10 Ways Television Has Changed Sports

“In the stands, a baseball game is about hot dogs, foam hands and soft ice cream that you eat out of a plastic baseball cap. Oh, and there are some guys trying to hit a twine-wrapped cork with a stick way down there on a field. When they do, you cheer or boo.

But on television, it’s another story — you watch from the batter’s eyes as the pitcher shakes off one sign, then another, then nods. He spits once, delivers, and you can see the curveball’s arc. The batter swings and misses. And then it’s time for commercials.

Television hasn’t done much to baseball, other than making it more up close and personal — a story instead of a backdrop for a sunny summer’s eve. Other sports have followed similar televised trajectories. Football is full of color, cheerleaders and end-zone dances — all of which you might miss without television.

But what about those pesky TV timeouts? And instant replay? And changing golf’s match play to stroke play?

For better or worse, all of these are due to television. So how else has TV changed the sports we love? And how has TV helped to create these very sports? Keep reading to find out.