Microsoft Surface tablets derp during NFL playoff game, affected team loses

If you’ve ever watched an American Football match, you’ll understand just how important sideline tactics are. They’re frankly the meat and potatoes of the entire sport, and if you’re unable to relay instructions to your troops between plays, you’re as dead as, well, these Microsoft Surface tablets.

In a bid to get more Surfaces in the hands or more people, Microsoft partnered with the NFL to provide tablets to the management of NFL teams, but they aren’t the management or players’ favourite devices right now.

This weekend, during a game between Denver Broncos and New England Patriots (a playoff game, mind), the Patriot’s Surface Pros decided to suddenly call it quits, blanking out and leaving the outfit with no idea of the next play.

We’re not sure what happened exactly, but Microsoft suggests that it wasn’t the tablets themselves.

“Our team on the field has confirmed the issue was not related to the tablets themselves but rather an issue with the network. We worked with our partners who manage the network to ensure the issue was resolved quickly,” the company told The Verge.

After paying US$400-million for usage rights, it’s clear that Microsoft’s getting more bad press from this relationship than anything else. It doesn’t help that the announcers still call them iPads either.

And for the record, the Patriots lost 18-20 to the Broncos. Ouch.