Sports Museum of America uses video, Cisco to tell the story

By Ken Kerschbaumer

When the Sports Museum of America opened its doors last week it also opened the doors on a new era and type of sports Hall of Fame facility as American sports artifacts come together with original film and video presentations to help tell the story of sports in America like no other venue before it.

“Visitors will be able to take a virtual lap around the Daytona speedway, navigate through Cisco Field on video kiosks and see original films on topics like ‘Barrier Breakers,” says John Urban, president of the Sports Museum of America.

At the core of the museum is a master control room with 70 video players that send content out through the 30,000 sq. ft. facility. “We didn’t want to just show highlights on a plasma screen,” adds Urban. “We tried to add another level of engagement. For example, NFL Films worked with us to literally put the visitor under the Instant Replay hood with the referee, seeing the angles the ref sees and then making a decision.”

That isn’t to say the Museum doesn’t put a premium on artifacts. “We’re very proud of the artifact collection,” says Urban. Nearly 60 Hall of Fames donated artifacts that help tell the broader story of a sport. “We’re not a deep dive,” adds Urban. “In 90 minutes we want to take you through the story of sports in America.”

David Rome of RomeAntics Productions, designed the control room while Cisco Systems was a technology partner for items like a Telepresence system that can allow fans to interact with coaches and athletes via long-distances.

“This makes our technology more visible to people,” says Jeff Platon, Cisco Sports and Entertainment Group VP of marketing. “Many fans didn’t know Cisco made these technologies and, historically, they don’t see Cisco as powering the Internet.

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