Well the Yankees were 5-2 v KC and 5-8 v BAL, so yes I’d rather the Yankees face KC.
And I just can’t stand the Astros. I always root for them to lose.
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For the first time since 2016, the Astros will not be in the ALCS.
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The WHO in the WHAT now???
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Tigers were basically out on August 11th, and they advance.
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Still a few innings left but Thursday baseball not looking good right now
Well guess there is at least 1 Thursday game after all
I saw on another board the the combined salary of the Tigers 26 man WC roster was $18.8 M and salary of Josh Hader was $19m.
I guess anyone making money on Detroit is injured (Baez, Maeda) or got traded (Urshela, Flarhty).
The Javy Baez signing by Det was the worst deal ever inked, I think.
He only comes in at #7 on this list. 10 Worst MLB Contracts
But it is kind of subjective.
Crazy game 3. Congrats to the Mets.
NL divisional series should be nuts. I don’t think there is any love lost between Phi-NyM or LAD-SD
i think there was a time before the multiple wildcards a team wouldn’t play its divisional rival, until the LCS
There was. I think it ended when they added the 2nd WC but maybe it was later than that.
Love or Hate, the Mets have played some damn exciting playoff games this year.
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How about indifferent?
I mean, it is right in the name: The Meh-ts.
Blaseball
Thank you Rob “Moneyball” Manfred for making both games today inconvenient for all fanbases.
DET vs CLE is in the middle of the workday and KC vs NYY ends late on a worknight/schoolnight. Swap the games and people only need to take an hour (or two if going in person) from work and the midwest game still ends at a normal local time.
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I’m pretty sure TV money drive the sport and the TV contracts are what determiners the start times and it’s been this way long before Manfred was the commissioner.
I mean there are plenty of things to complain about with Manfred, but I don’t think this one is one is on him.
Though being on the west coast I for one am happy the Yanks are starting the same time they start almost every regular season weekday home game during the season with the exception of get-away days.
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The game starts the same time almost all NY baseball starts.
Maybe, 1/2 an hour later to avoid overlap with the prior?
What times would you prefer? realizing the games can’t overlap
I am missing the complaint
West Coast is the best coast for watching sports. EPL might be on early and the local soccer bars might not be able to serve alcohol, but that is what TiVo and YouTubeTV’s “Library” function are for.
Local Soccer bars for EPL fans:
Summary
Adam Johnson became a soccer fan by accident.
During a visit with family in London, Johnson’s brother-in-law handed him a Tottenham jacket. And when he put his hand in one of the pockets, he found two tickets to a Spurs’ game.
At the time Johnson may have preferred a root canal to a soccer game, but he went along anyway. The experience proved life-changing.
“It was just really exciting,” he said. “The fans blew me away. The singing and the atmosphere, it was just so incredible that I was on board right away.”
Last spring Johnson, 44, and his wife Clarice, 39, found a way to tap into that soccer fever on this side of the pond, opening a Culver City restaurant they called N17 The Lane, a name every Tottenham supporter will recognize. N17 is the postcode for the North London borough of Haringey, where the club is located, while The Lane refers to White Hart Lane, the iconic stadium that was home to the Spurs for 118 years.
Their strategy, you might say, was modeled after the plot of “Field of Dreams” — if you build it, they will come. And it worked. A month after the tiny restaurant opened on the ground floor of a luxury apartment complex it was filled with soccer fans. Another two dozen blocked the sidewalk outside to peer through the windows to watch the European Championship final on five big-screen TVs.
“This is the vibe that we want,” Johnson said. “Standing room. Standing out[side], watching through the window.”
Soccer has been a part of the sports-bar scene in Southern California for years. But for much of that time British-style pubs such as The Fox & Hounds in Studio City, Ye Olde Kings Head and the recently closed Cock ‘N’ Bull in Santa Monica catered primarily to small groups of expats who couldn’t get the games on cable TV.
