lo fi samurai

On saturday I went to an Astros game. I haven't been to a major league sports game in god knows how long. I had never seen a game at Minute Maid Park so that part of the experience was totally new for me. I learned that Minute Maid Park was actually named after the famous left handed pitcher Minute "the Maid" Park. I couldn't help but think about Lemonade when I read that.

It's a nice stadium to see games in, and I definitely had a good time.

At times I did find myself wondering if I was there to watch a game or watch a commercial. There was not a single screen to look at, replay to see, or "fan oriented game" that didn't involve some sort of sponsor. Even the "foul poles" had those cows from Chick Filet on them. "Eat more Fowl", or something to that immediate effect, was written on the poles. "Foul Ball!" is all I have to say to that.

What was once "Orbit's Space Race" where fans were to guess which cartoon flying saucer would win a race around the Astrodome, now it's the "Hummer Race" where fans have to guess whether or not the Hummer H2, The Hummer H3, or the Hummer SUT would win. The graphics were all computer rendered, and the high definition of the screens were of a caliber that I kept wondering if the blue ray would tear a fabric in time and space itself. That's scarier than a pop fly to the face!

I offer no real commentary on this, of course. It seems to be an inevitability. I only hold soft opinions on something like sports. I do wonder what impact this will have on the game, and more importantly, the masses of people who come to the games.

"Daddy, what is a 'fast ball'?" says the child of the future.
Dad of the future responds. "A fast ball is a pitch that is thrown really fast. You know it better as a Comcast.com Super Action Turbo Ball HX. Not to be confused with an AIG Auto Liability Insurance Curve and Swerve Ball of course."
"Right!"

Mainly I worry about the imagination. I would take imagination over intelligence any day. As long as the boys and girls sitting in the stands still imagine themselves up to bat in the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, down by 3, etc.. (a scenario that I vicariously lived through my brother when I was young soo many times), sports will always be important and pure in some way.

Still, I prefer to see sports as a game rather than an industry. A social event rather than a corporate event.




	lo fi samurai Home Get Email Updates A Mad Poem Addressed to My Nephews and Nieces reading recommendations Email Me Admin Password Remember Me 163776 Curiosities served Share on Facebook				2008-04-21 12:17 PM waiting for a moment Previous Entry :: Next Entry Read/Post Comments (3) On saturday I went to an Astros game. I haven't been to a major league sports game in god knows how long. I had never seen a game at Minute Maid Park so that part of the experience was totally new for me. I learned that Minute Maid Park was actually named after the famous left handed pitcher Minute "the Maid" Park. I couldn't help but think about Lemonade when I read that. It's a nice stadium to see games in, and I definitely had a good time. At times I did find myself wondering if I was there to watch a game or watch a commercial. There was not a single screen to look at, replay to see, or "fan oriented game" that didn't involve some sort of sponsor. Even the "foul poles" had those cows from Chick Filet on them. "Eat more Fowl", or something to that immediate effect, was written on the poles. "Foul Ball!" is all I have to say to that. What was once "Orbit's Space Race" where fans were to guess which cartoon flying saucer would win a race around the Astrodome, now it's the "Hummer Race" where fans have to guess whether or not the Hummer H2, The Hummer H3, or the Hummer SUT would win. The graphics were all computer rendered, and the high definition of the screens were of a caliber that I kept wondering if the blue ray would tear a fabric in time and space itself. That's scarier than a pop fly to the face! I offer no real commentary on this, of course. It seems to be an inevitability. I only hold soft opinions on something like sports. I do wonder what impact this will have on the game, and more importantly, the masses of people who come to the games. "Daddy, what is a 'fast ball'?" says the child of the future. Dad of the future responds. "A fast ball is a pitch that is thrown really fast. You know it better as a Comcast.com Super Action Turbo Ball HX. Not to be confused with an AIG Auto Liability Insurance Curve and Swerve Ball of course." "Right!" Mainly I worry about the imagination. I would take imagination over intelligence any day. As long as the boys and girls sitting in the stands still imagine themselves up to bat in the bottom of the 9th, bases loaded, down by 3, etc.. (a scenario that I vicariously lived through my brother when I was young soo many times), sports will always be important and pure in some way. Still, I prefer to see sports as a game rather than an industry. A social event rather than a corporate event. Read/Post Comments (3) Previous Entry :: Next Entry Back to Top