Latest news with #Coach'sChallenge
Time Out
19 hours ago
- Sport
- Time Out
Love basketball and burritos? You can win free Chipotle during the NBA Finals
Despite wild rumors that the chain was closing earlier this year, Chipotle is doing fantastic—and is even launching a new promotion that rewards fans of the Mexican grill restaurant during the men's 2025 NBA championships. It's a playful response to the lengthy replays that pause play during the basketball games when everyone just wants to move the action forward. During any Coach's Challenge (a review of the game footage to protest an official's call of a foul, violation or interference), Chipotle will in turn challenge fans to find a hidden keyword on X (formerly, Twitter) for the chance to win a free entrée. The promotion is called "Chipotle Instant Replays". How do people check X for the keyword? Look at the @chipotletweets account to see the most recent post whenever live broadcast NBA play is paused. How do you find the keyword? It'll be hidden somewhere in the post, so you'll have to use your best detective skills! So you found it—what now? Text the keyword to 888222, and if you're one of the first 5,000 to do so, you'll win a free Chipotle entrée. If you win, how do you get your entrée? You will receive a text code for the free entrée, which is valid for five days, so clear room in your schedule for your Chipotle visit. You do have to be at least 13 years old to participate, and standard text and data rates may apply. More fine print stuff can be found here: How many chances are there to win? It all depends on how contentious the game is! If a team challenges an official's call and their challenge fails, the team loses a timeout and can't challenge again for the rest of the game. However, if the challenge is successful, the team is awarded a second opportunity to trigger an official review. Chipotle is prepared to post up to four times per game, so while supplies last and the challenges keep coming, you can possibly win. Are the challenges a good thing? Well, depends which team is challenging which call. But Chipotle recognizes that the challenges, and the wait time to watch the replays, can be frustrating, so this promotion is a fun way to make that time pass.
Yahoo
3 days ago
- Business
- Yahoo
You can win free Chipotle during the NBA Finals, but you'll have to be quick
USA TODAY and Yahoo may earn commission from links in this article. Pricing and availability subject to change. If you're a fan of burritos and basketball, Chipotle has a promotion for you. The fast casual Mexican food chain announced Monday, June 2, a new discount that will run during this year's NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Advertisement Here's how the promotion, called "Chipotle Instant Freeplays," works: Whenever there is a coach's challenge during the live broadcast of certain games in the 2025 NBA Finals, @chipotletweets will share a post on X for fans to "review." Fans will be challenged to uncover a keyword hidden in the post. The first 5,000 fans who text the keyword to 888222 will win a free entrée. 'Having the game come to a halt and watching referees review a play over-and-over again is rarely enjoyable,' said Chris Brandt, President, Chief Brand Officer, in a news release. 'We want fans to have fun throughout the game, so we are offering a chance to score free Chipotle during Coach's Challenge reviews.' How to get free Chipotle this summer: Chipotle giving away $1 million in free burritos this summer NBA Finals 2025 schedule Here's the full schedule for this year's NBA Finals: Game 1: Thursday, June 5; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2: Sunday, June 8; 8 p.m. ET Game 3: Wednesday, June 11; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 4: Friday, June 13; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, June 16; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 19; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 22; 8 p.m. ET Chipotle also giving away over $1 million in free food this summer Chipotle announced in May a new three-month program to give away more than $1 million in free burritos to Chipotle Rewards members this summer. Advertisement The program, called "Summer of Extras," will run June 1 through August 31 and will give Chipotle Rewards members who opt in extra points and exclusive badges for completing up to four milestones per month. Additionally, the program will reward members who complete the milestones sweepstakes entries for a chance to win free burritos for a year and a limited-edition stainless steel gift card. According to the fast casual restaurant chain, each month during the program, Chipotle Rewards members who have opted into the program can earn the following milestones: Milestone One: After the purchase of one entrée, 50 bonus points, five sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Milestone Two: After the purchase of two more entrées, 100 bonus points, 10 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Milestone Three: After the purchase of two more entrées, 200 bonus points, 15 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Milestone Four: After the purchase of two more entrées, 300 bonus points, 30 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Once rewards members opt into "Summer of Extras" in their account, they will unlock the seven-visit streak challenge described above, Chipotle said in a news release, adding that "milestones reset at the beginning of each month, giving guests more opportunities to earn extra benefits, extra points and extra free Chipotle all summer long." Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@ This article originally appeared on USA TODAY: Chipotle NBA Finals deal: How to get a free burrito or bowl
