B1G Conference Leadership: Could helmet communications be an approach to eliminate this concern in the future?
Discussions about signs are going on to the n'th degree. This thought crossed my mind - what's the "root cause" of the communication guidelines today. Is it the warranty cost of communication devices in helmets?
Many years ago, IIRC, the B1G was the first conference to adopt "replay" to review calls during the game. It was something done in the NFL that the conference adopted.
Here's my perspective on signs / communications.
First - helmet communications are used at both the high school and professional (NFL) levels.
Second, part of the the "rationale" for not implementing helmet communications in college is the "warranty costs" of the communication equipment. With the amount of money in college media agreements - it would seem the costs of additional "warranty" could be covered without too much hardship. After all, if high schools can afford it - then, I'd assume - colleges could too.
So, what do I propose? The B1G uses this issue to be a leader in college football. As in golf, where local rules can be applied to complement what the USGA allows - how about a "local rule" for the B1G. The guideline / rule would be: "The B1G conference allows helmet to helmet communications for conference games." The specific standards / rules / procedures could follow the NFL - or be modified as seen fit / necessary.
Would this proposal make sense? The B1G media agreements are going to bring in about $ 1B annually - I think the additional warranty costs could be covered through the media agreement monies - and this guideline would eliminate concerns in this area.
What do you think?
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:06 AM ^
Hey did you know Keith Jackson died?
I had no idea
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:09 AM ^
Not Keith Jackson!!!
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:11 AM ^
Who's Mike Jones?
Am I doing this right?
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:33 AM ^
Enough with these Keith Jackson is dead rumors! He's alive and well. I saw him playing golf with Nelson Mandela and Tom Petty this past weekend.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:48 AM ^
Was Craig James there?
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:33 AM ^
You can BKFinest it!
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:34 AM ^
We used helmet communication on the golf course. Helped each other with finding the ball off the fairway.
November 2nd, 2023 at 11:57 AM ^
JFC.
Justin Feagin cares.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:10 AM ^
Please make the bye week message board status go away
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:19 AM ^
It’s Purdue Hate Week fergodsakes
November 2nd, 2023 at 11:58 AM ^
I always thought that MGoPoint totals were a good overall indicator of OP/board poster credibility but I think if Signgate has taught us anything, we could really use an MGoMeter as a means of helping determine how much trust or concern to take away from most, if not all, message board posts.
All I wanna know is...
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:10 AM ^
I think 13 mgoblog members should film the sidelines of every B1G member this weekend and post them online so they’re publicly available. This should have been done years ago. I’d volunteer if I lived within 300 miles of a game.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:36 AM ^
i think it's a great plan. in fact let's have Michigan fans everywhere film every game every week. Full sideline footage for every football team in the U.S. We can start MGoStallions.com and everyone can use the footage. level playing field, sorted.
Then we'll still beat everyone's ass.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:10 AM ^
This has been talked about and the issue reported in the media is the conferences are worried about voiding the warranty on the helmets.
Stop listening to these whiny ass coaches. If they were concerned about signal stealing, they would push for this. College coaches are both extremely paranoid and trying to gain every advantage possible, so they're good with the status quo and having someone on staff good enough to steal signals.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:19 AM ^
Do the NFL helmet communications void the warranty? I would assume not since the moment an NFL QB gets a concussion it would expose the NFL to a major lawsuit.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
I can see if the contracts for purchase are substantially different, yes. Otherwise I would guess some lawyers at universities with not enough to do decided it was an issue, and thus as a lawyer has spoken it is.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:26 AM ^
No. I think the warranty is a silly discussion. I firmly believe coaches want to be able to steal signals, hence the delay in this happening already.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:22 AM ^
Helmets are not expensive relative to the coaching salaries, NIL deals, and TV contracts. The warranty discussion is an excuse. They're crying about pennies while they light their cigars with benjamins.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:52 AM ^
"Silly discussion" is one way of saying "complete and total bullshit."
There are ways of working around warranty issues. You negotiate with the manufacturer. You buy some spares. You buy a sturdier piece of equipment. You look at what the NFL (and apparently high schools) are doing. Sure, you end up paying a little more--but we all know money is not the issue here.
This reminds me of deflategate. If it's so goddamn important, why haven't you done something about it already?
November 2nd, 2023 at 12:38 PM ^
This is all about whiny ass coaches. They can make the issue go away by using wristbands and/or changing their signs. This is the simple solution. Technology is the sexy solution because then the lazy, whiny ass coaches don't need to do anything new or thoughtful.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:10 AM ^
Make it stop! I wish you guys just read the Signgate articles...
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:11 AM ^
what's to stop the stalion from hacking B10 helmets??
