Author Topic: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?  (Read 11724 times)

zahampton

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« on: December 03, 2012, 02:45:03 PM »
I just read the article about losing cable/satellite and I would honestly have no problem with it... except that I have yet to find a good source for live sports (I don't want to spend every NFL Sunday or MLS Saturday at a bar). Does anyone have any suggestions for cheap/free in-home sports-viewing that doesn't require a tv package?

jpo

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 518
  • Age: 37
  • Location: North Carolina
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #1 on: December 03, 2012, 03:04:00 PM »
  • Friend's house
  • Rabbit ears antenna
  • Online streams

jrhampt

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2016
  • Age: 46
  • Location: Connecticut
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #2 on: December 03, 2012, 03:29:38 PM »
There are still plenty of games available on over the air tv.  My husband loves watching sports, and I thought he'd never survive without the cable, but it's been almost 2 years now and he's fine.  There is plenty of football on, and if he wants to watch something we don't get, sometimes we'll go to a friend's house, or (rarely) out to a bar.  Going to a bar once every couple of months is still way cheaper than cable.

grantmeaname

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 5962
  • Age: 31
  • Location: Middle West
  • Cast me away from yesterday's things
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #3 on: December 03, 2012, 03:39:36 PM »
  • Friend's house
  • Rabbit ears antenna
  • Online streams
  • The radio

Daley

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4825
  • Location: Cow country. Moo.
  • Still kickin', I guess.
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #4 on: December 03, 2012, 03:40:17 PM »
This particular thread might be of use for you, as some of the sports issues were tackled throughout the thread: Cutting Cable

Nutshelled, though? Radio, OTA broadcasts, ESPN3 online (if your ISP provides it), and online subscriptions from major and minor league affiliations through devices like a Roku box or a cheap Android TV box. You can kiss the NFL goodbye outside of your local Fox and CBS affiliates, though.

Richard3

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 292
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #5 on: December 03, 2012, 05:32:55 PM »
Mh friends in the UK use NFL Gamepass and it is apparently better than cable (not sure what it costs though).

eyePod

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 963
    • Flipping A Dollar
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #6 on: December 03, 2012, 06:58:13 PM »
It's not truely mustachian, but it's better than doing it by myself.  My friend and I split the NFL online package.  I just made an account and share the PW.  He's a Cardinals fan and I'm a Chiefs fan.  Only 3 or 4 games overlap.  In that case, we do alternating streams of the games and whoever has a closer half time score gets to login for the good quality.  It was 125 bucks each for the online only package, but we really enjoy it and it's better than needing cable!

SwordGuy

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 8956
  • Location: Fayetteville, NC
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #7 on: December 03, 2012, 07:11:00 PM »
Ok, disclaimer first.  I didn't get a "want to watch other people play sports" gene. 

Some people are color blind and don't understand colors.

I'm sports spectating blind.  I just can't see why anyone cares which group of strangers carries a piece of dead pig around a field better than another group of strangers.  And I really don't get the ego boost that all to many people get when their team of strangers wins. 

Now, if I know someone on the team, I can get excited about the game, but it's only because my friend is participating.

So, if the following suggestion just doesn't cut it for your sports enjoyment, I'm cool with that.  :)

Rather than watch other people play sports, why not play sports yourself?  There are plenty of sports out there that you could participate in.   Some are free, others will cost a bit.  But they'll be more fun because your whole being - body, mind and soul - will be fully invested in it.   Great exercise, a chance to make new friends, and plenty of fun.

Your profile doesn't say where you're located, so I've done a sample search in my area, a city of about 220,000 people.

www.meetup.com shows the following groups of interest:

Tennis and Volleyball club.
Outdoor club (hiking, canoing, camping, kayaking, etc.
3 Running/Walking clubs
Fitness group
Friends of Fitness group
2 soccer groups
football group
rollerblading group
rock climbing group
fencing
armoured swordfighting

That was just a few minutes of searching online.  Theres' probably 10 times that going on.

Jamesqf

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4038
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #8 on: December 03, 2012, 08:02:03 PM »
I'm sports spectating blind.  I just can't see why anyone cares which group of strangers carries a piece of dead pig around a field better than another group of strangers.  And I really don't get the ego boost that all to many people get when their team of strangers wins. 

Couldn't have said it better myself :-)  Of course some of my alternative activities likely cost quite a bit more than staying home in front of a big-screen TV and full cable package...

