RandBall: Time to kiss 'Kiss Cam' goodbye forever?

If you've been to a few sporting events this century, there's a very good chance you've seen a timeout promotion called "Kiss Cam." For the uninitiated, the premise is simple: In-arena camera operators zoom in on two people in the stands, and they are encouraged to kiss while being shown on the big screen for other fans to see.

There are probably three basic camps: Those who go to games excited by the prospect of being on the Kiss Cam and/or watching it on a Jumbotron; those who go to games actively seeking to avoid being on the Kiss Cam and who are uneasy just watching the stunt unfold even without them; and a likely majority of people largely ambivalent about it — ranging from vaguely annoyed to vaguely amused.

In a long story published last week, The Ringer's Britni de la Cretaz takes a deeper look at the in-arena promotion and whether it needs to be eliminated — or at least re-examined.

Read Michael Rand's blog at startribune.com/randball. michael.rand@startribune.com.