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"...there may be no activity that draws closer public scrutiny that the public knows less about" I agree that this quote may be a bit hyperbolic given, say, po

"...there may be no activity that draws closer public scrutiny that the public knows less about" I agree that this quote may be a bit hyperbolic given, say, politics and Hollywood. But otherwise, the article is spot on. I played football through high school and what television repackages and sells is a manufactured narrative based on a tiny sliver of the game. I loved playing the game, and I enjoy watching games on TV. There is very little overlap in the way one engages with the sport between those two experiences. While playing, and for years afterwards, I couldn't understand why people watched it on TV. Eventually, though, I started to understand and enjoy the TV version. Decades later, I read some pieces by Nate Jackson (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Jackson https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Nate_Jackson) which pulled me back into the player mindset and the thesis of this article was stark and obvious once again.

nine_k 9y ago
My favorite comparison of participatory sports vs spectator sports is with sex vs porn. Either kind can be enjoyable, but what's most interesting for a spectator is often not what is most interesting when being inside the action. Hence the action tends to turn towards acting, showing off, and of course creative camera work.
regulation_d 9y ago
Do you feel this has changed at all with the way games are broadcast? I feel like with the advent of HD and SkyCam, I spend more time analyzing the play calling and keeping track of what's going on in the trenches.
- mildavw 9y ago
  Do you mute the announcers? They're the ones constructing the narrative. And of course, the replays and camera angles are a huge part of the production too. So yes, it has changed with more technology: the virtual l.o.s. and 1st down lines, better slo-mo, more cameras. It's all part of the package to tell the story.

nine_k 9y ago

My favorite comparison of participatory sports vs spectator sports is with sex vs porn. Either kind can be enjoyable, but what's most interesting for a spectator is often not what is most interesting when being inside the action. Hence the action tends to turn towards acting, showing off, and of course creative camera work.

regulation_d 9y ago

Do you feel this has changed at all with the way games are broadcast? I feel like with the advent of HD and SkyCam, I spend more time analyzing the play calling and keeping track of what's going on in the trenches.

mildavw 9y ago
Do you mute the announcers? They're the ones constructing the narrative. And of course, the replays and camera angles are a huge part of the production too. So yes, it has changed with more technology: the virtual l.o.s. and 1st down lines, better slo-mo, more cameras. It's all part of the package to tell the story.