USA Today
3 days ago
- Sport
- USA Today
You can win free Chipotle during the NBA Finals, but you'll have to be quick
You can win free Chipotle during the NBA Finals, but you'll have to be quick Show Caption Hide Caption Thunder knock off Knicks, will battle Thunder for NBA Finals crown USA TODAY Sports' Lorenzo Reyes breaks down how the Indiana Pacers fought their way into the NBA Finals. Sports Pulse If you're a fan of burritos and basketball, Chipotle has a promotion for you. The fast casual Mexican food chain announced Monday, June 2, a new discount that will run during this year's NBA Finals between the Indiana Pacers and Oklahoma City Thunder. Here's how the promotion, called "Chipotle Instant Freeplays," works: Whenever there is a coach's challenge during the live broadcast of certain games in the 2025 NBA Finals, @chipotletweets will share a post on X for fans to "review." Fans will be challenged to uncover a keyword hidden in the post. The first 5,000 fans who text the keyword to 888222 will win a free entrée. 'Having the game come to a halt and watching referees review a play over-and-over again is rarely enjoyable,' said Chris Brandt, President, Chief Brand Officer, in a news release. 'We want fans to have fun throughout the game, so we are offering a chance to score free Chipotle during Coach's Challenge reviews.' How to get free Chipotle this summer: Chipotle giving away $1 million in free burritos this summer NBA Finals 2025 schedule Here's the full schedule for this year's NBA Finals: Game 1: Thursday, June 5; 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday, June 5; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 2: Sunday, June 8; 8 p.m. ET Sunday, June 8; 8 p.m. ET Game 3: Wednesday, June 11; 8:30 p.m. ET Wednesday, June 11; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 4: Friday, June 13; 8:30 p.m. ET Friday, June 13; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 5 (if necessary): Monday, June 16; 8:30 p.m. ET Monday, June 16; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 6 (if necessary): Thursday, June 19; 8:30 p.m. ET Thursday, June 19; 8:30 p.m. ET Game 7 (if necessary): Sunday, June 22; 8 p.m. ET Chipotle also giving away over $1 million in free food this summer Chipotle announced in May a new three-month program to give away more than $1 million in free burritos to Chipotle Rewards members this summer. The program, called "Summer of Extras," will run June 1 through August 31 and will give Chipotle Rewards members who opt in extra points and exclusive badges for completing up to four milestones per month. Additionally, the program will reward members who complete the milestones sweepstakes entries for a chance to win free burritos for a year and a limited-edition stainless steel gift card. According to the fast casual restaurant chain, each month during the program, Chipotle Rewards members who have opted into the program can earn the following milestones: Milestone One: After the purchase of one entrée, 50 bonus points, five sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. After the purchase of one entrée, 50 bonus points, five sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Milestone Two: After the purchase of two more entrées, 100 bonus points, 10 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. After the purchase of two more entrées, 100 bonus points, 10 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Milestone Three: After the purchase of two more entrées, 200 bonus points, 15 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. After the purchase of two more entrées, 200 bonus points, 15 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Milestone Four: After the purchase of two more entrées, 300 bonus points, 30 sweepstakes entries and an Extras badge. Once rewards members opt into "Summer of Extras" in their account, they will unlock the seven-visit streak challenge described above, Chipotle said in a news release, adding that "milestones reset at the beginning of each month, giving guests more opportunities to earn extra benefits, extra points and extra free Chipotle all summer long." Gabe Hauari is a national trending news reporter at USA TODAY. You can follow him on X @GabeHauari or email him at Gdhauari@
Forbes
30-04-2025
- Sport
- Forbes
AI Is Transforming Officiating Of The NBA Playoffs For The Better
