Outdoor Sports – Consumer Appeal
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The use of the phrase “Consumer Appeal” as a part of the subject headline may raise a few eyebrows but then sports, be it football, cricket or tennis is no more confined to mere participation and enjoyment of the particular sports discipline by the players and spectators. It is now big business involving huge money supply pumped in by big corporate houses.
When the world is increasingly being sucked into the game of soccer, the sub-continent and more particularly India is finding itself losing interest to develop this wonderful game more and more within and getting involved in to a lazy non-contact outdoor sport.
As a spectator sport, no other outdoor game matches up to football. The game is controlled by the more professionally managed Fédération Internationale de Football Association (FIFA) founded in 1904 and currently has 208 member countries, 16 more than the United Nations and 3 more than the International Olympic Committee (IOC). The format of the game has seen very minimal change since competitive football started. The few notable changes that came about were, increase of match duration from 70 to 90 minutes, numbering of the players shirts, the offside rule and the back-pass to the goal-keeper rule.
Football stands a better chance of acceptance amongst fans as compared to any other game. The major reasons that offhand come to mind are –
1. When two teams play it is like a battle with neither side willing to consciously sacrifice the initiative even for a second.
2. Watching or playing football is not for the weak-hearted. The adrenaline is constantly running and reaches its crescendo as the match progresses;
3. The game is played by players who have to be physically at their best unlike some other sports where pot-bellied individuals can also find a place;
4. The impartiality of the rules where neither side is favoured by the toss of a coin:
5. Out-of-the-world technique, i.e., a swerving freekick or a bicycle kick or even a pile-driver of a shot from top of the box is more pleasing to the eyes of the spectator;
6. Matches do not get stopped because of even a slight drizzle;
7. Decision making by the arbitrator (referee) is fast and matches are not held up for frequent referrals to the TV umpire;
8. Cheerleaders are not required to allure spectators into the football ground; and finally,
9. Everything is over within a span of two hours and the fate decided in favour of either side;
10. Countries gain recognition in the sports fraternity if they perform better on the soccer field. Ivory Coast and Nigeria are renowned for their football prowess although their economy is in shambles;
11. International football matches, (Club or Country) have more TV viewer ship than any other sport involving two nations.
Therefore, for a country like ours with a teeming population it is essential that we focus more on football rather than waste our money and energy on a game which has become the current obsession.
Tags: Better Chance, Money Supply, Outdoor Sport, Outdoor Sports
