You wouldn't be saying that if they had comics olympics.
I'm...not quite sure what that means. Anyway -- yeah, what I said was too simplistic. You shouldn't get let off the hook for screwing up just because you're better than almost everyone else at what you do. But it's really not fair to say they suck. On the other hand, that was just a joke, so I'm making too big of a deal out of it, and never mind.
You wouldn't be saying that if they had comics olympics.
I'm...not quite sure what that means. Anyway -- yeah, what I said was too simplistic. You shouldn't get let off the hook for screwing up just because you're better than almost everyone else at what you do. But it's really not fair to say they suck. On the other hand, that was just a joke, so I'm making too big of a deal out of it, and never mind.
I'm watching these sports now while the Olympics are on. But when it's all over I won't really be watching them again until they come around again. It is strange. I wouldn't normally watch things like diving, track and field, table tennis, and handball. But while the Olympics are going on I really want to.
Its something different from the norm and your watching the best in the sport in most cases. While watching other sports is enjoyable its a repeat over and over every week while the Summer Olympics only comes around once every four years.
To each their own, but I do not get any enjoyment from watching a sport/athletic event on television. Even watching athletic events in person bores the crap out of me unless I am with a bunch of rowdy friends and the rowdiness of it all becomes an engaging activity (like watching the hockey games at RIT with the FRC - I would have never enjoyed it going by myself). I might get engaged in watching an event if someone I cared about was playing in it (like a friend or loved one), but watching strangers play a game is just like watching the grass grow to me. This goes double for major athletic events when I can't even appreciate the sheer feat of human athleticism, because the performances might be enhanced with drugs. Seeing people enjoy watching sports just baffles me, like watching a different species. I like PLAYING sport. I just do not understanding watching it.
The enjoyment of spectating a sport comes from four places.
First is the witnessing of feats of strength. In just about any sporting event, you will see a human being perform some feat that is amazing. Watching a baseball player make a throw all the way from the outfield to home plate in time to get the out is the same as watching a trapeze artist pull off an amazing flip. There is a sense of awe you get when you see other human beings do amazing things. This is why people watch the highlights on SportsCenter every morning. They just show the amazing feats.
Second, there is the drama of the moment. In any given sporting game, there will be tense moments. Some sports more than others. When you watch Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate tie on the 18th hole and then go to a playoff the next day, and then tie again. Every single shot they make could turn the tables one way or the other. It's the same tension you watch at the climax of a movie, only it usually occurs multiple times, and for extended periods. The problem is that this tension can only really be felt if you understand the sport being played, and the situation the game is in. If you don't understand that the putt Tiger is about to make is so important, then it's just a guy tapping a ball with a stick.
The third reason sports spectating is entertaining is because of the story. You might say, there is no story. It's just a bunch of overpaid people playing a game for a living. You are right. The story of a sport is a fabrication by sports writers. Sports writers take the games that these people play, using the players and teams as characters, and create a story around them. It's no different than story in any other show on TV, except that what happens next is not scripted. It is determined by the will and strength of the players competing for the championship. If you don't read the Sports section, or watch ESPN, the drama of Brett Favres un-retirement is lost on you. The drama of Super Bowl 42, which is a story that began 1971 with Archie Manning, is lost.
The fourth and final reason people spectate sports is because of fandom. When you are a fan of a team, or player, that team is your champion. Much like in the olden days in the gladiatorial arena, the gladiator would be a representative of some rich person. It's much like how your avatar in WoW represents you on the battlefield. When you are a fan, the team or person you are a fan of represents you. When they win, you win. When they lose, you lose. You emotionally invest yourself into them, and you feel as if you are a part of them. In a way, you are them. You intentionally empathize with them in order to taste the same victory or defeat that they taste, despite the fact that you yourself are not competing. This is why it is often boring to go to spectate a sporting event when you are not emotionally invested in the participants.
These reasons are no secret. If you watch the Olympic coverage you can see that NBC knows all of these things very well. They always show highlights of amazing feats of strength, no matter who the athlete is. Commentators always explain what you are watching, so that you will know understand the importance, and feel the suspense, of what you are watching, in case you don't understand. In-between events they will always tell stories about the athletes. The beach volleyball player who tosses her mother's ashes on the sand after she wins. The swimmer who has trained his whole life, and eats like crazy. Lastly, they mostly show events in which your home country is a very strong competitor, so that you can cheer them on as if they are your gladiators.
Sports spectating isn't for everyone, but you said you were baffled, so I'm telling you why people enjoy it.
Comments
That's why here in Australia there's stuff like this.
First is the witnessing of feats of strength. In just about any sporting event, you will see a human being perform some feat that is amazing. Watching a baseball player make a throw all the way from the outfield to home plate in time to get the out is the same as watching a trapeze artist pull off an amazing flip. There is a sense of awe you get when you see other human beings do amazing things. This is why people watch the highlights on SportsCenter every morning. They just show the amazing feats.
Second, there is the drama of the moment. In any given sporting game, there will be tense moments. Some sports more than others. When you watch Tiger Woods and Rocco Mediate tie on the 18th hole and then go to a playoff the next day, and then tie again. Every single shot they make could turn the tables one way or the other. It's the same tension you watch at the climax of a movie, only it usually occurs multiple times, and for extended periods. The problem is that this tension can only really be felt if you understand the sport being played, and the situation the game is in. If you don't understand that the putt Tiger is about to make is so important, then it's just a guy tapping a ball with a stick.
The third reason sports spectating is entertaining is because of the story. You might say, there is no story. It's just a bunch of overpaid people playing a game for a living. You are right. The story of a sport is a fabrication by sports writers. Sports writers take the games that these people play, using the players and teams as characters, and create a story around them. It's no different than story in any other show on TV, except that what happens next is not scripted. It is determined by the will and strength of the players competing for the championship. If you don't read the Sports section, or watch ESPN, the drama of Brett Favres un-retirement is lost on you. The drama of Super Bowl 42, which is a story that began 1971 with Archie Manning, is lost.
The fourth and final reason people spectate sports is because of fandom. When you are a fan of a team, or player, that team is your champion. Much like in the olden days in the gladiatorial arena, the gladiator would be a representative of some rich person. It's much like how your avatar in WoW represents you on the battlefield. When you are a fan, the team or person you are a fan of represents you. When they win, you win. When they lose, you lose. You emotionally invest yourself into them, and you feel as if you are a part of them. In a way, you are them. You intentionally empathize with them in order to taste the same victory or defeat that they taste, despite the fact that you yourself are not competing. This is why it is often boring to go to spectate a sporting event when you are not emotionally invested in the participants.
These reasons are no secret. If you watch the Olympic coverage you can see that NBC knows all of these things very well. They always show highlights of amazing feats of strength, no matter who the athlete is. Commentators always explain what you are watching, so that you will know understand the importance, and feel the suspense, of what you are watching, in case you don't understand. In-between events they will always tell stories about the athletes. The beach volleyball player who tosses her mother's ashes on the sand after she wins. The swimmer who has trained his whole life, and eats like crazy. Lastly, they mostly show events in which your home country is a very strong competitor, so that you can cheer them on as if they are your gladiators.
Sports spectating isn't for everyone, but you said you were baffled, so I'm telling you why people enjoy it.