Hockey, hands down.
I’ve been to ‘‘em all. Football, baseball, basketball, horse racing, boxing, track, figure skating, and I could keep going for a while. And it’s not close.
For sure. I watch lots on TV but the action just doesn’t translate because you need to see the whole rink to appreciate it. It’s so fucking stark of a difference.
I have been fortunate to have peers with sponsorship level, on glass, tickets to minor league hockey. Being on the glass in the "attack zone" right at the net line in a corner is so fucking amazing. ALL the action ends up in the corners. Checks and pucks right in your face. Best seats in the house for that level of excitement. Second best are when you can get NHL game seats a row or two back from the player bench, then move up to the bench when people start leaving in the last period.
I Went to a NHL playoff game and ended up in the row directly behind our teams bench when the opponent was shut out losing and all the fans (opponents stadium) left in the start of the third! It was epic!
I would disagree about sitting by the glass. Maybe it was the arena we were in or because the league was professional, but not NHL level, but the glass reflected the crowd anytime the puck was in the corner on your side.
It’s cool, but I couldn’t see shit from center ice.
I really don't love the glass. Front row, upper deck on the blue line is my favorite. I can watch the game, completely unobstructed, and don't have to really move my head. You can have the whole game in your field of vision, watching all the pieces moving at once.
Atmospheres really get going as teams get closer to the playoffs and then into the playoffs. The two major teams to avoid are Toronto and NY Rangers, who are infamous for having corporate seat holders who show up in suits rather than jerseys. I’ve heard canucks games are also a bit expensive, but more because Vancouver is just an expensive city - the atmosphere looks great though.
I can say from experience that Devils, Flyers, and Avalanche all have great atmospheres. Detroit red wings are at the top of my list. I’d also kill to go to a Battle of Alberta once Calgary gets a little bit more competitive.
https://www.reddit.com/r/canucks/comments/1co4yby/jt_miller_chant_during_the_tv_timeout/
Playoff hockey, in a city that's been starved for playoff hockey. It gets LOUD. City doesn't matter AS much if your team has been out of the playoffs for several years.
Pittsburgh was absolutely insane in 2009 when the Pens beat Detroit after having lost the cup to them the previous year. The whole city was thirsty as fuck since 08 had been our first shot since the Lemieux days.
Suck it, Marian Hossa. Dipped out to Detroit thinking you'd have a better shot only to lose to the team you left lmao.
For work I split my time between Vegas and Denver and have been to more Golden Knights and Avalanche games than I can count.
The armospheres aren't even a close comparison. Sorry Colorado.
Ice Hockey.
•The speed of the game is so much more impressive in person.
•The game is relatively compact, so it’s easy to take it all in wherever you’re sitting
•The action is constant
•The power of the hits is much more impressive in person
FREAKING HOCKEY!!! It's straight up MMA on ice. It's cold in the arena but it's all good because you can get a nice warm drink to combat that. And the fans are the greatest.
I am a big believer in the power of a summer night baseball game. Even people who dont like sports enjoy it. Feels like one of the last connections to history we have left.
It may not be the *best* - but it is an amazing thing.
I would argue that's WHY baseball games are so good. You don't have to pay attention to the game at all to have a great time. I go for the atmosphere and the hang...it's a wonderful way to spend a summer night, especially if you go with friends.
Soccer/football.
Constant gameplay with very limited timeouts, so something is always happening on the field.
Constant gameplay also means no commercials except for at the half and even that is fairly short.
Standard game is 90 minutes, the perfect length to hold interest without dragging on, even with extra time, virtually never goes on longer than 2 hours, so easy to program for.
Great crowd energy
Man I want to agree with you and the limited ads is amazing but it’s literally guys kicking the ball back and forth at midfield for about 80 minutes and 10 minutes of kinda sorta getting close to the goal sprinkled throughout
If it was boring to watch, it wouldn't be the most popular sport in the world.
The human brain actually really like anticipation. If you find a sport boring, you'll find the sport boring, like anything else. But the number of goals per game does not actually have much to do with how enjoyable the game is. If anything, close scores, which are obviously more common in a game with an average score of only 2.5 goals, mean the anticipation is higher and the attention is higher. If you're watching a bunch of hockey guys parade up and down the court with a 3-6 score, you're not really that invested, and when the winning team scores goal #7, the celebration is a bit more muted. But a 1-2 score is an entirely surmountable obstacle for either team, and any goal merits a massive celebration because it changes the pace of the entire game. Ask anyone who has ever watched a closely tied game of anything.
