My favorite posts to write are the Classic Moments In Championship Mode. Of those posts, the best ones are shot by fans, like Thursday's Jarvis Moss block against South Carolina in 2006. It's a great play by Moss, but the grainy mini-cam footage and fan reaction is what makes it so compelling. Compare that video to the CBS coverage, which has been by half as many people. We know what it was like on TV. We want to know what it was like live.
It is not enough to take pictures of great sports moments anymore. Video captures a much better image of what it means to be there. Added to this genre is the video of fans at a bar celebrating. As fans, we love to win and we love to see others go through the same emotions. In the past year, long suffering Giants fans (no World Series in the 50+ seasons in San Francisco) and long suffering Saints fans (no Super Bowl in their 40+ seasons) each won a title. Watching video of those fanbases celebrating, the reaction is the same in New Orleans and San Francisco.
The appeal of watching a video of people watching a game is definitely something only hardcore fans can appreciate. But it went mainstream this year thanks to the World Cup. Landon Donovan's goal against Algeria was the center of a perfect storm that included everyone having access to a video camera, YouTube, and an instantly recognizable event. This wasn't Tracy Porter returning an interception against the Colts. This was Team USA beating a team of swarthy guys in a sport we are not good at (ignoring that we have good relations with Algeria and we have a better soccer team than Mexico). Also, everyone loves a good "U-S-A U-S-A" chant. Three million people have watched the video below, a clear example that we can't get enough of this.
Our technology has completely changed not just how we watch games, but how we experience them. But sometimes, our technology is moves too fast. For example, your Samsung smartphone can take video at the Gator game tomorrow and upload it to twitter or facebook. In the near future, you'll be able to shoot video of a game, load it immediately to YouTube, and watch it with your friends in a bar 20 minutes later.