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:15 AM ^
Yes but they’ve all agreed to keep this as part of the game. Except now that we’re getting beat. Now it’s unfair. Please enjoy the true dropping of 100 on you. Our boys won’t say it, they’re just gonna do it. Then you can be like: well we gave the sign to give up 100…see?!?!
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:21 AM ^
Or wristbands.. if nothing results of this besides a Michigan reprimand, I'm going to be heated and will personally fund and investigation firm to dig up dirt on each team in the BIG.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:28 AM ^
I propose we eliminate teams using Bagmen, steroids and academic fraud so as to reduce the amount the NCAA has to pay companies providing likely wiretapped (a DEA specialty I hear) headsets.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:37 AM ^
I think they should just standardize the signs across college football so that everyone is using the exact same signs. It's the only way we can be sure to be fair and take care of stealing signs once and for all.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:41 AM ^
Why is this a warranty issue? Putting a radio device in a helmet somehow makes it less safe to wear? I don't see what one has to do with the other.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:01 AM ^
The warranty cost was the rationale for not allowing / implementing it at the college level.
The additional cost for the communication and warranty is negligible - it seems extremely trivial.
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:51 AM ^
Helmet radios cost about $100 per helmet. Does anybody know if the B1G's TV deals would cover that?
November 2nd, 2023 at 9:56 AM ^
Of course it could! But its not going to happen. Because:
1) No one wants to pay for it. It cuts into the bottom line.
2) College coaches do not want sign stealing to go away. They'll never admit to it, but why would they want something that is going to make their jobs harder? Sign stealing, whether its in person or in game, is part of the game. If you implement helmet communications, whatever in-game advantage coaches get from cracking the sign code goes away.
I'm indifferent to it. If they want to implement it, go right ahead. If they don't, then fine, but then don't complain about your signs being stolen when you had a solution staring you in the face and you refused to implement it because you're too effing cheap.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:25 AM ^
#1 is not relevant. The cost is trivial relative to the vast sums moving around for coaching salaries, TV deals, NIL, etc.
#2 is all it is. They love sign stealing, they think it's fun, they get to pretend they're little mini-CIA operations and pretend to be Military Intelligence guys. "Fixing" this "problem" takes away the grown men's cosplay.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:02 AM ^
Shocker: yes it could.
But what happens when a Big Ten team, who spend all of their time practicing with helmet comms, goes to play an out of conference opponent that doesn’t have/allow helmet comms? Michigan, or another Big Ten team, would likely have to revert to a communication model they aren’t as familiar with. I would suspect that puts said Big Ten team at more of a disadvantage due to lost efficiency and increased error rate calling plays.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:08 AM ^
Let's suppose the B1G unilaterally implemented helmet communication for conference games. Wouldn't they at least be at a slight disadvantage in non- conference games ( like the cfp) because they have to communicate in a way they are not used to?
November 2nd, 2023 at 11:11 AM ^
Maybe for a year or two before all other conferences did the same thing.
November 2nd, 2023 at 11:21 AM ^
Exactly - the B1G was the leader / first implementer of Replay. And, it wasn't long before the other conferences adopted it - and, last I checked - every conference has implemented a Replay system.
Regarding OOC games - IMO, the AD's of the schools that are playing could discuss this topic. And, if mutually agreeable - agree that helmet communications will be allowed for their OOC matchup. IF the AD's don't agree - then, they'll have to defer to the current system.
It would also seem once the B1G implements this system - other conferences will "jump on the bandwagon" and implement a helmet communication system for their conference / teams.
Regarding the CFP - it seems the CFP, a separate body from the NCAA, could permit the use of helmet communications easily - IF they wanted to.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:09 AM ^
I think it would be an appropriate solution to quiet the B1G programs to implement the helmet communications and make Michigan pay for it for everyone as the 'penalty' of 'signalgate.' Everybody gets a small win.
Put this thing to bed.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:09 AM ^
dude. i'm avoiding this stuff like the plague, and even i know that this has been discussed in, like, a thousand articles.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:36 AM ^
For those if you that aren't too soft to stray over to Fox news, there's an article where lou holtz gives his take on it.
The comments section is pretty pro sign stealing. People in the general public assume sign stealing is expected and normal and that you have to be prepared to change them.
Shocking.
November 2nd, 2023 at 10:54 AM ^
wrist bands are a poor-man's helmet communication device
November 2nd, 2023 at 11:03 AM ^
Helmet communication will favor Jim Harbaugh and put to rest any type of advantage he had from Connor Stallion stealing signs by removing the ability of other coaching staffs from being able to steal them.
Of course, we can't implement this solution.
November 2nd, 2023 at 11:31 AM ^
Supposedly they in the past voted down helmets with communications with a rumor that coaches liked the game within a game of sign stealing.
November 2nd, 2023 at 2:03 PM ^
Electronic transmissions can be intercepted