Media Ethnography

March Madness. The NCAA Tournament. Whatever you call it, it’s one of the most exciting times of the year for sports fans and gamblers alike. During the last week, the first week of the Tournament, my roommates’ behaviors have changed. More often than not, the TV is on and is featuring basketball for our viewing pleasure. I have watched and recorded their behaviors and comments. I also interviewed each of them (2 males, 1 female) about the NCAA Tournament and their Internet and TV usage during this time. In addition, I looked at the blog of Gary Parrish at CBSSports.com, a blog frequented by Roommate 1, and analyzed the comments that follow a post.

Roommate 1, or my husband, has demonstrated the most increased media usage during the last 4 days. Thursday, the first day of the Tournament, he came home for an extended lunch to watch the games that were on TV. On Friday, day two, he took the day off work so that he could enjoy 10 hours of basketball viewing. He watched the games with a group of friends at a few local establishments. During the day, he consistently talked about the games, often speaking like a coach with phrases such as “they need to step it up” and sports talk like “and one” (when a shooter is fouled, makes the basket, and is given one penalty shot). While watching the games, roommate 1 claps, screams at the TV, and makes a running stream of comments about the game or the players’ abilities. Constant time updates are a must. “2 minutes left! 34 seconds...ahhh!” Saturday and Sunday were similar. No activity could be done without checking scores via Internet or phone. Only special trips were made outside of the house and with consideration of game time. On Sunday, he watched a game on the Internet while watching another game on TV. In addition, he was spotted wearing the same Arizona t-shirt on Friday and Sunday.

Roommate 2, female, has not shown any increased media usage during this time. The only difference is that she is involved in a bracket pool, as are Roommate 1 and 3. The winner will receive $250. While watching the games, Roommate 2 is mildly interested, mainly in relation to her bracket. She usually is using the Internet or doing homework while watching.

Roommate 3, male, has shown increased media usage, mainly through TV viewing. Though he does not change his activities due to the Tournament, such as Roommate 1, he watches the games when he can and talks to others about them. When he is gone, the first thing he does when he comes home is check scores, on the Internet or by asking another roommate. While watching the games, he claps and engages in sports talk. After each game finished, he circles the correct picks that he made on his bracket. On Thursday, roommate 3 watched a game through live streaming on the Internet.

In the interview I asked the following 4 questions: 1. Why do you watch the NCAA Tournament? 2. What do you enjoy about watching it? 3. Do you watch more TV or recreationally use the Internet more during this time? 4. If so, how much?

Roommate 1 watches the Tournament because he “loves basketball”. When asked what he enjoys about watching the Tournament he replied, “the pageantry. It’s basketball at its purist. And my team (Arizona) has been in it for 25 years”. He also enjoys watching it with others, and talking to, texting, or facebooking friends about the games. His average recreational Internet usage is about 15 hours a week, and during March Madness jumps to 21 hours a week. His average TV watching time is about 21 hours a week and jumps to 25 hours a week during March Madness. (I personally feel it is more than that during March Madness)

Roommate 2 watches the Tournament for “the brackets”. She also likes the knowledge and states, “it gives me something to talk about in the elevator”. She enjoys watching because she feels invested in her bracket, likes the sportsmanship, and feels the nostalgia of college. She also likes watching because of the connection to others and the pleasure she gets from spending time with friends and family. Her Internet and television usage do not change with March Madness.

Roommate 3 watches the Tournament because he “likes watching competitive sporting events. There are good teams in the tournament which mean good games.” He enjoys watching for the drama at the end of the games, and the suspense. His television usage does increase during March Madness. He uses the Internet recreationally 8 hours a week, which does not change. He feels that he usually watches about 8 hours of TV a week and about 12 hours a week during the Tournament.

Both male roommates agree that the end of the game is the most important. The first half is seen as mildly important, while the end is the best part. This is where the excitement is. My female roommate only really cared who won, not the game itself. Also, both male roommates increased their media usage during the Tournament while my female roommate did not experience this increase.

There are many purposes of watching March Madness. Beach gives the example of the World Cup in our text. He states that fans that watch the games in a social group “engage in ritual-like social practices as well as acquiring information about the teams and players, sharing time with friends and family, and using sports viewing to kill time” (p. 57). The same thoughts apply to the NCAA Tournament. Viewers enjoy watching the games and checking stats so that they can talk about them the next day with co-workers, family, and friends. It gives people a conversation opener, and a chance to relate to others. Also, it comes at the end of winter and I feel that for Minnesotans this is especially important. It gives people a reason to get together, every weekend for an entire month. After being inside all winter, and for many feeling slightly depressed or down, it gives people a reason to make plans with others, and a chance to get out and do something different. Roommate 1 was even inspired to shoot some baskets on Saturday, an unusual activity!

The Tournament is also a male bonding experience. Though males and females alike watch the Tournament and engage in talk, I noticed while watching as a large mixed group, the majority of males sat together and engaged in sports talk while the majority of females sat together and engaged in talk generally not related to sports. While this is a generalization and obviously there are exceptions, this was the norm at our get-together. Though both males and females enjoyed watching the Tournament, they watched it in different ways.

It was only the first weekend of March Madness. I can be sure that these patterns will continue in my household, and many MANY more hours of college basketball will be watched! And read about. See below.

Gary Parrish: NCAA Tournament Recap
Roommate 1 reads this blog daily and does not like the author. He feels that most of the other readers who post comments are from the East and always "hating on" his team. He feels similarly about the author. While looking at the comments, I do agree that the majority of the comments have to do with how great a certain conference is, in this case, the Big East. When somebody disagrees, a derogatory comment is often added such as : "You are an idiot. A top heavy league is having 2 teams possibly make the sweet 16. having 5 make it with a 6th just missing is domination. I guess the BE is top heavy because it doesn't have all 16 teams in the sweet 16. Name me one other conference to ever have 5 teams in the sweet 16."
Many comments end with taunting as well (as seen above).

Similar pattern seen here (in response to another comment): "I've got $2 that says you can't get any dumber. You seem so intent on discussing the ACC refs, blah, blah, blah- explain to me then why the ACC did so well OOC, without ACC refs? Do you think the ACC refs mattered much in the Heels' 43 point win over Radford? The 14 pt win over LSU? Seriously? Oh, and now some facts for you (not that you seem to care about those pesky little things), but there are rules in the NCAA tournament around refs from a single conference." (and it goes on from there)

Really? Do we talk to each other this way? Is my "gender" getting in the way of me seeing how this is an acceptable form of communication? Idiot and get any dumber....awesome. And that is just two examples. I feel that a lot of this language has to do with the fact that people are posting online and do not have to have face-to-face contact. There is no "embarrassment" factor. Also, many who comment seem extremely attached to "their" team or the conference that "their" team is in. Many comments state the superiority of "their" team or how they were unjustly treated or looked at by others. I sometimes wonder where is attitude of "my" team comes from. Are you on the team? Did you call any of the plays? Play a part in recruitment, maybe?? Um...no? So what's with the "we" and "us" language? I went to the University of Minnesota but I don't consider the Gophers Mens Basketball team and myself a "we".

While many postings fall in this pattern, not all. Many posters are reading the blog and posting because they love to talk sports. People want their opinions and views heard, and want to add their two cents. Many agree with the blogger. Many disagree and state why. Their shared interest is sports, and talking as if they too were experts, they will!