The National Football League (NFL) draws a line. In the future, it is forbidden to willfully destroy devices from sponsor Microsoft. Recently there had been several acts of violence against the tablets.

American football is an emotional game. When things get tight and go wrong, the players and coaches seethe with anger. Then you need a valve. However, the classic, a courageous kick against the water canister, has gone out of fashion. Recently, surface tablets from sponsor Microsoft have increasingly had to believe it – which are dismantled into their individual parts in front of the camera. Apparently, this does not reflect well on the devices and devalues ​​them in the eyes of the viewers. The NFL then pulled the emergency brake.

The poor tablet

In the past few weeks, there have been violent freak outs in football several times in connection with tablets flying around. Tampa Bay Buccaneers quarterback Tom Brady is particularly notorious for his rough handling of the devices. The star footballer knows that too and said on a radio show: “Unfortunately, I have a pretty bad record with this tablet. I think I forgot the password and couldn’t log in, that can be frustrating. Unfortunately, the tablet is then just got in the way, and obviously that’s why it didn’t do so well. So I had to take it out on the poor, meaningless tablet.”

But Brady is not alone in his violence against the unsuspecting hardware. Just over the weekend, Ken Dorsey, the Buffalo Bills offensive coordinator, also destroyed a tablet in a tantrum. Unfortunately for him, the camera was running – right next to him.

Both tablet rampages have since apologized for their emotional outbursts, but the NFL is fed up. Possibly also because it is common on social media to make fun of the fate of a tablet in American football – and thus basically reduce Microsoft’s products to the value of a stress ball.

High penalties for hardware destroyers

According to a message that the NFL has sent to all clubs, this should now be the end of it. According to the memo, if anyone else tampers with the devices in the future, “heavy penalties” could be imposed. There have already been warnings to individual tablet launchers in the past, and now a comprehensive ban has followed.

Obviously, the football association in particular is bothered by the handling of the devices. Microsoft is rather amused. In an Instagram story, Microsoft product chief Panos Panay shared one of the freaks and wrote that he was sure the device survived.

Nevertheless – in order to avoid high penalties, the water canister will soon have to believe it again.

What: NBC Sports