November 05, 2007
Going to a bar alone is really out of my comfort level, but even more so when I’m not even meeting someone there.
But that’s exactly what I did yesterday, and it’s Comcast’s fault.
Why? Because Comcast did not broadcast the NFL “Game of the Century” – the Patriots vs. the Colts. Last week I saw a (national) television ad that it would be shown. Being played at Indy, the game was on yesterday afternoon starting at 1:15pm local time.
But when I looked at the television listings for Sunday, I was shocked and appalled that this incredibly significant game wasn’t listed as being televised. We’re talking about the game between arch rivals. The game where both went into it undefeated this season, 8-0.
I did what any paying customer would do: I phoned Comcast. “Can I upgrade the sports package and watch the game?” I asked, rather than complaining. “No, ma’am, Comcast isn’t showing that game west of the Rockies.”
Incredible. Obviously, I should have satellite television instead of Comcast if I’m going to live in Los Gatos…or apparently anywhere “west of the Rockies”.
Perhaps I should explain why I’m a passionate Pats fan while living in Niners (and Raiders) country. The quarterback, Tom Brady, who hails from nearby San Mateo, is my second cousin. I always liked football – I think I attended every Saratoga High and Bellarmine College Prep game when I was a teenager. (My college, Gonzaga University, didn’t do football. Basketball was – and is – king in Spokane.) I didn’t grow up watching the Niners or Raiders except occassionally on t.v. But when you have a cousin on the field, it changes everything. Or, as I like to say, “blood is thicker than geography”. (We have loads of other family in the area too, including my sibs and their families and other cousins.)
Anyway, all of this to say that we’re Patriots fans and I watch any Pats game that Comcast will deign to put on the air. I was certain that the Patriots vs the Colts game would be aired – heck, I saw the ad on TV that asserted it would!
No dice.
The only alternative was to go to a sports bar. Happily, in Los Gatos we have a wonderful one, Double D’s. I phoned them one minute after they opened to ask if they’d be showing the game. “All over!” the gal reassured me.
My husband and kids weren’t able to go with me. I tried calling one friend to see if she’d go – she would have but was in southern California with her mom, who’d been ill. Most of my other friends really don’t watch football games on television. Since I was sure the game would be on tv, I just hadn’t planned out going to a bar to catch a little football.
I went alone to Double D’s to watch at least part of the game. The place was packed!! Saw the first half – the Pats were trailing as it went into the halftime show and it had been hard-fought to that point. I enjoyed a beer and a burger and watched some great football on a huge, super clear screen. Only problem for me was that I don’t know all the refs’ hand signals and there was such an enthusiastic crowd at Double D’s that it was difficult to hear anything.
For that and a lot of other reasons, I still prefer watching the game at home. But I was thankful to be able to see it at all.
I had been sitting next to a guy named Oscar who was sporting a # 12 shirt (and who told me that for Halloween he “was” Tom Brady) and told him as I left at halftime, “they have often come from behind in the second half, and I bet they do it today”.
Back at home, there were things I had to do but I kept my computer logged in to NFL.com, where at least I could follow the score and read the plays, if not see what was going on. The fourth quarter was wild. My teens were attempting to finish the weekend’s homework load but I updated them on the game fairly frequently. What an upset! The Patriots charged back in the last quarter, reversing the lead and winning 24-20 there on the Indy homefield.
Congrats, Patriots! I knew you could pull it off!
Thank you, Double D’s, for showing this game. Obviously a whole lot of other folks wanted to see it “west of the Rockies” too.
And Comcast? Today I’m going to see what it costs to install satellite television. . . .
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Double D’s is located in downtown Los Gatos at the corner of Highway 9 and North Santa Cruz Avenue, just off Highway 17. The parking lot there is small but there’s tons of free public parking between University Avenue and North Santa Cruz Avenue.
354 N Santa Cruz Avenue
Los Gatos, CA 95030
Phone: (408) 395-6882
Fax: (408) 395-8402
As with other blog posts highlighting local businesses in Los Gatos, this is not a paid post but again this blogger’s positive experience with a locally run place.
