"Bubbling Up" and Blow-Out Losses

Submitted by Lionsfan on

This popped into my head when Brazil played Germany, and with the way the Brazilian's have started against the Dutch, just solidified the thought.

So pick your favorite non-Michigan team, and imagine they're playing in the semi-finals for their sport. You've got a friend we'll call "Bob", who can't watch the game live, and is DVRing it and bubbling up until later that night.

But you watch it live, and it's a blowout. Over in the first 10 minutes of the game. Soul-crushing. Etc. Etc.

So my question is, do you spare "Bob" the pain of watching the game, "live", and shatter his bubble?

Or do you let him experience it all?

Lucky Socks

July 12th, 2014 at 4:55 PM ^

Let him find out. It's on DVR and he'll catch the trends in the game where he'll eventually start fast forwarding and maybe even abandon if it doesn't change. Or he'll check his phone when it's a lot to a little for the outcome and decide to watch the comeback knowing the outcome, or continue the misery. On the other hand, he could also just love watching the sport.

Either way - let him find out the way he planned. He knows losing is a possibility. I've been there. It's insult to injury when you find out your team got blown out when you didn't want to know the outcome in the first place.

MaizeNBlu628

July 12th, 2014 at 4:56 PM ^

In this day and age, if "bob" truly doesn't want to find result, he should go radio silent (turn off phone/texts). Then theoretically he would not be able to be reached for you to give him the heads up.

GoBlueInNYC

July 12th, 2014 at 5:49 PM ^

I don't think it's trolling to give someone a heads up that a game they didn't catch might not be worth their time to watch. I've had to miss games, some I've gone totally radio silent and caught later. Others people have let me know that they were ugly disaapointments; I'm happy to spend my time doing other things than watching disappointing games that have already happened.

grumbler

July 12th, 2014 at 6:52 PM ^

But that's something you have to decide for yourself.  You can't decide for someone else whether or not they want to know the score ahead of time, when they've indicated that they don't.

You can save lifespan if you like by checking the result of a game that has already been played.   But it is dickish to do that to someone else, when they can do it for themseves if they wish.

Naturally, if "Bob" calls you and asks if the game is worth watching more of, you can share your opinion. 

ILwolverine

July 12th, 2014 at 5:06 PM ^

I had to DVR the Bama game in 2012. Turned my phone off and nobody told me the result. Being unaware of the pending doom made our defensive stand on the first drive more exciting. Then Countess got hurt and the rest of the game happened. I still wouldn't have wanted someone to tell me because I would have watched the game anyway and been disappointed the whole time. Instead there was a small glimmer of hope after the first defensive stand.

LSAClassOf2000

July 12th, 2014 at 5:18 PM ^

Being the sort of person that I typically am, I would probably first ask "Bob" if he had seen the game and then if the answer happened to be in the negative, I would probably then ask if would care to know what happened. If not, I will let him figure it out. If they wish to know right then, I will tell them honestly and then offer them the appropriate beverage if theirs was the team that got slapped around. 

I don't know that I can promise that I would be consistent in my behavior if "Bob" were A) a fan of a conference rival, and B) a rather inconsiderate neighbor. I think both conditions would have to exist at the same time for me to resort to that. 

BlueBarron

July 12th, 2014 at 5:23 PM ^

Bob has the benefit if using "fast-forward" for when his team goes down 4-0 in 20 minutes whereas I have to sit through it and earn a fandom endurance badge. I wouldn't feel too terrible by not telling him.

rob f

July 13th, 2014 at 9:00 PM ^

wonders, first of all, why "Dick" wasn't picked on instead. 

As for "bubbling", I don't do that when it comes to delaying learning the outcome of a game I can't watch live.  I'd rather know the results so that I can spend more time blowing bubbles, either in the bathtub, or, when my granddughter asks, out on the lawn or deck.  If I DVR'd it, then I can choose whether it's worth my time to watch or instead delete.

acnumber1

July 12th, 2014 at 6:26 PM ^

Who the fuck cares about Bob?  

 

We just got destroyed.  

