Sports and the Weather
An interesting but overlooked aspect of sports is the effect that weather has on a game. Watching a game of football or golf that is being a victim to rain makes the game just that much more exciting. The rain and bad weather introduce a lot of interesting factors that were not there before. The ball suddenly slips more, players slip more, the playing environment becomes extremely difficult to perform in and at the end of the day those that do perform well prove their worth in the game.
If we look at football first, there is a certain dramatic effect that comes along with watching a match being played in heavy rain. That dramatic effect is what we, the television audience, see when we are sitting comfortably in our living rooms enjoying the game from far away. When watching a regular non-rain soaked match on television, we feel distant from the action and feel cut off from the players. But something changes in a rain soaked match we start to connect with the players, sympathise with them, feel for them and in turn enjoy the game so much more. That added dramatic factor could be the fact that we can see ourselves in their place and realise just how hard it must be for the players to do the job they are doing and so can relate to the whole situation.
Football is one game which is not stopped by rain or snow or even lightning. On the other hand cricket is severely affected by the weather. Rain brings a complete halt to the game and play is stopped. There is even a formula that is used to calculate the remaining run target that is needed by the team chasing, called the Duckworth-Lewis method. It is named after the two men who came up with the mathematical formula. Their names were Frank Duckworth and Tony Lewis. Due to the nature of the pitch that cricket is played on, rain can seriously alter the condition of the pitch and a match cannot be played during such conditions. So the Duckworth and Lewis team came up with a pretty complicated formula that is only understood by those in the know. The average cricket fan should just be content with knowing that there is a formula and it is used to determine how a match will end when it is affected by rain.
Golf is another sport that is not stopped by the rain. Rain on a golf course affects the game in many ways. The rain and wind can change the flight of the ball, mess with a golfers swing and force the golfer to alter his or her playing style. A golfer can avoid a bad day out on the green by making certain adjustments to their game and also by being prepared. If a golfer knows that the rain and wind will affect the flight of his or her shot, then they will have to alter the way they hit that ball taking into account the wind and the rain. It is not easy but a good coaching staff and a good caddy can sometimes help a golfer to pull through in tough conditions.
Playing any sort of sport in bad weather takes a lot of thinking and creativity on the part of the athlete. They have to change their tactics, alter their style and come up with some creative solution to beat the weather. Playing sports in bad weather can also be a blessing in disguise, because if an athlete comes mentally prepared that he or she will have to alter their tactics and does so successfully and comes up with creative solutions, they then have a good advantage over their opponents. Their opponents have not adapted themselves to the weather and it is hampering their performance and the person that did prepare gets a boost in the process.
Sometimes though, the weather is so bad that all sports events are cancelled. In these types of extreme situations there is nothing that anyone can do as they are at the mercy of the weather. Sports that are played in bad weather have a certain appeal and a dramatic element to them that makes them just a little bit more special than those games played in good conditions. Not to be taken as a wish for bad weather but more matches played in bad conditions might be a great experience for those watching at home.
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