Analysis: with Paris 2024 in full flow, how do you talk about a sport you're unfamiliar with? We've got some help for you
Unlike most sporting allegiances, the Olympic Games are not a day-to-day or seasonal pursuit. They come into our lives in intense two-week bursts every four years, filling us with wonder. From the slow calmness of golf to the hectic mayhem of the 100m sprint, the Olympic Games provide a wide range of disciplines with something for everyone, which not all sports events can give us.
It is the perfect opportunity for casual sports fans to assemble and try to make sense of events and sportspeople that we have never paid much attention to before. But how can we hold a conversation about sports that we are unfamiliar with? Here are six tips to faking it as a knowledgeable sports fan.
(1) Know the language
Knowing the language of sport, also known as sportugese, is important in having discussions with other sports fans. The language of sport, in English, belongs principally to the history of journalism. Sports writers and broadcasters can communicate accurately with each other and with regular sports fans but can often shut out non-sports fans. What do commentators mean when they say things like "he dive bombed on the inside"? We can get an understanding of how to describe and discuss sport in a social environment by reading articles, listening to commentaries and news bulletins.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Ray D'Arcy Show, Dr Siobhán Doyle on how to fake it as an expert Olympics fan (piece starts at 21.45)
(2) Know the rules
A general understanding of the basic rules of a sport makes for a more satisfying spectator experience. There's nothing worse than sharing a sporting experience with someone who is blaming the referee or officials just for the sake of it. Building familiarity with the rules of a sport shows that we have an interest at a deeper level.
(3) Quote other people
Fake sports experts never produce their own original thoughts and they're usually dependent on someone else already having done the research. Why waste time coming up with witty, clever, helpful, insightful things to say when someone else has it done already? An even better approach is to cite where you heard or read the information so that people will know that you've done research in the first place. Nowadays, cited sources can range from "It was in the paper the other day", to "I saw a video on TikTok".
(4) Show your emotions
It is much easier to become knowledgeable about something we are truly passionate and emotional about. Shouting during an event, getting visibly animated and excited shows others around us that we are invested in the events that are unfolding. The point of this is to create a sense of a shared moment of camaraderie, which helps to bring together the collective that are watching the event with.
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From RTÉ Radio 1's Today with Claire Byrne, Olympics don (and PR manager with Irish Rail) Barry Kenny on the more unique Olympic sports from braking to surfing
(5) Never back the underdog
If we want to appear knowledgeable and correct in our sporting predictions, we shouldn't back the underdog. An underdog tale in sports, where long shot teams or individuals defy all odds and succeed, has universal appeal. But they will lose more often than they will win. Stick with the most probable outcome and you’re more likely to be correct.
(6) Learn interesting facts
Throwing in anecdotes about a team, an athlete or an event demonstrates a knowledge that goes beyond what’s unfolding live. These can range from statistics of wins or losses, historical information about the origins of a sport or quirky information about prominent people in each sport. Only for interesting, trivial, fun facts, how else would we know that Ireland wanted to host the 1940 Olympic Games or that Paul Mescal played underage intercounty football for Kildare?
From RTÉ News, Mona McSharry's family react to her medal win at Paris 2024
When learning about news sports, we should look towards professionals such as broadcasters and writers to broaden our knowledge but the best insight is always from those directly involved in the sport. We should be open and honest about our lack of knowledge and demonstrate a willingness to learn more when we are watching new sports.
Sport is a space that is open to all spectators - whether fanatical devotees, bandwagoners or intrigued newcomers. In sport, a basic knowledge is not necessarily required to enjoy it but it does help. Looking for an expert in sport? Head to your local pub - it’s usually full of experts on everything.
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The views expressed here are those of the author and do not represent or reflect the views of RTÉ