That began to change when ESPN and Fox began widely airing European soccer. Major clubs responded with summer barnstorming tours of the U.S. and as more bars and restaurants began to open in the early morning hours to show the games, supporters’ groups rewarded them by gathering in larger and larger numbers.
So Joxer Daly’s in Culver City became a Liverpool bar, the Auld Dubliner in Long Beach is home to the Bay City Gooners, an Arsenal fan group, while O’Malley’s on Main in Seal Beach has been Chelsea territory for five seasons.
The soccer-bar culture got another major push when LAFC began play in 2018. The club’s energetic brand and community department made a priority of recruiting restaurants across Southern California to show the team’s games, showering them with club swag if they did.
Six years later, LAFC has 77 registered bar partners in four counties, some who stage well-attended viewing parties and others, like N17, who had three fans show up to watch a recent road game.
“L.A. is a cultural hub and football is everywhere,” said Jimmy Lopez who, as LAFC’s manager of brand and community, has been instrumental in growing the team’s partnerships. “This sport is not what it was 10 years ago. I was surprised at how many bars reached out. So it’s spreading by word of mouth and it’s really cool just seeing it develop on its own.”
Creating that sense of community around Premier League soccer is even more important given the early morning kickoff times in Southern California.
“You build these little subcultures,” Lopez said. “Football is best when you watch it with people that are the same team as you. You sing songs and have a good time.
“You want to be with like-minded individuals. You want to high-five each other and just escape reality for those 90 minutes and have a great time. It’s just straight fun.”
Given Lopez’s passion and knowledge about the local fan culture, he was the first person Johnson contacted when he opened N17. He’s still waiting for a response from Tottenham.
“We did contact them and it was hard,” he said. “They never got back to us. We tried a few different times and then we just [said] we’re going to go for it.”
N17 isn’t a typical sports joint. It doesn’t look like a man cave or a locker room in that there are no pennants, soccer scarves or sports memorabilia hanging from the wall, just a couple of lonely Tottenham bobbleheads behind the bar. Nor is it an ersatz Irish pub with lots of dark wood, touches of green and a Guinness mirror. Instead the décor is sparse, the room is bright and airy, and there are small patio tables lined up on the sidewalk in the hopes of an overflow crowd.
But it was last summer’s European Championship and Copa América, not Tottenham or LAFC, that pulled in N17’s first big crowds and put the bar on the soccer map in Southern California.
“That pretty much kept our doors open,” Johnson said.
However, it was the Spurs that kept that momentum going.
“I don’t get a big crowd for any other match,” said Johnson, sitting at a patio table outside the restaurant, clad in a worn gray Spurs T-shirt and shorts despite a late September chill. “When Tottenham’s playing, they come.”
Johnson said he and his wife have sunk about half a million dollars into N17 and have made a profit every month since they opened. But it hasn’t been easy.
“This is the hardest thing I’ve ever done,” said Johnson, who estimates he works 100 hours a week, mostly for one reason: “So we can watch the game and other people can have a place to come watch the game.”
“It was just a passion,” he added. “It’s just the love of football, of soccer.”
Places:
Summary
Finding a good English Premier League bar often can be a challenge on this side of the pond, especially when it’s 5,000 miles and eight time zones away from the pitch.
Still, there are a number of sports bars in Southern California that cater to the cravings of football fans looking for a pint and some fellowship on an early Saturday or Sunday morning.
Given the unusual start times for some Premier League games, most bars recommend calling or checking their websites ahead of time to find out when the bar will open and which games will be shown.
Here’s a look at 19 gastropubs in Southern California that cater to your EPL fandom — just make sure you don’t walk into a Liverpool bar wearing a Manchester United jersey.
The Fox & Hounds
Studio CityArsenal, Manchester City, Chelsea
Arguably Southern California’s premier Premier League bar, the Fox & Hounds has been showing games on its two huge projector screens and 15 HDTVs for decades. On days when Arsenal or Manchester City plays the early televised game, the pub will open at 3:30 a.m. serving fish and chips, bangers and mash and other authentic English fare.