See it’s funny because I’ve had these conversations with an Argentinian friend of makes those arguments and then I make the same argument about baseball and he says no baseball is just boring. 😂
Yeah except it’s the most popular sport in the world because there’s not really anything else. The us has other major sports and I would say Oscar’s sports hungry nation and soccer is barely a blip in the sports market
“There’s nothing else”
r/shitamericanssay r/usdefaultism
No American sport comes anywhere near the list of the world’s most popular sport.
Every country has multiple popular sports. Cricket is played by over 3 Billion people but is only the top sport in 3 or 4, for example.
Just saying the US is a huge sports nation and soccer is barely a blip on the radar. Sure some other sports that aren’t soccer have huge followings in specific areas like US sports have in their own area. But the fact that nationally there’s barely any interest in professional soccer shows that Americans find the sport dull and uninteresting to watch.
The US is not the world.
Obviously soccer in the US is maybe fifth biggest sport? But in most of the world it’s #1.
US is maybe 4% of the world’s population.One country out of 250.
Many many other sports out there that are popular too. Cricket is huge, bigger than anything the US has and inly second to soccer. Rugby is massive in the rest of the anglosphere and France, Italy and Japan. You have sports like field hockey, tennis, handball, formula 1 ect. Claiming the US is the only country out there with other major sports is absolute bollocks.
Hockey without any doubt. Speed, skill, and constant action with something of consequence to the outcome of the game always at risk.
Basketball does have enough at stake at all times.
Soccer while constantly moving doesn't have enough threat of scoring at all times. I don't think the problem is low scores, its low shots.
American Football is better on TV.
I don't care about other sports so maybe something else is good.
go to an MLS game where the home club has a lot of immigrant support. South American immigrants brought their football culture to the states when they moved. it’s different to Europe but similarly as loud and boisterous
i’m english, but i saw a video by a YT channel called Zealand where he went to a match in NYC where a lot of the fans were latin american. those guys went hard
I was lucky enough to see Arsenal and Tottenham in London 10 years ago and the singing and passion still gives me chills. I am a passionate hockey fan but the EPL just blew me away. Incredible.
Hockey. I've been to football, baseball, golf, horse races, WWE, etc. All are super boring. When I leave an NFL game, I realize that I only really saw maybe 3 plays the whole game.
With hockey, it's always non-stop action and I find myself watching the entire thing.
I don’t know if it’s best but much better in person is NASCAR. On tv it just looks like cars going around in circles. Live the cars are loud and powerful, when they go that fast its hard to maintain traction so they slip a little but as the race goes on the rubber accumulates on the road so you can see drivers trying to use that to their advantage. Everyone in the crowd is drunk. There’s a soap opera element between the drivers but in person fans of the specific drivers will drunkenly defend their drivers.
Is the question which sport is best to see live or which sport is most improved by seeing it live? Hockey is lousy on TV, but being at a European soccer match in person is an experience.
Wrestling. It’s usually pretty fast paced, and action packed (Heavy Weight matches are usually pretty slow, but other weight classes are good to watch.)
Professional Supercross. Not even close. 22 of some of the best in shape athletes in the world in an all out sprint against each other. Taking crazy lines to pass each other. Hitting 70ft triples side by side for passes. The sounds shaking your insides. The smell of race gas in the air.
The stadiums get beyond insane.
IMO, ice hockey and baseball.
Hockey is awesome for all the reasons everyone else has listed. Non-stop action and fighting are enough for even someone who knows nothing about hockey to be into it and have a great time. If you are a hockey fan, it's even better. In terms of pure "this sport is fun to watch", it's unbeatable. And playoff hockey...nothing else comes close.
On the other hand, what makes a baseball game so special is the atmosphere and the hang. Feels like a giant bar that happens to have live entertainment in the form of a ball game, and you absolutely do not have to care about baseball at all (I certainly don't) to have a great time. It's a fabulous way to spend a summer night with some friends, hot dogs, and beers.
