I had wanted to make a comment about subjective ness of sports in a post by Steve a while back. However, time has slipped by and I am just now posting. As the readers of this blog are likely aware, I have not been much of a fan of watching sports. My thought on this is that if the subjective, emotional part was not a big deal, there would not be many fans. If the objective discipline and rules that set an immovable infrastructure against which to play, there would be nothing to be fanatic about [sorry this sentence ended in a preposition but it is too late to change this dangling participle].
Lakers are leading San Antonio by 10 in the fourth quarter as I type this. This may be the first time they have led in this game--an important one in a series that determines progress in playoffs. I am the only person left in the room watching this game. I think the true fans have been so affected by the pressure of the game and whether their preferred team will win that they have been driven from the room. My friend Lalo told me tonight that he has a hard time watching the Lakers--especially this season because of this whole passion issue.
Previously I had mentioned that I would comment further on the animated feature length French film Triplets of Bellville. So here it is:
1. It is extremely odd--exemplified by unusual lines and proportions on faces, buildings, streets, contrasting tall and short people, etc. and a topless dancer in some sort of cabaret and on and on it goes.
2. There is no real dialogue, the story is told entirely with visuals.
3. Interesting sonically--recurring sound devices like the dogs toenails against tile, the sound of a passing train, a whistle blowing, music, all seemed to serve to draw attention to a certain scene for a purpose. Much like the use of lighting a sound in a live theatrical production.
4. Visually interesting--combination of hand sketched 2 dimensional animations and computer generated 3 dimensional animations contrasted in the same scenes to make varying impressions on the viewer.
It may have been easier to use the comments function for part of this post, but it doesn't work on older posts.
Final score: Lakers 98; San Antonio 90.
ReplyDeleteYour right of course, it is about fans. What would be different tonight if the Lakers and Spurs had played in a building with no spectators. If no one knew the score tomorrow or that a game had even taken place. I was very distrubed by the fans who threw objects on to the floor during and after the Sac./Min. game monday night. During the game I wondered to myself about my emotional reaction to the kings. I have never been a sports fan before and I am distressed by how obsessive I have become. The fervor of fans at Kings and Giants games is unsettling to me. Beth had me convinced it was a nothern california thing. But watch Jack Nicholson scream at an offical during a live broadcast of a Laker's game reminded me that it is more about individuals than region. Fans generate the income that pays the athletes and supports the venues in which they perform. I wonder what happened to me that something that only mattered if I played now matters so much.
ReplyDeleteI am not sure how objective 'discipline and rules' are in basketball. Calls made or ignored by referees because of unwritten rules. Referees and officals are a component of every sport I know of and make decisions that are debatable.
In my mind the kind of rules that are immovable are the height of the basket, 2 or 3 points for a goal, and the official's call is the final word whether he or she is right or wrong. Discipline: those guys are much more likely to make a goal when they shoot because of their practice regime. I don't make baskets because I do not practice.
ReplyDeleteAnother subjective call is whether the official would be better able to make good calls if he or she would loss the white cane and use a seeing eye dog instead.
seeing eye dogs does make sense to me. not sure of what my original point was at this time. i am facinated by the role of sports in human history and what it represents in cultures. i am a little disturbed that i have become a "fan" of a sport when i in general see preoccupation with sports as a "distraction" from more worth pursuits. it does make me curious about myself.
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