Outside the lines, 4.4/Video editing: Ziv Steiner
That's the power of hype. At some point you wonder how you got carried away, why you were pumped, why you find yourself at five in the morning watching a women's college game from the USA, and remember that you are still gullible, addicted to sports stories. Although these are still days of insomnia and anxiety, your head is full of threatening scenarios and disturbing thoughts , so watching a sports broadcast in the middle of the night (while scrolling through news sites) is not unusual, and still, it's hard not to wonder what the connection is between a Middle Eastern viewer and the college game between Iowa and Connecticut, or in other words, what the hell is going on here.
The simple answer is of course Caitlin Clark, the record-breaking basketball player from the University of Iowa, who managed to generate interest among quite a few sports fanatics like me, who are still desperately searching for new thrills and sensational events. When trying to find explanations for the hype, the familiar clichés are brought up again - about the authenticity of the colleges versus the professionals, about the skinny white Clark In a world dominated by black athletes, for her singular shooting talent - but no, the search is different.
something unusual. Clark/GettyImages, Matthew Holst
After all, with all due respect, there were already super talents in the colleges. The closeness to Candice Parker is greater, for example. There were scenes like Sabrina Ionesco, Diana Taorsi, what is the great enthusiasm for Clark? And more than that, assuming that Clark is indeed big and rare, how big and rare can she be? What records await her? Winning the WNBA championship? who cares?
That is, a person finds himself watching a tournament that has no meaning for him, no emotional connection to the teams, a very superficial acquaintance with the characters, and not to get to know a new star who will now follow him for years, but because he is a victim of the same "hype" or "buzz" that was instilled in him to the head by strong forces that take advantage of his weakness, and the need to be "here and now", to be a witness.
Because Clark, as they say in America, "makes America crazy", just to make America even more crazy. The non-craze is interest and enthusiasm, clicks and ratings, therefore money flowing in all directions. The business fuels itself, Clark continues to break records, suddenly even NBA people who are not fans of women's basketball are analyzing the games, Ice Cube invites her to his three-on-three league for millions, and Paul Pierce compares her to Steph Curry. The FOMO is increasing. That's how Sahbek finds himself watching the game in the middle of the night, not sure he understands why, but just feels like he doesn't want to miss it.
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It is impossible not to succumb to the hype. Clark/GettyImages, Matthew Holst
The game opened with Connecticut dominating, with Clark finishing the half 0-for-6 from three. Little by little we get into the complexities, the small details, such as the fact that the cameras don't leave Clark, documenting her from every angle, and occasionally Clark's gaze and the camera meet and you can really feel the pressure on her shoulders. Over time, we also understand the motivation of the Connecticut players, who are eager not only to qualify for the finals but also to immobilize Clark ("Why who is she?") with a wonderful defense, and everything feels so charged and intense. Two players take painful blows, go down to the dressing room for treatment, and immediately come back, tough like that.
The tension rises, the turnaround is perfect in the second half, and Clarke starts sniping. Her father is excited in the stands, the other fathers are not photographed. Some questionable whistles from the judges, including in the decisive attack, suggest that they too have given in to the hype, they too want to see Kaitlyn in the finals. They may not have been given the instruction officially, but they feel the mood, the will of the people. The viewer gets a little indignant, looks for comments, wanders a bit on the American websites, gets angry, must know how this story will end. It is likely that we will also see the final live.
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