Yesterday, I went to the Rockies-Braves game. I honestly can’t think of a better way to have spent the afternoon, but my post-game joy was momentarily stopped short by naysayers. A certain someone responded to my baseball excitement by saying, “You can see the game better on tv, and you can watch for free.” While I had no automatic comeback for that logic, I’ve been thinking about it. Here’s my response as to why sports events can never truly be replaced by television.

Watching at home admittedly has its perks. Replays, commentary chock-full of random statistics, great camera views that do close-up on the players. They are all things that make it easier to watch and follow the game. So why would you pay to go see the same game live and give all that up?

Because watching at home can never match the emotion of experience. At home, you are not going to encounter the guys in the row in front of you who have probably had a few too many that decide to “standing o-boo” (a concept similar to a standing ovation) with every poor play. Unless you are an anomoly, you probably don’t really have the chance to yell “Charge!” or sing take me out to the ballgame during the 7th inning. Instead, you are probably watching car commercials. TV doesn’t let you feel the thrill of a steal in the works as you watch the suicide lead turn into an all-out sprint. The television audience doesn’t get the emotion of a showdown between pitcher and batter when the last 5 pitches have been fouled off. You don’t get to watch the group of little kids a few rows in front of you trying desperately to get on the big screen by dancing around and jumping up and down between every half-inning. You living room likely lacks warm sun and a cool breeze and smell of hot dogs.

It will always be worth it to take me out to the ballgame, because it’s only there that you really get to experience the thrill of the game: a comeback, an extraordinary catch, a key out, the smack of a big hit, the collective groan of the missed play, the fountains that go off with a home run. The comfort of your couch is good, but it will never match watching a game from the hard plastic stadium seats.