OPINION: Triumph, talent and tragedy

I slacked this weekend. I meant to do a whole lot of things; I was going to go see movies in Des Moines, clean up my apartment, do anything really.

Instead, I was extremely lazy over my weekend, enjoying my alone time and watching the start of the college football season on Saturday. A group of online friends and I got into a call and shot our armchair commentary over the internet.

Twelve hours straight of sports from Texas at Ohio State (snoozer) to Colorado State at Washington (close up until the fourth quarter), I had a fantastic time. My friends and I were locked into the Alabama-Florida State game, probably the most exciting upset of the weekend.

Communication has become easier than ever through the internet. Accessing content is also even easier.

Both ESPN and Fox released their streaming service alternatives in August, becoming the last holdouts to finally surrender to the streaming age. For sports, this is massive.

Enjoying both Iowa State and Iowa games this weekend wasn’t about whether I had the channels or not; all I needed was $20 bucks for a Fox One subscription. If I wanted to swap to the U.S. Open for some tennis during commercial breaks, I just opened a new tab on my computer and found it on the ESPN app.

I love having so much access. This NFL season will be a treat knowing Peacock and Paramount+ will also have the NBC and CBS games. Add in Fox and ESPN, and that’s the majority of major games. Sure, there’s Netflix and Prime Video games (plus, one game this Friday on YouTube for some reason), but there’s all kinds of movies and TV shows too.

This may be the silliest time for media consumption. But in all seriousness, for entertainment there’s a total of 10 subscription services for the full spectrum of movies, TV shows and sports. I’ll list them all here and their prices for the lowest tiers.

Netflix, $7.99; Prime Video, $8.99; Hulu, $9.99; Disney+, $9.99; HBO Max, $9.99; Peacock, $10.99; Paramount Plus, $7.99; Apple TV+, $12.99; Fox One, $19.99; ESPN, $29.99.

Total? About $139 a month before tax. Wait, wasn’t this supposed to be a cheap option?

The unfortunate fact of the matter is that this ease of access does come at a price. You can tell how much higher the Fox and ESPN prices are compared to the standard entertainment services, but that’s part of sports broadcasting. Media rights cost a lot.

This also doesn’t factor some bundles for streaming services, such as the Disney/Hulu/HBO Max bundle for $17. Fox One and ESPN will also have a bundle for $40 starting in October, if you’re willing to wait that long. You’ll also have to deal with the grudging reminder that these bundles were what cord-cutters wanted to avoid when swapping from cable.

In all honesty, this isn’t worth it unless you’re a superfan of sports and entertainment. To get your money’s worth, you have to treat these services like a job, withstanding advertisements and figuring out schedules for efficiently using each.

Even as someone who uses these services on a regular basis, it has been disastrous to justify the price tag. This isn’t a flex; it’s honestly more of a reminder that I make bad financial decisions.

So, what’s my best justification? What could possibly be worth shelling out the money for all of this?

I have a pure perspective on media. I’ve mentioned before how I like sports not for the technicalities or the occasional violence, but for the stories. The universal shot of an athlete cheering for themselves. Of showboating touchdown dances, angry yelling from the crowd at a ref just doing their job and the poor souls in those mascot costumes.

If I just cared about a team I like winning or losing, I think that can create hostility. Likewise, gambling on sports would make me even more upset, even with winning teams. The sport, competition and talent should be the attraction and all the showmanship that comes with it.

Accessing those moments whenever they happen live is a luxury, one which I can luckily take full advantage of. I do understand my unique position as a bachelor in his twenties with a main interest in whatever’s on TV. My perspective is full of arrogance and plenty of free time which others might not have.

But, I was able to watch the MLB’s first female umpire call her first big game strikeout. I watched OKC run away in the second half of the NBA Finals Game 7. I watched the end of a four-hour tennis battle where American Tommy Paul ran out of steam right when he needed it most. Triumph, talent and tragedy.

I’ve struggled with my identity as a fan of movies, TV shows or sports. It’s not that it isn’t true, it certainly is, but I feel it’s diminishing to claim it as a part of my identity. I’m not really a movie nerd; I just like movies. I don’t want to come off as a fanboy.

But with so much art and stories, beautiful and emotional and full of the feelings we don’t usually get to express in our daily lives, how could I not be a fan? How could I not look forward to this Saturday and the Iowa-Iowa State game? And, if I could, I want to feel excited for everything new.

It’s the purest thought of all to think history is happening before our eyes. As I begrudgingly shell out their monthly fee, I just hope the refs don’t blow it this time.