Sports and Speakers: A Raging Relationship
…think sound
There are mad fans. There are ardent fans. There are the fervent fans. In sports, the fans are all of them, put together. There is an emotional attachment to the teams and/or a player or the sport itself – like cricket to Indians. Did you know that more than 111 million people—about a third of the U.S. population—watched the Super Bowl? Now, that is some sports love.
Here is a small task for you. Open the sports column of your newspaper. Or log in to your PC and check out the latest sports headlines – or better still go to the headlines at the time of a World Cup. If you want the most recent – recall from memory the loads of love and emotions on social media and otherwise, felt towards MSD this IPL season. You can arrive at multiple hypotheses of how sports affects people – but does the human love for sports have an empirical backing?
Where does our enduring love for certain sports and teams come from? The empirical evidence starts early – the current day sports has ancient roots. Physical activities of ritual, warfare and entertainment evolved into the early forms of sports to develop, rehearse, and refine skills that are critical for survival or reproduction. Such competitive team sports shaped the physical and psychological skills of early humans – sports is more than an entertainment quotient to our sub-conscious mind.
Irrespective of reason, the fact is that you and I love sports. Every enthusiast in a sports arena identifies themselves with the player. We crave the adrenalin rush – remember how to the cave man winning meant being alive? That is to say, sports is just not a game to humans. We live our dreams through these players. Psychologically, watching or participating in sports boosts our self-esteem, true to our basic instincts, convincing us sub-consciously that we are ready to take on the game- pun intended!
Fast forward to the current digitally pampered generation. Forward looking sports arenas and stadiums realize the need to engage, entertain and ensure an immersive experience to keep the digital natives loyal. As technology is making its way (chartered shall we say?) into sports among managers and teams, for strategic benefits, it is also making its way to the audience/fans
Amidst beacons, robust WIFI for in house replays and social media engagement and food experience adding to an immersive experience, a primitive subject sound – that can make or break a scene is taking a credible place. Sound can make a mundane moment feel larger than life.
The natural sound generated in stadiums through the cheers, roars and enthusiasm of the players and audience is a natural lift to the spirits and an important part of the excitement of attending a sports event. This crowd enthusiasm is credited to be helping the players on the field too. Principal and aspiring stadiums are investing in designing and implementing systems to maximize crowd atmosphere by trapping and amplifying crowd noise. Through well designed sound systems, partial roofs and sound walls, stadiums are harnessing sound to converge the physical experience of sports, innately taking the experience a notch higher.
While the stadium experience of watching a game is a world apart, there is also another realm of enjoying your favourite game at the comfort of your home. While many like me must be working during your major league game, it is only fair to enhance, in every possible and available way your sports experience at home. What would you want to have when you get your group of friends home for a day of sports?
As a lover of spectacle, I believe a super robust sound system is essential. It can enhance at the least and at the peak, create – create a moment where you can live the dream. Adding the digital experience of sound to accentuate your sports experience is a way of living, a choice. A way to relive the hunter instinct.
Since you are here, you are probably already aware of your love for sports and have come here looking for a reliable sound partner that can help accentuate the overall experience of sports. Look at the pre-customized sound systems from Klipsch, Jamo, Marantaz, Denon, Roksan or Vivitek. Pamper your inner sports beast with a personalised high-end audio solution. Or just go watch your game live in action! My vote is always for the latter.
Oh! And If you have ‘agreements’ and ‘deals’ with the non-enthusiasts at home, about having the remote control, gracefully and proudly gift yourself a sound system that can recreate a stadium like experience. Hear those cheers, hear all the noise, feel the rush and play it your way. Just bring in the sports experience that you deserve for the times when you do have the remote control. Think sound.
