The Most Useless Technology In Sports

In our time as sports fans, all of us have seen inventions or products related to the sports we love that are confusing, perplexing, stupid, or just plain useless. 

This list is dedicated to those inventions that made everyone shake their head, from the FOXTRAX hockey pucks to monochrome baseball uniforms, from soccer's goal line technology to football's ProCap and baseball's crazy helmets, this is the list of the dumbest mainstream sports inventions. 

10. The NBA's New Basketball

If you build it, they will complain.

So, the NBA spent millions of dollars partnering with Spalding to create this: a space-age tech basketball that doesn't lose grip when it gets sweaty. 

The only problem? Everyone hated it. The NBA never bothered to test the new ball with players, leading to complaints for the first few months of the season. The ball, and probably the man who approved it, haven't been seen since. 

9. Laser-Aided Umpiring

So, we're going to shoot a "Laser" at a baseball, destroying the game of baseball, unless you pay me one hundred million dollars!

A decent idea in theory, to aid baseball umpires calling balls and strike. You know, as long as it doesn't matter how high or low the pitch is, just whether or not it's over the plate. 

8. CoolFlo Batting Helmets

Rob Tringali/Getty Images

FORT LAUDERDALE, FL - FEBRUARY 25: Ryan Church #19 of the New York Mets bats against the Baltimore Orioles during a spring training game at Fort Lauderdale Stadium on February 25, 2008 in Fort Lauderdale, Florida. (Photo by Rob Tringali/Getty Images)

The CoolFlo helmet was released in the mid-2000's as a lightweight, breathable alternative to typical batting helmets. 

A good idea, right? Let's make a helmet designed to keep players safe in the batters box more lightweight for the 10 minutes per game they have to wear it, while simultaneously taking out some of the padding and making sure that it looks as ridiculous as possible. 

7. Collapsible Baseball Bat

If the bat retracts, how do you swing it?

The retractible bat was designed to help kids learn to choke up on the bat. It was also designed to help sneak a weapon into any place you could possibly need one. Something tells me it would have been used for the second purpose more than the first. 

6. Monochrome Baseball Uniforms

No. Just... no.

Words aren't necessary. This is so we never forget the horror of baseball uniforms in the 70's. 

5. No Hanging Basketball Net

How can you score? That basket looks tiny!

To prevent players from hanging on the basketball net. Because, you know, those of us who can't dunk need something to make us feel even less athletic. 

4. Goal Line Technology

Cameron Spencer/Getty Images

BLOEMFONTEIN, SOUTH AFRICA - JUNE 27: Manuel Neuer of Germany watches the ball bounce over the line from a shot that hit the crossbar from Frank Lampard of England, but referee Jorge Larrionda judges the ball did not cross the line during the 2010 FIFA W

Goal-line technology would be used to determine whether a shot was a goal or not, on plays like this one. Of course, FIFA says it's useless, so we have to agree with them. 

3.ProCap

This picture says it all. Photo courtesy of Uni watch.

I think this says everything you need to know about the ProCap. Ridiculous, and useless, because they broke down so fast. 

2. The Gladiator

Does it protect? Yes, undoubtedly. Would you wear it? No.

It would work excellently as a football helmet. The only problem is, when you put it on, you look like you're playing pop warner football. Remember those days, when your helmet was too big for your head? 

This will bring all those memories flooding back. 

1.FOXTrax Hockey

The most useless sports invention of all time.

This has to be number one. It has to! It wasn't just obnoxious, it made people stop watching hockey. Players hated it because it was too expensive to practice with, and they said it bounced funny. What a waste of time and resources.

Clearly, the most useless sports technology of all time.