Experience
The first live game I had ever attended was in 1992. It was a Labor Day affair between the Mets and the Giants. The Straw Man makes his return to Queens as a member of the Giants after a contentious time with the Mets. The Mets, themselves, were World Series contenders... until the season began and they lost 90 games. A seemingly anti-climatic game since both teams were going nowhere at the end of the month turned out to be a back-and-forth thriller that the Amazins' pulled out with a Howard Johnson blast.
Considering that kids who attended the game received free Mets binders, I was pretty happy. Considering that security allowed ten or twelve children and adults into Shea Stadium with chicken and sodas (take that, concessions!), I had more reason to smile.
Considering that the Mets won to save face, I was pleased.
Being that this was the first time I had ever attended a sporting event outside of Castle Hill Houses' summer basketball tournament, I was amazed at how many people were in attendance, even if there were more empty seats than filled. I was entralled by how huge the field was, even more because we sat in nosebleed seats so high, you could touch the planes taking off from nearby LaGuardia Airport. Most of all, I was in the zone as soon as that home run apple in the right field bleachers rose and lit up. Thankfully, it still does.
So, why do I appreciate the television experience more?
Radio is dead, says some pundits who are peddling their opinions on the Web (like ourselves). Of course, I disagree somewhat since radio proved to be vital in the most dire emergencies of the last few years as well as a staple in music, but it isn't necessarily the most visible media these days. Radio actually meant something to me in the early nineties. Growing up without cable for a huge portion of my life, I can remember trying to adjust the antenna when a Knicks or Rangers game would come on. I listened to the Stanley Cup finals for four years so that I can keep a strong overall knowledge of the major sports. In elementary and junior high school, I was not the most popular, but I was the sports encylopedia of the class. Yet, the one year radio struck a chord was in 1994.
The Knicks are in the NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets while the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks battled for Lord Stanley's silver. The Yankees were a hot team, though the strike prevented the Montreal Expos from spanking them in the World Series. And New York football was... well, there... The NBA Finals were on NBC, meaning that watching was religion. The widely-loved A.C. Cowlings and some cat named O.J. were about to become infamous during Game 5. As much as I remember those moments, I remember listening intently to Game 6 at the Garden as the Rangers were on their way to their first title in 54 years. Even if it is a white (Canadian) sport, everyone in the City was cheering. My radio was on blast as the Cup was clinched. And the projects never seemed so unified as people chanted "Go, New York, go New York, go" to remind the Knicks to do their part.
So why do I still rever the television experience?
I can't actually recall moment-by-moment the first time I watched a game on television. I do, however, remember watching highlights of Super Bowl XXIII between the 49ers and the Bengals. My father, who used to play semi-pro football with many eventual NFL and college stars in the late 50s and 60s, would point out each play. He was his own illustrator of the already completed piece, showing the deceptive form of the offensive lines, the calculated passing and the single-motion defense. Though from here on out, I was forever a Niners fan, I began to pay much attention to every game thereafter on a bit more than a casual fan's psyche. The presentation of the game from the broadcasters drew me in, either enjoying it or wanting to bumrush the network because of a stupid comment. Camera angles and replays, instant graphics detailing the scores and random (many times, pointless) stats, collections of older games. Television drew me in, allowing me to see what I wanted to see.
It's not that I think that television is better than seeing a game live or listening while on the road. It's the dominant medium to tell the story when not in person, but can be shaped so terribly that you wish you were standing outside the stadium instead of watching. Because you can't see radio waves, this too leads people to TV. I see television broadcasts as meaningful only because of one thing... $$$.
Yes, the TV contracts are insane and there seem to be few game enough to invest. But for those of us that cannot afford to go to the game, it's the only real means. For those of us who rather save on concessions and not have anything spilled on you, television proves to be beneficial. Yet, we want to be there live, being our own commentators.
I am curious to see what people prefer when it comes to being in the game. Yet, I am also curious on means to make each experience more worthwhile. While I enjoy attending games, I'd love to see the television product improved. How about you?
Considering that kids who attended the game received free Mets binders, I was pretty happy. Considering that security allowed ten or twelve children and adults into Shea Stadium with chicken and sodas (take that, concessions!), I had more reason to smile.
Considering that the Mets won to save face, I was pleased.
Being that this was the first time I had ever attended a sporting event outside of Castle Hill Houses' summer basketball tournament, I was amazed at how many people were in attendance, even if there were more empty seats than filled. I was entralled by how huge the field was, even more because we sat in nosebleed seats so high, you could touch the planes taking off from nearby LaGuardia Airport. Most of all, I was in the zone as soon as that home run apple in the right field bleachers rose and lit up. Thankfully, it still does.
So, why do I appreciate the television experience more?
Radio is dead, says some pundits who are peddling their opinions on the Web (like ourselves). Of course, I disagree somewhat since radio proved to be vital in the most dire emergencies of the last few years as well as a staple in music, but it isn't necessarily the most visible media these days. Radio actually meant something to me in the early nineties. Growing up without cable for a huge portion of my life, I can remember trying to adjust the antenna when a Knicks or Rangers game would come on. I listened to the Stanley Cup finals for four years so that I can keep a strong overall knowledge of the major sports. In elementary and junior high school, I was not the most popular, but I was the sports encylopedia of the class. Yet, the one year radio struck a chord was in 1994.
The Knicks are in the NBA Finals against the Houston Rockets while the Rangers and Vancouver Canucks battled for Lord Stanley's silver. The Yankees were a hot team, though the strike prevented the Montreal Expos from spanking them in the World Series. And New York football was... well, there... The NBA Finals were on NBC, meaning that watching was religion. The widely-loved A.C. Cowlings and some cat named O.J. were about to become infamous during Game 5. As much as I remember those moments, I remember listening intently to Game 6 at the Garden as the Rangers were on their way to their first title in 54 years. Even if it is a white (Canadian) sport, everyone in the City was cheering. My radio was on blast as the Cup was clinched. And the projects never seemed so unified as people chanted "Go, New York, go New York, go" to remind the Knicks to do their part.
So why do I still rever the television experience?
I can't actually recall moment-by-moment the first time I watched a game on television. I do, however, remember watching highlights of Super Bowl XXIII between the 49ers and the Bengals. My father, who used to play semi-pro football with many eventual NFL and college stars in the late 50s and 60s, would point out each play. He was his own illustrator of the already completed piece, showing the deceptive form of the offensive lines, the calculated passing and the single-motion defense. Though from here on out, I was forever a Niners fan, I began to pay much attention to every game thereafter on a bit more than a casual fan's psyche. The presentation of the game from the broadcasters drew me in, either enjoying it or wanting to bumrush the network because of a stupid comment. Camera angles and replays, instant graphics detailing the scores and random (many times, pointless) stats, collections of older games. Television drew me in, allowing me to see what I wanted to see.
It's not that I think that television is better than seeing a game live or listening while on the road. It's the dominant medium to tell the story when not in person, but can be shaped so terribly that you wish you were standing outside the stadium instead of watching. Because you can't see radio waves, this too leads people to TV. I see television broadcasts as meaningful only because of one thing... $$$.
Yes, the TV contracts are insane and there seem to be few game enough to invest. But for those of us that cannot afford to go to the game, it's the only real means. For those of us who rather save on concessions and not have anything spilled on you, television proves to be beneficial. Yet, we want to be there live, being our own commentators.
I am curious to see what people prefer when it comes to being in the game. Yet, I am also curious on means to make each experience more worthwhile. While I enjoy attending games, I'd love to see the television product improved. How about you?
posted by Jason Clinkscales @ 4:16 PM
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