Are you missing live sporting events, or have you moved on?
Here’s a question: When live sporting events return, will fans have weaned themselves off sports and become less interested? Or will there be an explosion of pent-up enthusiasm?
“The answer to that question is ‘yes,’” said Dan Wann, a Murray State professor who specializes in fan psychology.
There’s no data on how fans will react to sports’ return after a shutdown caused by a global pandemic.
Wann said he expected a mixed reaction. Some casual fans will have moved on to other interests.
As for die-hard fans, Wann used the example of the Big Blue Nation to define these people. “They’re watching the (Christian) Laettner game time and time again and still get mad about it,” he said. “These people are going to come back in droves.”
Wann likened sports fans currently in limbo to an avid reader who has not had access to a book for months. Whenever he or she again reads a book, it will be a surefire page-turner.
Sports can give fans an identity. “It’s part of who they are,” Wann said, “and it’s been taken away.”
So, why won’t rabid fans adopt a new identity as, say, an avid reader or lover of poetry?
Wann had an interesting response. Research shows sports can complement — not compete with — other interests. For instance, the more likely a person is to attend games the more likely he or she goes to the opera.
“If you’re interested in watching the drama of a sporting event, you’re probably also interested in watching the drama of a theatrical play,” Wann said. “Or if you’re interested in the history of your favorite team, well, you’ll probably like going to the museum.”
The recent made-for-TV golf match pitting Tiger Woods and Peyton Manning against Phil Mickelson and Tom Brady suggested fan interest has not waned. Turner Sports said the match drew an average audience of 5.8 million viewers. That was more than the average of 5.6 million viewers for “The Last Dance,” the ballyhooed miniseries on Michael Jordan, The Boston Globe reported.
And there has been a 185-percent increase in the average number of dollars bet on a horse race this spring, said Bob Elliston, the vice president of racing and sales at Keeneland. Lexington’s landmark track will again have races — with no fans attending — July 8-12.
Darren Rogers, senior director of communications at Churchill Downs, said the track had $19.3 million wagered on its races last Saturday. That was a Churchill record for a race day that did not include the Oaks, the Kentucky Derby or the Breeders’ Cup.
Churchill, which is holding races Thursdays through Sundays from May 16 until June 27, was averaging a daily handle of $12.1 million. That’s a big increase of the average of $4.5 million at a similar time last year.
Elliston and Rogers cautioned against concluding that betting — and therefore interest in sports — is greatly increased. Rogers pointed out that 39 tracks were operating a year ago compared to 11 as of last week. So maybe a fairly stable interest in betting is concentrated on fewer outlets. Plus, interest might be heightened by this year’s races being televised nationally by various Fox Sports networks.
Here’s one more question: How does interest in sports nowadays compare with, say, 50 years ago? Again, Mann said, no data has been compiled. But …
“You can have ESPN and ESPN2 and ESPNNews and ESPNU and ESPNClassic,” he said of attention paid to present-day sports, “and that’s not enough. Now, you’ve got ESPN+, right?”
Wann tells his students to notice sports references in movies, especially in non-sports movies. For instance, the Harry Potter movies included scenes of a fictional sport, quidditch, being played. “Quidditch had nothing to do with the plot of Harry Potter,” Wann said. “But they thought, there’s sports fans out there. Let’s stitch sports in there.”
Now, Wann added, “you’ve got quidditch teams at universities.”
There are quidditch teams at such schools as Kansas, LSU and Texas A&M.
‘A catalyst’
If you’re wondering if sports deserves all the attention, there’s this: Pittsburgh Steelers Coach Mike Tomlin pointed out on the “Coffee With Cal” Facebook show how sports can help advance society. Jackie Robinson integrating baseball and Bill Russell becoming the first black coach of a major sports team surely opened minds.
Sports has “acted as a catalyst in a lot of ways for change and improvement in society,” Tomlin said.
Casey volunteers
Former UK player (and assistant coach) Dwane Casey and his family are involved in COVID-19 relief. Now coach of the Pistons, Casey teamed with former Detroit mayor (and Pistons Hall of Famer) Dave Bing in providing thousands of bags of groceries to senior citizens and families with young children in the Detroit area.
Casey and Bing work through a Detroit nonprofit called Focus: HOPE. He and Bing have brought requested groceries and supplies to people.
After seeing the need to expand the program, Casey and his wife donated money to Focus: HOPE’s Food For Seniors and Early Learning Program. It serves more than 41,000 low income seniors with monthly food packages.
Donations can be made online on Focus: HOPE’s website.
Kudos to UK
Disgruntled by what he saw as Kentucky’s ho-hum non-conference home opponents each season, UK fan Rick Music came up with a heady Plan B a few years ago. He spent the money set aside for season tickets on a getaway weekend to see one marquee game at a neutral site: Say UK-Duke in Chicago or UK-Michigan State in Madison Square Garden.
Music applauded UK’s announcement Thursday of a home-and-home mini-series (that includes a third game at a neutral site) with Notre Dame. The first game is scheduled for Rupp Arena on Dec. 12.
“We need, and want, more of the same with other marquee programs,” Music wrote in an email. “Good for the teams! Good for the fans! Good for the programs! I have always questioned the value (to any stakeholder), of paying big $ to entice an out-manned team to come to Rupp for, (what is expected to be), a slaying. Such ‘record-boosting’ games tend to turn off the fans, demoralize the victims, and, (I think) create a bit of over-confidence in the Cats.”
However, Music suggested that Mother Nature might spoil the party.
“It is very unfortunate that, with the fear of the virus, that the first installment of this series will be played to empty seats!” he wrote.
UK-BYU?
This might be a delicious thought: Kentucky schedules a game Brigham Young next season. Graduate transfer (and onetime UK recruiting target) Matt Haarms gets to compete against UK.
BYU Coach (and former UK player) Mark Pope recently sounded persuadable. When asked if he’d like to schedule a game against Kentucky, he said, “Of course. I’m trying to get that done every year because Kentucky is the marquee program in America.”
Pope said he understood how complicated scheduling can be. That is especially true for Kentucky, which must juggle the demands of television and many teams wanting the exposure that comes with playing UK.
Pope recalled having “the distinct honor and privilege of coaching Utah Valley against Kentucky in the opening game of the 2017-18 season.
“That was so special,” he said, “And, man, we’d love to do it again.”
Auction
An online auction of items from Rupp Arena and The Central Bank Center ends at 7 p.m. Tuesday.
Items up for bid include Rupp Arena turnstiles (a Father’s Day gift for that “man cave?”), tables and chairs from the food court, slushie machines and walk-in coolers.
Bids can be made online on the Noel Auctioneers and Real Estate Advisors website.
Pickups for those with winning bids will be at 410 West Vine Street on Wednesday from noon to 4 p.m. Those making winning bids will be sent emails that include a phone number to call to schedule a pickup time.
Happy birthday
To Adam Delph. He turned 30 on Thursday. … To Mississippi State Coach Ben Howland. He turned 63 on Thursday. … To former UK president David Roselle. He turned 81 on Saturday. … To former Florida coach Billy Donovan. He turned 55 on Saturday. … To baseball import Ben Jordan. He turns 22 on Tuesday. … To referee John Hampton. He turns 52 on Tuesday. … To former Florida standout Al Horford. He turns 34 on Wednesday.
