About 100 million people are watching the Super Bowl right now. I’m not one of them. Sure, I’m curious about the outcome thanks to the NFL and its media allies. The Bowl’s promoters worked hard to create a sense of uncertainty. But despite my wanting to know how things turn out, I’m going to do my best not to learn who wins and who loses. The results will be announced everywhere, for example, on radio news programs. It’ll even be flashed on my computer, but I’ll try to blink before the message hits my retina like an unwanted grain of sand blowing in the wind.
This morning, instead of participating in the hours-long run-up to the game, I had breakfast with Bernie, one of my best friends. We talked briefly about my goal of avoiding spectator sports for the next year. While he understood the rationale—and agreed that sports might well consume too much of our time— he pointed out the benefits. For example, if two strangers meet for business tomorrow, they might talk about the game. This would be an immediate shared experience.
I certainly agree that spectator sports give fans something of value. Otherwise, no one would watch the games. The key question is: do the benefits outweigh the costs?
I invite you to share your thoughts, but if you do, please don’t reveal the score of today’s game.