The landscape of sports and media has undergone a significant transformation, reflecting a shift from active involvement to passive observation. While once a small group could engage in activities like bowling together, now massive audiences tune in to major events such as the Super Bowl, indicating a preference for vicarious experiences over direct participation. This change highlights society's transition toward consuming sports through screens rather than in-person involvement.
Additionally, the evolving nature of sports has seen a rise in violent and aggressive games, with football overtaking baseball as America's favored pastime. This change suggests that as people move away from participating in sports activities themselves, the engagement needed to fill that gap has manifested in a demand for more extreme forms of entertainment, often marked by an increase in on-field violence, allowing spectators to experience heightened emotions from a distance.