I strongly advise you to organise a group conversation to attend a sporting event if you haven’t already. There are hot dogs, occasionally you’ll spot a celebrity, and if you’re very lucky, a tiny cannon aimed at you will shoot the ugliest T-shirt ever made at you. That being said, there are differences among sports in terms of relaxation. What follows is a ranking of America’s six major sports based on how much fun they are to hang around at, because I care.
6. Football
Do not be fooled by how charming the Kelce brothers are on their podcast. Football is probably the worst sport for hanging out. Sure, it can be fun to watch a game on TV at home, but the actual in-person experience is not for those of us who are just looking for a fun place to hang out. (This ranking changes if you are a person who likes waking up early to get drunk in a parking lot. If that’s your style, then you would love football.)
Typically, less than 20 minutes of the three-hour game are spent playing the sport. Although it could seem perfect for speaking with your friends, the trouble is really not worth it. It’s normally an absolute disaster to travel to a football stadium without a car, especially in New York. Even if you succeed, parking will cost you $10,000. When you finally find a seat, you’re surrounded by men whose emotional well-being is determined by how well the Jets perform—which is generally not good.
This is not the place for you if you’re seeking for somewhere to unwind with a beer and your buddies. The NFL season lasts from autumn to winter, so you can’t even count on favourable weather conditions. The windchill at a recent game in Kansas City was -27 degrees; the same week, Buffalo fans had to slog through more than a foot of snow to reach their seats. We’re not aiming for that level of dedication here. You also can’t really tell who’s hot because everyone is hiding their faces. I promise you, you can watch football with your buddies from the comfort of your couch.
5. Tennis
Since I am not the heir to a shipping fortune, I cannot speak with any degree of candour about what it’s like to hang out at a tennis game. Although there are many restrictions and sometimes the matches last for a very long time, it looks like it would be more enjoyable than football. It’s also forbidden for you to make any noise except for rare gasps and courteous applause. What fun is that going to be? I’ll offer tennis this: At the U.S. Open, that honeydew cocktail looked amazing.
4. Hockey
You could really enjoy a hockey game if your group goes all out. For a girls’ night out, I wouldn’t normally suggest it unless you enjoy the suspense of knowing that two males could get into a fight at any time. It seems like the most likely thing to happen to you at a hockey game is someone unintentionally spilling a beer on you, though I have no statistics to support this. Although it’s an entertaining sport to watch, the intensity is too high for socialising.
Having said that, the recently established Professional Women’s Hockey League intrigues me. People appear to be having a great time at the PWHL women’s hockey games, which are breaking attendance records. If and when a PWHL game completely shocks my world, I’m happy to move hockey’s position on this list. My heart is open.
3. Soccer
Attending a men’s soccer match is undoubtedly enjoyable. It’s your right to spend a lot of money travelling to Miami to watch Messi. I’m talking about women’s soccer, which is on the list of the best things to do in life, right up there with getting your hair done by someone else and visiting the beach during the week. There’s gossip, the game is entertaining to watch, and the atmosphere in the stadium is typically friendlier than it is during a men’s match. When two NFL players get married, divorce, and one of them starts dating an actor from One Tree Hill right away, I’ll give football a higher ranking. Attending a soccer match is similar to attending a party and lingering in the corner with your pals while they gossip about the other guests.
The sport loses because, as anyone who has seen a game abroad will attest, it is too seriously taken by people worldwide to ever be a place to hang out on the sidelines. With all due respect to the beautiful game, American football supporters seem mild in comparison to what transpires at a European football game.
2. Basketball
The game’s ease of comprehension is one of the most important components of a sports hang. Offsides—what the devil is that? At a basketball game, you don’t need to know anything about that. To score two points, they are attempting to put the ball in the hoop. They score an additional point for shots made from a greater distance. Because the game is easy to learn, you can focus your mental energy on deciphering what your friend meant to say in that strange text.
The fact that basketball is an extremely captivating game is really the only drawback to attending one. There’s constantly action on the court since there isn’t as much downtime as in baseball or football. I can’t tell you that a Liberty vs. Aces game is a place for chillers because there’s just too much chance you’ll be enthralled.
1. Baseball
The SATC ladies didn’t attend a Knicks game for a reason. There’s no better sport to spend time with your buddies than baseball. The season is played during the most pleasant months of the year, you can almost always find a cheap ticket, and even your friend who doesn’t know much about sports may grasp that “three strikes, you’re out.” There will be fun for all of them.
This is, pardon the pun, my pitch. Although you don’t really have to pay attention, watching baseball is entertaining. Even if you have no interest in sports, every game usually features three or more sing-alongs. If that’s not your thing, you’ll adore the new pitch clock that was added recently. It allows you to attend a night game at Citi Field and return to your flat by 11 p.m. Since baseball appeals to all skill levels, it’s the ideal activity for socialising.