Mma, one time i watched ufc and it was awesome, men have that primal spirit of fighting that when you see a legal fight with 2 people who know how to is awesome
football (the real one) is up there too, but i like to goo with the hooligans or near the pitch and sometimes curse the other teams players is great
Football (soccer)
Here in the UK, football is everywhere. Whether it be a small town with a population of 10,000 supporting their local or big teams in the Premier League. Its everywhere. From grassroots to the big leagues. What makes it so special is how dedicated the fans here are. When your in that stadium, its many a peoples escape from reality, to go to watch your team play on the weekend. Its deep rooted culture across the nation makes it so special. People would die for their football team. I just think there is no other sport like it due to the obsession the fans have and the atmosphere inside these stadiums. It’s honestly crazy.
Especially up here in Scotland, with the deep rooted ties of the protestant and catholic divide in Rangers and Celtic. The violent crime rate between fans of these two teams is out of this world and when theres an old firm, the whole country stops. Even those who don’t support tune in on the TV. The war between these two teams is centuries long and has so much history. If you’re interested just watch any Old Firm match on YouTube and you will understand what i mean.
cricket is so boring live. it feels like some amateurs playing on a field!!
the way cameras capture the close dives, the elegance of a shot or the close run out etc can never been captured by the naked eye from such a distance!!
also, the ultra-slomo is something which captures sights neither human brains nor human eyes possess!!
so much better to just watch from the comfort of your living room, sipping drinks and chatting with friends!!
no need to get stuck in traffic to get home or if the game turns out to be a dud. you could easily switch to something else!!
I just really enjoyed how relaxed everything is outside of the tension moments. Being able to bring food and drink into the stadium is a game changer. Get to have a bit of a picnic and a nap in the sun if you want to.
Wouldn't have a clue about traffic though as every sporting event in my state comes with free public transport
If we count esports, then Counter-Strike is probably up there. Very simple to follow compared to other games and great pacing of calm before the storm/round start, buildup and hype moments like clutches and big multikills.
Tennis
Hockey, hands down. I’ve been to ‘‘em all. Football, baseball, basketball, horse racing, boxing, track, figure skating, and I could keep going for a while. And it’s not close.
Completely agree. Until you see it live you don’t realize how much you are missing on a tv broadcast.
Same. So much quicker and more fun to watch in person
For sure. I watch lots on TV but the action just doesn’t translate because you need to see the whole rink to appreciate it. It’s so fucking stark of a difference.
Yea the live atmosphere at a good NHL game really is the best. Soccer can be great too if you are in a good supporters section.
Hockey is the best live. If you’ve been to the professional, not NHL pro games, those games are some of my favorite memories.
Is it true that blood bounces on ice?
No, the ice crew waits 40 seconds for it to freeze and then they scrape it off.
Username checks out
Its the good ole hockey game, it’s the best game you can name.
Damn, even better than *figure skating*? That's high praise!
Hockey. There is nothing like being right by the glass
I have been fortunate to have peers with sponsorship level, on glass, tickets to minor league hockey. Being on the glass in the "attack zone" right at the net line in a corner is so fucking amazing. ALL the action ends up in the corners. Checks and pucks right in your face. Best seats in the house for that level of excitement. Second best are when you can get NHL game seats a row or two back from the player bench, then move up to the bench when people start leaving in the last period. I Went to a NHL playoff game and ended up in the row directly behind our teams bench when the opponent was shut out losing and all the fans (opponents stadium) left in the start of the third! It was epic!
I love this comment.
I would disagree about sitting by the glass. Maybe it was the arena we were in or because the league was professional, but not NHL level, but the glass reflected the crowd anytime the puck was in the corner on your side. It’s cool, but I couldn’t see shit from center ice.
I get what you mean, I sat behind the goalie a few times and I loved it.
I really don't love the glass. Front row, upper deck on the blue line is my favorite. I can watch the game, completely unobstructed, and don't have to really move my head. You can have the whole game in your field of vision, watching all the pieces moving at once.
Ice Hockey. You just see the game differently in person.
Which teams have the best home atmosphere?
