I've never been much of a heckler at sporting events. My idea of a great live sporting event is a lot closer to a spring training game than a playoff football game. Or was.
I have some friends who come from a tradition of heckling. We've been going to various UCF sporting events where I've come to appreciate it as a kind of art form that requires practice, discipline, and perseverance.
UCF has very nearly completed it's new 10,000 seat basketball arena on campus, but for the remainder of this season, the UCF basketball team will play in it's current arena, which is much smaller. One of the interesting things about it is that there are no seats behind either basket. There are, however, walkways with railing on the second story just behind the basket. And, if you are willing to stand or lean for the whole game, there isn't a better seat in the house. You are literally right on top of the players.
Which brings us back to heckling. From this vantage point, the players can hear everything you shout, even when the place is pretty loud. For me, attendance has been transformed from an exercise in observation to one of participation. The things I say can be heard by the players (they are human beings remember) and can have an effect. Perhaps I'll write in another post my thoughts about the proper way to heckle, which are still developing.
But, standing behind the railing above the basket is a pretty noticeable place to be, especially if you are shouting various comments the whole game. And so I've noticed that people will suddenly appear behind us, tap us on the shoulder, and say "hi". They never did that when I was just clapping in the seats.
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4 comments:
yea! I always knew you had it in you Paul. Can you please give us some examples of your heckling wisdom?
Anthony, it goes something like this: "Hey 22, your mother was a hamster and your father smells of elderberry!"
Mostly it involves repeating people's first names, just to distract them. Clothing is fun to ridicule: "Yeah, go talk to sweater vest for help". Or when they talk to a coach say, "So and So needs more coaching". Or in the huddle, "You can't make 'em any smarter, coach". Or, when their coach is mad, "It is soo frustrating!" Or, in the case of Marshall, "Matthew McConaughey can't save you now!" Or, "Don't think about the percentages." Or when they make a mistake: "Don't worry, it wouldn't have mattered anyways." And so on. Generally avoid things like "You suck!"
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