Sports fans all over the world are truly spoiled for choice in any given year. The range of major events that occur is simply mind-boggling, and even the most ardent addicts have to miss out occasionally, because there’s simply too much to take in, especially for those individuals who are keen on a number of different activities.

Although most people would agree that attending a sporting fixture in person is better than watching the action on a LED TV, the television viewer has a number of other advantages over the real-life spectator. For the individual, a decision has to be made about which events are worth going to and which would be a preferable stay at home option.

Sports such as cricket, football and rugby are perhaps ideal for watching in person, because all of the action takes place in a specially built stadium with clear visibility for all spectators. As long as you’re watching the match at all times, the chances are you will see all the major talking points as and when they occur.

Not getting the whole picture      

However, other sports don’t offer the same experience at all. If you attend a Formula One Grand Prix, for example, you’ll be able to soak up all the unique high-octane atmosphere, of course, but wherever you sit or stand you won’t be able to see the whole track. Therefore you stand a good chance of missing a spectacular overtaking maneuver or a high-speed crash.

Spectators who attend golf tournaments will no doubt enjoy their day, but they will always miss much of the action. Some people choose to follow a specific player or group during their round, which is always a good idea, of course, but they will then miss every other player as they make their way round.

There is an alternative, which is to stay in one particular spot. With careful planning, they can select a specific location where they will be able to see one of the greens and one of the tee boxes, for example, but again this has its drawbacks because there will be so much going on in other parts of the course.

With live action, the atmosphere is always better, but with the quality of modern televisual equipment it’s easy to see why so many people choose to stay tuned to the TV when major sporting events come along. It’s often a balancing act for the individual to decide which activities work best on the television and which would be better seen live.

David Rice is based in the south-east of England and is a huge sports fan. He likes to watch golf on his LED TV, to record Formula One races on his digital set top box and to attend football matches in person.