Parlor Spider...Step In, Little Fly

Insightful thoughts and/or rants from atop the soapbox from one who wishes to share the "right" opinion with everyone.

Wednesday, September 09, 2009

Today's Tech vs the "Good Old Days"

I'm not one of those people who say, "back in the day," and then proceed to note how just about everything about the bygone era was superior to the newfangled modern age. In fact, I think a lot of the technological advances have been a boon to all of mankind: disposable diapers, for example. WE used cloth...had to rinse 'em out and store 'em in a container for a couple of days (which often melted the container!) until we had enough to wash. And that ammonia smell? It brought tears to my eyes every time! Not so any more.
Or the telephone: party lines and interminable waits when you were in a hurry. Now? Send a text from your phone anywhere you happen to be. As soon as the telemarketers hit my cell number, the apocalypse will be near.
Even something as simple as the bicycle has evolved into a more user-friendly model. Having ridden a single-speed bike as recently as last March, I say, "hurray!" for the invention of geared bicycles. Now, those single-speed deals with no brakes...another story.
I must admit, though, that the modern day technological advances have somewhat ruined my enjoyment of sports events. I absolutely relished poring over a box score in the paper of the previous day's games and waiting for ABC's "Wide World of Sports" to show me what I'd missed. An occasional event like the Olympics or the World Series on television was cause for skipping out of every chore for the duration. It was mesmerizing. I read endlessly about the sporting accomplishments of larger-than-life people...even to the extent of watching "Mutual of Omaha's Wild Kingdom" every week. Now, sadly enough, the fabulous world of sports has been reduced to sensationalism.
It wasn't enough that we could watch Melanie Oudin (she of the fabulous shoes!) in this year's U.S. Open tennis tournament. Now, we get to be informed of her parents' impending divorce over a supposed affair between the mother and the tennis coach. This ruins everything.
Derek Jeter will surpass Joe Dimaggio for the most hits in Yankees history, but we're treated to articles concerning the view of other big leaguers who say he's overrated.
Who's cheating on whom? Who's got a drug or alcohol problem? Who's changing teams just to stick it to his or her former employers (who provided millions in compensation). It's all just too much and too sordid. I want sports news, not sports gossip.
My theory is that cable television and the internet allow us to see every contest worldwide, thus negating the need for sportswriters: no more necessity for Red Smith, Grantland Rice or even Ronald Reagan behind the mike doing radio baseball. Sportswriters have become the paparazzi: rumor-mongers and sensationalists...because we already KNOW how the contest came out. There is no need for them anymore. Prove this to yourself by watching a contest with no sound; if you can follow the action without commentators, how much LESS of an impact do those actually writing about the game have?
I miss reading the sports page for news and endless statistics which identify the outcome as either good or not so good. By the time the report hits the paper, I've already read about it on the internet.
Sad, really, that our children will not have the opportunity to share the same joyful anticipation.
Of course, I COULD turn off the television and computer, subscribe to a newspaper that's real paper instead of reading it online, and get the old transistor radio out...but then I'd be accused of being an anachronism.
It's worth a try.

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