Watching the Vikings at Applebees

Monday Night Football. I haven’t watched it for a long time. The Vikings are playing tonight and I can do some people-watching as well. Because I never go to bars to watch sports, I asked Rich Lodewyk where to go. He makes several suggestions, one of which is Buffalo Wild Wings, so I start there. There is a line at the door so I head over to Applebees instead. I had intended to catch people before they started watching and then see if there was a change as the game started. Unfortunately, the game started at 7:00pm instead of 8:00pm like it used to, so I just got to watch how people interacted during the game.

In the bar at Applebees there are four TVs above the bar, two large TVs on each end of the rectangular room, and I’m guessing there are four TVs above me, opposite the bar, as well. In addition to being able to watch, each table gets its own tuner, so you can listen to the audio. This provides more control than is usual when watching TV in a public venue.

The tables are all rectangular and placed perpendicular to the rectangular shape of the room. That means everyone faces north or south. The bar is on the east wall. If you want to watch the TVs above the bar, or on the wall opposite, you have to turn. Nearly everyone watches the TVs above the bar.

I notice very different levels of attention to the game. There was a table of three near me, with one couple talking to a third man. They seemed to be uninterested in the game, for the most part. The “third man” at the table was a bit distracted. He kept sneaking looks at the TVs above the tables where I was sitting. Sometimes this group was talking about house remodeling and various other topics. They seemed to be most interested in talking and less interested in the game.

There were two men at the bar sitting two or three chairs apart. Both were eating and drinking beer. They were the most involved in the game. As the game progressed they talked about the merits of plays as well as made instantaneous reactions while play occurred. When the Vikings blocked a Saints field goal attempt and run it back for a touchdown, one of the men is cheering loudly and clapping his hands above his head. Later, when the Vikings score on a “flea flicker,” there is more cheering. The less-loud of the two men says something like “Sometimes you have to use complex plays.” I find it interesting, because I would have called it a trick play. Being a long-suffering Vikings fan, I was beginning to wonder if the Vikings would be able to score, because the Saints held them on first and second down. My reaction was that since they could not “punch it in” they resorted to trickery. This man’s reaction shaded it in a different light.

There are what look like a group of four college or graduate students (all guys) sitting one table away from me. They are finishing eating but still watching the game. They react as well when the Vikings make good plays, but the most I ever see is one or two fist pumps when the Vikings block the field goal and run it back. They seem to be a little less involved in the game. I hear them singing with a song played over the speakers and I hear one them say “strategery” after an advertisement for Oliver Stone’s new film “W” airs.

One other interesting aspect of involvement that I'm sure advertisers would be dismayed about is the lack of attention during commercials. There is a noticeable increase in talking when the game goes to commercial.

The final form of interaction with the game is discussion that takes place. While I can’t really hear much, there is discussion of the game and what is happening on the field. (See discussion above regarding the “flea flicker.”) Additionally, the college guys seem to be a bit more responsive to the multiple media forms. (Note their singing with the song and commentary on the commercial.) The four college guys seem to also talk more and be less serious watchers. The guys are at the table facing each other, and even though they are watching the game, they seem to still talk more. I can’t hear what they are saying most of the time, but the game certainly does not have their full attention. The guys at the bar are facing the TV, and their focus seems to be the game. The table of three near me has the pick of almost any TV and is nearly oblivious. I cannot tell if anyone is using their tuners to listen to the audio. I think they are not, but I am not really sure.

The Vikings are winning, but it is time for me to go. People seem to be involved in the Vikings game based on their own interest level. No one seems to be involved in the baseball game. I would like to be able to ask people about their interest in the game and why they came to Applebees. The three groups of people I watched each demonstrated different levels of involvement with the mediated texts. Some chose to ignore all of them, or mostly ignore all of them. Others chose one over another. Is regional loyalty at play here? Is loyalty to friends a deciding factor? That is a matter for speculation.