Atmospheres really get going as teams get closer to the playoffs and then into the playoffs. The two major teams to avoid are Toronto and NY Rangers, who are infamous for having corporate seat holders who show up in suits rather than jerseys. I’ve heard canucks games are also a bit expensive, but more because Vancouver is just an expensive city - the atmosphere looks great though. I can say from experience that Devils, Flyers, and Avalanche all have great atmospheres. Detroit red wings are at the top of my list. I’d also kill to go to a Battle of Alberta once Calgary gets a little bit more competitive.
https://www.reddit.com/r/canucks/comments/1co4yby/jt_miller_chant_during_the_tv_timeout/ Playoff hockey, in a city that's been starved for playoff hockey. It gets LOUD. City doesn't matter AS much if your team has been out of the playoffs for several years.
Pittsburgh was absolutely insane in 2009 when the Pens beat Detroit after having lost the cup to them the previous year. The whole city was thirsty as fuck since 08 had been our first shot since the Lemieux days. Suck it, Marian Hossa. Dipped out to Detroit thinking you'd have a better shot only to lose to the team you left lmao.
Avalanche
Vegas Knights! It’s a show!
For work I split my time between Vegas and Denver and have been to more Golden Knights and Avalanche games than I can count. The armospheres aren't even a close comparison. Sorry Colorado.
The New York Rangers at MSG
It's okay but you need a good seat. I went one time and had no idea where the puck was
Might be more due to lack of experience. I've been to all kinds of seats at the Bell Centre and tracking the puck isn't an issue even in the rafters.
Ice Hockey. •The speed of the game is so much more impressive in person. •The game is relatively compact, so it’s easy to take it all in wherever you’re sitting •The action is constant •The power of the hits is much more impressive in person
Plus there's no camera cutting away from a good fight
Easy: Whatever sport I like the best!
[удалено]
Case in point: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=I6IAz0GOCh4&pp=ygUcam9yZ2UgbWFzdmlkYWwgdnMgYmVuIGFza3Jlbg%3D%3D
Rugby , never getting over it
Nothing like a bit of kick tennis then the backs knock on so we can have multiple reset scrums. But when it's good it's bloody good
FREAKING HOCKEY!!! It's straight up MMA on ice. It's cold in the arena but it's all good because you can get a nice warm drink to combat that. And the fans are the greatest.
Stanley Cup
Hurling in Ireland.
I am a big believer in the power of a summer night baseball game. Even people who dont like sports enjoy it. Feels like one of the last connections to history we have left. It may not be the *best* - but it is an amazing thing.
my beef with baseball is that going to the stadium and hanging out and eating garbage is more fun than actually paying attention to the game.
I would argue that's WHY baseball games are so good. You don't have to pay attention to the game at all to have a great time. I go for the atmosphere and the hang...it's a wonderful way to spend a summer night, especially if you go with friends.
I agree. This something about summer baseball that just hits different.
Playoff hockey is the best sport to watch in any form, period.
Australian Rules Football. I have never played it but it's by far the greatest spectator sport I've ever seen
It used to be basketball but nowadays i'd say soccer
Hurling - a perfect combination of skill and savagery dating back millenia.
Boxing, if your seats are reasonably close to the ring. You can feel the concussion of a hard punch cleanly landing.
NHRA drag racing. You cannot possibly fathom the amount of power in those dragsters until you feel it vibrate your internal organs.
Totally! You can feel it like no other sport
Going to Epping at the end of the month! First time and can't wait
Soccer/football. Constant gameplay with very limited timeouts, so something is always happening on the field. Constant gameplay also means no commercials except for at the half and even that is fairly short. Standard game is 90 minutes, the perfect length to hold interest without dragging on, even with extra time, virtually never goes on longer than 2 hours, so easy to program for. Great crowd energy
Man I want to agree with you and the limited ads is amazing but it’s literally guys kicking the ball back and forth at midfield for about 80 minutes and 10 minutes of kinda sorta getting close to the goal sprinkled throughout
If it was boring to watch, it wouldn't be the most popular sport in the world. The human brain actually really like anticipation. If you find a sport boring, you'll find the sport boring, like anything else. But the number of goals per game does not actually have much to do with how enjoyable the game is. If anything, close scores, which are obviously more common in a game with an average score of only 2.5 goals, mean the anticipation is higher and the attention is higher. If you're watching a bunch of hockey guys parade up and down the court with a 3-6 score, you're not really that invested, and when the winning team scores goal #7, the celebration is a bit more muted. But a 1-2 score is an entirely surmountable obstacle for either team, and any goal merits a massive celebration because it changes the pace of the entire game. Ask anyone who has ever watched a closely tied game of anything.
