I was acting crazy in North America, and all the crazy people there took it seriously.

Chapter 216 The Prison Basketball Association is Too Crazy, Save American Sports!

The Sun used the word "madness" to accurately summarize the impressions of the "Prison BA" opening game, which also became the most dazzling label of this new league.

Americans across the country, whether they love it or hate it, have to admit that they have never seen a "sports competition" like this in their entire lives.

What kind of match would you see referees no longer acting as arbitrators of the whistle, but instead transforming into violent enforcers, knocking out troublemakers with punches that rival those of professional fighters?

What kind of match would allow thousands of spectators to act like a well-trained army, collectively psychologically "execution" the players?
What kind of game could produce such a stunning, miraculous shot in the final moments, as if possessed by God?
These elements, if present in any traditional sporting event, even just one of them, are enough to keep audiences and media talking for days, and be regarded as a classic scene or a major controversy worthy of being recorded in history.

But in "Prison BA," these seem to be just appetizers, a "regular" component of its unique experience.

It offers a multi-sensory, continuous bombardment of "unexpected surprises," keeping the audience's nerves constantly in a state of high excitement and anticipation.

You never know what kind of unconventional "ultimate enforcement" the referee will demonstrate next, what more abstract interference methods the audience will invent, or whether some prisoner-turned-star player will suddenly "descend like a god"...

This unprecedented viewing experience, like a potent addiction, quickly captivated a large number of thrill-seeking viewers.

Even those who consider themselves sophisticated and scoff at such "vulgar" competitions are quite interested in discussions such as "how many people can a referee actually beat" and "how else can the audience interfere with the game."

This ubiquitous topicality led to a higher listenership for the Voice of Liberty's special program the following day, which reviewed and analyzed the opening match, than the live broadcast of the opening match itself!

People urgently need to revisit, interpret, and digest the excessive amount of information contained in that match.

People not only want to see (hear) the excitement, but also want to understand the intricacies behind it, and... predict what the next excitement will be.

"Prison BA" became an instant hit!
The market's performance best proves this point.

Advertisers, like sharks smelling blood, quickly swarmed around, vying for advertising slots during the "Prison BA" live broadcast of Voice of Freedom.

Prices for these time slots were already high, and now they've skyrocketed, making it extremely difficult to secure a spot.

Some sponsors who were originally tied to traditional sports leagues have also begun to quietly send people to Fox River to inquire about the possibility of cooperation.

This has caused quite a stir in the traditional American sports world, represented by baseball, American football, and boxing.

If their previous attacks on "Prison BA" were motivated by a desire to compete for resources from the "American Spirit Revitalization Plan," then that was simply a competition for a larger share of the pie.

After the "Prison BA" program was officially designated as a pilot project and received public support from President Coolidge, most of them wisely backed down, since there was no need to go against federal policy and the president.

But now, the situation is completely different. They have to fight to protect what's left of their existing share of the pie!
It's worth noting that after Voice of Liberty broadcast the "Challenge Match" live for the first time, other teams followed suit and used radio broadcasts to broadcast the match live.

Initially, some business owners were worried that with live radio broadcasts, people would stop coming to watch the games in person, and thus refused to broadcast the games live.

However, it turned out that the broadcast did not squeeze out the market; on the contrary, it greatly expanded the influence of the event, attracted a new audience that could not attend in person, and brought in considerable advertising revenue and brand exposure.

Nowadays, using broadcasts to draw attention to oneself has become standard practice in American sports.

But now, suddenly a "prison BA" has jumped out from inside the prison walls!
It is born with a "madness" aura of novelty, controversy and rule-breaking, and has an "innate advantage" in attracting attention that traditional sports cannot match.

God knows how many radio listeners who were originally there for baseball and football are now engrossed in the Voice of Freedom, listening to thrilling stories about prisons, violence, drugs, and death threats.

