#1 ·
I was sitting in my living room last night, scrolling through the schedules for the upcoming season, and I realized something that’s been bothering me for a few years now. There is this massive, almost overwhelming buildup to the very first weekend of the season. Every major outlet, every pundit on TV, and every social media account starts acting like the opening fixtures are the most monumental events in human history.
Don't get me wrong; I love the sport. I love the anticipation of a new campaign. There’s a specific kind of electricity in the air when you realize the long wait is finally over. But lately, it feels like the "Opening Weekend" has become a brand in itself, rather than just the start of a long, grueling marathon. We treat these first few matches like they are the championship deciders, or like the entire trajectory of the season is decided by who wins on day one. It’s a lot of pressure to put on the players, and honestly, it feels a bit performative to the fans.
I remember back in my early twenties, going to matches felt much more... organic? It wasn't about the "narrative" or the "clash of titans" headlines. It was just about showing up, grabbing a pint, and seeing if the team could actually hold their own. Now, it feels like every single matchup is framed through this lens of historical significance or "statement wins." If a defending champion plays a mid-table side in the first round, the media acts like it's a collision of galaxies. If the underdog pulls an upset in week one, the "changing of the guard" headlines are out within minutes.
It makes me wonder if we’ve lost the ability to appreciate the grind. A season isn't won or lost in those first eighty minutes of the opening fixture. It’s won in the mud in mid-winter, in the tactical adjustments made in month four, and in the physical resilience shown when everyone is exhausted in the final stretch. By over-hyping the start, are we actually devaluing the actual work that happens throughout the rest of the year?
I also find the "predictive" nature of the hype cycle exhausting. You see these massive previews where people are already crowning winners or predicting collapses based on a single summer signing or a minor injury. It feels like we're trying to write the ending of a book before we've even finished the first chapter. It creates this artificial tension that often leads to massive disappointment when the actual reality of the season—which is usually much more chaotic and less linear than the pundits suggest—sets in.
I've noticed a trend where the "big" games are so heavily promoted that the smaller, more tactical battles get completely ignored. We focus on the heavyweights clashing at the start, but we miss the subtle shifts in power that happen in the middle of the season. I personally find much more joy in seeing a team find their rhythm in November than I do in watching a highly-anticipated opening blowout where the result feels almost scripted by the hype.
I want to know what you guys think. Do you actually enjoy the massive buildup and the "big event" feel of the opening weekend, or do you find the media's obsession with the season's start to be a bit much? Does the hype make you more excited to watch, or does it just make the eventual reality feel like a letdown?
Don't get me wrong; I love the sport. I love the anticipation of a new campaign. There’s a specific kind of electricity in the air when you realize the long wait is finally over. But lately, it feels like the "Opening Weekend" has become a brand in itself, rather than just the start of a long, grueling marathon. We treat these first few matches like they are the championship deciders, or like the entire trajectory of the season is decided by who wins on day one. It’s a lot of pressure to put on the players, and honestly, it feels a bit performative to the fans.
I remember back in my early twenties, going to matches felt much more... organic? It wasn't about the "narrative" or the "clash of titans" headlines. It was just about showing up, grabbing a pint, and seeing if the team could actually hold their own. Now, it feels like every single matchup is framed through this lens of historical significance or "statement wins." If a defending champion plays a mid-table side in the first round, the media acts like it's a collision of galaxies. If the underdog pulls an upset in week one, the "changing of the guard" headlines are out within minutes.
It makes me wonder if we’ve lost the ability to appreciate the grind. A season isn't won or lost in those first eighty minutes of the opening fixture. It’s won in the mud in mid-winter, in the tactical adjustments made in month four, and in the physical resilience shown when everyone is exhausted in the final stretch. By over-hyping the start, are we actually devaluing the actual work that happens throughout the rest of the year?
I also find the "predictive" nature of the hype cycle exhausting. You see these massive previews where people are already crowning winners or predicting collapses based on a single summer signing or a minor injury. It feels like we're trying to write the ending of a book before we've even finished the first chapter. It creates this artificial tension that often leads to massive disappointment when the actual reality of the season—which is usually much more chaotic and less linear than the pundits suggest—sets in.
I've noticed a trend where the "big" games are so heavily promoted that the smaller, more tactical battles get completely ignored. We focus on the heavyweights clashing at the start, but we miss the subtle shifts in power that happen in the middle of the season. I personally find much more joy in seeing a team find their rhythm in November than I do in watching a highly-anticipated opening blowout where the result feels almost scripted by the hype.
I want to know what you guys think. Do you actually enjoy the massive buildup and the "big event" feel of the opening weekend, or do you find the media's obsession with the season's start to be a bit much? Does the hype make you more excited to watch, or does it just make the eventual reality feel like a letdown?