6 things we learned watching sport in the USA
A couple of months ago, we spent three weeks in California. The trip allowed us to experience US sports in person. Whilst in America, we watched the Lakers vs Timberwolves and Warriors vs Pelicans in the NBA, the Ducks vs Wild in the NHL and the Rams vs Vikings in the NFL. These are 6 things these games taught us about watching sports in the USA.
Pictured above: our view at the Sofi Stadium for the Rams vs Vikings
1: Breaks in play are a big part of the US stadium experience
Although we’d watched the NFL and NBA on TV prior to our trip, we didn’t realise how much goes on in the stadium when play is stopped.
In the games we watched, breaks in play featured competitions, cheerleading, singers, dancers, giveaways, t-shirt cannons and even a mariachi band at the LA Rams. Considering, for example, that NFL games have about half the amount of in-game time as they have breaks, the in-game entertainment forms a big part of your experience.
2: Keep an eye out for free merch
One of the commercial elements we liked was the in-game giveaway schedule. The giveaway schedule is where teams have a calendar of freebies to be given out at certain games throughout the season. Usually these are quite small. For example, at the LA Rams game, the promotional giveaway was a foam finger. However, some of the giveaways are really worth turning up for. At the LA Lakers game, every fan was given a free Jerry West jersey (the man on the NBA logo).
As each team posts their giveaway schedule in advance, it’s worth taking a look before booking tickets, if you (like me) are a fan of free merch. This is especially relevant, as many of the promotions are limited to the first 10,000 (or so) fans to arrive.
Pictured above: Lakers jerseys draped over all the seats in the Crypto.com arena prior to the Lakers vs Timberwolves game
3: Don’t expect a cheap pint (at least not at any of the venues we went to)
At the games we watched, we were pleasantly surprised to learn there were no restrictions on bringing drinks from the concourse to your seat.
However, it’s easy to see why, when you consider the price of a drink. Once you’ve added the tax and tip to the already eye-watering face value, you may end up needing a small loan before you’ve made it to your second pint.
At the Lakers game, a single pint set us back a whopping 27 dollars.
4: The atmosphere is very different to UK football games
A lot of people in the UK will have preconceived ideas about the atmosphere at US sports venues. From our experience, there was not much chanting beyond the cries of “Let’s go defence” and the atmosphere, particularly at the NFL, seemed in parts to be largely manufactured by stadium announcements calling on the crowd to “get loud”.
However, the crowds were very friendly. Despite there being no separation between the home and away fans at any of the games we attended, there was little animosity between rival fans and all the people we sat next to (and the crowd in general) were really nice and shared some interesting stories on their time supporting their teams.
Pictured above: the crowd watching on as Zion Williamson shoots a free throw for the Pelicans
5: NHL ≠ hockey
I was originally against the idea of going to watch the NHL. It’s a sport I had never watched before going to the USA and I naively assumed it would be similar to hockey. I was completely wrong. The NHL is an aggressive, fast paced and exciting sport (sorry hockey fans).
Pictured above: the players warming up at the Honda Centre, prior to the Ducks vs Wild game
The Ducks vs Wild game ended with a fist fight in the middle of the rink. After watching more of the NHL since returning to the UK, it turns out these fights are a common theme for NHL games.
Pictured above: scenes at full time as the players come to blows
If anyone is visiting the USA (or Canada) and is unsure over whether they should watch the NHL, I’d highly recommend it. Of all the sports we saw in the USA, the NHL was the most entertaining to watch live.
6: Don’t get invested in a West Coast team
Since returning to the UK, I’ve started following and watching the teams we went to see in the USA. In particular, I’ve closely followed the Lakers and the Ducks over the last few months.
Pictured above: Lebron James dunking the ball
Whilst games are easily accessible on the NBA and NHL apps, the start times are a killer for anyone looking to maintain a healthy sleep schedule. The West Coast is three hours behind New York and by the time the NBA/NHL games start, which is usually around 7pm local time, it’s already 3am in the UK.
If you’re going to get invested in US sport, save your sleep schedule, go to the East and start following the New York Rangers / Knicks / Giants / equivalent.