Watching the Game Out Vs. Hosting at Home

Sooooooooo.... Soccer or Futbol? I'm assuming my son will call it appropriately depending on who he's talking to. Colombia and the USA both made it to the World Cup, in case you weren't following along, and I was surprised how far the USA went this time. It was great watching the games with lots of people. I think that makes all the difference. Is it worth it to find a spot to watch the games with a crowd? 

There are some pros and cons to watching it at home with friends vs. going out to watch it. 

Going out to watch games vs. Staying in and hosting friends

Going out Pros:

1. You only have to buy food and drink for yourself (if you want). Depending on where you go, this can turn out to be either cheaper or more expensive than hosting it yourself. 

2. You don't have to clean up after anyone. 

3. If it's last minute, you don't have to get your house ready for guests. 

4. The crowd makes everything more exciting!

5. Sometimes the food and beer is better than staying in and having the usual selection. Unless you're into grilling and all that jazz. Not me. Nope. Not when I'm watching something!

Going out Cons:

1. You need to get there super early in order to find a decent table. Sometimes this means you need to get there during lunch when the game is during dinner, which will increase your tab quite a bit. 

2. Depending on the place, the sound and picture quality might be lacking compared to your amazing home theatre. Some bars are really fun, but the screens are tiny. Or if you're late, good luck getting a good spot to sit or stand for hours. 

3. It can be hard to find a place that is kid friendly, which leads to the next con...

4. Do you need a sitter for your kids or can they come along?

5. If you want to watch the broadcast in a certain language you may have to do some research to find the right place or suck it up and watch soccer in boring English. Eeeeks. 

6. If you have to sit outside...is the weather suitable? A/C? Heat?

Staying in and Hosting Pros:

1. You know you're going to be comfortable. No rushing or fighting for seating. 

2. You can record the game, pause, replay, etc. This is especially handy for people who can't get off work when they wanted to. 

3. Kids can stay home with you and be entertained with their own toys. Just the fact that the floor is clean is a huge help!

4. The event can be more personal and intimate if you want it that way. 

5. All the other things mentioned above in going out cons: heating or cooling, language preference, your awesome home theatre, etc. 

Staying in and Hosting Cons:

1. Unless you get people to bring food, providing snacks can get pricey. 

2. You need to get your house ready for guests, vs.  just leaving. 

3. You have to clean up after others. 

4. Hosting often means your attention is paid to your guests and not the game. 

5. It's often less exciting than being with tons of people all screaming and celebrating together. 

6. It's not over until your guests leave, vs. when you're out you can head home whenever you're ready. 

I think it really depends on your friends and if you feel like having people over at your house. Otherwise it just takes a little planning. For us, the hardest part is always getting to the place early enough if the game is during a weekday. Our little guy was a total champ during the World Cup games. But sometimes I worried he was getting a little overheated, so we got him a little battery powered hand-held fan.  

My suggestion is to always watch the big games with lots of people. It's exciting!! We went down to Miami to watch the Colombia vs. Greece game. We went to a little restaurant/bar that became overflowing with people. It was so crowded, hot, the tv was tiny, but it was absolutely wonderful because of the comradery of the Colombians!