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Why is it so hard for bars/restaurants to...


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#1 NewMarketSean

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 09:47 AM

Turn the channel to something you ask for?

 

Seriously, it's like pulling teeth more times than not.

 

You'd think that a bartender or manager would be aware of sporting events that are on and tune in their TV's to Orioles games, the draft, the NBA playoffs, etc without anyone even asking. I mean, it's kind of their job. People don't go to the Greene Turtle for the shitty food, they come for beer specials and to watch sports. Last night, we get to a GT and they have the O's game on, great, but we had to wait 20 mins for someone to wake up and put the draft on after we asked. What did they have on instead? Soccer. On NFL Draft Night. It was like someone was trolling us from Europe.

 

It's not just the GT either. I've been to a zillion places where asking for the Oriole game -- in local establishments no less -- is like asking someone to scientifically explain a black hole. They can't find the channel, or they'll put on a non-Orioles game, like the Nationals. I once asked for the Orioles game and the bartender put on the Yankees/Red Sox game on ESPN. Baseball is baseball, I guess.

 

Anyone else have this problem? Or is it just me? I feel like it happens every time, like choosing the wrong line, every single time.

 

 


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#2 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:04 AM

Dude, it's unbelievable.  I tweeted something, a long time ago, that any application for a bartender must also have the question "are you completely incapable of using a standard remote control?"

 

Seriously, it's one of the more head scratching things out there.  You work at Outback, you are the bartender, you know how to make a ton of drinks, learned their computer system, etc etc, yet when I ask you to put on the O's game, you stare at the DirecTV remote like you're Marty McFly and it's a flux capacitor.  Don't you have to use that remote at least 3-4 times per shift?

 

Oh and not to sound sexist (but it will sound that way anyway) but God help you if you ask a female bartender to change the channel.

 

BTW, the funniest place to ask for a channel change is Buffalo Wild Wings.  They have that big console or whatever on the side of the bar that only one person on Earth has access to once they pass the retina and fingerprint scan.  The average wait time for a channel change there (from the Zambian Soccer League to ESPN) is over five minutes.


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There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

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#3 Chris B

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:04 AM

Definitely not you. It's the worst when you know the TV provider, give them the specific channel number, and then they still can't find it.



#4 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:07 AM

A good rule of thumb is to learn DirecTV because that's the provider almost every bar has due to its NFL package exclusiveness. 

 

Next time you want the O's game, very simple, channel 720 brings up the MLB Extra Innings "mix" and then simply scroll over to the O's game and hit "enter."

 

If they can't figure that out, start deducting from their tip.  Seriously.


  • You Play to Win the Game likes this

There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33


#5 Chris B

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:11 AM

I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and QVC was on. On a Saturday night. At 8'oclock.

 

Took them 5 minutes to turn on the Pacers-Hawks game. Waitress was in a state of disbelief when I asked. QVC!



#6 You Play to Win the Game

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:11 AM

I'm a BDubs regular. There, only the managers or shift leaders are allowed to operate the huge TV console area or whatever. It seriously is ridiculous, it takes forever. I'm usually there a couple times a week, so by now when I walk in, they know to put the O's game on for me.

 

But at a bar like BDubs, why in the hell isn't someone looking at the schedule in the morning and coming up with a general plan around the games? It is absolutely assinine how many times I've walked in there lately and at 8 PM most of the TV's are showing ESPNNews, CNN, FS1 UFC replay, etc. Meanwhile, we're in Gaithersburg mind you, and the Nats game isn't on, the O's aren't on, the NHL playoffs aren't on, etc. Totally mind boggling to me how dysfunctional a lot of these places are, it's seriously not rocket science.

 

I was there the other night for the Wizards game... they have 2 huge screens, and 3 other huge TV's in the bar area. Only 1 of the screens had the Wizards game. The Pens were on the other screen and huge TV's. Just blows my mind.



#7 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:14 AM

I was in Chicago a few weeks ago and QVC was on. On a Saturday night. At 8'oclock.

