Headphones: why they need to go
Imagine back when you were last playing in a competitive match, basketball, football, whatever it may have been, and some scrub just got hot from deep. You can’t explain it, no one on your team can figure it out. You realize he’s got earbuds in (yes I’m assuming you aren’t the most perceptive here, let me live). He’s got a song playing on repeat that allows him to lock in and go a next level, like Myles from Hardball. Oh, that didn’t happen? Never? Right, because no ones allowed to fucking wear headphones in any other sport.
Now, listen, I get it. It’s different and different is cool. And the casualness of the sport can be a big draw to people. I’m not trying to sound like Adam Silver or Rob Manfred, or heaven forbid, Roger Goodell (fuck Roger) but it’s an unfair advantage; it degrades and alters the spirit of competition, and it needs to be eliminated from pro (ACL/ACO) play.
A large part of this game is mental. If you have zero confidence in your throw, your PPR is for sure going south. Music can alter the mental state. Your opponent may not vibe with headphones during a match and that’s fine, his or her choice. But you’re not getting the truest form of completion if ol’ Johnny got rid of his hitch or his confidence back by putting Big Poppa on repeat for 20 minutes. Call me crazy, but I think you should earn that without the help of Notorious B.I.G. More Importantly, how do you expect to trash talk and rattle your opponent if they can’t fucking hear you? I never saw Kevin Garnett tapping someone on the shoulder to get their attention before saying he raw dogged their mother/wife/girlfriend/whatever.
If you are one of the privileged few who play on the biggest stages of this sport with real crowds, you should actually be immersed in the moment. That means being exposed to the elements of the crowd. It cheapens a legendary play with a loud crowd when the thrower has two AirPods in with their favorite podcast on. Drowning out the noise is something no other sport allows and it adds to the draw and atmosphere of a live sporting event. I went to the University of Maine back when we were considered really good still, and I remember a home two game series against South Dakota (ranked #2) where we out scored them by 10. That crowd was absolutely wild and borderline destructive each night and grew with each goal and our guys played up to the moment the louder we became.
We already have liquid courage, do we really need another advantage?
-Andrew