Paul der Krake

  • Walrus Stache
  • *******
  • Posts: 5854
  • Age: 16
  • Location: UTC-10:00
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #9 on: December 03, 2012, 09:07:42 PM »
I'm sports spectating blind.  I just can't see why anyone cares which group of strangers carries a piece of dead pig around a field better than another group of strangers.  And I really don't get the ego boost that all to many people get when their team of strangers wins. 
Season 3, episode 2, possibly the funniest thing you'll see this week. :)

I watch enough sports that it's worth it for me to have cable with a sports package (especially since this is shared with roommates and therefore a fraction of the price), but I think once I move in with the GF, I will just stop watching sports and go to the bar or a friend's once for important games. Now if the NFL had reasonable streaming pricing...

sheepstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2417
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #10 on: December 03, 2012, 11:06:10 PM »
http://www.theatlantic.com/business/archive/2012/12/if-you-dont-watch-sports-tv-is-a-huge-rip-off-so-how-do-we-fix-it/265814/

Possibly pertinent to people's interests.  I'm not exactly sure what it's about besides sports.  My attention sort of puttered out after a couple paragraphs.  Likewise, I get that the gist of this thread is about sports but I'll be honest, that was obtained through a pretty light skimming.

Daley

  • Magnum Stache
  • ******
  • Posts: 4825
  • Location: Cow country. Moo.
  • Still kickin', I guess.
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #11 on: December 04, 2012, 07:02:00 AM »
Well I'll be, the NFL's finally kind of joined online streaming this year.

I know a couple of you mentioned NFL Gamepass and some absolutely insane prices to watch, but there are other options and specials running now, apparently. (They're probably so cheap because it's mid-season at this point.)

1) The NFL's Audio Pass is currently only $20 for the remainder of the season.
2) Their Game Rewind service for the remainder of the season is currently only $40.

If you insist on watching your team, it requires you to have some patience to do so... but is that really such a bad thing? Our entire society has become addicted to instant gratification, and as such has impulse control problems. Self discipline and delayed gratification are some seriously hardcore mustachian values to build, and this is the perfect place to build them. Catch the score after the game, find out if it's worth watching, and then spend the time to do so if it's actually worth spending four hours sitting in front of a monitor.

I've already made my feelings on spending copious amounts of money and time on watching others tear their bodies up chasing balls in the linked thread, and I'm glad to see what SwordGuy wrote... but if you just can't get untangled from the mess and need your pro football fix, clearly a bit of patience can save you some money.

zahampton

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #12 on: December 04, 2012, 07:31:05 AM »
  • Friend's house
  • Rabbit ears antenna
  • Online streams
  • The radio

My original post specified viewing, not listening.

Russ

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 2211
  • Age: 32
  • Location: Boulder, CO
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #13 on: December 04, 2012, 07:34:54 AM »
  • Friend's house
  • Rabbit ears antenna
  • Online streams
  • The radio

My original post specified viewing, not listening.

That's what your imagination is for!

zahampton

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 5
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #14 on: December 04, 2012, 07:46:06 AM »
Thanks for all the suggestions. After doing some digging, it looks like there's a decently-priced MLS streaming package that I might grab. As many of you have noted though, the NFL hasn't really joined the internet age in live streaming and for those of you who suggested watching the game streamed online after it's been played... well that just isn't acceptable. I have my viewing preferences and you have yours (this also goes for those of you who seem to enjoy putting down those of us who enjoy watching sports).

Thanks for the meetup suggestion (whoever posted that) but I'm somewhat anti-social and I really don't relish the idea of hanging out with a bunch of people I don't know. Also, I already play sports: I ski, am on bowling leagues every year and I participate on the work softball league. I find that outside of bowling though, I don't really enjoy it that much, I prefer solitary activities or activities performed with a small group of close friends.

I've tried rabbit ears but it seems incredibly difficult to get a decent feed, even with realistic SD (vs HD) expectations. There are some websites out there (found surprisingly easily with a bit of Googling) that stream live sports feeds from all over the world, so I might give that a go. Directv is also now offering the NFL ticket as a standalone package so there's no need to buy even a basic satellite package to go with it...

In conclusion, I do appreciate everyone's feedback, I was hoping to hear some new suggestions from people of a similar mindset who might have found creative ways around the problem but it seems we're all in the same boat with the same limited options.

Kriegsspiel

  • Guest
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #15 on: December 04, 2012, 11:07:14 AM »
ESPN 3 I think is the best bet if your company you have cable internet through is supported.  I love watching sports, which was a big reason I got Xbox live (I used it at my brothers house to watch college football games, in addition to ESPN 3)... bad news is my cable company isn't supported by either.  I haven't found a good way to watch sports other than a Buffalo Wild Wings.

BrownStache

  • 5 O'Clock Shadow
  • *
  • Posts: 6
  • Age: 36
  • Location: Brooklyn, NY
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #16 on: December 04, 2012, 12:11:53 PM »
...I've tried rabbit ears but it seems incredibly difficult to get a decent feed, even with realistic SD (vs HD) expectations...
If you live near NYC, you could try Aereo, which would get you the broadcast channels in HD for much cheaper than cable. Otherwise, you're pretty much stuck with pirated streams or overpriced and subject-to-blackout plans from MLB/NFL.