This past weekend, both Los Angeles NBA teams were on the losing end of decisions shaped not by human referees alone, but by a rising force in sports officiating: artificial intelligence. Sony's Hawk-Eye camera system played a key role in two critical late-game calls that effectively sealed Game 4 outcomes for the Lakers and Clippers. While many fans and commentators praised the accuracy and transparency of the reviews, few are pausing to consider the broader implications of this new wave of AI. As AI systems like Hawk-Eye become increasingly integrated into high-stakes decision-making, they are quietly reshaping the balance of power in professional sport On Saturday, with the score tied at 99 and just two seconds remaining, Denver Nuggets superstar Nikola Jokic launched an off-balance three-point attempt that looked more hopeful than accurate. The shot missed, but Aaron Gordon appeared seemingly out of nowhere and converted the rebound into a dramatic game-winning alley-oop. At first, there was uncertainty about whether the ball left Gordon's hands before the buzzer. That question was answered clearly by a replay angle from Sony's Hawk-Eye camera system, which confirmed the basket counted and secured a critical Game 4 victory for Denver. The following day, the same technology played a decisive role in another tightly contested finish. With about ten seconds left on the clock and the Minnesota Timberwolves holding a one-point lead over the Los Angeles Lakers, officials initially ruled that LeBron James had forced a turnover against Anthony Edwards handing the Lakers the ball in a critical moment. The Timberwolves used their Coach's Challenge to contest the call, prompting a video review powered by Hawk-Eye's multi-angle camera system. After review, the call was overturned, James was assessed a foul, and Minnesota closed out the game with the win. Once again, the outcome hinged on the precision of AI-assisted officiating. In March 2023, Sony and the NBA officially announced their partnership with the explicit intention to 'enhance officiating by increasing the accuracy of calls and the speed of gameplay.' Through this collaboration, Sony's Hawk-Eye Innovations has introduced advanced 3D optical tracking systems in NBA arenas, using an array of high-speed cameras to capture real-time, three-dimensional data on player movements and ball trajectories. The system tracks key points on each player's body, enabling precise analysis of gameplay and supporting quicker, more accurate officiating decisions. The partnership marks a huge step forward, as previously, the NBA was only tracking each player's location as a single point. With Hawk-Eye and similar technologies, officiating is increasingly being supported by AI-driven systems that provide clarity in the most critical moments of a game. At the core of this innovation is computer vision. Computer vision is a branch of artificial intelligence that enables machines to interpret and understand visual information. Whether it is tracking the path of a ball, identifying where players are on the field, or determining whether a goal has been scored, computer vision systems analyze video in real time to understand what is happening. It is the same underlying technology and modeling that enables self-driving cars. In the sports world, the process begins with cameras that are placed around a stadium or court. These cameras capture video from multiple angles. The footage is then fed into software that has been trained to recognize specific objects, such as players, referees, balls, and lines on the playing surface. Using advanced AI models, such as neural networks, the system identifies these elements and tracks how they move frame by frame. What makes computer vision especially valuable is its speed and precision. It can process thousands of data points in real time without fatigue or bias that is inherent in human vision. In essence, computer vision is becoming a quiet but essential part of the modern sports experience. It helps teams make better decisions, helps fans see more clearly, and ensures that key moments are understood with confidence and accuracy. As the NBA's Game 4 outcomes illustrated, artificial intelligence is no longer a futuristic concept on the sidelines of sports. With Sony's Hawk-Eye technology at the forefront, leagues are beginning to rely on computer vision not just to enhance officiating, but to fundamentally reimagine how games are tracked, reviewed, and understood. The speed, precision, and objectivity these systems provide are transforming the expectations of fairness and accuracy in professional sports. Yet as AI becomes more embedded in critical game decisions, it also raises important questions about transparency, control, and the evolving role of human judgment. For now, computer vision is helping officials make better calls and fans relive key moments with unprecedented clarity. But its growing influence suggests something deeper is underway: the emergence of a new digital authority in the world of sports.
