Talk Sporty 201: Do you want to dialogue or vent?
Oct 14, 2022"What was he thinking?"
"How could the team be so bad?"
"What the heck happened in that game?"
Every sports fan asks questions like these. It's part of being a fan and debating decisions is one way to talk about a game, but not every one wants to dialogue and discuss what happened. Sometimes fans want to vent about a call they hated or a disappointing outcome.
Venting is different than dialogue. There's a place for both, but it's helpful if you share that objective at the beginning of the conversation.
As a sports broadcaster who's in the clubhouse and talking to coaches and managers about the decisions that get made, I can offer insight and have a conversation about why things happened in a game. But that's not helpful if I'm talking to someone who just wants to vent. Telling me at the outset of the exchange saves time and prevents a lot of frustration. In fact, being clear on your objective in a conversations you have with friends, family and colleagues does the same thing. It's a hidden business communication skill you can develop through sports talk.
