Best way to introduce sports to newbies

[neo_prankster]

Just as the title says, besides the "Ninh Explains" Youtube video series, what are some good ways to introduce sports to newbies of all ages?

[Mac the Knife]

Simplest one of all:  take them to games.  Let them soak in the atmosphere, ask questions, and be prepared for some odd ones.

[neo_prankster]

25 minutes ago, Mac the Knife said:

Simplest one of all:  take them to games.  Let them soak in the atmosphere, ask questions, and be prepared for some odd ones.

 

Right on! I nominate your post as Post of the Day!

[Mac the Knife]

1 hour ago, neo_prankster said:

 

Right on! I nominate your post as Post of the Day!

 

I've not had one of those in years... who's gonna make the distinction official?

[neo_prankster]

1 minute ago, Mac the Knife said:

 

I've not had one of those in years... who's gonna make the distinction official?

 

Not sure.

 

@CC97 @LMU How do Post of the Day nominations work?

[LMU]

2 hours ago, neo_prankster said:

 

Not sure.

 

@CC97 @LMU How do Post of the Day nominations work?

The Majestic XII make that call.

[DonWarren]

I have a friend who recently moved here (Florida) from Puerto Rico. His exposure to the game of American football was 0. He's now watched the NFL for 11 weeks and picked things up quick. Although my Sunday's are a little more chatty than they usually are it's nice to see someone enjoy a sport after understanding so quickly. 

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

On 8/30/2018 at 9:51 PM, Mac the Knife said:

Simplest one of all:  take them to games.  Let them soak in the atmosphere, ask questions, and be prepared for some odd ones.

 

I would disagree with the idea of taking a raw newbie to games.  In my opinion, the best thing to do at first is to select games on television that are called by good announcers.  Quality announcers enhance the sports viewing experience immensely, especially when they give background, explain rules, and tell anecdotes.  Having watched a lot of the Nets over the decades, I can say that someone trying to learn about basketball would be immensely helped by watching games that have Mike Fratello as an analyst.  (Though he is not in their booth anymore.)

For a person who is picking up soccer, then watching games with Graeme Le Saux as analyst is good; watching games with Gary Neville as analyst is even better.  (I am not sure whether Neville still does match broadcasts; but when he did he was excellent.)  Taylor Twellman also does a fine job at explaining things.  As far as play-by-play, Arlo White and Ian Darke give plenty of historical background, as does the incomparable Martin Tyler (the Vin Scully of football).  I came to soccer as an adult, almost 15 years ago.  And all of these people helped me (even Neville and Twellman, who were still playing when I started watching).

If you're trying to learn baseball as an adult, well, good luck.  I don't know that anything can help.  I honestly think that, while it is possible to pick up most sports later in life, this does not apply to baseball,  nor does it apply to cricket.  Someone who hasn't grown up with these sports will probably never get the feel for them, and is probably better served doing something else with his/her time instead of futilely attempting to grasp these complex and arcane games.

At any rate, the television is your friend.  Record games, listen to the announcers; rewind and listen again, and look up the references that the announcers make.  This is what I did when I was learning about soccer, and it made learning a lot of fun.  To me this is far better than seeing a sport in person, where the lack of announcers and the inability to stop in order to research can easily leave a less informed person overwhelmed and befuddled.

[Mac the Knife]

Do you have kids, Ferdinand?  

 

I'm guessing, based on that response, that you don't.  It depends entirely on the age of who your "newbie" is, and whether they actually want to be exposed to it or are being exposed to it via osmosis.  Kids have the attention span of gnats (they did when I was a kid, and it's just as bad today) - so exposing them to any sport via television as you suggest simply doesn't cut it.  But get them there, in person, have them put the cell phone away for 3 hours, and immerse them in the overall experience?  And you can 'land the hook' so to speak.

 

I can't compel my two daughters to watch a 2-minute highlight package of a sporting event, any sporting event.  But I can get them to watch a 4-hour baseball game in person, all the while being peppered with questions that tell me they want to learn about what's going on around them.

[Ferdinand Cesarano]

1 hour ago, Mac the Knife said:

Do you have kids, Ferdinand?  

