Sports Watch

By Bill Kwon

Thursday, July 15, 1999

Delayed TV can drive
you to drink

TV or not TV, that is the question. You've got to love television for its immediacy, its as-it-happens coverage.

But, then, in Hawaii, when it comes to televised sporting events, is it live or is it Memorex?

As we all remember, we never got to see the NBA Finals between the San Antonio Spurs and the New York Knicks live and direct on network television locally.

The only time KHNL, the local NBC affiliate, had a chance to show it live was Sunday's Game Six. Unfortunately, there was no Game Six, as the Spurs won in five.

So to see the NBA championship series live, we had to traipse to our nearest neighborhood bar of choice that had a satellite dish.

Having had to do so over many years - and you can't help but in our close-your-eyes -time upbringing here - I've got watching satellite-live basketball and football at watering holes down to a boozy science:

Two beers in the first half, a nice snack at halftime and two more beers in the second half can get me through a game without worrying about a DUI.

Of course, for a football game, you had to nurse your beer so that each had to last the quarter.

You can sip it a little faster in basketball. After all, it is a faster-paced game.

Games that go overtime can complicate matters. I'd suggest a designated driver, if it ever happens.

AS for soccer, it can be interminable and can create havoc with your inner plumbing if you're drinking beer, because there's no commercial break.

But the World Cup final between U.S. and China was shown live last Saturday morning, so I could watch it in its entirety in the comfort of my own home.

Besides, it was too early for a beer anyway.

Everything, though, goes out the window when it comes to watching baseball, even the Major League All-Star Game, on television. It was delayed here naturally.

There's no way of keeping track of the number of Buds I can drink then. It can be one or four after four innings. Who can forget last year's All-Star Game at Coors Field, which lasted three hours and 38 minutes?

So I listen to an All-Star Game live on radio instead. And, if it's interesting, I watch it later on television.

This year's game was interesting for four innings, besides the great pregame festivities with Ted Williams, so I turned the TV off before the National League took the fifth.

There was no more scoring anyway, as the pitchers - especially Red Sox ace Pedro Martinez - completely dominated the batters. A record 22 K's.

WHO would have thought that the pitchers would prevail over the batters at Fenway Park?

There was no Green Monster Mash. Nobody hit a ball off or over the Green Monster in left field. Heck, Mark McGwire and Sammy Sosa didn't even hit a ball out of the infield.

Shows you what good pitching can do. It also shows that most of the pitchers in the majors today aren't all-stars, or even of major-league caliber.

Adding to my lament about the dearth of live TV coverage of sports events locally, is what happened yesterday.

The WNBA held its midseason all-star game and it was shown live on ESPN.

Both the minor league Triple-A and Double-A all-star games were also held yesterday. And they were televised live on the "Deuce," ESPN2.

But the major league All-Star Game, the Big Daddy of them all for baseball?

Never happen.