Yesterday, we asked several members of the AA fam which announcer or announcers they were most thankful for. Today, we stay in that thankful mood (we’re a jovial kind of people, really) and shift the focus to innovations in watching sports that make our lives better as fans. What elements of watching sports are our writers most thankful for?
Brady Green: Youtube. Perhaps nothing has enhanced my fandom and knowledge of sports more than Youtube. Today, if something remotely interesting happens, heroes from around the world will likely have uploaded the video to Youtube within minutes of it taking place where I can watch it for free an unlimited amount of times. The open sharing of new and classic sports clips along with cat videos is all the evidence I need to know that modern-day humanity is still decent at its core.
Ben Koo: I am thankful the United States government cracked down on online poker and not online sportsbooks. Kidding aside (kind of), this one is easy. The NFL Sunday Ticket is a luxury that has now become a necessity of mine similar to air conditioning, high speed internet, and HD. The Red Zone Channel allows me to consume a copious amount of football in the most efficient way possible. With the package as well as a second television, Sundays are a huge event for me and I can’t imagine suddenly not having it in my life. The best part is that if you have a pair, you can get the package for free and some other bells and whistles by threatening to leave DirectTv so it’s not as if I am doling out tons of money to enjoy this great service. As I like to say, I can’t tell if it’s good or bad that I work 80 hours a week and watch 20 hours of football a week.
Dave Kelsey: I would have to say that I’m most thankful for the advances in technology/Web 2.0. Where else can you come together with so many like-minded individuals and discuss ad nauseum your favorite players, teams, sporting events, etc. Feedback and conversations with fellow fans are instantaneous and can be incredibly fulfilling and gratifying. No matter where you live, and as long as you’ve got an internet/satellite connection, you can always follow and discuss your favorite teams. It doesn’t get any easier for people to enjoy sports than we’ve all got it now.
Matt Yoder: This one is easy for me – NFL Sunday Ticket. As a Saints fan in the middle of Ohio, I rarely ever got to watch an actual Saints game growing up. Maybe there was a Sunday night game on TNT or ESPN once during the year and one other on network television. That was it. The Saints never played on Monday Night Football. Since I was plugged into Sunday Ticket though in 2000, I’ve been able to watch almost every game. It’s changed my life for the better (in a sort of sad, total-lack-of-reality sort of way). I’m most thankful though to watch 16 games of Drew Brees every year versus only a couple games of Billie Joe Hobert for my Who Dat experience.
Ryan Yoder: I’m thankful for a feast of choices in these days of sports on TV. From expanded freedom to watch online (ESPN3 and others) to a renewed commitment by ESPN and others to live telecasts, there’s never been more sports to consume. As someone who is happy watching football, futbol, Aussie Rules, and many more, it’s like every day is its own Thanksgiving feast for sports fans. And no manufactured debate can ever replace the real life drama and emotion of live sports.
What about watching sports are you most thankful for?
