Baltimore Ravens quarterback Joe Flacco was in the giving spirit this Christmas season as he gifted each of his offensive linemen an Oculus Rift/Alienware virtual reality package.
Back-up guard/center John Urschel tweeted a photo of the gift last week, which between the headset and gaming processor retails for a few thousand dollars.
Santa Flacco always comes through! #ravens pic.twitter.com/7xfYWXux0y
— John Urschel (@JohnCUrschel) December 23, 2016
“It’s awesome! The computer is awesome — the processor, the storage!” Urschel said to BaltimoreRavens.com about the gift.
USA Today ranked the virtual reality present as the No. 2 gift quarterbacks gave linemen around the Holidays this season.
“Every year you’ve got to do a little something different,” Flacco said about the Christmas gift. “It’s actually a lot of pressure. I try to get it out of the way earlier and earlier every year and make sure it’s just taken care of. That way I can get it off my mind and not think about it anymore.”
At the league level, the NFL has been experimenting with virtual reality throughout the current season. It has partnered with virtual reality broadcast companies NextVR and VOKE to create highlight packages after various NFL games. Additionally, the league expanded its relationship with Google this year to include an exclusive nine-part NFL Films virtual reality series. The initiative, which kicked off on Thanksgiving day, provides fans a 360-degree look at what life is like around the NFL.
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“We are always looking for new ways to engage with our fans. Virtual reality is an emerging platform that enables content experiences with a truly unique vantage point that brings fans closer to the game,” said NFL’s Vishal Shah, Senior Vice President, Digital Media in a statement. “It’s an exciting new medium to explore as we look to evolve and grow our offerings, and this partnership with Google is an important step in that direction.”