NFL and Motorola Unveil New Communication Equipment for 2007 Season and Beyond

NFL pre-season
games will be the first to feature two new innovations from the NFL and
Motorola, Inc. developed to enhance sideline communication. The NFL and
Motorola are unveiling newly designed Coaches Headsets and

Sideline
Communication

Centers during preseason
games across the League. The two initiatives are part of an ongoing
collaboration between the NFL and Motorola to upgrade in-game communication
systems and capabilities.

The new
headsets are lighter, thinner and more ergonomically advanced in comparison to
their predecessors. The series of headsets range from the traditional over the
head style which has improvements in ear comfort, acoustic sealing and
microphone performance to the new “behind head” style which allows
coaches the ability to wear a variety of hats while using the headsets.

“The
Motorola Coaches Headset is a critical piece of equipment for me as I
communicate with my quarterback and other coaches,” said Eric Mangini,
Head Coach of the New York Jets. “The new design helps reduce exterior
noise, so it is going to be easier to hear and communicate.”

Motorola’s
Design Team worked closely with NFL coaches like Mangini to incorporate the
most common requests from coaches into headsets that took design cues from
popular Motorola products such as the recently announced RAZR2. The prototypes
were then tested with the company’s ‘Human Factors Group,’ which analyzed the
performance and feel, before being tested in competition during NFL Europe
games.

“The
Motorola Headsets have become a signature in-game tool of NFL coaches, so we
had to create a design that communicated power, confidence and high
performance,” said Jim Wicks, corporate vice president, Consumer Xperience
Design, Motorola. “This headset, which the fans will see each game day, is
a result of a year and a half of tight collaboration between our design team,
coaches and NFL officials.”

Another
innovation coming to NFL sidelines this season is the new

Motorola
Sideline

Communication
Center
to replace the old “Phone Tables” that have been used for several
decades. The new Centers will standardize the sideline communication throughout
the League.

In the past, teams have placed between 7 and 15
traditional phones on a table for players, coaches and field personnel to use
when communicating with coaches up in the press box. The new Sideline
Communication Centers feature 16 phones in a durable mobile case complete with
golf cart wheels, disc brakes and rack-and-pinion steering for easy
transportation on and off the field.