The Creation of Excitement in Sports Commentaries

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Introduction:

The 2012 London Olympics was a phenomenal media event, with the BBC reporting that 90% of the UK population tuned in to watch at least fifteen minutes of the television coverage. Televised sport regularly boasts impressive viewing figures, but the Olympic Games generally entices the public more than most, with people all over the world encapsulated by the international contests. On Saturday 11th August 2012, Mo Farah won the Olympic gold medal for the men’s 5000m race to secure a historic double triumph, and Britain erupted with pride. According to many theorists (Gantz 1981, Gantz and Wenner 1995 etc.), entertainment is the main reason why people watch sport, and the nature of the commentary which accompanies such occasions significantly assists spectators in achieving this goal. In this essay, I will analyse the commentary of Mo Farah’s victory, and ask the question: ‘How do commentators add to the levels of excitement and drama?’

Previous Studies:

The importance of sports commentary was highlighted in the study by Comisky, Bryant and Zillmann (1977), where they found that viewers were more excited and entertained when the hockey pundits used dramatic language. When comparing test groups with and without access to commentary, those with the audio reported far more thrilling and intense experiences than their counterparts, showing the impact narrations can have on people watching.

Gan, Tuggle, Mitrook, Coussement and Zillmann (1997) wrote how excitement amongst spectators is at its greatest when the sporting contest is close, and that commentators can highlight this uncertainty to dramatize an event. These claims built on the study by Bryant, Rockwell and Owens (1994) which focussed on the suspense present in ...

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Zillmann, D., Bryant, J. and Sapolski, B. (1989) ‘The Enjoyment from Sports Spectatorships’, In: J. Goldstein (ed.) Sports, Games and Play: Social and Psychological Viewpoints. Hillsdale: Lawrence Erlbaum Associates. 241-278.

Zillmann, D. and Cantor, J. (1972) ‘Directionality of Transitory Dominance as a Communication Variable Affecting Humor Appreciation’, Journal of Personality and Social Psychology, 24:191-198.

Zillmann, D. and Paulus, P. (1993) ‘Spectators: Reactions to Sports Events and Effects on Athletic Performance’, In: R. Singer, M. Murphey and L. Tennant (eds.) Handbook of Research on Sports Pyschology. New York: Macmillan. 600-619.

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