We are excited to welcome Gavin McDougald to the writing staff at betED.com !
McDougald became known by his views from 'The Couch' after creating and writing the 'CouchMaster's Corner' section on Canada's Number 1 sports website, TSN.ca and has recently signed on to provide insightful, thought provoking and often strongly opinionated content to the betED.com newsletter & website. As any good writer's work does, McDougald's pieces will likely cause you to question your opinion on the topic he writes on. Whether you agree or disagree, we'd like to hear from you! Drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com!
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A decade ago a major sports media outlet came up with a very novel idea: to give the fan a voice. They - for no good reason - gave it to me. I was perhaps the first professional sports fan.
A lifelong follower of the world of fun and games, I was as opinionated as, well? you are. The only difference being, I was in the right place at the right time.
They hired me to blather on about the concerns from those in the cheep seats, or in my case, from the couch. To protect my identity, and to avoid parental embarrassment, I took on that nickname, Couch, or for formal occasions, CouchMaster.
For whatever reason, after all these years later, I am still paid to prattle on about what I see, hear and occasionally, think. I do think on occasion.
However, mine is a voice in the wilderness. We fans remain all but ignored by those in power in sports. Be it the leagues, the athletes themselves, even the press; the constituency that pays all of their salaries has been all but disregarded.
Never are fans considered when a league is in collective bargaining negotiations with its players. Not once have the fans been asked for their say on any of the major decisions that the sports we love make on our behalf. When was the last time a commissioner in any sport met with those who fill their seats to get their input?
I have heard of it happening only once. Gary Bettman of the National Hockey League met with a pal of mine who was voted the NHL?s, ?Fan of the Year.? He even was allowed to be, ?Commissioner for a Day.? The end result? That league shortly thereafter locked out its players and cancelled an entire season for the first time in North American history.
Let?s hope the other leagues don?t use the NHL as an example ? for anything.
So ? very briefly ? here?s what I think about sports:
Sports are better on TV than live.
Sports commentators think, except for a small handful of exceptions, that we are retarded.
Any sport that needs a judge to decide the winner is not a sport.
Professional golfers are better athletes than linemen, and linemen are better athletes than me.
The Olympics are the biggest sporting fraud ever perpetrated, even outstripping international cricket.
If an athlete acts like an ass, yet it?s entertaining, that?s all part of the game.
If an athlete acts like an ass, and he or she is a detriment to that sport or team, he or she should be out of the game.
Finally this ? since it is obvious we sports fans are the most powerful entity in game ? we have to get ourselves together so we can use that power.
We are collectively, without a doubt, on top of the sports food-chain, but for the most part, we?re wasting this great opportunity. We do vote with our remotes on what we want to and what we don?t want to watch. We do get to apply pressure with our wallets by not buying tickets, beer and hotdogs or that latest jersey. In addition, we, on very rare occasions, force players, coaches, GM?s and even ownership changes.
But to truly exercise our power to its fullest extent, the aforementioned leagues, players and media would all be bending over backwards to satisfy us.
Currently they abuse us, and that is what we will have to change.
The action adds to the world of fun and games? attraction, but regardless of how serious a player you are here at betED.com, the essential truth is you, like me, are a sports fan.
That means we are in charge.
Let?s hope the new boss ain?t like the old boss.
Cheers ? Gavin McDougald ? AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com !
McDougald became known by his views from 'The Couch' after creating and writing the 'CouchMaster's Corner' section on Canada's Number 1 sports website, TSN.ca and has recently signed on to provide insightful, thought provoking and often strongly opinionated content to the betED.com newsletter & website. As any good writer's work does, McDougald's pieces will likely cause you to question your opinion on the topic he writes on. Whether you agree or disagree, we'd like to hear from you! Drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com!
---------
A decade ago a major sports media outlet came up with a very novel idea: to give the fan a voice. They - for no good reason - gave it to me. I was perhaps the first professional sports fan.
A lifelong follower of the world of fun and games, I was as opinionated as, well? you are. The only difference being, I was in the right place at the right time.
They hired me to blather on about the concerns from those in the cheep seats, or in my case, from the couch. To protect my identity, and to avoid parental embarrassment, I took on that nickname, Couch, or for formal occasions, CouchMaster.
For whatever reason, after all these years later, I am still paid to prattle on about what I see, hear and occasionally, think. I do think on occasion.
However, mine is a voice in the wilderness. We fans remain all but ignored by those in power in sports. Be it the leagues, the athletes themselves, even the press; the constituency that pays all of their salaries has been all but disregarded.
Never are fans considered when a league is in collective bargaining negotiations with its players. Not once have the fans been asked for their say on any of the major decisions that the sports we love make on our behalf. When was the last time a commissioner in any sport met with those who fill their seats to get their input?
I have heard of it happening only once. Gary Bettman of the National Hockey League met with a pal of mine who was voted the NHL?s, ?Fan of the Year.? He even was allowed to be, ?Commissioner for a Day.? The end result? That league shortly thereafter locked out its players and cancelled an entire season for the first time in North American history.
Let?s hope the other leagues don?t use the NHL as an example ? for anything.
So ? very briefly ? here?s what I think about sports:
Sports are better on TV than live.
Sports commentators think, except for a small handful of exceptions, that we are retarded.
Any sport that needs a judge to decide the winner is not a sport.
Professional golfers are better athletes than linemen, and linemen are better athletes than me.
The Olympics are the biggest sporting fraud ever perpetrated, even outstripping international cricket.
If an athlete acts like an ass, yet it?s entertaining, that?s all part of the game.
If an athlete acts like an ass, and he or she is a detriment to that sport or team, he or she should be out of the game.
Finally this ? since it is obvious we sports fans are the most powerful entity in game ? we have to get ourselves together so we can use that power.
We are collectively, without a doubt, on top of the sports food-chain, but for the most part, we?re wasting this great opportunity. We do vote with our remotes on what we want to and what we don?t want to watch. We do get to apply pressure with our wallets by not buying tickets, beer and hotdogs or that latest jersey. In addition, we, on very rare occasions, force players, coaches, GM?s and even ownership changes.
But to truly exercise our power to its fullest extent, the aforementioned leagues, players and media would all be bending over backwards to satisfy us.
Currently they abuse us, and that is what we will have to change.
The action adds to the world of fun and games? attraction, but regardless of how serious a player you are here at betED.com, the essential truth is you, like me, are a sports fan.
That means we are in charge.
Let?s hope the new boss ain?t like the old boss.
Cheers ? Gavin McDougald ? AKA Couch
Remember to drop us a line at rants@betED.com to voice your opinion on one of McDougald's articles or on anything else you read at betED.com !
