Watching sport on television has a lot of different actions and activities associated with it. They are very weird or peculiar for the uninitiated, but a lot of them are common across all sports.
They are a vital part of the sporting culture of Australia, and around the world.
An ad break is a vital part of many sports matches. They allow one to top up the drinks, have a toilet break, or flick channels to more sport that is currently on.
If you miss those vital few seconds when the telecast recommences, though, you embarrassingly can no longer say you watched the whole match or event. Sports without these breaks often result in world records being broken sprinting down the hallway, or friends and relatives being bribed into being personal waiters.
It is common knowledge amongst sports fans that players can hear you when you shout at a TV, and when you give them coaching advice after a bad decision, they always listen. This shouting often makes chairs useless as viewers stand up to try and get noticed.
Throwing remotes and drinks at the television is also a very common occurrence. This is a result of the well known fact that throwing such objects it known to jolt players out of a lull.
It is recommended to anyone watching their favourite team (or individual) to remove all throwable objects from arm’s reach before the match.
One can always tell if there is a sports match on TV from the noises emanating from the region surrounding it. The ‘awwws’ of a bone crunching tackle, or the celebrations of a score.
It is possible to tell the score of a match just by listening to the people watching it. Facial movements begin to take over from the noises near the end of tense matches, with red faces and open mouths a common expression.
Serious sports fans often show their allegiance by wearing team merchandise, even if watching by themselves. Most will change into their colours minutes before the match, and will change out straight away if a loss is incurred.
It is well known that a mini-match is won if your team has the largest contingent of merchandise wearing fans.
There are many games to be played when watching sport.
Finishing your drink with every major event (goal, 6, out, over the sideline) is a very common one. Others include the finishing of drinks when certain players touch the ball, or when certain phrases are mentioned by the umpire. It is also common to have cheering matches with opposition supporters.
Televisions are also places for viewers to show how much more knowledge they have about the sport, event, and teams playing than anybody else present. There are often small games, sets and matches between various viewers trying to out do the other on the most unique piece of trivia they can come up with.
The uninitiated in this type of game are often made to look like outsiders.
A number of superstitions are also prevalent. If you are unfortunate enough to be late to the TV, and on arrival the momentum of the match suddenly changes, there are often cries for the late arriver to leave.
Arriving late and a reversal in fortunes in a match are seen to have a direct link.
It is also thought that if a viewer starts having negative feelings about the result of a match, they will quickly spread to the team the viewer supports. It is also a very annoying fact that the big moments always occur in a match the second you briefly look away. Being a person who is the consequence of a viewer losing such concentration often results in the loss of many brownie points.
Outsiders to the sports realm and outsiders to individual sports are often found out very quickly due to the intricate nature of these activities and actions.
If you are an amateur to the sporting world, it is wise to fess up straight away or face the ongoing inquiries from the all-knowing and experienced professionals.
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