Overtime Central

Legalized sports gambling is coming to more jurisdictions in the United States.  This is prompting thoughts that Canadian governments need to get into the sports wagering action lest they be left outside of this lucrative revenue stream.  The argument made is the moral question is dead, failure to act will leave provincial governments out of a growing gambling revenue stream, attract more money from outside the jurisdiction in the form of tourists, and see less money from local citizens be gambled elsewhere.  No one seems to look at the other factors to be considered around this issue.

(more…)

In a post regarding an article in The Atlantic on NFL broadcasts, Jason Kottke theorizes that the advent of instant replay beyond just a television tool, but as an official part of the game, lends itself to greater drama and tension for the viewer.  Supposedly in place to correct blatant errors from stealing a team’s victory, it has become to be used to verify all calls and take away the instant release of excitement and euphoria with a score.

(more…)

I’ve long held sports as a greater form of entertainment.  To me it hasn’t been a way to pass the time like television and a lot of movies — immediately enjoyable but soon forgotten.  Nor is sports at the same level as movies at the high end of the scale in terms of a story or examination of a subject and the theater, opera or concerts.  Sports is different as most people early in their lives participate in sports and competitions and relate to watching sports as a result.  There is a civic or group pride to sports that is not found in any other form of entertainment.  When it comes to reach the largest mass of people though, the game and civic pride won’t produce the interest the leagues and networks demand.  Today it seems like the media are minimizing the sports in an effort to produce a spectacle and entertainment that will appeal to the masses in order to maximize their ratings and profits.  Look no further than the Super Bowl for the leader in producing pomp that has nothing to do with the game that is the root of the day.

(more…)