notahomer wrote:So, how did your PUB game go? I know it wasn't a great game results wise. Did you end up going to OJ's?
I go to Lions game with a long time friend. We usually go out for a nicer meal on the first/last games of the year. Last year we had our Lions last home game after the West Final but unfortunately this year we'll probably go out before the Friday game versus the Stamps. Maybe instead, I'll try and talk him into going to catch the Western Semi at a pub,.......
I did end up going to OJ's that night, nota, but can't really recommend it for several reasons.
First, there was no sound from the TVs — contrary to how they should be doing things according to the Lions website (which I wouldn't have minded so much if the batteries in the radio I had brought for sound backup hadn't decided that this would be a great night to die). This lack of sound was possibly because of...
Second, while they were doing decent business on the evening, hardly anyone who was there was actually watching the game. Maybe it's not really
that big a deal but it just enhances the viewing atmosphere when everyone present is also sharing in the experience; it would be just as lame live at the game itself to have half the crowd reading newspapers, acting like it was a library or something. I'm sure there were over 100 people there, but I'd say only two dozen tops were watching the game. In fact I was beginning to think that
nobody else at all was watching until we finally had something to cheer about with our first TD late in the first half (the loudest reaction the whole night not too surprisingly came late on the replay of Harris's bareassed gallop). But this state of affairs probably suits OJ's just fine though. I noticed this one table near me that was occupied by three different parties that came and went in my time there. More turnover = more revenue, I'd think: almost everyone who shows up has something to eat and a couple drinks no matter how brief their stay, but this doesn't necessarily scale out over 3+ hours for those who stay long enough to watch the whole game.
Third, the viewing sightlines of the TVs are rather poor IMHO. The layout of the place is L-shaped with all the TVs situated on the longer arm of the L (this is the part that overlooks Broadway, while the other arm runs back along Cambie). Unfortunately pretty much all of the seating on this Bway arm is of the high barstool type where you can't comfortably rest your feet on the floor while viewing. Also the TVs are high on the walls and most of this barstool seating is so close to them, almost underneath, that you have to keep you head tilted up to watch, which might be uncomfortable for some. I certainly wasn't inclined to keep watching during breaks. This might not be a big deal for some but I find it bothersome. When I watch at home the TV is right at eye level and my feet aren't dangling off some tall stool. As if to rub this point in, the Cambie arm has mostly regular tables and chairs but no TVs. They do have a small island of tables and chairs in the middle of the TV arm which would prob give a better (less inclined) sightline but again it's with all these uncomfortable high stools.
The best thing I can say about the place is that the drinks were reasonably priced. So overall it was better than nothing but frankly I'm not inclined to go back to watch another game. Mostly on account of no sound, which made things difficult to follow at times. It was too frustrating trying to understand what happened on the early no yards penalty — why didn't we didn't decline the penalty, concede the rouge and take the extra 20 yards of field position? — or later on when Eli tackled the QB and got flagged for a major foul (I think it was a MF but I'm only going by how much yardage I recall now 10 days later that they marched off). There was also a booth review late in the game to determine whether a pass was completed; I could follow the outcome based on how play resumed, but I could never understand first nor last whether the on-field ruling was complete and they were reviewing for evidence of no catch, or vice versa.
I'd been at this particular OJ's a few times before but on these occasions it was only to meet friends for a couple drinks without any sports viewing and it's probably fine if this is all you want to do there (and you might as well take the regular, more comfortable tables away from the TVs if this is the case). But surely there must be better options in this town for watching a Lions game at a licensed establishment.
Sports can be a peculiar thing. When partaking in fiction, like a book or movie, we adopt a "Willing Suspension of Disbelief" for enjoyment's sake. There's a similar force at work in sports: "Willing Suspension of Rationality". If you doubt this, listen to any conversation between rival team fans. You even see it among fans of the same team. Fans argue over who's the better QB or goalie, and selectively cite stats that support their views while ignoring those that don't.