Edit: their pricing page: https://aereo.com/plans

(looks like if you don't need entire games, you could get away with just watching an hour for free every day)
« Last Edit: December 04, 2012, 12:14:29 PM by BrownStache »

Psychstache

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1594
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #17 on: December 04, 2012, 01:06:51 PM »
If you are not above behaving like a high seas wanderer with a pegleg and parrot, you could try the following website:

20 8 5 6 9 18 19 20 18 15 23 . 5 21

turn numbers into corresponding letters, and make sure you have adblockerplus add-on installed to your browser.

grantmeaname

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 5962
  • Age: 31
  • Location: Middle West
  • Cast me away from yesterday's things
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #18 on: December 04, 2012, 05:18:27 PM »
I see what you did there. OP already mentioned that as an option he'd consider.

grantmeaname

  • CM*MW 2023 Attendees
  • Walrus Stache
  • *
  • Posts: 5962
  • Age: 31
  • Location: Middle West
  • Cast me away from yesterday's things
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #19 on: December 04, 2012, 05:53:55 PM »
I've tried rabbit ears but it seems incredibly difficult to get a decent feed, even with realistic SD (vs HD) expectations.
Odd. We get 1080i with a $15 set of rabbit ears. Are you just in a dead spot, or out in the boonies?

chucklesmcgee

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 613
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #20 on: December 04, 2012, 06:53:32 PM »
I've tried rabbit ears but it seems incredibly difficult to get a decent feed, even with realistic SD (vs HD) expectations.
Odd. We get 1080i with a $15 set of rabbit ears. Are you just in a dead spot, or out in the boonies?

It's hit and miss with an antenna. Sometimes you have to reorient the antenna to get different channels. But all antenna signals now are digital and just about every station that broadcasts in SD also broadcasts in HD.

simonsez

  • Handlebar Stache
  • *****
  • Posts: 1576
  • Age: 37
  • Location: Midwest
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #21 on: December 05, 2012, 02:48:28 PM »
If you live in an apartment complex, there might be a common area like a business office, lounge, or gym where you can watch tv.  Can you walk/bike to a bar and not chug alcohol the entire time?  You mention you're unwilling to watch streams of the event at a later time and while I understand, you have to realize that is about as first world as first world problems go.

The gym in my apartment complex for worked for me plus it motivates me to workout more often.  March Madness was tough but there are enough online feeds to get away with it.

eyePod

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 963
    • Flipping A Dollar
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #22 on: December 05, 2012, 05:40:03 PM »
If you live in an apartment complex, there might be a common area like a business office, lounge, or gym where you can watch tv.  Can you walk/bike to a bar and not chug alcohol the entire time?  You mention you're unwilling to watch streams of the event at a later time and while I understand, you have to realize that is about as first world as first world problems go.

The gym in my apartment complex for worked for me plus it motivates me to workout more often.  March Madness was tough but there are enough online feeds to get away with it.

CBS streamed the games for free as I recall..

kisserofsinners

  • Bristles
  • ***
  • Posts: 381
  • Age: 45
  • Location: San Francisco
    • Monkey wants a house
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #23 on: December 05, 2012, 05:54:21 PM »
I've tried rabbit ears but it seems incredibly difficult to get a decent feed, even with realistic SD (vs HD) expectations.
Odd. We get 1080i with a $15 set of rabbit ears. Are you just in a dead spot, or out in the boonies?

It's hit and miss with an antenna. Sometimes you have to reorient the antenna to get different channels. But all antenna signals now are digital and just about every station that broadcasts in SD also broadcasts in HD.

Can you mount on the roof? You might be able to use the existing coax to your TV room.

eyePod

  • Pencil Stache
  • ****
  • Posts: 963
    • Flipping A Dollar
Re: Getting rid of cable is fine, but what about sports?
« Reply #24 on: December 25, 2012, 09:14:57 AM »
I've tried rabbit ears but it seems incredibly difficult to get a decent feed, even with realistic SD (vs HD) expectations.
Odd. We get 1080i with a $15 set of rabbit ears. Are you just in a dead spot, or out in the boonies?

It's hit and miss with an antenna. Sometimes you have to reorient the antenna to get different channels. But all antenna signals now are digital and just about every station that broadcasts in SD also broadcasts in HD.

It's strange though.  I live in the Philly area so we get ~20-30 channels OTA, but ABC is not one of them.  They broadcast at some other frequency that my antenna doesn't pick up.  I'd have to buy a separate antenna just for that channel.  Lets just say I'm never going to do that!  The antenna I got was purchased from Best Buy, discounted 50% off because the it was a return and the box was opened.  Sweet deal for $45 and being able to reduce my monthly cable bill by 45 dollars at the time!