OK, I found a game for the new poll, its the Battle of the Birds:
09/15 8:20 PM
[287] PHILADELPHIA (-1.5)
[288] ATLANTA (+1.5)
Going forward I'm going to pick games for the poll based on:
- how close they are to being even
- how interesting they are on a general level
- how interesting they are to me
Polls are based on ML (win or lose) only, not spreads.
I have Carson Wentz as my fantasy QB, so I'm going with Philadelphia on that basis. Which I do realize isn't a basis at all, but nonetheless (for some reason spellcheck says its "nonetheless" but I've always pronounced it "non-the-less"... oh well). Hope to be able to watch this one in real-time.
It used to be you could go with 4 or 5 or 6 friends, have some wings / nachos / bar food and hang out for a few hours for $30 to $40 AT MOST PER PERSON
Now at least in the middle of the road places you are looking at $50+ (tax / tip included)
6 people kicking in $35 each can go to someones house have better beer / get some decent (not great) food delivered / chips / etc. and watch on your own 50+ inch screen.
Want to rewind, click the button. Want to watch a different game for a few minutes fine.
Damn, that's nuts. One of the things that attracted me to the Philippines was the extremely cheap cost of living. $20 (1000 pesos) is like a nice dinner for two with drinks. The most I've ever spent on a meal is about $30, and that's including a generous tip, which is never necessary, but I suspect always appreciated.
Of course there is a 12 hour time zone difference between here and the east coast, so the latest games start around 10:30 AM. The Eagles / Falcons game therefore starts at 8:20 AM -- not exactly drinking hours. But you can get a nice breakfast with fresh brewed coffee (something of a rarity here) for about $4-$5, or less if you find the right spots.
If you go to an American-owned place (all of them are now that I think about it), they usually hire some pretty attractive waitresses, so its nice to have some eye candy during the commercials. Of course you also run the risk of being surrounded by degenerates who are already on their 3rd martini by the time the game starts, and they keep trying to talk to your girlfriend while you get wafts of halitosis and gin because you are sitting between them and her.