Becky’s Reception Study

Bison Homecoming Football Game at the Ground Round

I arrived at the Ground Round in Fargo around 3:00 p.m. just after halftime of the Bison Homecoming football game. I walked into the bar area where nine of 11 televisions were tuned to the game. I was surprised to see the place was relatively empty considering the sign outside the establishment read “Go Bison! Join Us to Cheer Them On”. There was one middle-aged gentleman wearing a yellow NDSU Bison t-shirt sitting at the bar. A table in the back corner was the gathering place for five younger women decked out in Bison gear and beads. Three other smaller tables were occupied with a middle-aged couple wearing NDSU Bison t-shirts, another middle-aged couple in street clothing, and two gentlemen who appeared to be in their 30’s wearing street cloths. One of the gentlemen was wearing a baseball hat while the other was wearing an Indiana Jones style brown drawstring hat. The only other people in the bar area were the bartender, two waitresses, and the manager. Everyone except the waitresses was watching the game.

I sat down at the bar and ordered a drink. The bartender and the man at the bar were making small talk about the score and the game with comments such as “well, at least they’re closer” and “they are making it a better game at least.” Before I arrived the score of the game had been NDSU – 0, SIU – 20 until right before the halftime break when NDSU scored seven points. Patrons seated at the various tables appeared rather bored and indifferent. The five girls weren’t particularly paying attention to the game but were not talking much to each other either. The two couples sitting at different tables also looked at bit bored and “zoned out” watching the game with blank stares. They rarely spoke to each other and when they did, it was only a few words about the game. The two men were the most talkative carrying on a conversation with one eye turned to the TV.

About half the bar patrons were drinking alcohol while the rest were drinking either soda or water. The table with the five girls had ordered food and they were done eating when I arrived. It appeared the two couples had also ordered food and were finished eating. The gentleman in the Indiana Jones hat ordered a burger and fries while his buddy munched on popcorn. They continued to converse while drinking beer, eating, munching, and paying little attention to the television. At one point the gentleman in the baseball cap got up and looked around the corner to check the score of another football game on the television out of their eyesight.

As the game progressed, the NDSU football team made a few good plays bringing some life to the atmosphere temporarily. For example, after a good run the gentleman at the bar announced loudly speaking to the television, “there you go, there you go!” gaining the attention of the bartender and others who’s eyes were not on the TV at that moment. Likewise, after a good run, a few people clapped. After a lucky play almost everyone in the bar said “whoa” simultaneously. The excitement brought by these plays briefly united everyone in the bar area as a single group followed by a few moments of acknowledgment to those at other tables. This was short lived as everyone quickly turned either their full attention or one eye back to the television and his or her food, drinks, and previous conversation.

As I sat at the bar observing and taking notes, I noticed the bartender and the lone gentleman gradually moved from small talk about the game and football in general to more personal topics. At one point the gentleman asked the bartender “so, how long have you been working here?” This led to discussion about jobs, working over the road, gas prices, vehicle mileage, school, and regulars in the bar. These random conversations filled in gaps between exciting plays, during television commercials, and between drink orders. It appeared the complete strangers had the most conversation while the middle-aged couples exchanged very few words. The televisions provided a distraction for those who didn’t appear to want to talk while also providing common ground for those who were looking for conversation. As the game neared the end of the fourth quarter, people started leaving while the manager and waitresses pulled tables together getting seating ready for a reservation. The game ended with the NDSU Bison winning 35-27. Although it was an exciting game, the excitement of the game did not resonate throughout the Ground Round.