Fans want HDTV over attending games

Cory Bergman November 14th, 2007

This is an interesting survey: 45 percent of people said they rather watch college or pro football games on HDTV compared to 32 percent who said they’d rather see the game in person. Now, I’m a huge football fan, and I was just thinking the same thing the other night while watching the Seahawks play in the ice-cold rain on my high-def TV. Brrr. If it’s a critical match-up or a playoff game, I’d rather go. If not, I’d rather stay home. Also, I think this survey is a good reason for the NFL to consider doing away with old-fashioned blackout rules.

Plus: NBC cancels remainder of Notre Dame football season (not really)

7 Comments Add your own

  • 1. Michael Chastain  |  November 14th, 2007 at 10:59 am

    I’ve always said the best seats you can get for a football game are on the couch in front of the TV. You don’t go to a game to watch the game, you go for the overall experience. There is a certain energy to being surrounded by 60,000 cheering fans.

  • 2. joe  |  November 14th, 2007 at 12:04 pm

    part of it, too, is tradition, especially with college football.

    tailgating at home just isn’t the same.

  • 3. JoeMo  |  November 14th, 2007 at 6:14 pm

    I would go to more games if a) the Vikings didn’t suck and b) two beers and a hot dog didn’t cost more than an oil change.

  • 4. Gorman  |  November 15th, 2007 at 6:56 am

    This is my first season with HD and I LOVE IT. But I’ve never been to see my beloved Bears in person, and I do feel like I’m missing something (and no it’s not the running game).

    On the flip side, if you’re watching from home, you’re almost forced to put up with the commentators. I can count on two fingers how many of the color commentators on Fox are actually worth a damn, the rest make me feel dumber with every sentence they utter.

  • 5. Ed  |  November 15th, 2007 at 2:09 pm

    Wouldn’t it be cool if they ran, on a second audio channel, just the ambient sound without the commentators?

  • 6. Gorman  |  November 15th, 2007 at 2:30 pm

    There was a time a few years back where, at least on the surround sound system I owned, you could disconnect the center speaker and the sneaker squeaks and noises from the basketball court sounded as if they were coming from the the front speakers and the crowd sounded like it was coming from the back speakers. It was extremely cool.

    I haven’t been able to recreate it in subsequent years, but I’m 95% the cause is operator error or ignorance.

  • 7. Michael Chastain  |  November 15th, 2007 at 2:57 pm

    In 1980, NBC covered the Jets/Dolphins game with no commentators in the booth — the only sounds were field and crowd noises. I didn’t see the game but I heard it was a disaster.

    Personally I like making fun of the announcers in MST3K fashion.

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