Well... it's not that I don't have a TV. So nevermind the title.
Anyway, the NBA Playoffs are on. I don't follow sports to the extent that other people do, but I like to be a well rounded individual, so a little dabbling in athletic competitions is always alright with me (I would also... you know--participate in said activities as well, but I'm terribly out of shape. And lazy.) And while I don't really pay much attention to the NBA during the regular season, when the players have something to actually play for, it becomes much more exciting and intense. Which is good.
Except when you don't have a TV hooked up to receive any channels.
(More after break.)
This is a problem I've had... well, never. Whenever I wanted to watch a playoff game, I've had access to a TV--either mine, my parents, or somewhere close to where I live. Not that way anymore. Maybe this is for the better, because LeBron James is going to lose the series, and the f'n Los Angeles Lakers are going to win the title, but in case someone beats the Lakers in a dramatic, inexplicable, Kobe Bryant-is-so-distraught-he-loses-the-will-to-live type of way... I want to say I experienced this moment.
So my replacement for actually watching the games has been ESPN.com's Gamecast.
The positives of it is that it updates the game in real-ish time, so I know generally what the score is at that time, who scored the latest bucket... all that stuff (plus, for baseball, it has this "percentage of winning" graphic, which swings wildly in close games, going from Cubs at 77% to Marlins at 51%. It's cool. Except whenever I've paid attention to it... the Twins were in the lead with a comfortable margin... and then blew the game each time.)
The negatives? Well, when LeBron hit the 3 at the buzzer to win it for the Cavs... my experience of that was waiting for something to happen, and then seeing a little ball go towards the basket in the basketball court graphic... and then the score changed. So my reaction was more like "hey, that's cool." Where as if I were actually watching the game, I'd probably think "HOLY F'N BALLS THAT AMAZING." I probably wouldn't actually think that, but for the sake of this argument, let's go with it.
So basically, the whole "follow the game online" experience needs a little tweaking to make it... well, more of an experience. Here's what I would do:
1) We need a commentator. Not someone who is actually watching the game, mind you, but someone who's following the game online just like us. Cause... you know... good sporting events need someone to give the event that extra kick of gravitas, and having someone with just as little access to the game as the rest of us gives us someone to relate to. I guess theoretically one could just insert the radio broadcast into the game, but that's boring. I'm thinking about having some guy on ramble about Call Of Duty 4 and how his girlfriend hates that game interspersed with comments like "oh hey, Cavs took the lead. Cool."
2) The play-by-play is useful in getting to know the essentials of what's happening, but it needs to be more in depth. So instead of just saying stuff like "Dwight Howard" misses 7 ft shot (Varejo rebound)", it needs to say stuff like "refs clearly favoring the Cavaliers," "Nuggets are getting crowd riled up as the Lakers plod lifelessly," and "Kobe acts like his usual dickish self in complaining about an obvious foul." It'd make us feel like we're somewhat there and everything... and any bias towards teams I like and against teams I dislike is favorable.
3) Something to celebrate pivotal moments... like, I don't know, LeBron makes a huge play, and on the court graphic penguins start jumping up and down in celebration. I think that'd get me more into the game, at least...
I don't know. Something needs to be done here, and since I'm poor and unemployed, I instigating the change is out of the question.
I have nothing more to say. Plus I have a headache. I have internet access at my place now. That's cool.
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