Maybe I'm late to this, but I just moved to Dyker and my local spot had the Knicks on one screen for pregame then flipped to a college game with full sound once the Knicks actually tipped. Is this just how it goes? I don't need a rowdy party, just a stool where I can hear the broadcast, or at least the crowd noise, not a jukebox. Where are you guys watching road games when you're not going into Manhattan? Not trying to stand behind a gambling terminal. Anywhere around Bay Ridge/Dyker/Sunset that treats a Tuesday Knicks game like a real game?

First rule: if the bartender has a college football slate up behind him in November, you're not getting sound unless it's a playoff. Knicks on MSG usually a decent bet if you ask early, but NBA TV road games are tougher because the bar needs a reason to keep the feed on. I've had the best luck in Bay Ridge when a group calls ahead—places around 5th Ave are more likely to leave the sound on one TV if you're actually there to watch, not just passing through. If you just walk in on a weeknight, don't expect the remote. Tuck a tip under your glass while you order and say you're there for the game; that sometimes loosens the channel changer. Dyker spots tend to have one TV with the game and twelve people playing Quick Draw, so manage expectations.

I'm in Dyker too and didn't know bars would switch off the Knicks for college football, that's wild. Do you just ask them to put the MSG feed on the one TV by the taps? I've only been to a couple of places on 13th Ave, and one time they had the Mets pregame but refused to change off a soccer rerun until a group came in. Do you call ahead like Gowanus_G said, or is it too much to ask for one TV? Also, is there a particular bartender you trust? I don't need a whole watch party, just sound.

Appreciate it. I tried the ask early and tip under the glass move at a place off 5th last night. They did turn the sound on until halftime, then a trivia guy showed up and it disappeared. Still, it was better than nothing. Gowanus_G, when you say call ahead, do you literally call and ask if they'll have MSG sound, or is that only for a group? DykerNewbie, 13th Ave might not be it for sound but at least we have options.