Sunday, January 22, 2012

Ra-ra ra-ra...Look! That's us!


There's a really funny phenomenon that happens during sports games: a prime example of Narcissism in America. Every game, the camera men not only film the athletes but during time-outs or moments of high emotion in the crowd, they will also film spectators in the stands. There is a variety of emotions that we see: oblivious, slight interest, and then the most entertaining, wild out-of-control excitement. The last one is my favorite to observe but it also puzzles me.

Playing in pep bands for men and women's basketball games, I've been to a lot of basketball games. No matter how hard I try, I cannot understand the crazed enthusiasm that follows a shot of themselves on the video board. Do you not have mirrors in your apartment? Maybe you're one of those people who gets really excited to see yourself in the mirror in the morning! Dang, I look good! I'm going to jump around and cheer really loudly because I get to see my face!

Maybe not.

Or perhaps it's excitement over the advancement of technology. Let's cheer really, really loudly because that camera waaaay over there is advanced enough to capture me on film and play it on that really big screen!

I really don't get it. Perhaps it's one of those things that you've always wanted to do! Be caught on the big screen. Okay, that's plausible but then try and explain to me why on earth you would spend those precious few seconds either looking up at the screen watching yourself look like a spastic fan or my other favorite, pushing everyone around you and screaming, "WE'RE ON THE SCREEN!" Well, it's too late now, buddy. You spent all that time freaking out and you missed your "big" moment.

The required exuberance, the numerous high fives and "Cool, man! We were on the screen!" that accompanies video screens at sports games is practically second nature in our society. Perhaps I'm the weird one for not finding it the highlight of my game when I'm on the screen. That's probably the case.

Still. Don't even get me started on kissing cams.

1 comment:

Unknown said...

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