I'm in California for the week, and naturally my first thought was, "I'll get to watch Giants and A's games! No AL East!" Well, I was right about the second part, at least, though not so much the first. Last night the Giants and A's were both on some weird cable channels not included in my mom's basic cable, ditto for today's Giants game. I'm going to skip my rant about cable bundling and TV rights--you're welcome.
The more salient point is that I'm left watching Pirates-Dodgers. This is the first time this season I've been able to sit and watch an entire game if I feel like it, and for some reason this is what I can get. So be it. I may not be a fan of either team, but at least I dislike one (the Dodgers, obviously--who could hate the Pirates?). And sometimes I appreciate watching teams I'm not a fan of--I have no real investment, which means I can just appreciate the baseball. But there are two unfortunate points to raise here: (1) this broadcast is on Fox, so no Vin Scully, who I really like; and (2) it's the 4th inning, and the Dodgers are up 11-1, which is why I'm writing this post instead of watching carefully.
I could stop watching, I suppose, but I have chips and fresh salsa, I have a Sierra Nevada harvest ale, and I have a baseball game. It's not quite the perfect combination (I need some guacamole, too), but it's not bad. And because I'm somewhat disinterested in the teams, this is just simple baseball, which means I can just enjoy and not worry about the outcome too much.
My question is this: what's your perfect game and environment for watching it? Do you want to be at the live event (major or minor leagues?), or at home on your couch with a bathroom nearby? What do you need ready to eat and drink? Do you want your buddies watching with you, or no one else home? Do you want to be worked up during a pennant race/postseason, or at ease in the regular season? I am certain my mood determines this more than anything else, but right now, I think I'd want regular-season Giants-Dodgers, Vin Scully doing the broadcast, chips and salsa and guac, and a range of IPAs (I really wanted to get the Sierra Nevada 12-pack with a black, white, something I forgot, and Torpedo IPA, but I am not going to drink that much beer this week), and today I want no company.
[Edit: Yasiel Puig almost threw out a guy at home plate, and even if he didn't, that guy has an arm. Andrew McCutchen just missed picking a ball off the top of the fence, and even if it turned into a triple, that guy has range. Hanley Ramirez just made a leaping catch of a line drive in between hitting two home runs. Good stuff.]
This is going to catch me some flack from the two Chico people on this blog, but my perfect sporting event is a night game at Dodger Stadium, eating a Dodger dog (or eight, literally... It's happened) and having a huge soda. Despite all the recent issues, when I was a kid/teenager Dodger Stadium was a great place to see a game. It also helped that my dad had a buddy who could get seats right behind the dugout. It was always a great time, and the weather was always perfect.
ReplyDeleteIf I had a second choice, which I do because I said so, it would be watching football on Sundays in the Fall. Bright day, 45 degrees, inside watching football all day. I don't get to do this much anymore because I work Sunday afternoons/nights during the school year, so I really miss it.
I've watched a game at Chavez Ravine, and I have to agree it is a great spot (though Dodger dogs are nothing special, despite your years of hype before I got to one). I still prefer PacBell Park (or AT&T, or SBC, or whatever the hell it's currently called--Dodger Stadium definitely has the advantage in the name department) on a hot day with the breeze blowing in off the bay, an Anchor Steam and garlic fries.
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