614577 Fri Apr 24 05:34:03 -0700 2009 9 12 Boston Area 0 4624326 I just moved to Massachusetts (Waltham, more specifically) and will need to find a good place to watch NFL football come September. (I like to plan ahead for the important stuff...). I was considering Sadie's after reading about it in this post: http://chowhound.chow.com/topics/561673 but I walked by last night (on my way to Watch City Brewing Company for what turned out to be a really nice prix fixe 3-course beer-pairing dinner) and they don't appear to have much in the way of TVs... Ideally I would like to find a place with great food and a nice selection of micro-brews (as I was able to find in the last couple cities I lived in), but most important is that I can get the Bucs' game up on a big screen every week. A bar having Sunday Ticket doesn't do me much good if they don't have enough TVs and DirectTV control boxes to guarantee that they will be showing my game every week... Any suggestions from Waltham-area Chowhounds who share my obsessive love of football would be greatly appreciated... Fri Apr 24 05:34:04 -0700 2009 111059 emmo42 1 4625389 As far as TV's and microbrews in Waltham, your best bet may be Bison County on Moody St. But keep in mind this is pretty much a one team town without many transplants from other cities, so you may not find too many places that offer a wide variety of games on their TV's - may even find most places will have the Pats playing on every TV. Fri Apr 24 11:12:26 -0700 2009 4624326 12014 LStaff 2 4626397 I did my undergrad in Cambridge about 10 years ago and now work in Lexington, and over 90% of the people I met in either place were transplants from other cities. I know the locals are die-hard Pats fans, but it seems ridiculous that nobody would capitalize on the many people who didn't grow up here who would rather watch a different game (especially since the Pats will be televised on the CBS affiliate every single week regardless). I've lived in a town of 80,000 people that had more than 20 different sports bars where you could watch every game every week. I find it hard to believe that such a thing doesn't exist in the Boston suburbs... That's going to severely dampen my burgeoning love for this place if it's true... Fri Apr 24 16:52:39 -0700 2009 4625389 111059 emmo42 1 4627259 Don't give up on Sadie's. They have quite a few TVs there. Sat Apr 25 04:34:28 -0700 2009 4624326 11052 BBHound 2 4627352 I was going to suggest Sadies as well, however I hesitated it definitely doesn't fit the bill of being guaranteed to have the Bucs on TV. Sadies definitely features the Boston games first (football or other) and the big national games second. You would be fine 9/13 vs Dallas and definitely 10/25 vs Patriots, as well as if they have any Mon/Sun night appearances, however as far as the regular Sunday games it will be a crap shoot. I have seen people (as at various) sports bars come in early and request a game only to have it changed when enough people can't see the Pats game on that given TV. Sadies is more of a Budweiser place, though they probably have a few micro brews for you. They do have great food, including steak tips that are a very close second to Newbridge for best in the area. I really like most of the food at Sadies, great atmosphere to watch a game and Keno to keep you occupied when it is a blow out. I love Sadies besause it has everything I need (including sound for the big and local games) without being a typical sports bar. Sadie's would certainly be my choice in your situation, but may not be exactly what you are looking for. Probably your best bet to get the Bucs games o would be to become a regular in there, stopping in several times a week. Otherwise I wouldn't count on having the Bucs games on TV regularly given that they are not guaranteed to be a top tier team. Unfortunately I am not familiar enough with Waltham or the rest of metro west to give you an alternative. Buffs in Newton will be largely the same deal I described above. There might be some typical sports bar in one of the following areas: Natick, Burlington, Dedham/rt 1 which will surface for you. Sports Depot in Allston isn't all that far from Waltham, but I think the food is bunk for the most part. Sat Apr 25 05:59:42 -0700 2009 4627259 13687 Gabatta 3 4630641 I have had luck getting to know the bartenders at a few places where they only have 3-4 DirectTV boxes... The problem is that I need to go somewhere else if I get there and find out they're not showing my game... I grew up in the Pacific Northwest, so I am a bit of a beer snob... I'd rather eat slightly-trashy bar food with great beer than eat great bar food with Budweiser, especially since I'll be there for ~3-6 hours (which means a much larger percentage of the time is spent with the beer than with the food). I'll keep looking. As close to Waltham as possible would be good, but when I lived in Australia I used to have to get up at 3am on Mondays to stream Bucs games live, so I can handle a drive if that's what it takes... (I haven't missed a game in 5 years, and I don't intend to start missing them now...) Sun Apr 26 16:55:55 -0700 2009 4627352 111059 emmo42 1 4628194 John Brewer's Tavern has (or did the last time I was there a year or so ago) the NFL Sunday Ticket and tons of TV's (some small). They put a variety of games on because of fantasy football interest and/or sports bettors. The pub is fairly small and doesn't have the best layout so it's sometimes difficult to get a good view of the game you want, and the place tends to get crowded early and often (particularly when the Pats are playing). The food is average to above-average pub food, and the beer selection is decent (if not that adventurous). Sat Apr 25 13:40:02 -0700 2009 4624326 286105 chuckschick 2 4630649 Sounds like a possibility. The Bucs only have 2 late games this year (one of which I'll be watching in person), so I'll likely show up early to grab some lunch and a seat with a view of the right TV before the crowds start trickling in... which is part of why good food is a bonus. Sun Apr 26 16:59:32 -0700 2009 4628194 111059 emmo42 1 4629414 You might want to bounce around to a few places during baseball season to find the place that fits you best. Here are a few to try: John Brewer's on Main St. - Decent pub food, good beer selection, but no craft beers, lots of TVs in the bar area and in the dining room. Bison County on Moody St. - Pretty good food, better beer selection with more craft beers. Shopper's on Moody St. - Tons of TVs. Average beer selection (all the macros, sam, harpoon, guinnes, etc). OK food, not much selection. Mad Raven on Main St. - Decent food, tons of tvs. The Wave above the racket club (Waverly Oaks) - $1 drafts, lots of drunk college kids. The Landing on Moody - Lots of TVs and they were playing several of the NCAA games last time I was in there. Maybe they also play several NFL games? Sun Apr 26 07:07:12 -0700 2009 4624326 12116 Ali G 2 4630678 Thanks for all the info. I guess the benefit of planning this far in advance is that it gives me a chance to check a few places out before I'm desperately trying to watch a game, maybe talk to the bartenders and get a sense of how they roll during football season... I saw The Wave suggested somewhere else, but I usually prefer to avoid the drunk college kids so I'll put that one at the bottom of the list for now... I live less than 3 blocks away from The Mad Raven (just moved here, so haven't wandered over there yet), so that would be super-convenient if it works out, but Moody street is extremely close as well and I'm glad to see a few options there. I really appreciate your suggestions... I was starting to lose hope for a minute there... =) Sun Apr 26 17:07:40 -0700 2009 4629414 111059 emmo42