It sounds like thousands of folks are flocking to D.C. for the inauguration, which I think is kind of foolish if you actually want to see anything that is going on. Watching the whole thing on television will prove cheaper and more productive. I feel this way about football and most sporting events, as well. What events do you prefer watching on television?
I can understand your point but I think you can't beat the buzz of actually being there, particularly with something so historic. After all, you can always watching a recording on the TV after.
Yes, there really *is* something very special about attending historical events in person. On the other hand, there are some things that I'd always choose to see on television instead of being there in person. The first thing that comes to mind is midnight New Years Eve at Times Square... haven't done it, quite sure I wouldn't want to.
Baseball I really enjoy watching baseball games, and seeing them in person is a special event because you're part of an ocean of fans rooting for your team, but if I truly want to see the game, the nuance and finesse of the pitching, the incredible fielding feats, etc I'll watch it on tv.
That's a very good point when it comes to sports. I've been to live pro baseball games and never saw a thing. For socialization it's great but for watching sports, I think tv is better, too.
It's a historic event, so of course people want to 'be there'. Magnify the energy of watching it on TV, and there you go. My friend actually went to Washington D.C. for another reason, had tickets, and never got in. However, she said the energy and excitement in the entire city was still pretty amazing.
You have got a point there. Rushing off to the venue to watch something that you can watch on TV, in the comfort of your own home, sounds a bit foolish. I guess people want to watch something live just for the thrill of it. After all, it is more fun watching a football match at a stadium...you are more part of things then. At least, that's what I feel.
I was warm and lay back in my recliner and saw all the networks would show me.. That is better than being cooled!!!
Ultimate! I guess the ultimate combo is to go to a concert performed by somebody you really enjoy (I'm thinking of when I saw John Fogarty live) and then later getting to see a dvd of the same event. Brings back fun memories and you can see from different angles.
The more likely there will be surveillance cameras, the less likely I am to be there. I saw this thing in CNN where they asked everyone in the crowd to take a picture right when Obama put his hand on the Bible. They then put all of those together so that you can zoom in on any particular area to see who was in the crowd, in the stands, ...... There's no thrill I would pursue if it meant that my face would be picked out of the crowd.
You have a point but you have to understand that everyone isn’t near to DC. Some people don’t have the money to go to Washington DC just to watch the inauguration. With the help of TV the inauguration is watched all over the world.
True enough, if I had the financial resources I would probably have gone to be part of the overall vibe. There were a lot of folks in that crowd that had been working on that campaign for two years, so I think they were ready to party!
I like watching hockey games at the venue because you can see the position of all the players, while that's usually not the case with most TV coverage. I've also listened to play-by-play on the radio at the same time. I found sometimes there would be a stoppage in the play that the announcer would be able to explain that I would otherwise have been in the dark about. I'm sure that being at the inauguration was very exciting.
I think that I wouldn’t watch wrestling live because we already know that they are just scripted so what’s the point of watching them live. If I would watch something live then it would be basketball or UFC.
Years ago my father-in-law got hold of a couple of tickets to the Bob Hope Desert Classic golf tournament and my hubby went with him. Hubby really didn't want to go because he thinks golf is boring and elitist (apologies to golf fans out there ) but his dad told him you had to watch it live to enjoy it. Well, he got to see President Ford, Fred MacMurray, Telly Savalas and Bob Hope, but he still thought it was a yawn-fest. When he sees golf on tv he likes to yell at the screen "Give me back those five hours!"
I think that is one reason for watching something live. If you are going to meet some famous people then I would go there.
