Canadian help needed

[The Green Monkey]

I really enjoy the NCAA basketball tournament each spring. Those first four days are my favorite four days of the year.

I've got a conference that I really should attend that is being held in Vancouver during the first weekend of the basketball tournament. While I'm still wrestling with the possibility of not going so that I can stay home and watch roundball, that might cause some pretty significant problems for me down the line in addition to having to do some pretty delicate maneuvering from now until March.

The conference is large enough that nobody would notice my absence if I just put in a few strategic, key appearances and spent the rest of my time in a nearby sports bar watching the basketball tournament.

However, I have no idea whether Canoodians (Vancouveroids in particular) pay any attention to US college sports, whether it's going to be televised, whether I can assume that every sports bar will have the DirecTV package featuring every game, etc. or if I will basically be relegated to watching the first four days on a laptop--if CBS will even stream the games outside the US.

If anyone has any information they can share about ease of watching the NCAA tournament from America's Hat, I'd greatly appreciate it.

Thanks for the help, eh.

 

[Newfie]

This may not be much help but when I lived in Southern Ontario (20 minutes from Deeeeeeeeeee-troit), you couldn't go anywhere without seeing something to do with Sweet 16 on TVs, and that includes bars, TV shops or just about any places that normally wouldn't have TVs, even work.

There we were close to Mich & Mich State and NCAA was more or less a foreign religion.

I don't think you'll have any issues in Vancouver.

Jim

EDIT TO ADD:

Direct TV is still illegal here to the best of my knowledge. But ESPN, FOX, NBC, yadda yadda are usually still available on the Canoodian sat providers.

 

[NASTY]

Subscribe to some NCAA/CBS live streaming on your computer. That's probably the safest bet. Just make sure you have broadband/FIOS available.

eh?

 

[Yeahthatsme]

The only real way to know would be to pony up some long distance time and call some bars in the area your staying in.

 

[Rural Guy]

Usually "The Score" network carries all of the tournament. It's a national sports broadcaster in Canada. I can't say for sure if they have the rights this year but a bit of googling might show.

I found this: "In March 2007, the Company launched its cross-platform coverage of NCAA
March Madness, featuring extensive coverage of the college men's basketball
tournament on television, online, on mobile devices and on video-on-demand.
The Score will be the exclusive Canadian broadcast partner of NCAA March
Madness through 2010."

Edit: While you won't see much NCAA basketball on TVs during the year the tournament is shown pretty much everywhere with most places running brackets. At least in Ontario, I can't say for certain about Vancouver but I'd imagine it's the same. Also, call your hotel and see if they get "The Score"

 

[The Green Monkey]

Right on! Thanks!