Take Her Out to the Ball Game

Tired of being dragged to chick flick movies or to the mall? Here are some steps to ensure a quality date for you (and her). Just follow these simple guidelines and see why going to a sports game is a perfect date.

1) Do your homework. Make sure you know background information about her likes/ knowledge of sports. You don’t want to assume she doesn’t know who Vince Lombardi is. (This happened to me recently.) You also don’t want her to think you automatically assume she doesn’t know anything about sports. This gets annoying (and is belittling) to girls, especially for ones who actually do follow sports.

2) A game is a fun change of pace for family outings or a date with the wife or long-time girlfriend. It sure beats sitting home watching the latest celeb-reality show (or fighting over the remote when football is on).

3) You’ll know exactly how much the date is going to cost—no surprises there. It can be as cheap or as expensive as you’d like. This ranges from attending a mid-major college basketball game to nosebleed seats at a hockey game to front row seats at a NBA playoffs game. It’s your date—might as well be your choice financially.

4) Dinner before is an option. For first timers this should probably be included. Choose a local sports bar (don’t choose a seat too close to the television—you’ll have ample time for that later) or nearby venue to eat. This will save driving and parking time, and gives the driver a chance to sample the happy hour specials.

5) Offer to get your date a snack at the quarter or half. If she says she wouldn’t like anything, make sure to buy a bottled water for her on your way back from the bathroom.

6) You don’t have to worry about what to wear. I don’t think guys spend a lot of time worrying about their attire before a date. (Correct me if I’m wrong here.) Throw on that jersey or wear that free shirt you caught when the mascot threw it out—just keep the face paint and spray painted construction hat at home for this one game. You’ll thank me later.

7) Don’t be afraid to hold up a giant foam finger or cheer and yell for your team. This shows true loyalty, as long as you keep out the swear words and intentionally rude comments.

8) The beautiful thing about a sports outing is the amount of conversation you can choose to have, or not have. If you and your date hit it off well, you can chitchat throughout the entire game. (In comparison, a movie doesn’t give you a chance to talk at all). If it seems like conversation is forced, concentrate on the game instead. The great thing is, you’re not expected to carry on an extensive conversation.

9) A game’s atmosphere is usually casual and can reduce awkward pauses and silent moments that may typically arise on a first date. Time outs and halftime provide ample time to finish whatever you were talking about before that amazing touchdown, goal, or slam dunk interrupted her.

10) Girls like passionate guys. Your extensive knowledge about the Penguins' powerplays shows passion about something. You may not be able to use your sports trivia to make a living, but it impresses women to see such dedication and loyalty (and knowledge) about a particular subject.

11) Use this as a chance to get the girl actually interested in what you like or at least give her an idea of what makes you tick (and what she may be getting herself into).

12) It’s a great opportunity to explain the rules and regulations of the game. This makes you look knowledgeable and intelligent—always a plus.

13) Relate it to something she likes. If she works in business, marketing, finance, fashion (big stretch, but worth a try) find a way to connect to something she's interested in.

14) Casually point out all the families and kids there. If she grimaces at the idea of a toddler sporting a jersey, maybe she isn’t the one to raise your kids in the future.

So the girl didn't turn out to be the one from your dreams. No biggie—at least it wasn't a waste of a night. Heck, you got to spend your time at the arena instead of suffering through The Devil Wears Prada. Any night you get to watch your team play live (with an attractive female by your side) is a great night indeed.

Best case scenario: Boy meets girl. Boy takes girl on sports date. The two fall in love and get married. Ten years later boy can still vividly remember the first date when girl asks.

Now you'll just have to find another way to remember your first song...