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11100 Ventura Blvd., Studio City, California 91604
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Ye Olde King’s Head
Santa MonicaAll teams
This traditional English pub, which has 10 TVs including three big screens, has long been a comfortable home for Premier League broadcasts. The restaurant opens at 7 a.m. for select games and is not affiliated with any particular teams, making it an ideal viewing spot for supporters wearing any club’s colors. And if you forget your colors, soccer scarves, stickers, hats, key rings, mugs, coasters and flags are all available in the gift shop.
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116 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90401
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Joxer Daly’s
Culver CityLiverpool
Home to a Liverpool supporters group, this bar boasts eight flat-screen TVs plus a large projection screen. Joxer’s opened in 1999 but came under new management seven years ago and opens early for Liverpool games.
11168 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California 90232
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O’Brien’s Irish Pub
Santa MonicaManchester United, Leeds United
Manager Willy O’Sullivan grew up a Manchester United fan in Ireland, lured to the team by a friendship with former Man United and Irish national team captain Roy Keane. Now three seasons after opening his pub and its 21 TVs to soccer, O’Brien’s is home to what is purported to be the largest Man U supporters group on the West Coast. The pub opens early for predawn Man U games and will show other EPL games when United isn’t playing.
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2226 Wilshire Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90403
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The Auld Dubliner
Long BeachArsenal
Limerick-born co-founder David Copley says his bar is a “traditional Irish pub with all the warmth, banter and welcome one would expect.” That’s especially true if you’re an Arsenal supporter. The Dubliner, which has been showing EPL games on its five screens since it was established two decades ago, opens early only for the Gunners and is the home bar of the Bay City Gooners.
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71 S. Pine Ave., Long Beach, California 90802
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Gallagher’s Pub & Grill
Long BeachLiverpool
If you are a Liverpool supporter, this is the place to be. Irish owner Ciaran Gallagher is a die-hard Reds fan and his 19-year-old bar is a shrine to both his passions, bartending and Liverpool soccer. Gallagher’s will open early to show every Liverpool game on its 15 TVs, but not until 9 a.m. otherwise. The pub is packed with Liverpool memorabilia and a new menu with Liverpool-themed offerings is coming soon.
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2751 Broadway, Long Beach, California 90803
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Lucky Baldwins Pub
PasadenaLiverpool
Lucky Baldwins has been showing EPL games since its inception in 1996 and the Old Pasadena location, home to the Pasadena Reds, frequently opens at 4 a.m., especially when Liverpool is playing the early EPL game. It’s not a one-club bar, however, since supporters from nearly half a dozen other Premier League clubs also hold watch parties here. The pub’s 11 screens often show as many as eight games at a time, plus there are game-day menu specials. And while drums are banned, the supporters love to sing, said Princeton Afeez, the pub’s director of operations.
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17 South Raymond Avenue, Pasadena, California 91105
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N17 The Lane
Culver CityTottenham
This family-owned, kid-friendly venue opened in May and already has become a weekend gathering place for Tottenham supporters. If the Spurs are playing an early game, the bar will open around 6; for other EPL games, doors open around 8:30 or 9 on weekends. The bar has five TVs and will show multiple games. There is also a special early bird match-day menu.
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12821 Washington Blvd., Culver City, California 90066
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The Britannia Pub
Santa MonicaAll teams
A mainstay of the Santa Monica promenade for two decades, the Brit, despite its name, is more an American sports bar — albeit one that offers fish and chips and a decidedly British captain’s breakfast.
318 Santa Monica Blvd., Santa Monica, California 90401
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O’Connell’s Sports Pub & Grille
Huntington BeachAll teams
Because it’s a basic American sports bar, European soccer is just one of the many sports that air on O’Connell’s many TVs, so don’t expect special treatment if you’re a soccer fan. However the place opens early enough on the weekends that fans can catch the late EPL games before the college football or NFL rush.
