Best Sports Bars to Watch the New England Patriots Outside of Boston

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With three Super Bowl titles in the last twelve years, you can guarantee that there are plenty of New England Patriots fans outside of Boston.  Today, we’ll be taking a look at the best and oldest Patriots watch party locations at sports bars across the nation.  If your city is not mentioned on this list, you can still locate where to watch the Patriots with other fans in your area by using the search feature on WhereToWatch.com.  Here are five of our favorite Patriots watch party locations across the country:

5. B.D. Riley’s Irish Pub & Restaurant – Austin, Texas

B.D. Riley’s in Austin is self described as a “home away from home” for Patriots fans in Texas.  Pats fans have been meeting here for twelve years, and they often have more than twenty-five New England fans for each game.  Not only does B.D. Riley’s guarantee that each and every Patriots game will be televised, they also have drink specials and often hold gameday give-aways.  There’s no doubt that these guys are serious about their Pats, they even have a newsletter and an entire page of their website dedicated to the Austin Patriots Fan Club!

4.  Sonny McLean’s Irish Pub – Santa Monica, California

Sonny McLean’s is a west coast bar with a New England vibe. If you didn’t know any better, you’d think you’re actually in Boston. As they say here, “Who says you’re 3000 miles away?”

Are we in Foxborough? Nope, Sonny McLean’s is an Irish pub located in Santa Monica, California and owned by Jim and Fran Conners, two transplanted Bostonians.  Sonny Mc’s is always packed with Patriots fans and they serve clam chowder and lobster rolls during the games.  For the 1:00 PM (Eastern) games, you can find fans there as early as 9:30 (Central) in the morning!  So if the Pats have an early game, don’t worry about breakfast, just grab a pint and watch the game with a bunch of displaced New England fans. 

3.  Toso’s Sports Bar & Grill – Phoenix, Arizona

The Patriots Fan Club of Arizona has been getting together for over 15 years and they do it at Toso’s in North Phoenix.  The Pats fans that gather here are loud, proud, and most importantly organized.  With a group that boasts over 700 members, they have weekly raffles and Pats gear giveaways for members.  According to their website, Patriots owner Robert Kraft and his wife have even made it to one of their gatherings.  Talk about some true Patriots klout!

2. Professor Thom’s Bar & Restaurant – New York, NY

Professor Thom’s is a great Patriots bar in New York city.  It has a 41-foot bar, a large selection of draft beers, a second floor lounge with a private screening room, 17 flat-screen televisions, and a High-Definition Projector that only shows the Patriots during the games.  Professor Thom’s Boston affiliation is well known throughout New York and when the Pats are playing, this place packs out.  Just check out this video filmed at Thom’s about rooting for a team in enemy territory. Classic. As you can see, Professor Thom’s is also a great place in New York to watch Red Sox and Celtics games (as well as University of Michigan football).  

1. Murphy’s Pub Alexandria – Alexandria, Virginia

Since the early 90′s, Patriots fans around the Washington D.C. area have been heading to Murphy’s to watch the Patriots play.  They describe the Patriots fans that frequent the bar as the “most die hard, energetic crew of fans that a football team could ever ask for.” 

Just part of the fans that gather at Murphy’s in Alexandria, Virginia during Patriots games. (Photo via PatsFans4Ever.com)

Patriots watch parties are generally held on Murphy’s second floor, which features a large projector screen that everyone can see, even when it’s packed with Pats fans.  And you can guarantee that they’ll always have the sound of the game, even when the Redskins are playing.  They also have numerous food and drink specials for Pats fans while the games are on.  The good people at Murphy’s said to show up early on game day because Pats fans pack this place out quickly.  No matter what time the Patriots play, Murphy’s will be open one to two hours before game time to allow for a little “indoor tailgating.” 

Honorable Mention: Connecticut Yankee - San Francisco, California

Who would’ve ever thought that a bar named the “Yankee” would be a Patriots and Red Sox bar?  That’s exactly what we have in this divey-type bar located in San Francisco.  They even have menu items named after famous (or infamous) Sox, Celtics, and Patriots players, such as the Bill Buckner (roasted turkey) or the Bill Russell (a twist on the classic “hero” sandwich). I see what you did there.

By: Todd Davis
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Should your favorite sports bar be on this list? Know of an epic watch party for the Patriots or another team that’s worth talking about? Let us know about it! info@WhereToWatch.com. (Thanks to Mike Reiss for his original work on this topic.)

