Camera Phones Have Ruined Sports

I've debated speaking up on this issue for quite some time and I can no longer sit idly by. There is an epidemic plaguing sporting events: spectators filming on phones is out of control.

Look at this. The Vegas Golden Knights won their first Stanley Cup in franchise history and there are people mere feet from the ice — who I'm sure paid very good money to see this happen in person — looking at it through their phones. The arena would be damn near silent if it wasn't for the horn going off repeatedly because nobody can make any noise while both of their hands are busy trying to get the perfect shot on 7x zoom. The memory these people will have for the rest of their lives is looking at the end of the game on their phone screens, something they could have done at home.

I just don't get it. You will never be able to re-create this moment and you're looking at a screen. Remember when LeBron hit the shot to become the NBA's all-time leading points scorer?

Andrew D. Bernstein. Getty Images.

I'm on my phone most of the day. I totally understand and condone its use for pretty much all daily tasks now. But when you're in a moment that you may never be able to witness again, watch it. If I was sitting behind that basket and had a video of LeBron making that shot, I'd just be pissed at myself every time I watched it that filming it is the only memory I have. It was happening in front of you.

Also, there are people filming these games — on cameras infinitely better than your phone, believe it or not. You will be able to go back and re-watch what happened and you'll actually remember how you saw it with your own eyes. Very cool!

The haters will say I'm old. They will say, "We like being physically incapable of putting our phones down." And that's fine. If you want to conform to the mob, keep pulling your phone out to film everything. But if you want to possibly have a great memory for the rest of your life, maybe try leaving it in the pocket just once.