Columbus-area sports bars say they’ll show Ohio State, NFL and World Cup
November 26 is a big day for football, but also football.
As many Columbus sports fans will tell you, this weekend is all about “The Game.” Ohio State vs. Michigan. One of the biggest rivalries in college football kicks off at noon Saturday at Ohio Stadium.
And while this year’s game features a second-ranked Ohio State playing a third-ranked Michigan team, it also falls in a year where one of the world’s biggest football, or soccer (depending where you are in the world) events is happening — the FIFA World Cup.
Team USA will have already played on Friday by the time “The Game” comes around Saturday, but two significant World Cup games will be playing during what could be considered the biggest sporting event in Columbus each year: France vs. Denmark at 11 a.m., and then Argentina vs. Mexico at 2 p.m.
For those who want to watch Ohio State football, it’ll be pretty easy to find a sports bar showing the game on its TVs. But for those who prefer soccer over American football, it also might not be that hard to find a place that will show the World Cup, as a survey of several bars around the Columbus-area by The Dispatch found they will likely accommodate for — or already show — the soccer games on Saturday and on Sunday when NFL football is also being played.
Sports bars to show World Cup alongside ‘The Game’
Sports bars and restaurants will likely be prioritizing the Ohio State game, but many said they will be saving some of their screens for World Cup watchers.
Aaron Phillips, general manager at the Buffalo Wild Wings at Lane Avenue and High Street near the Ohio State campus, said that their location has around 70 TVs, so showing the World Cup games on some of them will not be an issue.
“We typically put on every sport we can,” Phillips said. “Certain TVs are reserved for the Ohio State game, but pretty much you can choose any other TVs and you can pick whatever you want to put on.”
Phillips added that it’s pretty normal for them to do that, especially during times like the MLB or NBA playoffs.
More:What channel is the Ohio State game on vs. Michigan? How to watch OSU vs. Michigan 2022
But it’s not just sports bar chains like Buffalo Wild Wings that will be accommodating for those who want to watch Ohio State, other college football games, NFL games and the World Cup.
Elise Davis, a manager at City Tavern located near the Short North on North Fourth and Lincoln streets, said that they will “definitely have the World Cup on.”
Davis said that they will have a couple of TVs out of their dozen or so TVs showing the World Cup, while the rest will probably show the Ohio State game.
“We get busy for World Cup games and for football games, but honestly the Ohio State (vs.) Michigan game is what everyone is going to come out for,” Davis said.
Serving the customers
While most local bars might be showing more of the Ohio State and Michigan game than the World Cup, that’s not the case for every bar.
Chautari Sports Bar, 1355 Briarcliff Road, Reynoldsburg, will mainly be showing the World Cup.
Bar owner Yadav Poudel said that his bar mainly serves a lot of Nepali customers. The Columbus area has approximately 30,000 people in the Bhutanese-Nepali community, according to the nonprofit Bhutanese Community of Central Ohio.
Poudel, who is from Nepal himself, said that his customers typically watch soccer compared to American football, but accommodating for those who want to watch Ohio State is not out of the question. Poudel said his bar has four TVs as well as a projector.
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“We have to focus on their perspective and what they want to see,” said Poudel, who grew up watching soccer. “If they want to watch Ohio State vs. Michigan, we’ll be more than happy to play it. But they’re more likely to watch the World Cup.”
Poudel added that the World Cup would also be a priority over NFL or NBA games.
Accommodating for its customers are what many bars will do, however, and continue doing at the end of the day. Arianna Rambali, a manager at Rudy’s restaurant and bar in Grandview, said that while they’ll be getting a bigger crowd for the Ohio State game on Saturday, they’ll show what their customers want on their TVs.
“We always try to accommodate for our customers to the best of our abilities,” Rambali said. “Whatever they ask for, if we’re able to make that happen, we always try to do that.”
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Read More: Columbus-area sports bars say they’ll show Ohio State, NFL and World Cup