Fantasy Football Becoming More of a Reality Sport

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With the NFL season just finishing week ten, fantasy football owners probably know by now whether or not their team has any shot at making the playoffs.  Some years are better than others when it comes to fantasy football.  Whether its injuries, a bad draft, or just an off year, there are a number of factors that can play into your fantasy team’s success.  But does a fantasy football team’s success have anything to do with the owner throughout the regular season, or is it all luck? 

For the most part, the players that a team drafts ultimately determines the major success of your team during a fantasy football season.  But, in my opinion, being a good general manager can play a huge role in a team’s success.  The GM is, of course, responsible for the draft, so the two go hand in hand.  

Of course, there are always exceptions.  I’ve been in leagues where an owner missed the draft, had the computer auto-pick a great team for him, forgot to set his lineup a few weeks, and still made the playoffs.  This was particularly embarassing since the other nine league members probably spent an average of five to ten hours per week researching fantasy football.  But for the most part, this type of situation is the outlier and usually it takes some serious thought to draft a better-than-average fantasy team.  And some draft strategies work out better than others.

For instance, if you draft running back heavy and take two or three starting running backs early, you’ll have a less explosive wide receiving core.  You could do the same thing with the WRs and have the lesser RBs.  With some luck, and no injuries, either one could pay off for you.  This season I personally went running-back-heavy with Arian Foster (number one pick) and then Jamaal Charles as my third pick.  It’s worked out pretty well so far.

With every fantasy season comes the injury aspect.  Every year there’s always that one player you pick that you wish you wouldn’t have.  Greg Jennings is my screw-up-pick this year.  Fantasy owners with Jennings or MJD this season know my pain.  You can’t predict injuries and MJD in particular was looking like a steal for those that drafted him after the second round (since people were scared to draft him in the first round because of a contract dispute). 

Doug Martin has been a bright spot for many fantasy owners this season including this 67 yard run last week which was part of his 251 yard rushing record performance.

There also is the surprise gamble on rookies that can come up each season.  The award goes to Doug Martin this year.  Lucky for me, I picked him in each of my leagues, so he has been keeping my winning percentage above .500 along with countless others.  Andrew Luck and RGIII have also been a solid rookie from the quarterback position if you waited late to pick.  Some may have predicted the three would do well, but you’d be lying if you thought Martin would be a top-3 running back, and RGIII and Luck would be top-3 and top-10 quarterbacks, respectively. 

Another big gamble in fantasy is on veteran players, especially after having a down year.  Are they going to perform better than they did last year or are they going to keep regressing as they have been?  Players like Reggie Wayne that had an off year last year, got drafted late and were a steal in the sixth to eighth rounds.  Others like Michael Vick, who struggled last year but were still projected to have a great year, have been a complete disappointment for owners.  Sophomore slumpers like Cam Newton have also been a disappointment for fantasy owners. 

Then there are the players who get the big money contract deals and allow the money I feel to get to their heads.  Chris Johnson was a pure stud his first three seasons, but once he signed his big contract deal, his numbers last year went for a dive south and even further this year so far. 

The G.M. aspect of fantasy is what I believe can make or break your year, because from week one, everyone is technically on equal ground.  Yes there are those freak accidents where someone doesn’t set their lineup all year and comes out with a losing record, but those are few and far between.  If your league has the waiver wire like mine does, picking up a quality bench is smart thinking. 

Last, although looked over a lot I feel, the kickers and defenses are quality players to pick up on a week-to-week basis.  I rarely keep the same defense in each week and usually have at least one other on my bench, and play them based on matchups.  Same with kickers.  Early on, Greg Zuerlein was my kicker “steal,” but has been a bench warmer as of late.  Kickers can get hot/cold and are affected by the weather and the type of surface they’re kicking from, so I prefer to play them based on matchups. 

Trading players early on can be a gamble too, but if they turn it around like Chris Johnson has this season, it can be a huge boost for your team down the stretch.   

How players perform is totally out of our control, which is how fantasy gets its name.  Who we draft and what we do once we have them is the human-factor aspect of fantasy that keeps us glued to the TV on Sunday afternoons.  In my opinion, it’s all about the moves you make as the owner of your team. As fantasy leagues wind down and near the playoffs, what will you do as G.M. of your team to stake the claim in your league’s pool of money?
 
