Theater of the Mind
I have a new guilty pleasure that’s a little unusual, for me at least.
I LOVE LOVE LOVE listening to the San Francisco Giants games. Not watching. Listening to the local KNBR radio broadcasts.
And thanks to a couple of friends who introduced me to MLB At Bat, for something like $15 a season I can listen to the play-by-play for every game.
Just like I would if I lived in San Francisco. I even get the local commercials.
Yes, I’m pretty sure the app would let me WATCH the game in HD on my iPad, and I’m not saying I’ll never do that, but right now this is a romance with a new thing that speaks to some part of me.
Listening to the game. What’s more Americana than that? Instead of a rabbit-eared transistor radio on the deck, I just let it play on my phone.
The patter is mesmerizing. It’s timeless. The rhythm of the sounds. The crack of the bat, the roar of the crowd, it’s just different when you keep it as an audio experience. It’s music.
And it’s Theater of the Mind. It’s so amazing how these guys can talk so much and describe so quickly and artfully what’s happening right now with color and brevity and excitement.
It’s more human than watching it on TV. I’ll put my name on that statement. That’s not a critique of any other game-watching experience – save your tweets – it’s just something I’m really digging in a big way right now. Like a guy listening to Miles on vinyl.
Anyway, I’m grateful that the magic of the interwebs has given me a chance to feel like a Bay Area resident in an old-fashioned kind of way.
Right on. By the way, tomorrow is the first Orange Friday of the season at AT&T Park, as the team returns home to host the Padres. Night game.
It’s weird for me because I’m not that guy. My dad and my brother are, but I was never that guy. On and off, maybe. I remember being a fan of the Big Red Machine in the 70′s and having a Reds cap that I wore until it was just a floppy rag. I still have that hat. And in college my brother and I went thru a brief Cubs phase, but that was really just an excuse to drink beer and do nothing.
The truth is I’ve spent most of my life loathing the sound of a game because i was constantly trying to find a quiet room. I still can’t watch football on TV.
But the San Francisco trip in 2010 changed everything. So I know I’ll be retweeting pictures from the game tomorrow night while listening to it old school. Cuz guess what.
People are capable of change.
I guess the point is, be open to whatever. Let go of your ancient hang ups and give a thing a chance. Have the curious mind of a child. Empty your cup and let it be refilled.
Beginner’s mind. It can lead to some cool experiences. If you don’t know what I’m talking about, well, first of all I’m sorry, and secondly, google it.
Or just keep coming back here cuz I’m bound to expound on that again.
Peace & Love,
ThatBuddha
