Former players like Paul Pierce, Chris Bosh and Manu Ginobili have also made appearances — from the comfort of their own homes. Games now double as “Where’s Waldo?” searches: Was that really Shaquille O’Neal watching the Milwaukee Bucks play the Miami Heat? (Yes, it was.)

Peggy Rounds, an account executive with the Grizzlies, reached out to Meacham to see if she would be a virtual fan for the team’s game against the Spurs.

“Who wouldn’t want to try this?” Meacham asked.

Meacham signed a three-page waiver that detailed various rules. Near the top of the list: no bad language, as audio of the virtual fans would be blended and piped into the arena. Meacham knew in advance that she was going to wrestle with that restriction. As the game wore on, she was grateful for the option to turn off her microphone. Yes, Bongo Lady muted herself. She did pick her spots, though, such as when the Spurs’ Lonnie Walker threw up an errant jumper. Meacham leaned into her laptop.

“AIRBALLLLL!” she said.

Meacham was looking at a split screen of the rest of the fans in her section, in the form of a video conference, and a live feed of the game itself. She also had the regional broadcast of the game on her television, which provided a much larger, more user-friendly viewing experience. But there was a delay, which was problematic: Her reactions as one of the virtual fans needed to come in real time, and that required her to pay attention to the pint-size feed on her laptop.

Still, the TV broadcast was vivid and seductive, and Meacham wanted to see what was actually happening. She was both invested in the game — which the Grizzlies desperately needed to win to increase their odds of landing a playoff spot — and eager to fulfill her duties as a virtual fan. The tension was real.

“I’m glad to do this for the players,” she said. “If there’s any chance that it gives them some extra oomph, then it’s worth it.”

Source: New York Times

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