Today in the Annals of Bullshit:

[feuervogel]

I no longer get cable, so I don't get ESPN. I live in the US, so the World Cup isn't one of those major things people give a shit about. ESPN is showing the weekday games (Mon-Fri) and 2 of the 3 games Sat & Sun. ABC is picking up the other 2 games.

ESPN has an online video streaming service, which, for the previous World Cup I couldn't utilize because it didn't run on Mac. That was 4 years ago, so, hey, why not give it another shot and see if they fixed it, right?

I checked into it today, only to be met with bullshit of an even more bullshitty variety: ESPN360 can ONLY be accessed through certain ISPs, and there's not even an option to say, "hey, I'll give you money to let me watch this." My ISP, Time Warner, isn't one of them. ESPN tells me I should a) bother TWC until they affiliate with ESPN or b) switch ISPs to AT&T (DSL & slower than my current provider, if it's even available at my address) or Verizon (whose service I've never heard ANYTHING good about.)

This means I won't be able to watch ANY of the games I'm interested in in the round of 64 and very few of the round of 16, quarterfinals*, or semifinals. Watching via text-based liveticker on spiegel.de ... is SO not the same.

*(Two quarterfinal matches and the finals are playing on ABC.)

Bullshit, bullshit, bullshit.

(OK, I know one person* who has cable, but the games are playing at 7 am, 9:30 am, and 2 pm local time. Not exactly conducive to popping over to borrow the TV & cable. Also not conducive to popping into a restaurant or bar to watch the game.)

*Seriously, of all the people I spend any time with, I pretty much only know one who has cable.

Comments

[prongsy.livejournal.com]

Spanish radio station? Totally not the same, I know, but it's always something (I had to do it for the game where England lost to Portugal.) I'd offer up our cable (since I understand... trust me O_O), but I'm far and those times, as you said, suck. No way to get like a one month off package or something?!

[feuervogel]

There probably is one in these parts, and that's how I got most of the 06 Cup out in Oregon (with no TV at all). It's not the same, either, but you at least get the announcers being excited, even if you have no idea what they're saying, other than "GOOOOOOOOOOOL! Alemannia!"

The cable guy came out to our house and installed a block on our line to prevent us from getting more cable than we do (we get the broadcast channels only). I guess it's *possible* to do that, but it seems like a lot of effort. I should just ask the guy with the cable if I can use his TV. Though I'd miss seeing Ben a lot, if I did that.

[prongsy.livejournal.com]

Well, the Spanish radio station's are also fun for like butchering the names of things, too. Like I can't look at Wayne Rooney without wanting to go "ROOOOOOOOOOONNNNNNEEEEEEYYYYY!!!!" And to this day my parents still yell, "INGLA-TERRRRRRRRAAAAAAAA!" But yeah, seeing it is way, way better (and more sense-making, 'cause it wasn't until I watched the replayed game at 3 in the morning at my grandparent's house that I got to see exactly what happened... and I cried like a baby over it, too. :/ ).

That's lame on the cable company's part, but whatever. I'm sure it's just how they roll. And sometimes, you gotta do what you gotta do. It's your call (duh, obviously ^_~).

I adore Ben, I do, but seriously... it's World Cup Football. It only comes on every 4 years and you'll only be ditching Ben for certain games, right? It's not like all the time. And only for a few hours at that. Maybe you can drag him along sometimes?

I wonder if UNC will be open... maybe you could snag a Student Union tv and force everyone else to watch? I'd do it.

[feuervogel]

I can't look at Wayne Rooney without wanting to deck him ;)

The Group D games are mostly at good hours, except the Germany-Serbia game, which is at 7 am Friday the 18th. I can probably go to Buns on Columbia St (where Jersey Mike's used to be) and watch the 2 pm games (there's always soccer playing on one of the TVs.) It's the 7 and 9 am games that'll be harder.

I'd ideally like to watch as many of the round robin games as possible, to see which teams I think are likely to advance or beat my team.

They're all during the work day, so he'd be at work.

[warpig1979.livejournal.com]

If you want to watch the World Cup on Franklin street, I'd try the Italian joint over down by India Palace. Think you'd have better odds of their tubes being tuned in (and I also think they might have satellite).

[feuervogel]

That's another thought. Though the guy at Buns always has that corner TV tuned to soccer matches and the TV behind the coke fountain running ESPN. Chances are pretty good, either way.

(And none of the round robin matches feature Germany vs Italy, so it's safe ;) )