Who knows how much advertising budget that was originally allocated to traditional sports is quietly shifting to this more "explosive" new channel?
It's not just team owners who are anxious; league officials, veteran commentators, and retired legends who make a living from traditional sports events are also anxious.

Their livelihood rests on a discourse built upon "fair play," "sportsmanship," "tactical discipline," and "historical legacy." However, when they attempted to apply this framework to examine and evaluate "Prison BA," they were horrified to discover—it's all over!

You're talking to them about "fair competition"? The "poor people's faction" is openly and legitimately leveraging the "technology" of pharmaceutical companies to forcibly improve their situation.

You want to talk to them about "sportsmanship"? The audience is playing a psychological game of "simulated execution."

You want to talk to them about "tactical discipline"? The referee just went down on the field and used his fists to maintain "order".

You want to talk to them about "history"? They'll just shrug and say, "Aren't I creating history every single day?"
The evaluation criteria they rely on for survival seem so pale and powerless in the face of the "madness" of the "prison BA".

It was as if a learned professor of classical literature had been forcibly stuffed with a popular novel filled with street slang and smut, leaving him dumbfounded and unsure where to begin.

Cutting off someone's livelihood is like killing their parents, let alone undermining the very foundation of their livelihood.
At this point, even the president's presence wouldn't help.

Thus began a massive media campaign led by the traditional sports community.

The president of Major League Baseball was the first to launch a scathing attack in The New York Times: "Middle League Baseball is a desecration of the spirit of sports! This is the darkest page in the history of American sports, a disgrace to the sport!"

"Sports should be a noble cause that strengthens the body, cultivates character, and pursues excellence, not a place where violence, intimidation, and...who knows what illegal drugs are involved! This is not sports at all; it's a carefully packaged, grotesque show that satisfies humanity's most base voyeuristic and violent tendencies!"

A spokesperson for the Professional Football League immediately followed up: "While football is also full of physical contact, it is controlled contact within a strict set of rules! We are committed to showcasing the pinnacle of human physical ability, complex tactical discipline, and the never-give-up spirit of sportsmanship."

"The so-called 'Prison BA' condones fighting and tacitly allows spectators to threaten players with death. This is spiritual pollution disguised as sports! True sports fans should stay away from this kind of spiritual poison."

Even the professional boxing world, known for its bloodshed and violence, has stood up and righteously criticized: "Even in boxing, the most direct physical confrontation sport, we have clear rules to protect athletes and respect basic sportsmanship."

"The kind of behavior of the 'Prison Basketball' referee who went on the court to assault people is an unthinkable scandal in any formal sports event! It is a complete insult to the word 'competition'!"

These criticisms spread rapidly through newspapers and radio commentary programs—the media that failed to get a share of the "Prison BA" craze were overjoyed, and they were quick to start a fight, which was also a way of riding the wave of popularity!

In short, the traditional sports world seized upon the word "madness" as summarized by The Sun as a fulcrum for their attack, portraying "Prison BA" and its supporters as synonyms for "dangerous," "antisocial," "morally depraved," and even "psychotic."

They shouted, "Only mentally unstable people would enjoy this kind of insane competition!"

Some radical commentators even shouted slogans like "The NBA is too crazy, save American sports!" as if this nascent league were some kind of deadly virus capable of destroying the foundation of the nation's sports.

So, what are the organizers and key promoters of "Prison Basketball" doing right now, in the face of this overwhelming offensive from the traditional sports world?

They are summarizing their experiences and optimizing their products.

Although the opening game was satisfactory, "Prison BA" is, after all, a brand new league. How to make the game pace smoother without reducing the competitiveness; how to refine the process of guiding and managing the audience; how to make the broadcast commentary allow listeners who cannot attend to better imagine the game... These are all things that need to be summarized and improved.

As for the uproar and attacks from the outside world?

Professional tasks should be left to professionals!

Close the door and publish the Sun newspaper!
……

(End of this chapter)