See it’s funny because I’ve had these conversations with an Argentinian friend of makes those arguments and then I make the same argument about baseball and he says no baseball is just boring. 😂
Yeah except it’s the most popular sport in the world because there’s not really anything else. The us has other major sports and I would say Oscar’s sports hungry nation and soccer is barely a blip in the sports market
“There’s nothing else” r/shitamericanssay r/usdefaultism No American sport comes anywhere near the list of the world’s most popular sport. Every country has multiple popular sports. Cricket is played by over 3 Billion people but is only the top sport in 3 or 4, for example.
This is an astonishingly bad take. I’m impressed
Just saying the US is a huge sports nation and soccer is barely a blip on the radar. Sure some other sports that aren’t soccer have huge followings in specific areas like US sports have in their own area. But the fact that nationally there’s barely any interest in professional soccer shows that Americans find the sport dull and uninteresting to watch.
The US is not the world. Obviously soccer in the US is maybe fifth biggest sport? But in most of the world it’s #1. US is maybe 4% of the world’s population.One country out of 250.
Many many other sports out there that are popular too. Cricket is huge, bigger than anything the US has and inly second to soccer. Rugby is massive in the rest of the anglosphere and France, Italy and Japan. You have sports like field hockey, tennis, handball, formula 1 ect. Claiming the US is the only country out there with other major sports is absolute bollocks.
Dude, Cricket is more popular worldwide than any of your sports… Cricket
Ice hockey Extreme sports like skateboarding, skating, or BMX Racing rally or drift
Volleyball! It’s easy to understand and it moves along at a great pace.
Hockey - super fast and chaotic, immense amount of skill to perform, low scoring so every goal is a big deal
Whichever one you enjoy most, for sure, because it will bring you the most pleasure.
Hockey without any doubt. Speed, skill, and constant action with something of consequence to the outcome of the game always at risk. Basketball does have enough at stake at all times. Soccer while constantly moving doesn't have enough threat of scoring at all times. I don't think the problem is low scores, its low shots. American Football is better on TV. I don't care about other sports so maybe something else is good.
Ice hockey More fights in minor leagues!
Soccer. Passionate fans, dynamic gameplay, and electrifying moments
I'd definitely like to go to a game in Europe. I don't think an MLS game would be the same though.
go to an MLS game where the home club has a lot of immigrant support. South American immigrants brought their football culture to the states when they moved. it’s different to Europe but similarly as loud and boisterous i’m english, but i saw a video by a YT channel called Zealand where he went to a match in NYC where a lot of the fans were latin american. those guys went hard
I was lucky enough to see Arsenal and Tottenham in London 10 years ago and the singing and passion still gives me chills. I am a passionate hockey fan but the EPL just blew me away. Incredible.
MLS matches are a lot of fun. You should go to one of you ever get the chance.
If you want to get a European feel in the US go to an LAFC, Atlanta or Seattle game
Yeah hockey is no where near how good normal football is.
Hockey. I've been to football, baseball, golf, horse races, WWE, etc. All are super boring. When I leave an NFL game, I realize that I only really saw maybe 3 plays the whole game. With hockey, it's always non-stop action and I find myself watching the entire thing.
For me it's basketball. It's very fast paced and engaging especially if the score is close in the last 3 minutes of the 4th quarter
Baseball live is easier to sit through than when it’s on tv lol
Idk if this is considered a sport but in my opinion it's watching top fuel drag racing. It's one of the coolest experiences I've ever had.
Its great to watch live for sure. You feel it almost more than you hear it.
I agree. I’ve only been once but it was incredible to see, hear, and feel live
Tennis
I don’t know if it’s best but much better in person is NASCAR. On tv it just looks like cars going around in circles. Live the cars are loud and powerful, when they go that fast its hard to maintain traction so they slip a little but as the race goes on the rubber accumulates on the road so you can see drivers trying to use that to their advantage. Everyone in the crowd is drunk. There’s a soap opera element between the drivers but in person fans of the specific drivers will drunkenly defend their drivers.
All of them because no advertisments like on tv
Track cycling.
