Tennis Junkie Seeks Sports Bar

Nadal, a Bloody Mary and a TV tuned to the Tennis Channel at a local sports bar—heaven on earth.  

Or it would be, if you could locate a TV that isn't awash with football, basketball or baseball.

Am I the only tennis nut in town?

See, it's crunch time in match-play terms on the ATP (Association of Tennis Professionals) World Tour, and all of us junkies are breathlessly awaiting the next head-to-head between world numero uno Rafael Nadal of Spain and Novak Djokovic of Serbia, the number two seed.

Djokovic, whose unbeaten 25-0 start this year includes two hard court wins over Nadal (in Indian Wells and Miami), now poses a genuine threat to the dreamy Spaniard on Nadal's favorite surface: clay. 

(If you females doubt "dreamy," check Nadal out in his new Armani underwear ad, and you are likely to become an instant fan of the 24-year-old tennis phenomenon.)  

The Nadal/Djokovic pairing could happen on clay at the upcoming French Open in May; on grass at Wimbledon in June or on a hard court at the US Open in August.

Thing is, I'd like to watch these two colossal players (not to mention Roger Federer) with a cocktail in one hand, and actual people to my left and right—not sitting solo on my sectional at home.  

It may require an army of us to change the status quo.

Take on Pacific Coast Highway in Redondo Beach. Billed on one website as "the ultimate place to watch a game for the sports enthusiast," The Pitcher House offers 20 hi-def plasma TVs, Taco Tuesdays and Bloody Mary's.

Since I am a "sports enthusiast"—obsessively so when it comes to tennis—I wondered what my chances were of finding like-minded fanatics at Pitcher House. 

Jimmy Young, the manager, paused long enough to figure the square root of Mars. 

"I have two regular customers who will actually request tennis," Young finally said. "Actually, three customers," he added, his tone noticeably brighter. 

But these motley outriders usually only succeed in finding a spare TV during the basketball and baseball seasons, Young said, "so long as it isn't during finals or playoffs."

Forget football season.

"If you want to sit at the main bar [and watch tennis] during football season, it's like pulling teeth to find a TV," he said. Fortunately (for me), the major tennis tournaments happen during summer.

"Soccer doesn't rate very high, either," said Young, who has been observing such trivia for the four years he's managed the place. "If it gets to the World Cup, they kind of care."

But come September, you might as well hope to marry Tom Brady as find a Pitcher House patron who isn't "locked into football," he said. 

Since a lot of tennis is broadcast in the morning, it would be nice if sports bars were open. Beginning in June, Pitcher House will unlock the doors for breakfast at 9 a.m. on weekends, so Wimbledon finals are a possibility there. 

Little hope exists for the U.S. Open, however, because that tournament reaches into September and infringes on the Holy Grails of sports bars: the Dallas Cowboys, the Miami Dolphins, college football, etc. 

While the same games dominate at most local sports bars, both in Redondo Beach and in Manhattan Beach will try to accommodate tennis freaks, mainly because they have so many TVs. 

On The Rocks manager, David Moreno, boasts 50 TVs at his place on Harbor Drive, most awash with basketball, baseball and hockey on weekends … "until football," he said. 

How novel.

Golf and soccer are also popular, he said, but not as much. (I refrained from asking about the popularity of watching women tee up or score goals, mainly because I was already depressed enough.)

But there was good news. "If we have the channel, we will direct it," Moreno said. 

Since big tournaments like Wimbledon and the U.S. Open ordinarily broadcast on network TV, I wasn't too worried. But what about Roland Garros, otherwise known as the French Open, especially the early rounds? 

Moreno was fairly confident he could hook patrons up with the Tennis Channel. "We usually have it," he said a bit uncertainly. 

There was light at the end of the tunnel, however.  "If you have a group, say 15 people, we can put you in a room."

Fifteen socially-acceptable, age-appropriate, brew-loving ATP watchers all together in a sports bar? To die for cool—if only you can dredge the watchers up.

Oh, come on; I know you're out there.

Equally accommodating were the two young managers at Mr. Pockets on North Sepulveda, Shannon and Megan Griley.

"We've never had huge groups come in to watch tennis, but we do occasionally get people coming in to watch certain matches," Shannon Griley said.  

Since Mr. Pockets boasts about 45 TVs, "we can always set up a TV for the tennis lovers," she said. "We also have a reputation for amazing Bloody Marys, so you're in luck!"

Griley also offered to reserve an area in the bar for "you and your friends" who want to watch tennis. 

What if you don’t have any friends?

One thing Griley forgot to mention is that Mr. Pockets doesn't open until 11 a.m.—except during football season, when it opens at 8 a.m. Or that the "Coaches Playbook Menu" consists of Tampa Bay Tai Chicken and Packers Pesto Tortellini.  

Maybe it's time for a Rafa Ravioli and Federer Fettuccini?