Is Trash Talking Bad for Sport?

Throughout the history of sport, trash talking has always been used to get into an opponent’s head – there have even been studies to see just how effective trash talking as a whole is both in sports but also in many different industries around the world too. There are also prime examples of those who have used trash talking as a very successful part of their game plan too, and those who have been not so successful, but is it bad for sport as a whole or something needed in order to keep a flame alive for some?

(Image from wholechildsports.com)

A little goes a long way – In moderation, it can certainly be something exciting to see as fans can see the real time impact on other players – it is something that has been used successfully in games like poker both offline and found through online betting sites like there too – perhaps it has a player reveal a tell or make a rash wagering decision for example. But the key is not to over do it, there have been plenty of examples of someone trash talking a little too much and getting their comeuppance, primary examples often occur in the combat sports where one fighter goes a little too heavy on the trash talk and finds themselves on their back on the mat instead.

An overplayed trope, however – Part of the problem now is that it has become so common, so expected as a way to build hype and to sell the conflict that many fans have come to expect it, and in many cases have even come to be disinterested in it. Prime examples have been fighters like Conor McGregor who were able to bring a comedic twist to trash talk, it sold the fights and kept fans interested just for the trash talk alone, but over time with no title defences and the lack of activity, some felt the trash talk was just a way to cover the lack of activity, and soon became something overplayed and uninteresting to boot.

Some see it as a bad influence – With any sport, particularly those moving more online in the realm of esports where a younger audience are looking up to the athletes, there are concerns that it could end a bad influence too. Those who take it a little too far or use colourful language a little too often may be inadvertently impacting the younger generation, and with things like online gaming already considered to be quite a toxic environment from anonymity and the ease of trash talking, it is something that has become considered quite a problem.

Overall, in small doses it certainly has its place and has been proven to be effective, but trash talking is starting to move away from these small doses and moving into a more negative space – it hasn’t always been bad for sport, but given the conflict it brings, it certainly may start to be looking worse.