Category Archives: Tech of Sports

From the shoes we wear on our feet to the high definition televisions in our living room, wearable devices, the sports universe is a breeding ground for technology. Writer and Photographer Rick Limpert will examine this each week on The Tech of Sports – With guests which include athletes, inventors and journalists that cover the intersection of sports and technology.

Bonnie-Jill Laflin, Author, Broadcaster, TV Personality

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Rick is joined by Bonnie-Jill Laflin this week. To talk about the Babes in Toyland and Hounds for Heroes event.

As an author, Bonnie-Jill Laflin’s book “In a League of Her Own: Celebrating Female Firsts in Sports” was published in February and explores the stories of 19 impactful women in sports, including Billie Jean King, Danica Patrick, Jackie Joyner-Kersee, Laila Ali, Jeanie Buss, and Mary Lou Retton. Now available for purchase, Laflin’s book explores the sobering realities women face in the sports world and the many obstacles they had to overcome on the path to success.

Laflin is a trailblazing sports broadcaster, TV personality, author, and philanthropist. She is the first and only female NBA scout, holding the front office executive position with the Los Angeles Lakers, Bonnie-Jill holds many “firsts” throughout her prolific career. She’s the first woman to dance at a professional level for three teams, in two sports, starting with the NBA’s Golden State Warriors, and moving to the NFL for both the San Francisco 49ers and the Dallas Cowboys. She is the first female to be awarded six championship rings in two professional sports, earning a Super Bowl ring during her time cheering for the 49ers, and five NBA championship rings as an executive with the Lakers. Bonnie-Jill adds a new “first” to her repertoire as co-host of the brand-new “Women’s Western Sports Roundup” on the Cowgirl Channel.

Beyond her accomplishments in sports, Bonnie-Jill ventured into the world of broadcasting, bringing her knowledge and enthusiasm to the airwaves, reporting for various high-profile networks, including ESPN, NBA TV, NBC/NBC Sports, NFL Films, Westwood One, CBS, E!, BBC Sports, SiriusXM, NFR Live, and Fox Sports.

 

Olympic & Paralympic Champions Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall

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Rick is joined at Bar and Restaurant Expo by Olympic & Paralympic champions Tara Davis-Woodhall and Hunter Woodhall.

They are representing Rodeo de las Aguas Tequila.

Tara Davis-Woodhall, an Olympic long jump champion, and Hunter Woodhall, a Paralympic sprinter, are married and a power couple who met at a high school track meet and have been together since 2017, getting married in 2022.

Tara won gold in the women’s long jump at the Paris 2024 Olympics, and Hunter won gold in the 400-meter T62 final at the Paralympics.

When Davis and Woodhall are not competing on the field, they post on social media to connect with fans.

The two share their experiences as a couple and professional athletes on their YouTube channel, giving their nearly 800,000 subscribers an intimate first look at training sessions, personal milestones and details of their relationship.

In a video posted in August 2024, they vlogged the days leading up to Davis’ first competition at the Paris games, “We’re at our Second Olympics. Together this time.,” emphasizing that while it’s their second Olympic stint, it’s the first they can cheer for each other on the stands without COVID-19 pandemic restrictions.

A great interview, let’s see what is next for the Woodhalls.

 

Neal Singh, President and COO of Zenoti

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Zenoti provides a suite of solutions that includes POS, CRM, Front Office, Customer Engagement, Sales, Marketing, Business Management, Employee Management, Payroll, Supply Chain, Billing, Fintech, Analytics and Reporting.

Zenoti:

Provides a modern mobile experience tailored to your brand elements.

Enables geo fencing for check-in prompts and guest arrival notifications.

Unlocks touchless mobile checkout, including payments with Auto-Pay and Self-Pay.

Pushes feedback requests and rebook prompts.

Jim Lampley, Legendary Broadcaster, Voice of Boxing, New Book

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From Jim Lampley, HBO’s ringside face and voice of boxing, comes a first-person, blow-by-blow account of the evolution of sports television chock full of famous names, history-making events, and never-before-told stories from the world of sports.

Link: https://www.amazon.com/Happened-Uniquely-Lucky-Sports-Television/dp/1637746431/ref=sr_1_1?dib=eyJ2IjoiMSJ9.ojWedVLP7zi75rT_LFyGeUVBOidY6VPaBZc6skouIsWYbREju4ZQWgpgl9fv7mfWZcz2xxr5HQ88qQFj_JrD7w.f1h6mPZxmOQOY_zsFJIavMOS-Q0O13ye8E56R2nahkA&dib_tag=se&qid=1742178091&refinements=p_27%3AJim+Lampley&s=books&sr=1-1

Jim Lampley’s story is a 50-year travelog of an unlikely career that catalogs the evolution of sports television—from his emergence as the first sideline reporter, through hosting and covering 14 Olympics, to working with all major sports networks.

