use during NFL Draft preparation. Eckberg also attends and shoots video of prospective players at the National College Scouting Combine, held every February in Indianapolis.
Eckberg began his career with the Packers in the early 1970s while working in the photo department of WBAY-TV in Green Bay. While employed at the station, Eckberg helped process all of the Packers' game film, then in 1976 started shooting end zone angle coaching film for home games played in Green Bay and Milwaukee. In the early 1980s, videotape technology became standard in the television industry, and in 1982 the Packers purchased the film lab setup from WBAY and hired Eckberg as assistant video director.
In addition to more than two decades of NFL games, Eckberg also has shot numerous postseason games, including the 1987 Hula Bowl, the 1982, 1987 and 2001 Senior Bowls, the 2005 Cactus Bowl, the 2008 Pro Bowl, as well as Super Bowls XXXI and XXXII. In addition, he served the NFL video directors during the 2000 season as a member of the quality control committee.
Born in Green Bay, Eckberg is a 1969 graduate of the city's Premontre High School. He and his wife, Terri, also a Green Bay native, have three sons: Joe, Justin and Zac; the couple also has one granddaughter, Madilyn.
In his spare time, Eckberg enjoys reading, cooking, fishing, woodworking and spending time with his family at its log cabin.
He has a staff of 3:
Chris Kirby, Assistant Video Director
Andy Muckerheide, Video Assistant
Mike Halbach, Video Assistant
Conclusion and analysis: While I reckon some might disagree with his decision to go plasma over say, LCD, I am not going to advocate his termination over the decision. Also, while some are firmly convinced that Ted Thompson is stupid, the move to instantly replace all of the rear projection TV's was a good one, imo, so therefore do not feel like this would be ammunition for those keen thinkers that have Ted all figured out.
I say Bob stays. :thumbleft: