We the sports world, the fans and the players, we are watching each other. The fans, we pander to the teams and the players, and leagues. The teams and players do all they can to capture our attention in ways that have nothing to do with the actual sport.
The exploitation game, is the experience before and after an athletic event, and manipulation of our attention. Teams and players revel in almost like extravagant-like methods now days after the big play and the display can be more powerful and overshadow the play, and even the game finish. A player can be famous for his celebratory maneuvers even more so then his athletic deeds.
All too often, days after a game, we are talking about the antics of the jubilation. We see in football, a defensive player knock a ball down, keeping the offensive player from catching the ball. Then we see the defensive player will cross his arms and pose or strut for the crowd as if, no one has or will catch a ball when he is around. The player made a play he is paid to make, and is paid well. Players popping their jerseys, for all to see their names or numbers under the bright lights; it almost feels required, but it’s not.
Leagues to a certain extent have made rules to limit orchestrated celebrations, but the players are seemly steps ahead. In some corners, the subject of race is spoken of as the reason when it comes to rule changes and banning certain activities.
We watch sports, and they watch us to see what is trending, and how can teams or players capitalize. Sports have grown into a marketing industry of selling a brand for teams and players. Many of us including this writer, we fly the colors of our teams; we purchase spending billions on merchandise. How do they get us to do open our wallets and celebrate them? How do they keep our allegiance? How do they get us to market for them, by talking about them as if they are the best things since Grandma’s apple pie? They are watching us watch them in a 24/7 cycle of social media shares, and sports programs, TV and radio, and in print. We hype sports and they indulge us with more publicity that has nothing to do with sports itself.