 

Took them 5 minutes to turn on the Pacers-Hawks game. Waitress was in a state of disbelief when I asked. QVC!

 

"Hi, when you get a chance can I maybe get the Pacers-Hawks game on this TV?  I don't see anyone watching this.  It's on TNT"

 

(long pause)

 

(female bartender) "Yea....sure....give me one second"

 

(reaches for the wrong remote)

 

(turns off wrong channel, gets groans from other side of bar)

 

(quickly hits 'last channel')

 

(puts wrong remote down)

 

(grabs right remote)

 

(turns up volume)

 

(turns down volume)

 

(brings up guide)

 

(scrolls from channel 1 down through channels 999-750)

 

(gives up on scrolling)

 

(stands, with hands on hips, staring at TV like it's an AP Calculus problem)

 

(calls male bartender over)

 

(repeat above steps until someone with an IQ over 4 is finally summoned)

 

(channel is changed)

 

"Thanks.  Can I have another Coors Light?"


  • Chris B and Don Quixote like this

There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33


#8 Oriole85

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:15 AM

I'm a BDubs regular. There, only the managers or shift leaders are allowed to operate the huge TV console area or whatever. It seriously is ridiculous, it takes forever. I'm usually there a couple times a week, so by now when I walk in, they know to put the O's game on for me.

 

But at a bar like BDubs, why in the hell isn't someone looking at the schedule in the morning and coming up with a general plan around the games? It is absolutely assinine how many times I've walked in there lately and at 8 PM most of the TV's are showing ESPNNews, CNN, FS1 UFC replay, etc. Meanwhile, we're in Gaithersburg mind you, and the Nats game isn't on, the O's aren't on, the NHL playoffs aren't on, etc. Totally mind boggling to me how dysfunctional a lot of these places are, it's seriously not rocket science.

Crystal City Sports Pub in Arlington has a good system where they plan out the whole day and what specific TVs the events are on. They have the print outs under the TVs as well. Every sports bar should do this.


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#9 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:16 AM

I'm a BDubs regular. There, only the managers or shift leaders are allowed to operate the huge TV console area or whatever. It seriously is ridiculous, it takes forever. I'm usually there a couple times a week, so by now when I walk in, they know to put the O's game on for me.

 

But at a bar like BDubs, why in the hell isn't someone looking at the schedule in the morning and coming up with a general plan around the games? It is absolutely assinine how many times I've walked in there lately and at 8 PM most of the TV's are showing ESPNNews, CNN, FS1 UFC replay, etc. Meanwhile, we're in Gaithersburg mind you, and the Nats game isn't on, the O's aren't on, the NHL playoffs aren't on, etc. Totally mind boggling to me how dysfunctional a lot of these places are, it's seriously not rocket science.

 

I was there the other night for the Wizards game... they have 2 huge screens, and 3 other huge TV's in the bar area. Only 1 of the screens had the Wizards game. The Pens were on the other screen and huge TV's. Just blows my mind.

 

Each bar should have a sports czar whose only job is to dictate what games go on what TV at what time (games can obviously be changed if it's a slow night and a bunch of people from Kansas City come in and want to watch the Royals).


There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33


#10 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:16 AM

BTW, if you haven't noticed, this is something I'm passionate about.  I'm glad NMS brought it up.  Drives me crazy.


There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33


#11 Chris B

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:21 AM

Each bar should have a sports czar whose only job is to dictate what games go on what TV at what time (games can obviously be changed if it's a slow night and a bunch of people from Kansas City come in and want to watch the Royals).

 

Hire me.



#12 You Play to Win the Game

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:23 AM

BTW, if you haven't noticed, this is something I'm passionate about.  I'm glad NMS brought it up.  Drives me crazy.

 

For sure.

 

I feel like if I'm paying you $5.25 for a freaking Bud Light, you should have your shit together when your #1 job as a sports bar is to have, you know, sports on. Ugh. I'm never mean to people, but I have been seriously tempted to go off on some of these people at times. It just angers me for them to fail so miserably at something so easy.