By: Craig Emmert

The GOOD, the BAD and the UGLY – Social Media Edition

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Gone in 60 Seconds…or Less

Due to a camping trip with a lack of cell phone service–or technology for that matter–I wasn’t able to watch any football. I know, devastating! I asked for a satellite… the crew said no. Authentic camping it was.

So, I’ll be calling this my “bye week” and switching gears to something very prominent in sports right now: social media. As a professional athlete, Twitter is the best social media tool to connect and engage with your fans on a personal level.  That can be a good or bad thing (or an ugly thing).

Practice makes perfect, right? The same applies with Social Media.

You compose a tweet or Facebook post in roughly 60 seconds. After you hit send, the world is open and ready to judge you with a billion people on Facebook and 500 million on Twitter. Recently, athletes, coaches and even athlete’s family members have been the target of GOOD, BAD, and UGLY social media ethics.

THE GOOD
@LarryFitzgerald

The wide receiver for the Arizona Cardinals has a pretty good handle on how to make a powerful statement with Twitter. He’s always engaging with fans by RTs and keeps his posts primarily focused on football. During Breast Cancer Awareness Month, Fitzgerald started a Twitter Campaign to raise funds. He tweeted,


This was great use of his notoriety and social media to spread awareness and raise funds for a charity near to his heart.

THE BAD
@lolojones

Sometimes it only takes one tweet to cause uproar. Olympic hurdler, Lolo Jones is very familiar with just that scenario. Early in October, Jones received a tweet from former Rutgers football player Eric LeGrand joking around about challenging her to a race. Jones didn’t notice LeGrand’s avatar of himself in a wheelchair and replied, “Get checked for a concussion. Clearly, u’ve been hit in the head… Cos u arnt beating a track athlete.” Jones was quickly told by other users of LeGrand’s injuries, she wrote:

Although LeGrand didn’t think it was a big deal and completely understood, the damage was done. The tweets were taken down and news articles were in the works.

THE UGLY

When ruckus is created by someone close to an athlete, the star still pays the consequences, even if they had no part in creating it. We can try and coach the athlete on proper social media techniques, but it looks like their families need it too!

During the Saints’ 28-13 win against the Eagles, Marcus Vick complained about the offensive line’s protection of his brother and wanted him out of Philadelphia. “Please trade my brother. We requesting out of Philly!!!! Please please please,” Marcus tweeted. The tweet was deleted from Marcus’s account.

“That’s not me,” Michael said. “If it doesn’t come from me … I’m in the middle of a full-fledged game. I don’t know what’s being said. I don’t know what’s going on. But I definitely got it corrected. We definitely had a serious heart-to-heart conversation.” Marcus later stated his apology on Twitter.


Twitter is only one aspect of social media, but can be used as a great resource for athletes if you know how to correctly use it. In 60 seconds or less you have the ability to express your opinion, start a conversation, raise money for a charity, and make mistakes. It’s up to the player on how they want to have their brand portrayed across the web.

By: Dana Bakich

Dana Bakich is the Founder/President of iSportsWhisper, a social media consulting company focused on the sports industry.

Top 10 Sports Bars in Houston

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Along with being the fourth largest city in the U.S., Houston is notorious for passionate fans, which makes it one of our nation’s top sports cities.  With the Texans playing well and the new additions to the Rockets, excitement is in the air for Houston sports.  If you want a great sports atmosphere along with great food, here are our top ten sports bars for the greater Houston area.
 
10. Sawyer Park

With one of the best rooftop decks in all of Houston, Sawyer Park offers a great sports themed atmosphere.  For private watch parties, their Clubhouse room offers a big screen projector along with multiple TVs to accommodate twenty seated guests and forty standing, not to mention its own private bar.  Happy hour is daily from 4pm-8pm with dollar off all drinks, $2.50 domestic drafts & $10.00 domestic pitchers.  A Houston themed sports bar along with dodgeball tournaments on various weekends makes Sawyer Park an all-around fun experience.
 
Price:  $$
Location:  The Heights, Washington Corridor
 
9.  Home Plate Bar & Grill

Home Plate Bar & Grill is probably the best pre-game sports bar to check out before an Astros game because it’s located right across the street from Minute Maid Park.  A big University of Houston supporter, Home Plate is the spot to watch the Cougars in action. It’s game day menu is reasonably priced with burgers averaging around $5.25-$6.25 with all other entrees priced below $9.00.
 
