Thomas L. Shaffer

I’m sure you are sitting back asking yourself “How does Thomas handle watching sports on the left coast?” all the time. Well, I’ll tell you - I don’t. Working on 3 years out here and I still can’t figure it out. I miss games constantly. It’s not by choice either, I just can’t consistently get a day of sports in this state. I am slowing losing touch with the sporting world and I don’t believe it’s my fault. I think one of the biggest challenges I have being here is game selection.

The fact that the college sports out here (and I’m talking basketball here since it’s that time of year)are weak and boring, they (meaning those big wigs at the tv stations who chose programming) slam my tv with chumps and bums every day. I wish the studios would realize that “regional” does not equal quality or preference. But the sinister part is, they know it doesn’t. That’s why they have pay per sports, forcing us sports fans who want to catch a good round or two of peach basket games to pay out our noses. But are these paid events commercial free or feature decent broadcasters? Heck no, it’s just as much as the “free” games. I probably won’t even get the ACC Tournament because my channels will be filled with freaks and geeks trying to prove how much they don’t deserve to be in the NCAA tournament.

So yeah, I end up going to Target with the wife or taking our mutt to the park for some much needed excercise. I really have tried to get into left coast sports but it’s just not working. I’ve already talked about the college scene being weak. The Mariners are in the American League, I prefer the National. I hate the NBA, not to mention the Sonics will be gone soon enough (see you later Squatch). The only shining star is the Seahawks, but leaving at 9am to find parking for a 1pm game, having to miss the early games in order to find said parking, and the overall obnoxious and rude fans just makes the experience less than stellar.

So how does Thomas handle left coast sports? I wake up early, watch piss poor games, and rely on the internet and Sportscenter to stay on top of it all.