Unique “Sports Station” Set-up!
How do you watch your favorite sports?
I have found a special way to follow the Minnesota Vikings NFL football team.
Here’s how it goes: In our rec room with other fans cheering - or not as the season progressed... I set up my special “sports station”.
This means a recliner is set up facing the TV with a folding tray/table in front of it.
On the tray/table I have my laptop computer.
Next to that is a radio with earphones.
And of course... various bowls of popcorn and refreshments are scattered about.
The plan…
Here’s the plan: I find a radio station that broadcasts the play about three seconds before the picture comes on the TV. With my earphones connected to that I can be aware of what is going to happen. And hopefully I won’t cheer for the “wrong” team - which I’ve been known to do when someone made a good play.
This may not be popular with the fans I’m sitting with.
It also means that I hear what has happened a few seconds before my husband sees it on TV. He may be calling out: “Catch it - Catch it...” while I already know it’s been intercepted! I have learned not to express my thoughts while he’s still hoping for the best!
The key part…
The last part of my sports station is my MacBook. I have it connected to a link to Vikings’ Mike Wobshall’s in-game chat. This is an “interactive chat” with folks who may also sign in and add their comments during the game.
Mike or “Wobby” explained that he started with the Vikings as an intern back in 2005. He accepted a full time position before the 2007 season and was a writer until he became the Vikings Entertainment Network Content Manager in 2014.
His “in-game chats” were started several years ago “as a way to bring fans unique content.” This has become a favorite addition to the game for me and helps me understand it better.
Talk about “multi-tasking”!
Wobby watches “the games from the Vikings Radio Network broadcast booth, sitting between play-by-play announcer Paul Allen and analyst Pete Bercich.” He also keeps track of the comments from folks on the internet that are flickering across his computer screen.
He is responsible for sorting through them... selecting which ones to publish... and then answering those that are questions while at the same time he’s reporting on the game!
As Wobby explained: “It’s hard to read all the comments, react to them and watch the game. I do the best I can. Watching the game takes precedent so there are times I miss comments.”
Another benefit of the chat being on the internet came when I was out of the state and couldn’t get the game on TV or radio. Wobby explained, “We’ve had fans sign into the live game chats from all over the globe, even some of our armed servicemen and servicewomen have signed in from their bases across the world.”
They may have several thousand folks in the live chat during a game.
Comments like this:
I recall the time I was listening to the game and watching Wobby’s “in-game chat” while sitting in a distant hospital room with my husband who was recovering from a heart attack. As we watched the team losing I wrote Wobby ... we’re watching the game from a hospital room... this is not helping Paul get better!
And Wobby responded online that he wished Paul a good recovery. This was in the middle of game... and I was very touched. You don’t feel quite so alone anymore.
Wobby likes the funny comments that come in and some of the “creative pen names” fans have chosen. They have the option to submit a name or not. My signature was “Rosie from Cannon Falls”. I’m going to have to work on a better one for next season!
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