Craig Carton has a theory about American sports fans. Last night’s MLB All-Star Game on FOX Sports he believes proved his point.
What We Know: On Wednesday’s The Carton Show with Craig Carton and Chris McMonigle, Carton argued that American sports fans excel at criticism, not enjoyment. He pointed directly to Tuesday’s MLB All-Star Game as evidence. Instead of discussing the game itself, fans flooded social media with complaints about the broadcast. Backlash centered on musical guests, including performances tied to Boyz II Men, Patti LaBelle, and a Ray Charles tribute.
What They Said: (All quotes via The Carton Show w/Craig Carton & Chris McMonigle)
Craig Carton says the biggest headlines from the MLB All Star Game was what fans were complaining about: “Being a Northern American sports fan makes us losers. Last night’s a prime example of it. What’s the first thing we all talked about? Oh, the game was boring. Boys To Men sucks. Patty La Belle’s old. Ray Charles was out of place. I know the audience. Nobody wants to talk about the game, nor should you.”
Craig Carton on the American sports fan: “North American sports fans are a pain in the ass. We want our cake. We want to eat it too. But the flavor of that cake changes the way the wind blows. We don’t know what we want, but here’s what we always tell you: what we don’t want. What we don’t like, all that kind of nonsense.”
Craig Carton believes American sports fans complain far too much: “We’re great at complaining. My fellow Americans, we suck when it comes to fandom for sports. We never have a good time of the game unless our team is blowing the other team out. We don’t get off our asses and cheer. We’re lazy. We spend more time worrying about what fried chicken ice cream thing we’re gonna buy as opposed to being at the game. We’re boring.”
What Remains Unclear: Viewership figures for the MLB All Star Game are not yet known. FOX Sports nor MLB has also released any social media figures regarding the annual exhibition.
What It Means: Carton’s larger point: fans define the experience through complaints, not celebration. The MLB All Star Game has continually been known as the lone exhibition that doesn’t change. However, Carton is not immune from the fact that social media has amplified the complaints about nearly every subject in sports. More spotlight is being put on elements that once never were considered to be a detriment to a broadcast. If Carton’s right, future All-Star breaks face criticism regardless of the actual product on the field. The cycle, in his view, says more about the audience than the game.
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John Mamola is Barrett Media’s sports editor and daily sports columnist. He brings over two decades of experience (Chicago, Tampa/St Petersburg) in the broadcast industry with expertise in brand management, sales, promotions, producing, imaging, hosting, talent coaching, talent development, web development, social media strategy and design, video production, creative writing, partnership building, communication/networking with a long track record of growth and success. He is a five-time recognized top 20 program director in a major market via Barrett Medi’s Top 20 series and has been honored internally multiple times as station/brand of the year (Tampa, FL) and employee of the month (Tampa, FL) by iHeartMedia. Connect with John by email at John@BarrettMedia.com.