Game day hopes: awesome tailgate, tons of likes on my Instagram picture, one of the exclusive Mariano Rivera bobblehead dolls and, oh right, a win for the Yankees. It's interesting today how many fans care more about the social and commercial aspects of professional sports than the outcome of the game. After paying hundreds of dollars for a ticket into Yankee Stadium last week, thousands of fans missed four or more innings waiting in line for the late arriving figurines. It's ironic how upset fans were about "having" to miss so much of the game, when, in fact, it was of their own volition to sacrifice watching in order to wait in line for the doll.
Many Americans call themselves avid sports fans, but what are they really a fan of? Is it the chips and salsa at the tailgate, the brand new autographed jersey and showing off your great seats to everyone on Facebook or is it the thrill you get from fully engrossing yourself in cheering for the victory of your team? For many attendees, the outcome of the game has very little sway on whether they consider the event a success.
This misdirected attention to consumerism is not entirely the fault of sports fans. Professional sports of all kinds have become profit-maximizing machines that incentivize spending. Before you even enter the stadium, there are vendors selling thirty-dollar t-shirts and four-dollar bottles of water, and once you do go in, the temptation to continue purchasing becomes overwhelming. In the frenzy of swiping your credit card, the true reason for coming to the game can get lost.
Fans aren't worrying about the minutes they are missing when they go to replenish their drink cup or the annoyance they cause when they get up five times in one half, blocking the view of everyone else in their row. The game can't seem to pass by fast enough for these people who couldn't even tell you what happened in the previous play. These apathetic occurrences not only happen when your team is being crushed, but even when the competition should keep you on the edge of your seat.
Arguably one of the most successful teams in the NBA today, the Miami Heat tips off to a nearly empty stadium every time the team takes the court. Once people finally find their way to their seats at the end of the first quarter, arms filled with fifty dollars worth of snacks, beers and a new foam finger, the action on the court immediately starts competing with the constant updates of social media. Many fans come to games not even knowing who the away team is or understanding the games' intricacies.
During Game 6 of last season's NBA Finals, fans poured out of American Airlines Arena because the Heat were losing to the San Antonio Spurs in what could have been the deciding game of the series. After a furious last-minute comeback capped by a Ray Allen three-pointer, fans tried to re-enter the stadium to watch overtime, but were denied entrance.
While some games come down to the last possession, by this time many people have already left the stadium having fulfilled their hopes for the day, ready to move on and beat the traffic out of the parking lot.
This is not to say there are not dedicated fans that come to watch warm-ups, rush to the bathroom only during timeouts and stay until the ushers come around to sweep. While these committed sports aficionados still exist, more fans than ever, including season ticket holders, are not the sports fanatics that used to fill the stadiums. Maybe this is due to newer technology or the increasing consumerism of America.
Baseball is America's pastime and there is something very American about baseball cap wearing, peanut eating fans in the stands. Arguably, this pastime has devolved into more than just a game. The atmosphere of professional sports games is exciting and worth the price of admission, but when more of an uproar is made over bobblehead dolls than a ninth inning comeback, sports fans are really missing the point of showing up.
