Men's College Basketball Research Articles

Commentary and viewer perception of player hostility: Adding punch to televised sports

This study explored the impact of television commentary on viewers’ perceptions and enjoyment of player hostility, including violent behavior, in the context of a less combative sport. Effects of fanship, gender, and varying levels of commentary (dramatic, neutral, and no commentary) were tested in a 3 × 2×2 experimental design. A videotape of a heated Georgetown versus Syracuse men's college basketball game provided stimulus material, with the dramatic commentary treatment contradicting the visual evidence as to which team was the aggressor. Strong medium effects were revealed, with viewers of the dramatic commentary treatment perceiving Syracuse players as being significantly more hostile, in line with the manipulation. Men were more likely than women to enjoy the fighting in the game segment, but fans’ perceptions of opponent hostility were as vulnerable to the biased commentary as those of nonfans.