When week seven of the 2018 NFL season kicked off, former All-Pro quarterback Michael Vick and Chad “Ochocinco” Johnson, one of the most dynamic receivers in NFL history did their pre-game preparation in a 12th floor penthouse at the Waldorf Astoria in Beverly Hills. Rather than taping their ankles or putting on eye black, Vick and Johnson charged their iPhones and studied the tendencies of the Philadelphia Eagles and Carolina Panthers.
That’s because, rather than taking the field, two of the NFL’s most exciting players for nearly a decade were preparing to match wits in Winview – the popular second-screen live TV sports prediction platform to see who’s better at predicting what will happen next in an NFL game. The “Watch & Win” with WinView app is a game of skill — where fans answer live predictions about the action during the televised game in real time. “Will the next play be a pass or run?” “Will there be 3+ completions on this drive?” Players enter contests and compete against other fans to see who knows the game best. Whoever answers the most questions correctly in a quarter-long contest wins cash prizes, ranging from a few dollars to thousands.
In addition to both being remarkable athletes, both Chad and Mike were regarded as two of the smartest players, who combined skills and smarts to maximize their performance. It’s this game knowledge that Mike, Chad and all sports fans get to test against each other when they play Winview.
In between plays at the promotional event, Mike and Chad talked about their legacy and some of today’s top players. When asked if he thinks Panthers signal-caller Cam Newton could break his career rushing mark, you can tell Vick had surely thought about it explaining “Cam needs 400-500 yards a year for the next four or five seasons and with his size and his body I do believe he’ll be able to hold up.”
When talk turned to their chances for wearing a gold jacket in Canton one day, Vick understands that it’s out of their hands, while Chad explained that he played the game to have fun and doesn’t need validation, but it would be an honor to get there.
And when they were asked about today’s top rookie, it’s no surprise that they both pointed to Saquon Barkley and Baker Mayfield as two players to watch.
Michael Vick was one of the most exciting players in NFL history. During his 11-year NFL career – mostly with Atlanta and Philadelphia, the #1 overall pick in the 2001 NFL Draft from Virginia Tech was a 4-time Pro Bowler and the top running quarterback in NFL history with 6,109 yards on just 873 carries. Chad Johnson was one of the most productive receivers in the NFL for nearly a decade with the Bengals. A 6-time All-Pro and 2-time First-Team All-Pro, he tallied 766 receptions, 11,059 yards and 67 touchdowns. The second-round pick Oregon State was also one of the league’s most entertaining players, changing his name to OchoCinco (#85) and performing some of the most memorable touchdown celebrations.
As for who won the game of Winview … we were sworn to secrecy, but let’s just say Chad did light up a post -game cigar on the balcony.