The Unlikely Bond Over Sports and Oscars: A Tale of Two Fandoms
My father-in-law, Bill, and I have always approached sports—and life—differently. Picture Clint Eastwood sitting next to Jesse Eisenberg on the couch, watching a college football game. While Bill transforms into a serious, almost stoic observer when Arizona State is playing, my casual remarks, like “Not looking good,” are met with silence. For me, the Oscars have always been my equivalent of the Super Bowl, a live event that feels like a sacred ritual. But as I’ve tried to connect with Bill over the years by learning about college football, I’ve realized how much my relationship with the Oscars—and fandom in general—parallels his with the sport. Our shared love for these events, despite their flaws, has taught me valuable lessons about embracing the messy beauty of both sports and awards shows.
The Oscars: My "Sport" and Its Disillusionment
For most of my life, the Oscars were my version of the World Series. As a kid, I was captivated by the glamour, the anticipation, and the idea of celebrating art in a grand, public way. But as I grew older, that innocence faded. The Oscars, like college football, are not immune to controversy. The #OscarsSoWhite movement and the #MeToo era revealed deep-seated issues within the Academy and the film industry, making it harder to believe in the ceremony’s legitimacy. The more I learned about the flawed voting process, the lobbying, and the exclusion, the more I struggled to see the Oscars as a pure celebration of art. And I’m not alone. The ratings for the ceremony have declined sharply over the years, reflecting a broader disillusionment.
Yet, despite all this, the Oscars remain one of the most-watched live events on television, much like college football. Both have thrived in the streaming era, even as the cultural landscape has shifted dramatically. The Oscars’ evolution from a small, private dinner in 1929 to a televised spectacle in 1953 mirrors college football’s journey from regional games to national, primetime events. Both have relied on television to build their cultural relevance and maintain their place in the public imagination. But as they’ve grown, they’ve also become more politicized, more contentious, and more difficult to love without qualifiers.
College Football: A Mirror of the Oscars’ Flaws
When I first started learning about college football, I was struck by how similar its controversies were to those of the Oscars. The College Football Playoff system, for instance, is a lot like the Academy’s voting process—imperfect, subjective, and often influenced by factors that have little to do with merit. Just as Oscar voters can be swayed by lobbying campaigns, college football coaches and conference leaders openly campaign for their teams’ inclusion in the playoffs. Bill often complains about the selection committee, pointing out how teams with weaker schedules can coast into the championship while stronger teams are overlooked. It’s a familiar frustration for anyone who’s ever watched the Oscars and wondered how a particular film or actor won.
The history of college football also parallels that of the Oscars in its evolution to become more TV-friendly. For much of its history, the national champion was determined by polls rather than on-field competition, creating a system that was as controversial as it was confusing. The introduction of the College Football Playoff in 2014 was supposed to fix this, but it hasn’t eliminated the debates—or the corruption. Just as the Oscars have their infamous snubs and winners that leave fans scratching their heads, college football has its own share of questionable decisions that feel more about politics than performance.
Finding Common Ground in Fandom
As I’ve watched football with Bill over the years, I’ve come to see our shared frustration as a form of camaraderie. When he grumbles about a bad call or a questionable ranking, I hear the same exasperation I once felt when a mediocre film won Best Picture. For Bill, the imperfections of college football are part of the experience, something to grumble about but not dwell on. He knows the system isn’t perfect, but he loves the game anyway. That acceptance has rubbed off on me. When I think about the Oscars now, I try to approach them with the same mindset. The flaws are still there, but they don’t have to overshadow the moments of joy, the surprises, and the celebration of art that still matter.
The 2024 Oscars are a perfect example. The film with the most nominations, Emilia Pérez, is, in my opinion, an average movie with a star who has made offensive comments online. Yet, it’s likely to win Best Picture, not because it’s the best film, but because of its savvy campaign. In the past, this would have made me cynical and withdrawn. But now, I can shrug and move on, just like Bill does when his team loses a game they should have won. The Oscars, like college football, are a flawed but enduring part of our culture, and their value lies not in their perfection but in the ways they bring us together.
The Enduring Appeal of Live Events in a Changing World
In a world dominated by streaming and on-demand content, both the Oscars and college football remain some of the last truly live, communal experiences we have. They’re events that people still gather to watch, debate, and celebrate, even as their ratings decline. For younger generations, they may seem outdated or irrelevant, but for those of us who grew up with them, they’re a connection to the past, a reminder of the power of shared experiences. Bill may not care about the Oscars, and I’ll never be as invested in college football as he is, but our shared love for these events has created a bond between us.
In the end, the Oscars and college football are more than just awards shows or games. They’re cultural touchstones, reflections of our values, and sources of both joy and frustration. They remind us that fandom is messy, imperfect, and deeply personal. For Bill and me, they’ve also become a way to understand each other, even if we’ll never see eye-to-eye on everything. And that’s part of what makes them worth watching, flaws and all.