 

I'm much more concerned about our offensive line/relief pitching/goaltending/turnovers.

jmblue

July 12th, 2014 at 7:28 PM ^

I never want someone to give away the result if it's a game involving my team.  If I'm "Bob," I recorded that game for a reason.

 

 

robbyt003

July 12th, 2014 at 7:29 PM ^

Don't tell him.  I had to DVR the Michigan/ND game in 2012 because of a wedding so me and a few of my friends turned our phones off so we could all go watch it after the reception.  Well some douche at the wedding heard what we were doing and told us not to bother because they lost.  Yes I know that game was filled with turnovers and ugly, but I still would have rather watched it myself and found out the result that way.  Michigan sports are like a second job to a lot of us and we put in so much time following recruiting and the other related stories, that we deserve to find out the results for ourselves win or lose.  

Cope

July 13th, 2014 at 2:44 PM ^

My wedding was the day of the Notre Dame/ U of M 2011 night game. I know what you'll all say, but honestly I put my wife's desire for the date over my football. I walked into our hotel room and turned on the TV to the final two minutes of the game where Denard won it all. Then we consummated. It was incredible.

Incidentally, my friends had a blast watching the end of the game in a bar with some of the best Michigan people all in the same place together. Thanks for bringing that back. Sorry about your loss, though.

FreddieMercuryHayes

July 12th, 2014 at 7:35 PM ^

Easy.  You tell him that his team won, let him watch it, and then laugh hysterically at him as it slowly dawns on him that you lied, and Brazil really isn't coming back from 7-0 down.

GoBlueInIowa

July 12th, 2014 at 9:27 PM ^

2 years ago I was traveling overseas to Brazil for work during the M-OSU game - had it DVRd. Couldn't wait any longer to get home to watch and tried to find it online to watch. The torrents weren't posted (which kind of have the results away). BTN would not stream for me. Kept digging for the game online and accidentally saw the score and was pissed. Even though I saw that we lost, I was still upset that I did not have the opportunity to watch the game. Going thru the up and down emotions is part of why I am a sports fan.

TheCool

July 13th, 2014 at 12:40 AM ^

I'm assuming Bob has decent language skills which means he can state whether he wants to know the outcome or not. To me it's complete assholery to tell someone the outcome worthy of an ass kicking. I can ask or check my phone on my own without some clown who thinks he has the only access to the score in America. 99% of people have cell phones douche.

bostonsix

July 13th, 2014 at 2:59 AM ^

Put yourself in his shoes, and play it as if the roles were reversed.
If you dvr a game, there is big passion to see it all unfold as it would have live. A true fan of any sport, or team, will still watch it with a negative connotation trying to analyze the train wreck which is about to become even though they already know the outcome. All the while, remembering you were the bearer of bad news. This most likely will result in them never telling you when they might be dvr-ing a game ever again. Ultimately, you're setting yourself up for a lose, lose situation, in which your only defense is "Don't kill the messenger".
On the other hand, if you don't say anything and let him watch it with no knowledge of the outcome. The worst possible thing he could say is, " why didn't you spare me the agony." this is where you say, " because I am A true friend, and I don't spoil something that I know you're going to watch anyway." this will result in your friend saying "true" then asking you to go out for drinks to console him on his loss. This immediately becomes a win win situation, with the possibility of becoming one of the greatest mgoblog drinking posts' known to mankind.

Danwillhor

July 13th, 2014 at 5:52 AM ^

as it depends on what kinda guy Bob is. I hate spoilers on sports I'm recording and even tv/movies. Yet, if a team I loved was blown out that early, to the point it would be a waste of time and drain on my psyche, I'd be cool with a heads up. Yet, if even a decent loss I'd be pissed so it's up to who/what Bob is. I suppose the game as well.

MMB 82

July 13th, 2014 at 8:50 PM ^

and you deliberately ruin it, you are an unmitigated asshole, pure and simple. Being out in the Pacific Time Zone, I very frequently have to DVR events (UM games, World Cup, le Tour). If the outcome is going to suck, that's life and also what the FF button is for.