 

I'm guessing, based on that response, that you don't.  It depends entirely on the age of who your "newbie" is, and whether they actually want to be exposed to it or are being exposed to it via osmosis.  Kids have the attention span of gnats (they did when I was a kid, and it's just as bad today) - so exposing them to any sport via television as you suggest simply doesn't cut it.  But get them there, in person, have them put the cell phone away for 3 hours, and immerse them in the overall experience?  And you can 'land the hook' so to speak.

 

I can't compel my two daughters to watch a 2-minute highlight package of a sporting event, any sporting event.  But I can get them to watch a 4-hour baseball game in person, all the while being peppered with questions that tell me they want to learn about what's going on around them.

 

I do not have kids.  Anyway, even if I did, I would have answered the same way on the assumption that the question pertained to helping an adult get into a sport, because @DonWarren referred to a friend of his (presumably an adult) who had moved to Florida from Puerto Rico.

But I do agree that taking a kid (one's own, or a niece/nephew, or a friend's kid, etc.) to a live game would be important in instilling in that young person the interest in a sport.

[ShutUpLutz!]

1 hour ago, Mac the Knife said:

Do you have kids, Ferdinand?  

 

I'm guessing, based on that response, that you don't.  It depends entirely on the age of who your "newbie" is, and whether they actually want to be exposed to it or are being exposed to it via osmosis.  Kids have the attention span of gnats (they did when I was a kid, and it's just as bad today) - so exposing them to any sport via television as you suggest simply doesn't cut it.  But get them there, in person, have them put the cell phone away for 3 hours, and immerse them in the overall experience?  And you can 'land the hook' so to speak.

 

I can't compel my two daughters to watch a 2-minute highlight package of a sporting event, any sporting event.  But I can get them to watch a 4-hour baseball game in person, all the while being peppered with questions that tell me they want to learn about what's going on around them.

Okay sure.

I would love for you to take your precious innocent little angelic daughters to a Bills home game and spend 4 hours before the game wandering the parking lots watching over 50,000 drunken doodoo bags pissing and doodooing and puking all over themselves and each other and screaming and shrieking at women "SHOWS US YOUR :censored: BI*TCH!!!!!" and then throwing cans of beer at the women who don't comply and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags. And be sure to have you and your precious angelic innocent daughters dress in the apparel of whatever team the Bills happen to be playing that week, so your precious innocent angelic little daughters can learn at least 100 new profanities and obscenities as well as being introduced to having morbidly obese men toss cups of beer at them and attack you for daring to wear the colors of an opposing team.

 

And that's even before you actually get into the stadium!!!! 'cause that's where the fun really starts. Because while you were out in the parking lot you can hopefully at least move.run away from the taunts and profanities and threats of having the doodoo beaten out of you or possibly literally smushed into your face.

 

But now you have to sit in a seat where you will be surrounded by a bunch of drunken doodoobags who believe that spending the past 4 hours getting piss and doodoo and puke all over yourself level drunk is just a warmup, as they REALLY go to town. And when they aren't screeching racial slurs at the black players/coaches/fans they will eventually notice you and the fact that you are wearing the apparel of THE ENEMY ie; that weeks opponent. Cue all the abuse you endured in junior high/high school add in cups of beer being thrown/poured on you and multiply it by a factor of about 240 and OH MY GOD DOES THE FUN EVER STOP???!!! 

 

And no, security won't do jack to stop it.

 

But your pure angelic innocent little daughters will LURVE it

[Mac the Knife]

1 hour ago, ShutUpLutz! said:

Okay sure.

I would love for you to take your precious innocent little angelic daughters to a Bills home game and spend 4 hours before the game wandering the parking lots watching over 50,000 drunken doodoo bags pissing and doodooing and puking all over themselves and each other and screaming and shrieking at women "SHOWS US YOUR BI*TCH!!!!!" and then throwing cans of beer at the women who don't comply and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags. And be sure to have you and your precious angelic innocent daughters dress in the apparel of whatever team the Bills happen to be playing that week, so your precious innocent angelic little daughters can learn at least 100 new profanities and obscenities as well as being introduced to having morbidly obese men toss cups of beer at them and attack you for daring to wear the colors of an opposing team.

