Watching Sports on TV

There are so many people who don't know how to watch sports on TV. Of course, this is one of my favorite hobbies and I have an opinion on how it is to be done. There is an art to it, one that many don't understand. And it's fine they don't understand as long as I'm given the remote control upon entering the room.

If you're going to watch TV in the first place, regardless of if it's sports or not, you should have a DVR unless you just can't afford it. A DVR is a necessity to proper television viewing, and is rule #1. Most of this is based on having a DVR.

What gets to me the most is when you are watching a game and a play happens which calls for a rewind to get a closer look...maybe a close call or just a fantastic play. The person in charge of the remote rewinds, watches the play, then presses the 'skip to live' button to watch the live action. Why?! When you do that you probably missed a couple plays! Once you rewind, just leave it there until the commercial break, then fast forward to catch up, it is ok to be a minute behind! This serves two purposes because one, we don't have to miss any plays and two, we don't have to sit through as many commercials. This issue is 101 of proper sports viewing but I've seen it over and over again.

The second thing that I find very irritating really comes into play during football season. On football Saturdays around 3:30 EST there is a bunch of great games getting started up, and the 12:00 and 12:30 games are ending. Way too often people switch the channel to the 3:30 game and leave it there because that is the marquee match-up. No, please no! The proper way to handle this situation is to record that marquee match-up and watch the exciting finishes of the early games. And when there is a commercial break with 2:00 to go, switch to another game that started at 3:30 or any other game but not the marquee game. You need to wait until you've watched all the good finishes from the early games before you start the 3:30 one. Now, once you've done this it should be close to 4:00 and you may be itching yourself to get started on that marquee game but just cool-it, this is watching TV a real-man's way. You've just seen all the great finishes without relegating yourself to having to watch it on Sportscenter, and most notably you can skip through all the commercials in the first half of that marquee game! So now you'll have non-stop action for the next hour+. The same scenario goes for NFL games between the early and late kickoffs.

And that brings me to my next point. Have some patience and start games 30-45 late so you can skip the commercials. Who cares about commercials? Unless you're just really excited to start the game and there are no other games on. If you're out with your wife or girlfriend why piss her off by leaving early to catch the start of the game...think ahead, record the game and when you get home you'll be able to watch the whole thing without commercials! If you've got to check the grill, pause the game, you can fast-forward later through the commercials. When the hunger attack strikes at halftime and you need to go get some wings, don't become a victim by missing the first 5 minutes of the 3rd quarter because they didn't have your order ready, you should have been recording it so you can start with the second half kick. Commercials and the DVR are vital important tools, use them to your advantage.

This next one is very counter-cultural, folks don't like it when I do this. People fuss and say it is stupid. So maybe it's not for you or the people your watching with, but I think it's great. When two people are after one TV to watch two separate games then record them both. Obviously this leaves out any watching other games since most DVRs can only record two things at once. But start the first game and watch it all the way to the end of the first quarter, then start the other game and do the same thing. Do this until both games are finished. What you'll find is both people get to watch their games in their entirety. And, the run time in most games is almost double the actual time so in the end you'll actually only be about 30 minutes past the point when the games actually ended.

All this said, throw all these rules out for the Superbowl because the commercials are an American tradition, you have to watch them, however, if you had to pee in the 2nd quarter, just pause and fast-forward during the lame halftime show. And if you don't have a DVR, I don't know what you're doing. You probably need to cancel your internet connection and get one.

If you don't have a DVR, or you do but are watching live action, then you probably need to know when to switch channels to see what's going on in the other game. Well, for one don't use rapid fire with the previous channel button. No one wants to watch one second of a game and risk their eyes convulsing because of the quick change of colors rolling over on the tube. If a play ended in football, you've got 40 seconds before the next one starts so it's ok to leave it on the other game for 15-20 seconds before you change it back, even if nothing's happening...the announcer might tell what just happened or what's about to happen. If it's basketball then just wait until a timeout or someone's at the free throw line...if it's baseball, wait a minute there's no reason to be watching more than one baseball game at a time. And make sure you have a good time clock in your head of commercial times when you're in charge of the remote. Don't leave it on the game in the 2nd quarter for 3 minutes during a commercial break for the tie game with 1:15 left to play! You need to know that commercial breaks are different for each phase of the game. During a timeout they are about 60 seconds, after a kickoff they are about 3 minutes, after a punt they are about 90 seconds. Halftime they are 4 minutes. Know your stuff and get the TV controlling instincts or just sit on the couch and watch!

That is all the major stuff. Whether you're by yourself or with your friends, there is a way to watch the games. There is a way to catch the most action you can and still not miss the game you really want to see. It may take some practice, but it's really not that hard. If you're not a big sports fan but your watching sports in your home with someone who is, then just give them the remote control.

JB