Why Prozone technology is a stepforward for our footballMay 2, 2015 10:18:18Sports VerdictByProf Patrick Omo-OsagieFollow on TwitterI am very happy that our football federation is moving us into the world of modern day football by acquiring the football analytics software called PROZONE. This is a great step towards becoming one of the better football playing countries in the world.Football analytics is fairly new in the realm of sports analytics; baseball, American football and basketball have used analytics for many years to prepare,scout and develop players. The book Moneyball: the Art of Winning an Unfair Game by Michael Lewis tells us about analytical evidence-based, sabermetric approach to assembling a competitive baseball team. So it is for football analytics, it is about scouting for the best fit into your team, it is about team preparations against an opponent and about what your team capabilities are.PROZONE is the leader in football analytics software; they go beyond football statistics of goal, assist, fouls, corner kicks, minutes played and passes completed. PROZONE is sports performance analysis; it presently works with over 300 clubs and organizations (now include NFF) and delivers insights that power performance advantage. PROZONE is a part sponsor of the premier Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) Sloan Analytics Conference and they have participated in the soccer analytics round table for the last three years. This conference that takes place in the cold winters of Boston is the premier sports analytics conference in the world.So here is why I am happy about our acquisition of PROZONE football services; if we reorganize our football development, this will be a tremendous advantage. If we train and educate our coaches with the program, our football teams will be better for it. If we stay and continue to update with PROZONE, our football will remain fresh with modern ideas. And lastly, PROZONE will be the revolution in Nigerian football coaching development.I might be seen to be promoting PROZONE, so I will go one step further and also talk in favour of DSTV.DSTV is the premier cable television service in Nigeria and they recently increased rates, which has infuriated many of its customers. Some have even gone as far as getting a court injunction to put a halt to the rate increase.I find this funny and ridiculous; DSTV is a private business and it will increase rates not as they like but as when due. Everyone in Nigeria knows that DSTV is in business because of English Premier League content; that is the content that sells DSTV. And if you are familiar with the recent increase of this same content (EPL) to British broadcasters, you will know that the rates went up by over 70%. You do not need a fortune-teller to tell youthat the rates will go up in the international market; and that is why I believe DSTV has increased its rates. Let us not forget that television is not a human right, if you cannot afford it, cancel your subscription, but to say that they cannot increase rates is ridiculous.In the very home of the EPL, the government cannot control the rates of Sky and BT, the EPL television partners; one ridiculous thing they do is to find citizens that are on government social welfare and who have EPL subscription as part of their television programming, they cut them off or reduce their government help. For if you can afford 40pounds a month for football, you just might not need government help!The English, Nigerian and South African rates for cable television are all in the same ball park, so folks quit the complaining and pay the new rate or disconnect. I hear also about a Pay per View option; where do we get such ideas from? Do you want to pay $10 a football match? Nowhere in the world is PPV the standard, it is an additional service to customers. The big boxing bout of this new century is costing us here, in America $100 (PPV), but DSTV that will pay an international fee will broadcast to you, in Nigeria as part of your monthly subscription package. The best that can happen is for DSTV to put some channelsonline and let folks pay and watch what they want, but the price of internet data will make you return to DSTV monthly subscription as soon as possible.Let me state clearly again; I do not endorse PROZONE or DSTV, I am only stating an opinion based on facts.