 

And that's even before you actually get into the stadium!!!! 'cause that's where the fun really starts. Because while you were out in the parking lot you can hopefully at least move.run away from the taunts and profanities and threats of having the doodoo beaten out of you or possibly literally smushed into your face.

 

But now you have to sit in a seat where you will be surrounded by a bunch of drunken doodoobags who believe that spending the past 4 hours getting piss and doodoo and puke all over yourself level drunk is just a warmup, as they REALLY go to town. And when they aren't screeching racial slurs at the black players/coaches/fans they will eventually notice you and the fact that you are wearing the apparel of THE ENEMY ie; that weeks opponent. Cue all the abuse you endured in junior high/high school add in cups of beer being thrown/poured on you and multiply it by a factor of about 240 and OH MY GOD DOES THE FUN EVER STOP???!!! 

 

And no, security won't do jack to stop it.

 

But your pure angelic innocent little daughters will LURVE it

See, right there, any point you were trying to prove got lost.

I'm a parent.  I'm not an idiot.

[DG_ThenNowForever]

1 hour ago, ShutUpLutz! said:

Okay sure.

I would love for you to take your precious innocent little angelic daughters to a Bills home game and spend 4 hours before the game wandering the parking lots watching over 50,000 drunken doodoo bags pissing and doodooing and puking all over themselves and each other and screaming and shrieking at women "SHOWS US YOUR BI*TCH!!!!!" and then throwing cans of beer at the women who don't comply and the drunken doodoobags jumping off the tops of SUV's/vans/RV's onto tables because, oh yeah, they are drunken drug abusing doodoobags. And be sure to have you and your precious angelic innocent daughters dress in the apparel of whatever team the Bills happen to be playing that week, so your precious innocent angelic little daughters can learn at least 100 new profanities and obscenities as well as being introduced to having morbidly obese men toss cups of beer at them and attack you for daring to wear the colors of an opposing team.

  

And that's even before you actually get into the stadium!!!! 'cause that's where the fun really starts. Because while you were out in the parking lot you can hopefully at least move.run away from the taunts and profanities and threats of having the doodoo beaten out of you or possibly literally smushed into your face. 

 

But now you have to sit in a seat where you will be surrounded by a bunch of drunken doodoobags who believe that spending the past 4 hours getting piss and doodoo and puke all over yourself level drunk is just a warmup, as they REALLY go to town. And when they aren't screeching racial slurs at the black players/coaches/fans they will eventually notice you and the fact that you are wearing the apparel of THE ENEMY ie; that weeks opponent. Cue all the abuse you endured in junior high/high school add in cups of beer being thrown/poured on you and multiply it by a factor of about 240 and OH MY GOD DOES THE FUN EVER STOP???!!!  

  

And no, security won't do jack to stop it.

  

But your pure angelic innocent little daughters will LURVE it 

 

I'm enamored with this post. All of it it.

• "innocent little daughters"
• "drunken doodoobags"
• The very real encapsulation of what it means to attend a Bills home game
• The repetition of key phrases
• The 2004-ish sports take phrasing
• The fact that this is what Buffalo sports has become

Never stop posting.

 

On the topic, if I could go back and not get into pro sports, I would. They're never/seldom fun, the wrong team always wins, and merchandise is appealing and expensive. Go ride a bike.

[ShutUpLutz!]

2 hours ago, DG_Now said:

 

I'm enamored with this post. All of it it.

• "innocent little daughters"
• "drunken doodoobags"
• The very real encapsulation of what it means to attend a Bills home game
• The repetition of key phrases
• The 2004-ish sports take phrasing
• The fact that this is what Buffalo sports has become

Never stop posting.

 

On the topic, if I could go back and not get into pro sports, I would. They're never/seldom fun, the wrong team always wins, and merchandise is appealing and expensive. Go ride a bike.

C'mon, no love for my mentioning the Bills fans diving onto tables?

