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A Look At Tech Failures In Sports

"I'm done with the tablets. I'll use the paper pictures from here on because I've given it my best shot. I've tried to work through the process but it just doesn't work for me and that's because there's no consistency to it," says Bill Belichick. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)
"I'm done with the tablets. I'll use the paper pictures from here on because I've given it my best shot. I've tried to work through the process but it just doesn't work for me and that's because there's no consistency to it," says Bill Belichick. (Jim Rogash/Getty Images)

Sports continue to rely more and more on technology. Leagues are adding sophisticated replay systems for officials. Coaches are counting on computers to help them make decisions during games. Stadiums are powering huge facilities to support crowds. But sometimes technology breaks down. Here's a look at some notable mishaps in recent sports history.

Super Bowl XLVII — Lights Out

"I'm not gonna accuse nobody of nothing — because I don't know facts, but you're a zillion-dollar company, and your lights go out? No. (Laughs) No way," says Ravens' linebacker Ray Lewis. (Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty Images)
"I'm not gonna accuse nobody of nothing — because I don't know facts, but you're a zillion-dollar company, and your lights go out? No. (Laughs) No way," Ravens linebacker Ray Lewis said. (Timothy Clary/AFP/Getty Images)

During the Ravens-49ers Super Bowl matchup, half of the lights in the Superdome went out during the third quarter, halting play for 34 minutes. A statement released by Entergy, the power supplier of the Superdome, noted an "abnormality":

"A piece of equipment that is designed to monitor electrical load sensed an abnormality in the system. Once the issue was detected, the sensing equipment operated as designed and opened a breaker, causing power to be partially cut to the Superdome in order to isolate the issue."

2014 NBA Finals — Broken Air Conditioning 

"Michael Jordan absolutely couldn't have played through those cramps. I absolutely couldn't have played through those cramps. As an athlete, there's nothing you could do," said Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)
"Michael Jordan absolutely couldn't have played through those cramps. I absolutely couldn't have played through those cramps. As an athlete, there's nothing you could do," Hall of Famer Isiah Thomas said. (Andy Lyons/Getty Images)

The first game of the 2014 NBA Finals was a hot one. An electrical failure shut down the AT&T Arena's AC, which caused on-court temperatures to rise above 90 degrees. The heat took a toll on some players, most notably LeBron James, who had to sit out most of the fourth quarter because of cramps:

"I lost all the fluids that I was putting in in the last couple days out there on the floor. It sucks not being out there for your team, especially at this point in the season," James said.

NFL Sideline Technology

In a lengthy rant, Patriots coach Bill Belichick recently denounced the tablets used on NFL sidelines , calling the technology "too undependable."

Belichick's comments, aimed at the Microsoft Surface, revealed the complexity of communication between NFL players, coaches and officials. Here's what he had to say:

"There are very few games where there aren't issues in some form or fashion with that equipment. And again, there's a lot of equipment involved, too.

"We get the equipment the day of the game, or I'd say not the day of the game but a few hours before the game and we test it and sometimes it works, sometimes it doesn't. Usually by game time it is working but I would say not always. And then during the game sometimes something happens and it has to be fixed, and first of all, you have to figure out what the problem is. Is it a battery? Is it the helmet? Is it the coaches' pack? Is it the battery on the coaches' pack?

"I'm done with the tablets. I'll use the paper pictures from here on because I've given it my best shot. I've tried to work through the process but it just doesn't work for me and that's because there's no consistency to it."

While Belichick is frustrated with Surface's utility, others have simply taken out their frustration on the poor device. Just ask Johnny Manziel and Aaron Rodgers, after they both threw interceptions.

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