Price:  $$
Location:  Downtown
 
8.  The Mezzanine Lounge

With all the major sports packages along with having Michigan Wolverines and Houston professional teams watch parties, Mezzanine Lounge is a great sports bar in Houston.  With over thirty TV’s, twenty-four drafts and bottled beers to choose from, along with drink tickets available to purchase on party dates, game time is always fun at  the “Mez.” They also feature daily food and drink specials along with a kitchen that stays open til 2am.
 
Price:  $
Location:  Near Greenway/Upper Kirby
 
7.  Christian’s Tailgate (The Heights)

Considered by many to have the best burger in all of Houston, Christian’s Tailgate has great food, attractive servers, cold beer, and non-stop sports action to watch!  With thirty-four TVs to choose from, there’s always a game on at Christian’s Tailgate of The Heights (One of its three locations around Houston).  Often called “Hamburger Heaven,” Christian’s is home of the one pound burger, and also has my personal favorite, a steak-night special for “a $1 an oz” on Wednesdays.
 
Price:  $$
Location:  The Heights
 
6.  360 Sports Lounge

With an upscale layout and decor, 360 Sports Lounge offers sports fan in Houston a more sophisticated sports-watching experience.  The main are has 3 High Definition projector screens on the wall above the room-length bar, and has numerous TV’s “floating” around the rest of the dining area. If you’re looking to hold a party, 360 has a private room available with a 60″ flat screen behind the private bar, a separate sound system, custom pool table, and free wi-fi.  360 fills up early on big game days or PPV events, so arrive early if you want a seat.  Happy hour runs from 3pm-7pm Monday-Friday with $2.00 domestic drafts and $4.00 appetizers.  Besides the hometown Houston teams, 360 Sports Lounge is a great place to watch UFC events and soccer.
 
Price:  $$
Location:  The Heights, Washington Corridor
 
5.  Saint Dane’s Bar & Grille

Probably the overall best value for beer and food out of any sports bar in Houston is found at Saint Dane’s.  Wednesday’s special is $1.00 drafts from 4pm-12am along with half-off wraps.  Thursday’s are .35 cent wing day from 4pm-12am.  Like many of the bars in the Houston area, Friday is Crawfish happy hour (when in season) from 3pm-7pm at 5.95 a pound.  Whether it’s University of Texas, Houston or any of Houston’s pro teams or UFC events, Saint Dane’s has a great sports atmosphere!
 
Price:  $
Location:  Fourth Ward, Midtown
 
4.  Coaches Pub Midtown

Coaches Pub Midtown has one of the best followings for watch parties in all of Houston.  With six NFL teams and ten college watch parties going on during the week, the atmosphere at Coaches Pub Midtown is second to none.  Having twenty HD TV’s all 42″ and larger–including a 120 inch HD projection screen–keeps the fans of all of the watch parties happy.  When it comes to drinks, Coaches probably has Houston’s longest happy hour, which runs from 11am-7pm.  Monday beer special is $7.00 domestic pitchers with all day .50 cent wings on Sunday and Thursday. Bring your friends, because parties of ten or more that book during happy hour can get fifty wings at $25.00.

Price:  $$
Location:  Fourth Ward, Midtown
 
3.  Big Woodrow’s Bar & Grill

Located in Houston’s Beltway/Galleria area, Big Woodrow’s is home to watch parties for LSU, New Orleans Saints, Dallas Cowboys, and all Houston professional teams.  With seventeen beers on tap and thirty-seven to choose from in a bottle, beer-loving sports fans can kick back, relax and enjoy pretty much any cold beer they want.  “The Loft” is Woodrow’s private party room for fans inclined to start a watch party of their own.  Complete with its own bar, accommodations for more than 150, and over ten TVs, it’s the perfect place to watch your team taste victory–or watch your friends taste some fried alligator.
 
Price:  $
Location:  Beltway, The Galleria
 
2.  SRO Sports Bar & Café

With seventeen college watch parties, every Houston professional team & the Pittsburgh Steelers, get plenty of hype by on game days at SRO.  Counting the mini TVs at tables, SRO Sports Bar has over one-hundred TVs to watch your favorite team.  With twenty-four specialty beers and imports, fifteen beers on tap, and sixteen domestic bottles to choose from, there’s probably a beer for everyone at SRO.  Crawfish is an SRO favorite when in season, along with always fresh shrimp.  PPV events like UFC and boxing are also frequently shown at SRO, so stop on by if Pacquiao and Mayweather ever decide to fight.
 
