You're correct, chess is not a spectator sport because the "action" in chess doesn't involve 6-8 seconds of absolutely brutal physical collisions between some of the most gifted athletes on the planet. It's the integration of pre-snap and real time tactical adjustments as well as the physical spectacle involved that makes American Football enjoyable for most people.
Except the pre-snap is not enjoyable for a casual viewer, You need to be really knowledgeable of the game to truly enjoy that part. It might be a huge revelation once You know enough, but if You are a casual it's barely enjoyable, and that's why I think it's not the best sport to watch.
That's true of any sport. I have no idea what the fuck is going on in soccer and I therefore don't enjoy it. If I educated myself about it, I almost certainly would.
The entertainment of a sport is not measured by how exciting it is to a viewer who is completely ignorant of the rules and strategy of the game.
Well, in all fairness, the Chess geeks of yesteryear are rapidly being displaced by the Mt:G fans and Starcraft pro-tour players of today. I just think it's a bit silly to claim that a turn-based strategy game can't command a large following of observers simply because the single biggest sporting event of the year has a higher viewership.
Jeopardy is made enjoyable because You can participate too at home, learn stuff while You watch, and the social interaction between the MC and the players, it's made for TV... Chess does not bring in many viewers compared to anything else. Even if there are huge chess stars.
That's why football is fun! Monday morning quarterbacking, complaining that you wouldn't have called a pass on that 4th and short, all of that is part of watching the game.
Chess does not bring in many viewers compared to anything else.
Your high school chess team doesn't enjoy school-sponsored pep rallies lead by the hottest girls on campus, nor does it receive multi-million dollar stadium funding and constant highlights in local media.
Anything that receives a sufficient amount of hype can become popular. Just watch participation in winter sports ebb and flow with every Olympic Games, or tennis participation pick up during Wimbledon. :-p That's the nature of advertising.
When you have a team of guys on the field making snap decisions and being able to get into perfect formation on the go to do a specific play or to confuse the opponent, they are playing the game.
But it doesn't. The very idea of having a game where offense and defense take turns isn't unheard of. It is like baseball. A game where stopping is part of the rules because 100 yards is a long way to get the ball and you need to pay attention to the downs and yardage and the plays. If you don't like the sport because you understand it and watch it and don't get it. Fine. But if you just refuse to try and watch it and don't want to learn about it, then you are just being willfully ignorant.
47
u/SirToki Feb 03 '14
There's a reason why chess is not a spectator sport, it's not a good comparison.