As I write this, I am looking forward to a good night’s sleep, albeit not before my heart rate slows a bit. Feeling the same way? Chances are you’ve been watching the Tigers in the playoffs – and we’re not alone.
Who hasn’t been talking this week about thrilling plays, tension-filled situations and, quite often, later than usual bedtimes? And despite the yawns and dark circles, the past several days have been nothing if not invigorating. Why? In addition to seeing our team battle for supremacy, the Detroit Tigers have created for this city a common bond built through high emotion and shared experiences. We are all united with a common purpose built on a foundation of hometown pride. Right now we are all water cooler brethren.
It’s something we don’t often experience, at least not to this degree – a majority watching, listening to and reading about the same thing at the same time. Indeed, the mass media experience is, today, rare if not fleeting. The days of everyone gathered around the TV to see Walter Cronkite anchor the CBS Evening News are gone forever. American Idol is perhaps a more modern day predecessor in its ability to draw millions across generations.
It’s about the thrill of victory and the agony of defeat. It’s about tradition and competition. And, it represents the media at its finest and purest in its ability to bring the masses together in a real and positive way.