Price:  $$
Location:  Lazy Brook/Timbergrove
 
1.  Lucky’s Pub

This place is a sports-lovers dream.  Lucky’s has the largest HD screen in all of Houston at twenty-one feet long.  It also has fifty more flat screens to go along with it. Lucky’s Pub has watch parties for eight college teams, every Houston professional team, the New England Patriots & UFC events.  Lucky’s also has a unique calendar on their website that allows viewers to click on links that show which watch parties are occurring during each month.  Lucky’s also has a free shuttle bus that will take fans to and from Astro games and Toyota Center events.  With the most beers in all of Houston to choose from at over 250, Lucky’s Pub is the place to be if you love sports, beer, or both.
 
Price:  $$
Location:  Downtown

By: Craig Emmert

The GOOD, the BAD, and the UGLY – Collection of Sports From Throughout the Weekend

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THE GOOD
UCF vs. SMU
42-17

Everyone may have their playful banter on the UCF Knights, but look out–the nation’s second largest university is on the move. During their homecoming game Saturday, the Knights again showcased why they have earned their spot in moving to the Big East Conference next season. UCF remains undefeated in Conference USA (5-0), moving their record to (7-2) overall. 

In Saturday’s beat down, the Knights challenged the Mustangs on both sides of the ball. With constant penalties against SMU, UCF was able to take advantage and put points on the scoreboard. Latavius Murray was on fire with 155 yards on 23 carries and two touchdowns. After Saturday’s matchup, Murray became the ninth Knight to have at least 2,000 rushing yards.

This game was special for UCF Knights on a more personal level as well.  Players wore “RP” stickers on their helmets in honor of former defensive lineman, Robert Pritchard, who was a member of the team from 2008-2011 until he suffered a massive stroke earlier this year. He was recognized on the field with warm welcoming from UCF fans.

With their momentum, I see the Knights ending their experience in C-USA with a Championship.

THE BAD
Kentucky vs. Vanderbilt
0-40

Wow, talk about a historically bad loss for the Wildcats.  A forty-to-nothing tail whooping on their home field against a mediocre Vanderbilt team.  I know Kentucky isn’t a football school, but a shutout? At home? By Vanderbilt? Kentucky hasn’t been shut out at home for over twenty years and Vanderbilt hasn’t scored 40 in an SEC game since 2005. Talk about a perfect storm for a bad day.  It was so bad, in fact, that the 1-7 Wildcats fired head coach Joker Phillips.

Now, the team has to try and pull out a win in Knoxville to avoid a winless SEC record for the first time since 2000.  Talk about taking a step back.  Whoever takes over for Joker will have his hands full.  But on the bright side, at least the new coach has nowhere to go but up. 

THE UGLY
Saints vs. Eagles
28-13

What were you expecting from these teams on MNF? With lackluster records, I’m glad at least one team showed up to play.  The only good record was Drew Brees’s perfect 8-0 lifetime record on Monday Night Football, which he kept spotless with a win over the hopeless Eagles.

As the blogs and news articles read, “New Orleans fans excited after Monday night win.” And they should be!  The Eagles were picked to win by many as the Saints has the worst defense in the league (giving up over 400 yards a game) and this was viewed as a ”must win” game for head coach Andy Reid and quarterback Michael Vick, who are both on the hot seat.

Although the Saints defense still gave up more than 400 yards, Vick was his usual mistake laden self.  A quarterback that, like Tony Romo has decent stats and makes great plays, but also can’t seem win and does things that leave you scratching your head.  Although he got sacked seven times, Vick made some mental mistakes that cost his team.  He got picked off from the 5 yard line for a 99-yard touchdown return on a questionable pass, and was stopped five total times in the red zone.  The Eagles had several opportunities to make it close at the end of the game, but it just felt like they didn’t have the mental toughness to do the things necessary for a win. After a four game losing streak at the beginning of the season, the Saints fans are thrilled to have won three of their last four.

I hope the Saints got their fill of excitement because next week the undefeated Atlanta Falcons visit the Saints at home.  As for the Eagles, they have the perfect matchup against Dallas, who also has the reputation for giving away games.  The Dallas vs. Eagles game could very well make this list next week, as I could see both Romo and Vick making their usual mistakes.  It might just come down to who makes the least amount of dumb plays.

By: Dana Bakich