Which sports are best viewed in person? And which on TV? – Chicago Tribune
It’s a simple question that demands an array of responses: Which sports lose the most appeal on television? Or, to flip it: Which are best to view in person?
The NFL is absolutely the king of the tube, especially with an HD set. I’ll never forget the first time I saw the breath coming from players on a cold day. Might have been Brian Urlacher at Lambeau Field.
The NFL is also the perfect DVR event, with one exception: The Super Bowl. Companies shelled out a reported $5 million for 30-second ads for SB50, so the least we can do is watch them and rip them on Twitter.
On all other Sundays I watch NFL games on a delay. By wiping out the commercials and fast-forwarding 30 seconds between plays — no-huddle college offenses render this task impossible — you can knock out an NFL game in about the time it takes to boil water.
Seriously, the quadruple-fast forward was made for the moment a ballcarrier barely crosses the goal and viewers are treated to a replay review — commercials — and then an extra point — more commercials — and then a touchback — no, not again!
The DVR won’t help you much in hockey, thanks to the paucity of in-period breaks. Plus you’ll want to enjoy the crisp call of Doc Emrick on national telecasts and Hawks gems Eddie Olczyk and Pat Foley, who has the verbal reflexes of Corey Crawford.
Still hockey is meant to be consumed live, and not just so you can toss a hat or octopus onto the ice. There’s a reason Fox Sports tried to turn televised hockey into a video game in the mid-’90s, using blue and red streaks to signal the speed of a slap shot. The puck can be hard to follow.
College football is spectacular to consume in every form, though NBC tries to kill the buzz with four-hour Notre Dame home games. The experience is better at the stadium, though, because it is a full-on experience, starting with tailgating and concluding with the singing of your Alma Mater.
The NBA came out about even in our poll, appropriate considering the range of factors and personal tastes involved. Are your seats close enough to the court to have a sweaty 7-footer fall into your lap? Do you want a sweaty 7-footer to fall into your lap? Do you enjoy when arenas crank up artificial noise – thump, thump, thump – or would you rather control the volume?
Watching Steph Curry in overtime, of course, is a treat in any form.
College hoops is way better live, except for the first weekend of March Madness, when you want to sample from the buffet of games.
Baseball is unmatched in person. The grass is greener. The beer is colder. The brats and bison dogs tastier. But if you need more than a hoodie to keep you warm or require one of those fold-up ponchos to keep you dry, consider fleeing to your favorite sports bar. Bring friends or find new people to fill all the downtime. Unless it’s the postseason. No downtime, all focus.
For those of us lucky enough to have witnessed the Ryder Cup at Medinah or stand within a few club lengths of Jordan Spieth at Augusta National, there is nothing like live golf at a spectacular course on a beautiful day.
But even most media members covering the majors watch the leaders’ final rounds on TV. We’re not allowed inside the ropes at the Masters, and we wouldn’t dare miss Spieth depositing two into Rae’s Creek on Sunday.
Even Spieth probably wishes he hadn’t been there to witness it.
Twitter @TeddyGreenstein
About Us
Free Shipping
If your order is $35 or more, you may qualify for free shipping. With free shipping, your order will be delivered 5-8 business days.
