Television versus being there
Last week I got a call from a
friend telling me that they had an extra ticket for the final of the
Scotties in Kingston and wanted to know if I wanted to go. I thought
about it for just about two seconds and took a pass. Wanna know why?
Because watching curling on television is so much better than in
person.
Watching the game at home, with a
roaring fire, a full fridge, my favourite chair and Hamilton
Tiger-Cats blanket was a much better option than driving five hours,
sitting in a plastic chair and having a stranger coughing beside me.
My theory is that the television
product is so strong that it doesn't make sense to make the trek to
the arena. It also doesn't make economic sense to take in curling in
person when you can get a good experience watching it on your couch.
I was reading somewhere this
weekend (sorry, don't have the link) where CCA head honcho Greg
Stemlaw says television ratings are up, but ticket sales are down.
Doesn't surprise me because watching curling on television is better
than watching in person.
Don't get me wrong, going to a
live curling event is a fun experience, especially if you have a
favourite team to cheer on, but given the chance I would go with
watching on television about 99 times out of 100.
Here's a few reasons why:
One: You can see the game better
In person I like to watch from
the ends. At most curling events such as the Brier and the Scotties
there are more seats at the side than from the end. Also, unless
you're in a huge facility like Rexall Place it's hard to get up high
enough to see the game.
Even if you're on the end there
is a chance that you could not be lined up behind the game that you
want to watch or the game that you want to watch is a snoozer and
another game is a barn-burner and is three sheets over.
At home there is multiple
cameras, various angles and replays. It's a lot easier to see who is
shot rock due to the overhead cam than from 300 feet away.
Two: Broadcasters
Yep, I've said it before and I
will say it again—Vic Rauter is the bomb.
Watching from the comfort of home
is better because of commentators who explain what is going on and
chime in about strategy and analysis.
I would rather listen to Russ
Howard than the old woman behind me who wants to know why Jennifer
Jones didn't go for the 15 foot angle run-back for two instead of the
draw for one.
You can bring headphones and
listen to the game at the arena, but it's not the same.
Another added benefit is at home
you can hear what the players are saying. At the arena you no idea
unless you are in the first couple of rows and even then you only
hear a little bit what the players are saying.
TSN also does a good job with the
the curling events and Sportsnet has impressed me with the job
they've done, especially televising a large number of the provincial
finals.
Three: Food
At the arena you can spend $27
for a beer (or two), a hot dog and a pretzel. At home you can spend
$27 for a six-pack, a pizza and a jar of peanuts. At the arena you
have to walk up a flight of stairs and wait in line for the privilege
of paying $8 for a beer. At home all you have to do is walk 20 feet.
Four: Technology
Back
when a 27-inch television was considered huge, watching curling on
television was not bad. Now it seems everyone has high definition
televisions and a 40-inch television is considered a smallish
television. Just like most sports, curling looks better on a big
screen.
Also it's nice to have Twitter and Facebook and Curling Zone on hand to chat about the game while it's on television. Can't always do that at the arena.
Getting
people into the seats will always be a challenge for curling events,
but watching at home is just a better overall option.
Now
all TSN has to do is work out a system where they televise all four
or five games of a draw across all their channels instead of just one
feature game. It would be nice to see all of one team's games instead
of just a handful. It can be done...I guess that's another blog post
for another time.