Football season is well underway, and I’m sure that everyone has had a weekend or two that revolved around watching a game. With that in mind, this week’s task was to pick our favorite place in Central Florida to watch football.

With UCF building a new stadium, attending a game at a great venue is now possible in Orlando. But there’s also the community of friends and fans that can be found at local bars and restaurants around town. The question is … where’s your favorite?

Chad
Watching football is something I do well. Maybe too well. I’d probably call myself an expert at it.

Therefore, as an expert, I can confidently say that there’s no better place to watch football than inside Ben Hill Griffin Stadium at Florida Field on the campus of the University of Florida in Gainesville. Having attended UF from 1996-2000, I’ve been to many games at “The Swamp”, and have yet to find a comparable venue in terms of atmosphere and entertainment. I sat in the third row during a game against Tennessee when Peyton Manning was quarterback for the Volunteers. I sat in the 67th row during the 1997 game versus Florida State when the Gators upset the then #1 ranked Seminoles. I’ve sat in the blazing sun, in the pouring rain, with friends, with family, with nearly 90,000 strangers and sang “We are the boys” each time.

“The Swamp” is the best place to watch football … period.

Amanda
In an ideal world we’d all be able to watch our favorite football team play in person, at their stadium, with the other cheering fans all around you. But, if you’re a football fan of a team that doesn’t play in Central Florida (and chances are that you are a fan of at least one football team from elsewhere in the country – Go Michigan State!) then the key is finding someplace to watch your team on television. If you’re looking for somewhere with a large selection of football networks, a bevy of television screens large enough to see every detail, a great selection of food and beer, and is just a great place to kick back, relax and enjoy, I’d suggest Gator’s Dockside. It’s a sports bar, so expect the usual wings and burgers fare, but they have some great football specials (10 wings any style – and there are many styles to choose from – and a pitcher of any draft beer runs you less than $10 and can probably last you the whole game… and maybe into overtime), not to mention more unique items on the menu, such as gator tail. And, with numerous Central Florida locations there’s bound to be a Gator’s Dockside not too far from wherever you are.

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