It Happened! charts Jim’s notable career, with highlights including:

Becoming the first live reporter on the sideline of a nationally televised college football game
Following in the footsteps of Jim McKay as host on ABC’s Wide World of Sports and Howard Cosell as halftime host for ABC’s Monday Night Football
Partnering with ABC, CBS, NBC, Turner, and HBO
Ascending to host of HBO’s Wimbledon weekday telecasts
Reaching “icon” status as the 30-year face and voice of HBO World Championship Boxing

Learn how Jim’s brilliance as an announcer and his revolutionary nature led to innovations in sportscasting, three sports Emmys, and induction into the International Boxing Hall of Fame. Personal anecdotes and hard-earned lessons combine as Jim digs deep and shares celebrity stories from the upper echelons of superstar athletes and Hollywood hotshots, but also offers an introspective look at his personal life and trials. It Happened! tells it all.

Cosmo Raines, Disc Go!

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Caught up with Cosmo Raines of Disc Go! at Toyfest.

I create health, wellness, fitness and fun products that empower people to maximize their body’s performance today and maintain it for the long run. The latest is the MOBO System™ – my patented world-class mobilization system for modern gyms, therapeutic clinics, serious athletes, and hard-core desk jockeys. My vision at MOBO System™ to help people live a pain free and physically active life at their best performance.

With over 20+ years of experience in product design, sourcing, manufacturing, and quality control, I’ve worked with more than a handful of industry professionals and have successfully gotten multiple products to market and patented. Though my latest invention is the patented MOBO System™, it’s certainly not my last. The greatest joy I have in life is engaging in the creative process to not only build products, but build businesses.

Now Disc Go!

Our love for discs goes way back to our ultimate Frisbee days with youth group – that’s when we caught the buzz of tossing discs and getting down with some friendly competition. But, man, the real magic went down when we were tinkering with a silicone sweatband. Dig this: a soft, flexy, bouncy mini-disc sparked the birth of Disc GO! – a game for anyone, anywhere, anytime! 🚀✨

Info:

The discs are made of silicone and are flexible and bendable for people of all ages to enjoy!

Our Mini-Discs are 4″ (10.16cm) in diameter with a 2.5″ (6.35cm) hole in the middle, you can play ring toss with them.

Put one or two around your wrist to have a fun game of catch while out for a walk.

Your entire Disc GO! Game Pack fits in the included 12 x 4.5 x 1” (30 x 12 x 2.5 cm) Clear Travel Bag and weighs just 7.2 oz (204g)!

Going light? We left enough room for you to put your phone and car key inside.

Enjoy concerts and festivals? Use our Clear Travel Bag to meet their clear bag security requirement!

This fun, lightweight, portable silicone Mini-Disc game sparks imagination & friendly competition through flexible indoor/outdoor play and social connection.

HOW DO WE PLAY?

  • Place the Target Marker around 8 ft. away
  • Pick your Mini-Disc color
  • Take turns throwing your Mini-Discs at the Target Marker
  • Try to land your Mini-Discs on the Target Marker

HOW DO WE SCORE?

  • Any Solid Mini-Disc ON the Target Marker = 1 point
  • Any SUPER Mini-Disc ON the Target Marker = 3 points
  • Play to 21, win by 2
  • Scan QR Code for Free Score Keeper, Demo Videos and more!

WHERE CAN WE PLAY?

Unlike most games, you can play Disc GO! anywhere! They are soft, so you can play with them indoors. They’re durable, so you can play with them on the beach or in the ocean. They’re lightweight, so you can bring them on a hike or camping (just avoid tossing them into the camp fire!)

Lou Vigliotti, “Collective Dream” – A Sports Collector’s Journey

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Sports collector, now author, Lou Vigliotti, joins Rick This week.

Vigliotti is a retired financial executive with over 40 years in the financial services industry. For over 30 years he has been collecting various sports related items with an emphasis on autographed sports memorabilia.

From Lou:

Have you ever wondered why people are fascinated by sports icons and obtaining their autograph? Well, I did as well, until I realized it can become a hobby and a challenge. What started as sports card collecting eventually led to collecting autographed sports memorabilia. “Collective Dream” are the anecdotes of one man’s quest to obtain the autographs of some of the greatest sports figures in history. Creative outreach, camera mishaps, rule infractions are all part of the Dream. Along the way, you will learn highlights and statistics of some of these sport icons.

Lou grew up in the small town of Lewis Run, Pennsylvania. He is a graduate of Indiana University of Pennsylvania holding a B.S. degree in Business Administration. He has held various board of director positions and now is a consultant to various financial services companies. He lives in Florida and Maryland and enjoys spending time with his family, traveling and continues to be involved in sports memorabilia collecting.

See more at: https://www.amazon.com/gp/product/1977279732/ref=as_li_qf_sp_asin_il_tl?ie=UTF8&camp=1789&creative=9325&creativeASIN=1977279732&linkCode=as2&tag=amz024b-20