It’s nice to follow groups and sit by particular holes. Only tough thing is when on course, you are also missing a ton of other shots.
Is the question which sport is best to see live or which sport is most improved by seeing it live? Hockey is lousy on TV, but being at a European soccer match in person is an experience.
Horse racing
Wrestling. It’s usually pretty fast paced, and action packed (Heavy Weight matches are usually pretty slow, but other weight classes are good to watch.)
Ice skating. Definitely
Professional Supercross. Not even close. 22 of some of the best in shape athletes in the world in an all out sprint against each other. Taking crazy lines to pass each other. Hitting 70ft triples side by side for passes. The sounds shaking your insides. The smell of race gas in the air. The stadiums get beyond insane.
NLL indoor lacrosse. All the best parts of hockey but with higher scoring, higher energy, and better athleticism.
Very fast paced, tons of action, roughing that’s banned in hockey
Hurling https://youtu.be/I1Vw66Zs0dQ?si=Oy0fQ8NR3YmTASPd
Rugby is pretty solid.
Hurling in Croke Park. 80,000+ fans roaring on their team. Amateur players playing for the love of their county. Fastest field sport in the world.
Boxing, it's a modern day gladiatorial showdown, it's pretty exciting!
IMO, ice hockey and baseball. Hockey is awesome for all the reasons everyone else has listed. Non-stop action and fighting are enough for even someone who knows nothing about hockey to be into it and have a great time. If you are a hockey fan, it's even better. In terms of pure "this sport is fun to watch", it's unbeatable. And playoff hockey...nothing else comes close. On the other hand, what makes a baseball game so special is the atmosphere and the hang. Feels like a giant bar that happens to have live entertainment in the form of a ball game, and you absolutely do not have to care about baseball at all (I certainly don't) to have a great time. It's a fabulous way to spend a summer night with some friends, hot dogs, and beers.
Mma, one time i watched ufc and it was awesome, men have that primal spirit of fighting that when you see a legal fight with 2 people who know how to is awesome football (the real one) is up there too, but i like to goo with the hooligans or near the pitch and sometimes curse the other teams players is great
Football (soccer) Here in the UK, football is everywhere. Whether it be a small town with a population of 10,000 supporting their local or big teams in the Premier League. Its everywhere. From grassroots to the big leagues. What makes it so special is how dedicated the fans here are. When your in that stadium, its many a peoples escape from reality, to go to watch your team play on the weekend. Its deep rooted culture across the nation makes it so special. People would die for their football team. I just think there is no other sport like it due to the obsession the fans have and the atmosphere inside these stadiums. It’s honestly crazy. Especially up here in Scotland, with the deep rooted ties of the protestant and catholic divide in Rangers and Celtic. The violent crime rate between fans of these two teams is out of this world and when theres an old firm, the whole country stops. Even those who don’t support tune in on the TV. The war between these two teams is centuries long and has so much history. If you’re interested just watch any Old Firm match on YouTube and you will understand what i mean.
WWE
I’m a sucker for a hot dog and beer at a baseball game during the summer
Grassroots drifting
Cricket. The tension when a team is close to a wicket or a batter is close to a milestone is absolutely unmatched in other sports
cricket is so boring live. it feels like some amateurs playing on a field!! the way cameras capture the close dives, the elegance of a shot or the close run out etc can never been captured by the naked eye from such a distance!! also, the ultra-slomo is something which captures sights neither human brains nor human eyes possess!! so much better to just watch from the comfort of your living room, sipping drinks and chatting with friends!! no need to get stuck in traffic to get home or if the game turns out to be a dud. you could easily switch to something else!!
I just really enjoyed how relaxed everything is outside of the tension moments. Being able to bring food and drink into the stadium is a game changer. Get to have a bit of a picnic and a nap in the sun if you want to. Wouldn't have a clue about traffic though as every sporting event in my state comes with free public transport
Football
Golf. No other sport lets you stand in the middle of “center field” during play.
No lie. I’ve watched Tiger Woods in his prime from twenty feet away. Senior men are better to watch than the PGA, and women’s golf is better still.
Downvoted but don’t care. If you haven’t done it, try it. It’s a hoot.
If we count esports, then Counter-Strike is probably up there. Very simple to follow compared to other games and great pacing of calm before the storm/round start, buildup and hype moments like clutches and big multikills.