 

But it's not just Bills fans, it's like that at EVERY NFL game. Okay, Bills fans tend to take it to an extreme and have been singled out by Deadspin for stories about the mayhem that goes on at games there. but you have the Raiders infamous black hole and 49ers fans beating the doodoo out of each other in stadium bathrooms leaving the recipient of one such beating with permanent brain damage. Tailgating at NFL games I suppose were enjoyable, but that was well over a decade ago, hell 20 years ago. Now it's 40-70,000 drunken asshats who puke and piss themselves because they've drunk so much and they are all angry. Angry at what, you ask? Let's see; the fact that THEIR team sucks, the fact they have to pay $200 if they want to tailgate, as opposed to the mere $100 for regular parking and if you have an RV, that's $1,000 to park. Per game. Before you even set foot in the goddamn stadium. 

 

And yes I'm probably gonna get attacked as a crybaby or an old man, but why does all it seem that nearly all our 'event like entertainment that the collective we attend in person can olny be enjoyed if you are drunk? I've never understood that and never heard or read a rational believable explanation, just gotten some garbage like, "Well my job is so hard/boring/lame/pays so little/is so stressful this is how I enjoy myself."

 

Look, I get when the weekend comes going to a bar or hanging out with your friends and having some beers or a few drinks. I did that occasionally but the combination of a history of alcoholism in my family and serious car accident have made sober since Nov. 2000 (No, I wasn't drinking and driving, some kid blew a stop sign at 45 mph and t-boned me and as an indirect result if i have alcohol I get a brainsplintering blindingly painful migraine for 3 days.) but the kind of drinking that goes on at concerts and sporting events now I just don't get.

[Mac the Knife]

3 minutes ago, ShutUpLutz! said:

And yes I'm probably gonna get attacked as a crybaby or an old man, but why does all it seem that nearly all our 'event like entertainment that the collective we attend in person can olny be enjoyed if you are drunk? I've never understood that and never heard or read a rational believable explanation, just gotten some garbage like, "Well my job is so hard/boring/lame/pays so little/is so stressful this is how I enjoy myself."

 

I give you my firm assurance that I, for one, will never attack you as a crybaby or an old man.  In part because I'm 49 years old myself, and in part because you're well on your way to getting yourself banned from here by the moderators anyway for your general demeanor, so I won't have to.  

[Discrim]

Well, a winning smile and a firm handshake are pretty good methods of introduction

[BBTV]

On 11/20/2018 at 11:25 AM, Ferdinand Cesarano said:

 

I would disagree with the idea of taking a raw newbie to games.  In my opinion, the best thing to do at first is to select games on television that are called by good announcers.  Quality announcers enhance the sports viewing experience immensely, especially when they give background, explain rules, and tell anecdotes. 

 

This is the answer.  The poster to watch also made a good point that only reinforces this, which is that if you take a kid to a live game, they're going to be exposed to the absolute worst of society and either like it and devolve into that type of low-life over-testosteroned alcoholic that is hollering at girls like a scrub (she don't want to give you her number) and swearing up a storm because their bet that was too large for them to afford is going to lose.

 

Watching hockey with Gene Hart calling it really drew me in.  I was not able to play it (elite rich-kid game, at least where I grew up) but I still learned everything about it, and each game was like a story - not just a contest.  I feel like Merrill Reese does the same for the Eagles.  If you're growing up in Idaho or Wyoming or some place that doesn't have big-time sports or great professional announcers, then I'm not sure - at least in 2018, there's streaming options and you can still take advantage of what other towns have.

 

 

On 11/20/2018 at 3:04 PM, DG_Now said:

On the topic, if I could go back and not get into pro sports, I would. They're never/seldom fun, the wrong team always wins, and merchandise is appealing and expensive. Go ride a bike.

 

This is also a good answer.  You can't "think" about what pro sports are.  If you do, and if you're capable of higher-level thought, you'll realize that they're the absolute dumbest thing and really a microcosm of everything that's terrible about american society (can't speak for other countries.)  You have rapists and woman-beaters making hundreds of millions of dollars, when good hard-working people watching them on TV might be struggling to make 50k and keep their family in a heated home.  You have tax payers building stadiums that they aren't even allowed to set foot in without buying a $100+ ticket.  You have drunk, often racist, homophobic, morons making the environment unsafe for children and sucker punching people who have the audacity to wear the opponent's colors.

 

Plus, our society is getting fat, and sundays are simply not productive.  GTF outside, make friends, and get in shape.