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19047 Bushard St., Huntington Beach, California 92646
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Standard Station Bar & Grill
El SegundoAll teams
Standard Station isn’t affiliated with any particular supporters group so it rarely opens before 9 a.m. on weekends. Although the vibe is more American sports bar than English soccer pub, with baseball and football decor, you can catch most mid-morning EPL games on the numerous TVs in the bar and on the patio.
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226 Standard St., El Segundo, California 90245
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33 Taps
Culver CityManchester City, Arsenal
33 Taps, which also has locations in Silver Lake and downtown Los Angeles, is a favorite hangout of Manchester City and Arsenal fans. The bar opens early for significant games and shows multiple matches at a time on its 16 screens. (The downtown venue has 50 TVs!) At the Culver City location the staff not only watches soccer but also has a bartender who plays and coaches local youth teams.
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9739 Culver Blvd., Culver City, California 90232
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The Greyhound Bar & Grill
Highland ParkTottenham
The official home of the Los Angeles Tottenham Hotspur Supporters Club, the Greyhound opens early and draws enthusiastic crowds for Spurs games. The ambiance is a little different though, and the menu is far more Midwestern than Midlands, making it much more an American sports bar than a British-style pub.
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5570 N. Figueroa St., Highland Park, California 90042
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The Harp Inn
Costa MesaAll teams
Orange’s County’s Irish Pub opens for 6 a.m. EPL starts and because it isn’t an official supporters bar for any one club, it draws fans from several teams including Liverpool, Manchester City, Chelsea, Tottenham, Arsenal, United, even Everton and Brighton. That’s why as many as five games will be on at any time on the bar’s 14 TVs.
“We always showed the games,” owner/manager John Lyons said. “But there has been more interest over the last 10 years so you can be sure if there is a game on, we will be showing it.”
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130 E. 17th Street, Costa Mesa, California 92627
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Killarney’s Irish Pub
Huntington BeachManchester United
Home of the Huntington Beach Red Army, Killarney’s opens early and serves breakfast during all Manchester United games. The viewing experience is spectacular with crystal-clear surround sound. Best of all, the pub is just a short walk from the beach.
209 Main St., Huntington Beach, California 92648
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O’Malley’s On Main
Seal BeachChelsea
Home to the OC Blues supporters group since 2020, O’Malley’s offers beer specials during Chelsea games (although West Ham supporters have been begun gathering here as well). The restaurant has seven TVs, including a big screen, and opens for matches beginning at 7 a.m.
Sean Byrne, the general manager, played in the Watford youth system and his father played for Preston North End, so the people at O’Malley’s know soccer.
“Having footy in the pub means a lot to me,” said Byrne, who also shows Champions League matches and men’s and women’s national team games.
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140 Main Street, Seal Beach, California 90740
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Paddy’s Station
San Juan CapistranoTottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham, Arsenal
Paddy’s bills itself online as the “Premiere Soccer Headquarters” welcoming supporters groups backing Tottenham, Liverpool, Chelsea, Manchester United, West Ham and Arsenal — which means things could get a little dicey during derbies.
It opens on Saturday and Sunday by 7 a.m., early enough to catch most of the action.
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2670 Verdugo St., Suite B, San Juan Capistrano, California 92675
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Hennessey’s Tavern
Hermosa BeachAll teams
Yelp gives Hennessey’s, a beachfront tavern, rave reviews as a warm place to watch Premier League soccer. Its normal weekend opening time is 8 a.m., early enough to catch most of the action.
The breakfast menu is eclectic, ranging from veggie omelets and huevos rancheros to corned beef hash and eggs.
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8 Pier Ave., Hermosa Beach, California 90254
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Cosm Los Angeles
InglewoodAll teams
This three-month-old venue is not a pub but more of an entertainment space, with room for nearly 2,000 people. It may be the future of TV sports viewing, and the uniqueness of the viewing experience is already making it a destination to watch Premier League soccer.
Cosm is not affiliated with any club, working instead with NBC Sports to determine which games to show on its massive LED dome. It also has a full bar and ample food options.
General admission tickets, which cost between $11 and $22 are required; reserved seating is also available.
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1252 District Drive, Inglewood, California 90305
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