The age old battle between Romantic and Classical worldviews arrives to college football.

The "old timers" see the live game experience in the Classical sensethe pomp and pageantry, the sights, sounds, smells, the tradition. All of the things that have less to do with wins and losses, and everything to do with the very unique experience of a college football game that can only be experienced live. From the choice of tailgate fare, to the fan gear, to regulation corn-hole distance measurements, to engagement in crowd energy and dynamics, to the in-game x's and o's conversations with fans around you. All of these smaller details are appreciated and articulated. None of them can be experienced from a cell phone or 65" flat screen TV.

While the "students nowadays" aren't wholly unlike students of yesteryear, (there's always been the leave a half-time and drink crowd), I'd say they are more dominated by the "Romantic" worldview. Its surface level, its a social event, one of many social events. The finer grain details of the experience are the background, not the foreground. The over-arching theme carries the day. Who won, who lost. Form vs Function.

It's the pre-packaged,microwavable,instant-serve approach that does a great job of delivering an end product, but ceases to appreciate subtle joys found in process. Its driven mostly by technology and pervades all aspects of life.

Most of us aren't completely one way or the other in our own lives. We apply the Romantic or Classical approach to specific human experiences. A disposable safety razor and shower mirror will accomplish the goal of a close shave really fast, but a wet shave with a double edge or straight razor and brush/bowl is how you experience shaving.

As cool as TSL is, wasn't there something cool and magical about receiving those old issues of "Hokie Huddler", or reading about the game in the Sunday morning "Roanoke Times"? Big color action photos splashed on the sports section, smell of the ink, the crinkle of the paper.
[Post edited by Techsupport at 10/14/2019 10:58AM]