How important is it, to who? To me, not a bit, not the least. I actually get po'd from trying to shop and can't find help because they are watching the tv's or listening to "the game" on the radio. Then they have the gall to ask me what channel is "the game"on or grab your arm and scream excitedly, "did you see that?". You have your thing, I have mine, leave me the location alone.
Now to the players I have met, the crews I know that work the stadiums, vendors, owner, etc. very important. I don't really have a problem when the ones telling the story played it, but I do when others live vicarously through them and try to make you think it is all important. I even found humor when our Christmas tree was broken by some players, reliving a bad end to a good game.
Not my thing.