I was born a fan of the Seattle Seahawks and there’s nothing I can do about it. We have a love-hate relationship—I hate to get too excited about them, because they always let me down, and they love to let me down.

I don’t often get to see the ‘hawks on TV, as you need a dish or some expensive TV package to get out-of-town games. But this year, I’ve got a solution . . . going to watch football at Elixir in the Mission.


(Taken with my phone.)

Sports bars are a necessary evil, and I only go to them when I have to catch an otherwise unviewable game. Elixir, however, is a bar that sometimes shows sports, and they do it well. They have a few TVs, which are always set on the right channels. They have a friendly and fun-loving crowd (never too big). They also have a build-your-own bloody Mary bar and inexpensive beer specials.



Best of all, they sometimes have free BBQ—which kicks ass. It’s not some lame catering spread. The guys from the bar are out there grilling on the street. It’s like getting together with friends, especially if most of your friends keep their wallets fastened to their pants with chains (as I should do, since I recently lost mine). Anyway, it’s the best football-watching vibe I’ve experienced in the city, and you can count on seeing me down there throughout the season; that is, unless the Seahawks decide to start really sucking and I decide that our love-hate relationship needs a “break.”