“I see dead people”
This is an iconic line the avid Hollywood fan will recognize from the the 1999 classic, The Sixth Sense, starring Bruce Willis and a young Haley Joel Osment. In the movie, Willis plays a troubled child psychologist, whose job is to aid a young boy struggling with his ability to communicate with the dead.
Plot twist –Willis’ character had been dead the whole time he worked with the young boy, after being killed by an old patient at the beginning of the movie.
Oh shoot! Now the movie is ruined for those who haven’t seen it yet. The frustration is understood, but please hold your horses, at least until you finish this piece.
That’s the thing– very few people like spoilers; because suspense adds to the thrill of the cinema.
But these principles transcend film and theatre.
Take childbirth for example, gender reveals have become a thing, where mini ceremonies are held for couples, family and friends to learn the gender of an unborn child, rather than simply having a doctor blurt out the child’s gender on the delivery bed.
That feeling of shock, excitement and thrill is what makes the moment memorable.
Unfortunately, football transfers have seen the touch of suspense thrown out the window, since the emergence and growing prominence of transfer gurus on social media.
Transfer rumors or speculation no longer have the same effect, mainly because fans know where to find valid news and the information is known weeks, sometimes months, before the actual transfer is announced.
This isn’t an advocacy for fake news, but there was some extra spice, previously, when almost everything and anything was consumed, with fans having to deduce which was a real possibility or just bullocks.
Strange names were linked to clubs, and fans were forced to wait to see which deals would actually go through, when their clubs confirmed the deals.
‘Transfer Deadline Day’ shows were the ultimate climaxes of the labyrinth epics that were the transfer windows, and fans kept vigils till the very last moment.
Every deal was as possible as it was a surprise. The drama was breathtaking, and the tension palpable. Fans only knew who their clubs were signing when the player or members of his entourage were spotted at the club’s grounds.
The time of hearing about the possible transfer and the actual deal being closed was usually very short, which added this tingling sense of excitement.
Now, Deadline Day shows are just platforms for sports presenters to remind us which players the clubs have signed. Umph! Don’t we know that already?
Fans know this because of the grueling each transfer goes through on social media. It sucks the life out of the deal. If you don’t see ‘Here we go’, ‘BOOM’ or ‘TRUE/FALSE’ you’re almost certain your club isn’t signing the player. And even when you do, you now have to wait weeks or sometimes months before the deals are announced.
Consequently, club announcements have become like watching a delayed feed on a streaming site while checking for live score updates.
Manchester United fans, who thought Barcelona’s Frenkie De Jong was close to joining their side, have had to wait months, while painfully digesting regular updates as to why that deal hasn’t yet been closed.
Granted, some people appreciate spoilers, because suspense isn’t for everyone. That bracket of fans are bound to love the new trend of breaking transfer stories, but not the traditional ones.
We love surprises!