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If you have a good team more people are going to show up and be entertained.
— Jonathan Covarrubias
For students such as Jonathan Covarrubias, junior psychology major, it can go both ways. He can be enthralled by the sheer athleticism of a Vince Hunter dunk, and at the same time be highly entertained. Which begs the question. Do sports and entertainment go hand in hand?
“I did play sports in high school, so I do understand the athleticism involved and everything that goes into playing a great game. So I can appreciate what the athletes do, but at the same time I am entertained,” Covarrubias said. “I think it has do with the quality of the team. If you have a good team, more people are going to show up and be entertained. It’s hard to be entertained when your team is getting smacked down.”
At the end of the day, entertainment seems to always have the upper hand. Junior history major Jose Adame does not regularly attend UTEP sports events, but if the game is entertaining and has a great atmosphere, he will be there.
“I look at sports as entertainment,” Adame said. “There are definitely a lot of sports and plenty of options for whatever you are into. Most definitely, I look at it as entertainment.”
There is no question that at times sports can be fun to watch. The atmosphere alone at a basketball game can enthrall almost anyone. Sports seem to capture people across the spectrum–from loyal fan to unknowing spectator–sports can bring them together.
“Nowadays and at universities, it is more of a social thing,” said freshman human biology major Thalia Mendez. “Everyone thrives on the atmosphere. No one really likes to sit at home and watch a game, they’d rather go. I have noticed it is more of a social and entertainment thing.”
Although sports can be entertaining, they do adhere to a strict set of rules. A player must follow certain guidelines and cannot overstep the rulings of a judge, referee or umpire. With all the structure, rules and guidelines, some say sports cannot go past entertainment and venture into the realm of art.
“I wouldn’t exactly view sports as an art,” Adame said. “I have never viewed it as an art. In some sense, it can have an artistic perspective, but I don’t solely think it is an art. The only aspect that I can see as art is the separate athletes and how hard they push.”
Opinion on sports as art and entertainment also varies depending upon male and female viewers. In North America, men are the dominant viewers of major sports—football, baseball, basketball and hockey.
According to espn.com/media-research and demographics, 94 percent of ESPN.com viewers are males between the ages of 18 and 34.
“I think it also depends on what sports you are talking about, but women will go for more of an entertainment aspect,” Adame said. “While men will go to view sports on its principles and athleticism.”
Javier Cortez may be reached at [email protected].