#13 NewMarketSean

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:40 AM

I've found that it's Comcast at bars a lot and as a DTV customer, I have no inkling about what channel MASN and MASN 2 are on since Comcast bundles their channels together in the most retarded, unintelligent way imaginable. But if it's DTV, I usually tell them the channel. Sometimes I get a little bit of an attitude when I do, but then the waterhead puts on the wrong channel and all courtesy goes out the door.

 

In their defense, if they even have one since it would take about 5 seconds to explain to someone, MASN and MASN 2 is kinda confusing for someone, guy or girl, who doesn't watch sports. So when they see MASN or MLB Baseball on the display and click it, they think they've done what you wanted.

 

But I don't want to watch Nationals/Mets. Not when the O's are on.


I never had friends later on like the ones I had when I was twelve. Jesus, does anyone?

#14 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:45 AM

Can't they rename the channel the Nats play on "ShitTV" or something?


  • DuffMan and Don Quixote like this

There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33


#15 Oriole85

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:45 AM

I've found that it's Comcast at bars a lot and as a DTV customer, I have no inkling about what channel MASN and MASN 2 are on since Comcast bundles their channels together in the most retarded, unintelligent way imaginable. But if it's DTV, I usually tell them the channel. Sometimes I get a little bit of an attitude when I do, but then the waterhead puts on the wrong channel and all courtesy goes out the door.

 

In their defense, if they even have one since it would take about 5 seconds to explain to someone, MASN and MASN 2 is kinda confusing for someone, guy or girl, who doesn't watch sports. So when they see MASN or MLB Baseball on the display and click it, they think they've done what you wanted.

 

But I don't want to watch Nationals/Mets. Not when the O's are on.

If you work at a sports bar -- even if you don't like sports, you should probably get to know the sports channels especially the local ones. Not knowing what channel is TruTV is one thing and I have to search for it every March but I would expect someone working at BWW to know what channel MASN is.


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#16 Markus

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:45 AM

Can't speak for anyone other than myself (and I'm sure I'm in the minority) but I'd rather watch soccer, since it's a live sport, than the NFL draft.  The Draft is tv nonsense.


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#17 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:47 AM

BTW, somewhat related, but I was in Los Angeles about six years ago when the Terps were in the NCAA tourney and I had to find a bar to watch their 12:35 EST start (this was before CBS aired every game).  Man, was it weird sitting in a bar at 9:30 in the morning drinking beer watching live sports.

 

If I ever move west (which I want to do eventually) I'm not sure I'll ever get used to NFL games at 10 am.  Then again, my cousins who live in San Diego can't believe that late baseball games start at 10:30 pm out here "when do you sleep?"


There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33


#18 You Play to Win the Game

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:47 AM

Also, one of their famous moves is putting the SD feed on the HD TV's. That's always a good time.



#19 Oriole85

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:48 AM

Can't speak for anyone other than myself (and I'm sure I'm in the minority) but I'd rather watch soccer, since it's a live sport, than the NFL draft.  The Draft is tv nonsense.

You aren't alone -- I was mostly watching the O's game last night. I'm not much of a sports bar person to begin with, but I certainly wouldn't be going there for the Draft. If it was more of a viewing party type thing I could understand, but it's one of those things you absolutely need sound for -- which I'm sure many have, but the sound system in my apartment works just fine.


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#20 Pedro Cerrano

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Posted 09 May 2014 - 10:48 AM

Also, one of their famous moves is putting the SD feed on the HD TV's. That's always a good time.

 

Yup...this is another mostly female move.  They have no concept (or appreciation) or HD vs SD.  Not to mention SD on an HDTV looks 90 times worse.


There is baseball, and occasionally there are other things of note

"Now OPS sucks.  Got it."

"Making his own olive brine is peak Mackus."

"I'm too hungover to watch a loss." - McNulty

@bopper33





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