Last night I turned on the TV and was doing some channel surfing when I came across this broadcast. I had to rub my eyes and look twice to confirm that I was, in fact, seeing a televised match of performers in the “American Cornhole League.” That’s them, on a screen busy with sports betting information, wearing their jerseys covered with sponsor logos, weighing their respective beanbags before giving them carefully calibrated flight toward the target. The contestants exhibit professional concentration as they toss their beanbags, grimace if they don’t find the corn hole, and then walk down to the target to do it again. I didn’t have the sound on, so I don’t know whether there was a play-by-play guy breathlessly describing the action and a color guy providing detailed analysis.
Cornhole is a fun game to play at a tailgate or cookout, with beer in hand and a willingness to suffers the taunts of your friends if you make a bad throw. As sports TV goes, however, it’s not exactly riveting stuff. Even Howard Cosell couldn’t make it interesting.
If you’re going to have a professional yard game league, why not lawn darts instead? At least that involves the risk of contestants being impaled.
Webner House 