Alright, so I wanted to catch the New York Yankees playing the Cincinnati Reds the other day. Sounds simple, right? Well, let me tell you about my little adventure trying to actually watch the darn thing.
Getting Started
First off, I had to even figure out when it was on. Fired up the old laptop, did a quick search. Found the time, okay, good start. Then the real fun began – figuring out where to watch it.
See, it’s not like the old days where you just flick through channels. Now you need a spreadsheet to track which game is on which streaming service or cable channel. Is it on the YES Network? Bally Sports Ohio? ESPN? MLB Network? Or is it locked behind some premium package on a streaming app I don’t even have?
The Streaming Maze
Turned out, this particular game was a bit tricky. My usual go-to wasn’t carrying it. So, I started digging. Checked the MLB app – nope, blacked out in my area. Seriously? I pay for this thing, and half the games I actually want to watch are blacked out. It drives me nuts.
Okay, plan B. Maybe a different streaming service? I remembered I had a trial for one of those live TV streaming things. Logged in, searched for the game. Found it! Felt like I’d won a small lottery. Sat down, got comfy, ready for the first pitch.
More Hurdles
Then, the stream started buffering. And buffering. My internet connection was fine, checked that right away. Everything else worked perfectly. Just this stream, stuttering like crazy. Tried restarting the app. Tried restarting the streaming device. Still choppy.
Ended up missing the first couple of innings just messing with the tech. By the time I got a semi-stable picture, I was already annoyed. It just takes the fun out of it sometimes, you know?
- Checked game time and channel.
- Realized it wasn’t on my usual spots.
- Fought with * blackouts.
- Found it on a different streaming trial.
- Dealt with terrible buffering issues.
- Finally got it working, kinda.
Final Thoughts
Look, I love baseball. Grew up watching games with my dad. But trying to follow your team these days feels like a part-time job. You gotta navigate blackouts, juggle subscriptions, troubleshoot tech problems. I just wanted to watch the Yankees and Reds play some ball. Didn’t think it would turn into a whole afternoon project. They really don’t make it easy for the fans anymore. Anyway, eventually saw some of the game. That’s my little practice run of watching baseball in the modern age, I guess.
