Places to “sports and chill”

Just chillin’ and sportsin’/ The Cable Show

For when Netflix just isn’t doing it for you

Every sports fan has his or her favourite place to watch sports, and it’s different for everyone. That being said, there are lots of places that are good in one area but not as good in other areas, making the experience not as enjoyable as it could be. I haven’t been to every sports bar in the city, but I’ve been to enough of them to form an opinion based on some criteria I think are important for having a good experience while watching sports.

The ground rules for my rankings are based on a University of Regina student living in Regina. It also has to be for a major sporting event so that all the TV’s in the place are on the same event.

The criteria are; 1. Food/drinks. This is strictly based on quality; 2. Comfort. How comfortable you are in the venue; 3. Atmosphere. This is a very important aspect when deciding which place is better; 4. Amount of TV’s and their placement. No one wants to sit with their back to the game for three hours; 5. Total price. Which, for university students, is very important.

I will rank each of my venues out of five in each category to choose, in my opinion, the best place for a U of R student to watch sports.

1. Watching at Home

There are a lot of variables that go into to this one, so let’s say it is you and one or two friends and you eat/ drink what you have in the house.

Food/Drinks—2: For a couple of reasons: One, any food you make means you have to miss a part of the game; Two, I know normally for a big event, you’d make sure you had beer in the house, but from experience I know sometimes you run out.

Atmosphere—2: It may be an exciting game, but being with a couple buddies isn’t quite the same as a bar full of people all cheering and yelling with you.

Comfort—5: Obviously, you will have the most comfortable places to sit.

TVs—4: Only one TV, but you know you have the best angle to watch it.

Price—5: Doesn’t cost you a thing to watch it from home.

Watching at Home Score: 18

2. Molson Canadian Brewhouse

Food/Drinks—3: Average bar, nothing special.

Atmosphere—4: It’s a fun place to watch the game because there are so many people in there.

Comfort—2: Like most bars, it’s not very comfortable.

TVs—4: Wherever you are sitting, there is a good chance you have a line on a TV.

Price—3: Average for a bar.

Molson Canadian Brewhouse Score: 17

3. Press Box

Food/Drinks—3: Again, average for a bar.

Atmosphere—5: This place gets packed, creating a great atmosphere.

Comfort—1: Did I mention this place gets packed? If you do find a seat, it’s average at best. If not, standing for three hours can get uncomfortable.

TVs—5: There is a TV everywhere you look.

Price—1: Jacked up drink prices, plus a cover charge for big events like UFC, make this a very expensive place.

Press Box Score: 15

4. The Owl

Note: Remember. I said this is for university students.

Food/Drinks—4: Quality of the food is a three but, what makes it a four is that there is no pressure to buy anything; you can simply go and hang out.

Atmosphere—3: Nothing out of the ordinary, but at least you are out of the house.

Comfort—4: Normal bar, but it has those couches, which bump it up a notch.

TVs—3: Without the big projector, they get a two or even maybe a one, but with the projector going, everyone should be able to see the game.

Price—4: Without the pressure to buy anything it is completely up to you how much you spend.

The Owl Score: 18

5. The Knotted Thistle

Food/Drinks—5: Awesome food here plus you can get a yard of beer.

Atmosphere—2: Not really a sports bar, so not the greatest atmosphere.    Comfort—4: Most of the seating is soft-benched booths, which are very comfortable.

TVs—3: Decent amount, but still a chance you could not have a good view of one.

Price—2: Did I mention yards? Ya. Well, they’re not cheap, and neither is the food.

The Knotted Thistle Score: 16.

After tallying the scores, it looks like the best place for a U of R student, who lives in Regina, to watch the game is tied between staying at home and The Owl.