An ASU sorority taking selfies was mocked on Thursday night by in-game announcers during the Arizona Diamondbacks game. Fair or foul?
Anytime new technology, music or trends are introduced to the masses, it’s usually adopted by teens first and the rest of the population either chooses to follow suit or chooses to ridicule it.
So when a sorority decided to hit up a meaningless baseball game between the Arizona Diamondbacks and Colorado Rockies, they naturally did what most millennials do, they took a bunch of pictures to document the trip.
Stop what you're doing and watch this video of teens taking selfies at a baseball game http://t.co/sZrf1bxViT pic.twitter.com/kK7nYx2Nsf
— Cooper Fleishman (@_Cooper) October 1, 2015
Little did they know, the broadcast team would pan their camera to capture them as most in the group posed for pictures with their friends and game day food.
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wl4-CgCEDt0
Before rushing to the “my generation is doomed!” judgement, let’s consider this video is all of 23 seconds during a meaningless game that lasted several hours. With that said, the comments said by the broadcasters were downright rude and offered nothing of value to the listening audience. Not to mention they’re saying these things while asking for fans to send in pictures of themselves at a game.
For those unaware, the job of a broadcaster is to first and foremost give play by play of the action on the field. During moments where there isn’t any action, the broadcasters can fill the silence of dead air by telling stories and enlightening fans with key facts about the game. Occasionally, they go to the crowd to spruce up the conversation.
What likely happened in this instance is someone with the broadcast team scouted the crowd, noticed the sorority and waited for the perfect time to pan the camera to the group of young attractive women. These women likely paid good money to attend this game while also buying food and beverages.
What they didn’t pay for was a broadcaster to publicly humiliate them for doing the same thing an entire generation does, not just their gender.
Now, I’m the first one to say if 90 percent of someone’s Instagram feed consists of selfies, it’s a desperate cry for positive affirmation from others. But taking a selfie and using your phone at a baseball game is not the downfall of society like these broadcasters paint.
Myself along with other female sports fans in the industry felt the same in these women were unfairly embarrassed at a baseball game for doing what many in the younger generation already do at every other sporting event.
And for a sport desperate to attract a younger audience, perhaps the men in the booth should do as they’re insisting the women do and focus on the damn game.
*UPDATE*
After the media firestorm that developed from this story, Fox Sports reached out to the Alpha Chi Omega at ASU and offered them free tickets to the game. ACO responded to Fox’s request with the following Facebook post:
Alpha Chi Omega at Arizona State University would like to thank the Arizona Diamondbacks and Fox Sports for reaching out to the chapter after last night’s game and subsequent media frenzy. We appreciate their generous offer of tickets to tonight’s game. However, instead of chapter members attending the game, we have asked the Diamondbacks and Fox Sports to provide tickets to a future game for families at A New Leaf, a local non-profit that helps support victims of domestic violence.
Today, October 1, marks the beginning of Domestic Violence Awareness Month. If everyone who viewed this statement took the time to make a donation in recognition of domestic violence awareness, which is Alpha Chi Omega’s national philanthropy, we would be so grateful! We are happy to have the opportunity to shed some positive light on such a sensitive subject. All proceeds will go directly to A New Leaf to help struggling Arizona families get back on their feet by providing housing, food, childcare and more. You can donate using the link below. We appreciate your support!
http://donate.billhighway.com/DVAwareness
Bravo, ladies! Way to turn a negative into a positive.