TVs in bars

As long as the volume isn't blaring to the level that I can't have a conversation or I can't ignore the tv, I don't care. When I'm at a bar by myself, I prefer them - although my phone is providing more of my interest these days. Some people might consider smartphone use as rude or antisocial in a bar, but I don't give a shit, half the time I go to a bar it's to get away from other people (and by "people" I mean family) and sit and have a few minutes/hours of relaxation and peace to myself to contemplate life over a tasty beverage.

 

Fire - the original TV.

 

As a sports fan, I greatly prefer them. There is almost always an event on during "bar hours" (evenings/nights and weekends) that I like having on in the background. You don't need to have 100 tv's, or necessarily even have the volume on, if the focus of the bar is on beer. But no reason not to toss a quiet tv or two in the corners.

And while people will say that "tvs are a distraction", I say the much bigger distraction is people on their smartphones. A tv is something I can passively glance at during a break in a conversation. Pulling out a phone is something that completely draws your attention away from anything else going on. And I lose count of the number of phones I see out at bars that have few/no tv's.

 

Totally depends on the bar, really. If I'm going to a sports bar I'm fully expecting to be blinded/deafened by TVs.

My bigger complaint, though, is music that is entirely too loud for conversation, especially if it's terrible.

 

100% agree. I think they are conversation killers.

 

I think if you're going to have a TV at a bar, it better be a nice flatscreen with good picture quality. There's nothing more annoying than going to a bar that has a 30-inch TV on standard def, with closed captioning turned on.

 

In a dimly lit bar, a television with the sound muted provides extra illumination for those of us trying to read.

 

I couldnt agree more. I love sports bars for the fact that I know it is a sports bar and I can avoid it. I would say 95% of bars in my area with TV's are crap bars with lame beachy themes and they serve BMC. I will pass.

 

LOL lame beachy themes.

 

I work at a recently opened brewery (Aardwolf) in Jacksonville, FL. I've already had a couple people tell me they won't comeback until we get TVs. We plan on putting in 1 TV in our lounge room. Anyway, I go to a brewery to enjoy the beers. I go to a sports bar to enjoy "the game" and have some beers.

 

This thread has been very revealing. I understand now why most American bars are stuffed full of TV's.

 

He's not kidding. My royalties have gone through the roof.

 

I enjoy tv in a bar because that is where I go to watch tv. I almost never have a tv on in my house. When I want to watch a sporting event, I go to the bar. It's cheaper than a ticket to the game and I get to enjoy a few brews in the process. "Horrible thing" is an opinion, if someone enjoys watching 15 hours of tv a day, that is their business. Who are we to tell them they are right or wrong? Personally I chose not to watch that much tv but I also chose not to ridicule those who do.

 

Today I learned not liking sports or tvs in bars = hipsterism

 

Huge sports fan here but keep the sound down please in the bar
Also a fan of Slartibartfast and Marvin

 

I do think television can create zombies..."you know that the hypnotized never lie" comes to mind when I see crowds glued to the screen no matter what is on, ignoring/not engaging friends they are out with or whatever.

Sports bars - they have their place. A quiet bar where you can sit quietly, converse, read, etc - they have their equal place. And anything in between. Ideally, we should have a choice of what kind of establishment we want to visit, and that could change depending on one's mood. Going out implies that it is not a 100% individual experience even if you are going out solo. If I want to just "seriously" drink a beer and completely forego social interactions I can do that at home - eat/watch/read what I choose, listen to whatever music I want. And I don't even have to put my shoes on...

Think some of this comes down to expectation. For instance, I wouldn't go to a Wild Wings (or similar) expecting gourmet food and a serene, cerebral dining/drinking experience. Conversely, I wouldn't go to an upscale establishment for dinner hoping to catch the Bruins game on the tube either. They are completely different experiences. Hopefully there's a range of choices available to fulfill the different experiences people want. I mean, we all have some expectation of what experience we're seeking when we head out, I would think.

 

To be clearer, sports in the US right now:

1 - Baseball just started their season this month
2 - Basketball playoffs just began
3 - Hockey playoffs are just about to begin
4 - Soccer/Futbol - Yes, americans watch European Futbol/Soccer..probably more than American

Just finished:

1 - american football Season where games are on monday night, thursday night and Sunday all Day
2 - College basketball just finished 3 weeks of their end of season tournament
3 - College Hockey playoffs finished - very big locally/regionally

Many people want the BAR and the GAME...

 

Kuhnhenn brewery has two huge tv's but keeps them off unless there is a local sports game on or a huge national sports game such as the superbowl. Other than that, those puppy's are blacked out

 

It depends. Sports bars, absolutely they need tvs, but PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE get that sports center crap off of the screen!! At other kinds of bars, there can be a couple tvs, that doesn't bother me. It's nice to be able to go out for a drink and be able to actually socialize with people, instead of having a half-hearted conversation because the other person can't take his/her eyes off the screen. It's all well and good to say, "If you don't want to watch tv, then don't look at it," but that's only half of the conversation. I can't help what the other person chooses to look at.

For example, I have this one friend who grew up in a house where the tv was on 24/7. If there's a screen, her eyes and attention are glued to it, regardless of what's going on around her. It's like a compulsion. In fact, she almost got in an accident once because the car in front of her had one of those flip down tvs, and it's so deeply ingrained in her that she must watch screens... Anyway, when we go out for drinks, I have to choose a place where there are no tvs, or I have to hope that there's seating where she can't see the screen. We have a GREAT time when we chat, but if there's a screen nearby, I get monosyllabic answers and no eye contact.

 

During a mid afternoon stop at Revolution in Chicago, we commented to the barmaid that the large TV was off, and we liked that. She smiled and said "It does have an off switch".