Sports bars: New York’s big dilemma

Before I get going, let me just first say that this column isn’t about Cornell basketball. Heck, it’s not about the NCAA Tournament at all. Obviously it’s a cool story and I love the NCAA Tournament, but honestly, there have been enough stories and columns on those topics in this paper—and everywhere else around the country—so I figure it’s time for someone to change things up. That someone is me.

Many times I’ve faced a problem that many Columbia students have certainly faced before—wanting to watch a game, drink, and hang out with friends all at the same time. I would do this in my suite, but since buying cable is so expensive here, that’s out of the question. There are TVs in plenty of dorms around campus, but drinking in common areas or lounges would probably draw the attention and ire of an RA, so that wouldn’t work either.

If you’re trying to stay close to home, the only viable option left is going to one of the bars around campus, but picking which one is a difficult decision in and of itself. All of the bars around here are very different and cater to a slightly different crowd. I’ve thought about the strengths and weaknesses of a few local bars and discussed them with a few of my friends, and here’s what I’ve come up with.

Don’t bother

Campo and 1020 might be two of the hottest spots around each weekend, but if you’re seriously trying to watch a game, steer clear of these two places. At 1020, you have an equal chance of seeing the game or seeing “Top Gun,” and only if the game is of considerable importance. If the game you want to watch is of little importance to the world at large, you might get sucked into watching “Speed” and/or “Coneheads,” and then wonder what happened to your night when you’re told it’s last call.

The problem with Campo is that it only has one TV. Sure, it’s usually on ESPN or whatever channel a game is on, but it’s just one TV. Dealbreaker.

Margaritas, anyone?

The Heights is fairly small and only has a few TVs by the bar, but if you’re looking to watch a game while drinking something on the cheap other than beer, this is the place for you. Margaritas are just $4 during regular happy hour and night happy hour, which is a pretty good deal if you’re watching a game that starts later in the night. There’s decent food too until 10:45 p.m., which is always a plus. All in all, The Heights is a good sports bar for someone who’s trying to drink cheap mixed drinks and who isn’t overly invested in watching the game.

The old standby

Call it Cannon’s, O’Connell’s, Manhattan College South, or whatever else you want, but O’Connell’s (my nominative preference) is a great place to watch sports, especially sports that aren’t huge in America. Rugby and soccer are almost constantly on at least one TV at the pub—in fact, I watched matches from the English Premier League and Serie A just the other night (that’s English and Italian soccer for those of you scratching your heads). On a weekend night, the bar is usually full, but that won’t interfere with your game-watching. Pitchers are as low as $9, which is a pretty solid price, but unfortunately there’s no food. If you really want food, you’ll have to go to another bar or order a Spicy Special from 109 Deli—they deliver to O’Connell’s.

The big two on Amsterdam

Speaking of the 109 Deli, the final two bars I’d like to mention are right by this wonderful culinary establishment. Lion’s Head and Pourhouse are literally across the street from one another, and I’d argue that they’re the two best all-around options for people trying to watch a sporting event. Pourhouse is easily bigger, has more seating, has more, bigger TVs, has decently priced drinks, and has a larger food selection. Lion’s Head, on the other hand, is a little cozier, has a respectable number of TVs, and offers cheaper drinks ($2 PBR) and food. Pourhouse, based on the number and size of their TVs, would probably be the hands-down winner if those were the only criteria, but they’re not. You have to factor in environment, and the atmosphere in each of these bars is a little different.

At Lion’s Head, you’re more likely to get people from the surrounding area as opposed to Columbia students. During the football season and March Madness, you’re almost assured of seeing more jerseys and team hats per capita at Lion’s Head than at any other area bar. If you don’t get a seat and are just standing in the middle of the bar, there’s a high possibility that one of the people next to you will make a comment about one of the games that’s on, and when any game is down to the wire, people will definitely get animated—whether it’s their team that’s on or not.

Pourhouse is generally a little more reserved than Lion’s Head. Since there’s more seating, more people tend to sit down, which means that discussions usually happen at tables, not so much between them. There will definitely be some people geared up to represent their team, and some will shout out at the TV or show some other form of excitement, but these things happen less than at Lion’s Head.

Each local bar has its own perks when it comes to watching a sporting event. It’d be hard to say which one is the “best,” because each one serves a different purpose. Find the one that suits your purpose, grab a few friends, and go watch a game. You might even see me doing the same.

Matt Velazquez is a Columbia College senior majoring in history.
sportseditors@columbiaspectator.com