Recruiting

Our son, Gregor, was always the outlier in our sports obsessed family.  However, since moving back to San Antonio, he has become as fanatic a Spurs fan as all the rest of us who live here.  He shows up on Sundays to observe the Cowboys/Giants controversies and, recently, has been subjected to the baseball playoffs since the beloved Phillies are still alive.  During the last Sunday's game, held at night in Philadelphia, the temperature was about 40 degrees or so. 

Greg asked, "who is that girl sitting on the sideline?"  We explained that she is the "ball girl" and retrieves foul balls.  Next question, "why is she all covered up?"  We explained that it was really cold up there.  Greg was shocked and said, "what's the point of watching a sport where the girls are all bundled up?"  Aha moment!  He doesn't care about the games - just the cheerleaders and other scantily clad so called dancers or whatever.  I should have known.

However, it started me thinking.  If the ACBL were smart and really wanted to grow the game, it should start looking to ramp up interest by using peripherals.  What if a new player has a game breaking the 60 % barrier?  Maybe the rest of the players should throw them to the floor and pile on top in celebration.  The new health insurance plan should take care of the multitude of hip fractures. 

How about teams in each city playing each other on the bridge network?  Cross training some scantily clad, low cleavaged babes to interview the 50,000 point players would probably drag in some ratings.  To keep the female viewers happy, hire some hunky pros who love seeing themselves on TV.

 I envision a male/female duo doing the play by play of games in hushed voices like the golf guys.  "Wait, wait I THINK he is going to finesse that 8 -yes, YES he is!  It's rolling past east - almost there - oh NO - west takes it with his 9.  What a miscalculation on south's part.  That's gotta hurt him.  What do you think, Sam?"   Sports commentary just lends itself to the game don't you think? 

Maybe some nice fireworks on a jumbotron when there is a spectacular Knock out win.  Side stories on players' traumatic childhoods like they always do on the Olympic athletes.  "Zelda grew up in Kazakistan and her mother had a cold when Zelda was just 6.  She really had to work to overcome that tragedy".  We bridge players have stories too!

I hope somebody at ACBL is reading this blog.  I won't charge much for my ideas.