During the second quarter of the AFC championship game, the trusty Microsoft Surface tablets (no, not iPads) that NFL teams have been using this year malfunctioned, but only on the Patriots sideline, as Denver’s tablets continued to work without issue.
Considering that there were already certain Pats fans believing that New England was a victim of an NFL conspiracy, the fact that their tablets randomly stopped working in the middle of the game just added more fuel to that fire.
For the more sensible Twitter users, however, it was just another opportunity to poke fun at the whole NFL/Microsoft Tablet experience, which already has been having quite a rough season.
Who would've thought that Peyton Manning's forehead wouldn't be the worst surface in Denver today
— JEFF (@jeffisrael25) January 24, 2016
NFL sidelines are the only place on earth where there are tablets that aren't iPads.
— Brett Anderson (@_BAnderson30_) December 6, 2015
Probably unrelated but maybe Gronk shouldnt of downloaded limewire on every tablet. U can get the milfhunter compliations anywhere nowdays
— PFT Commenter (@PFTCommenter) January 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/Ethan_Booker/status/691365792747618304
It's nice that the sideline reporter used the brand names when saying New England's sideline tablets weren't working
— Bruce Arthur (@bruce_arthur) January 24, 2016
https://twitter.com/billbarnwell/status/691367096454873088
Thankfully, #TabletGate came to an end later in the quarter, as the Patriots’ tablets started working again with five minutes left in the first half.
