Free Cable anyone?

October 14, 2006 1:08 PM

What's a good way to watch a sports game that we can't get at home?

I realize this may seem like a stupid question, here it is anyway. At 7:45 pm, the Auburn-Florida game starts, and my wife and I are desperate to watch it. Unfortunately we're poor and can't afford cable, so we don't have ESPN and all of our friends are basically too poor as well.

We'd love to go to one of those restraunts with tvs, but we just don't have the money to really eat out again. Remember? We're poor.

Is this just the plight of the relatively poor student? Is there nothing we can do, or are there others who have found solutions to this problem?

I'm pretty big on not being an annoying moron, so this is as much an ettiquette question as anything. How much must I spend at a sports bar? I don't drink, neither does my wife. Is this a problem?

Help, we only have 3.5 more hours!

posted by superbird to sports, hobbies, & recreation (8 comments total)

Okay listen, you and me, we're upstanding citizens and we pay for our content, but there are some people on the internet, and I'm just saying this for educational purposes and totally not suggesting it's a good idea or that you do it, but there are some people on the internet who watch football games on ESPN by steaming them using this P2P TV broadcasting program thingie. Apparently all they need is a broadband connection and most channels, especially sports channels on Saturdays, get pretty decent quality.
posted by thirteenkiller at 1:12 PM on October 14, 2006 [2 favorites]

And bless your heart, I love football fans.
posted by thirteenkiller at 1:14 PM on October 14, 2006

Maybe Live TV Online, or ChannelChooser?
posted by dropkick at 1:16 PM on October 14, 2006 [1 favorite]

Is this just the plight of the relatively poor student?

If you're a student, is there a union on campus with a TV, that might be amenable to putting this game on?

Spending a football-game-length of time at a sports bar might be problematic without getting either a couple drinks or a meal for each person. In terms of etiquette, you'd be taking up the space that paying customers would otherwise occupy.

One possible alternative is to look for a really crummy bar that's not even busy on a Saturday afternoon, and see if they're OK putting that game on a TV while you slowly nibble some barfood and have some Cokes. The theory being that the seat was going to be empty, and a cheap customer is better than no customer. You might have to really search before you find a place like this, though. By definition they're out of the way and not so popular.
posted by rkent at 1:17 PM on October 14, 2006

You say you're students -- do you live on campus or nearby? Doesn't the school have some lounges with televisions? (If you're not near campus, are you near another campus?)

Is there a local alumni group that's watching the game somewhere?

Maybe too late for this game, but another option is to go out with a group large enough that the fact that you two aren't spending a lot doesn't matter so much.
posted by winston at 1:18 PM on October 14, 2006

So um... would these live TV online broadcasts even broadcast things like say tonight's UFC fights?

My recommendation, since you're poor, is to skip the restaurant and go to a sports bar. Buy one drink each and maybe a couple of appetizers for you all to split over the course of the game... you might be frowned upon by the waitress (so please, I know you're poor but on such a small bill, tip well!) but you'll catch the game!
posted by twiggy at 1:41 PM on October 14, 2006

Pizza parlors are not usually the sort of restaurants that mind you sitting and sipping a coke. That's where I go to watch TV events.
posted by Ambrosia Voyeur at 1:44 PM on October 14, 2006

Wow, TVU is amazing. This is the first I've heard of it, but I'm watching the game in question right now. Thanks!
posted by Roach at 5:33 PM on October 14, 2006