NFL Sunday Ticket

[frito58]

We are going to in San Juan in Sept. for a Pre and post cruise stay. Now I can handle missing my Browns one week, but was hoping to be able to watch them when we get back, so is there a sports bar that has Direct TV and the NFL Sunday Ticket. I have searched sports bars and found a few but was wondering if football was as popular in San Juan as it is in the states.

[ancldaca]

Football here has a decent following, you just won't see it in EVERY bar. That said, most smaller bars will have cable tv not direct tv so one is at the mercy of the game the networks have deemed we are allowed to see. If you are in a place and the tv is on and noone is watching, feel free to ask the barkeep to tune into an NFL game.

 

Now, the best places to watch NFL games here in the metro area are Logan's and Shannan's, both of which I know have Direct TV and the Sunday Ticket (plus also Double Team in San Patricio but there are less TV's there - going by memory). There, each Sunday, they'll show all the games with about 2-3 that have audio on as well. There's always the ONE game on the major screen(s) with sound and usually sound to a lesser degree in 2 other corners or rooms for the next largest crowd of fans (or old regulars like the Cowboys, Steelers, and Bear groups). The major game will normally be the Miami game (they draw the most fans - at least at the beginning of a season - ha ha) or the generally recognized "best game" if the fish aren't on.

 

I haven't watched games in a while in the tourist areas but your best bets (off the top of my head) are Lupi's in both Old San Juan and Isla Verde as well as the Oyster Bar in Isla Verde as well. Since I stopped drinking, I'm completely out of the bar/pub scene locally... sorry.

 

But it is fun watching games here. On any given Sunday you'll find fans of all teams watching their respective games with some good natured (and not toooo strong) trash talking but things never ever get out of hand and "overly fanatic fans" quickly get shunned by the crowd (and wait staff!). To some degree, some people bring their wives and kids as well (I imagine especially more so now that smoking isn't allowed inside bars anymore).

 

Fans here tend to follow Miami, New England, the Giants, Steelers, Da Bears and my beloved Cowboys of course but you'll see them of all kinds here (little West Coast in general except the die-hard 49er fans of old).

 

Often either Coors or Bud will "own" a bar during football with exclusive happy hour beer pricing all afternoon-evening long and they often have promotion girls out handing out trinkets.

 

If going by taxi, budget about 1/2 hour from the port to either Logan's or Shannans. Both places have staffs that are completely bilingual.

 

Personally, I go to Logans. Didn't happen too often last year since the Cowboys were on national tv so much (plus I missed 2 games when - like you - I took a cruise.)

 

It's fun watching games here precisely because the fans are from so many teams. I've seen die-harders come down here and say the same thing. Case in point: A good buddy of mine is an Eagles fan. His in-laws from Philly came down and we all ended up watching the Cowboys-Eagles game together. Initially the in-laws were horrified that we were all sitting/standing together but in the end, they walked away saying how much fun it had been and that something like that could never happen in Philly.

 

In any case, enjoy!!!

[frito58]

Thanks for the detailed info. Sounds as if I will be able to find the game if I look around. I apoligize for assuming that football wasn't as popular sounds like the people of PR are as crazy as I am about football.:D

[orquidia]

Not as popular as in the US, Soccer is more popular with young people, Puerto Rico now has 8 soccer teams, some sponsored by Argentinian and Spanish soccer clubs like River Plate and Sevilla (boxing, baseball and basketball are the most watched sports in Puerto Rico by very far), still you can find a bar that caters mainly to tourists like Senor Frogs in the historic district, which will play NFL for sure.