Timing is Everything

Let us draw a contrast with our friends on the East Coast. The early games would start at 1 pm followed by the evening ones at 4 pm. Sunday night and Monday night football ones would start at 8:30 and continue almost till midnight. Too bad if you have office the next day. For an NFL fan on the West Coast, it would be much simpler – 10 AM, 1 PM and 5:30 pm. By 8:30 or 9 pm the games would be done and I would tune in to the post-match analysis shows.

Now let us consider Tennis. Well watching the Australian Open and the French Open was a bit painful. However, Wimbledon finals would usually start at 6 am on a Sunday. The US Open in New York would never be too late with California being 3 hours behind and even the late night matches which would get extended in case of a 5 setter was not that bad!

If we take Golf, 3 out of the 4 majors are played in the US. The 3rd and final rounds of the Masters, the PGA and the US Open would be good weekend viewing. The British Open or the Championships would involve getting up a bit early at 6 am for the final day.

My cricket viewing kind of decreased in the US because of the 12 and a half or 13 and a half hour difference with India. For a few other sports the timings are a bit odd. When I compare with my friends in Singapore who are barely able to watch any soccer games, the US wins hands down. The US West Coast completely destroys the East Coast if one follows the NFL, NBA and soccer. The Pacific Time zone is the best place to be if you are in the US. Indeed timing is everything!