Seriously sporting: Rivalries

We’ve all been there. You’re sitting in a tavern during the All-Star Game, wondering why a NordicTrack is the closest thing to sports on the TV. That is the downfall for many “sports bars.” You need more than just a bunch of TVs to call yourself one.

Besides the full menu, attractive decor, 31 TVs and plentiful Boston memorabilia, Rivalries’ main strength is something so obvious, yet so rare.

“I think what we do best is attention to detail on the sports,” says owner Lance Meader, who opened Rivalries just over five years go. “Far above everyone else in town, we pay attention to what’s on the TV.”

So downstairs, surrounded by a wall of TVs, there was something for everybody. The streaking Celtics dominated both the screens and the audio, allowing me to digest every ridiculous statement by Tommy Heinsohn. There was also college basketball, Bruins hockey, and even the Pistons-Hawks game. It is almost unprecedented to show two NBA games, so the dedication here is applauded.

The decorations are either of the “Red Sox 2004 Championship” variety or huge pictures of historically-significant athletic figures. They are sparse so as not to spurn casual attendees, and Rivalries manages to attain a classy vibe. Black and brown wooden hues fill up space not already covered in TVs, so the disgusting sports bar stereotype eludes Rivalries.

We settled into a crowd with a median age of 30, some staring intently at Ray Allen draining jump shots but most content to socialize loudly over the commentary. The afterwork crowd is a big part of Rivalries’ business, as are workers on their lunch breaks. The only demographic Rivalries’ doesn't pursue is the table-dancing, 50 cent-draft crowd.

“Our food is a big thing,” Meader says. “We’re busy early, from 5 or 6 until 11 p.m. We’re more of a starting point and we’ve never had problems (with rowdy patrons). It’s more of an upscale atmosphere.”

And with upscale atmosphere often comes upscale prices. In that respect, Rivalries does OK. During happy hour (4 to 7 p.m.) there is a good beer available for $2.50, and during regular hours you can sip on something that “tastes great” and is “less filling” for $3.

There is no ridiculous special to motivate comparison-shoppers, but also nothing that will thin out your wallet. The most expensive beer is a $4.50 Guinness, which is an average valuation.

The layout is split into two floors. The main bar and kitchen are on the first floor and are surrounded by a wall of flat-screens. There’s also a patio, nice for the two weeks of warm weather this summer.

On the second floor, there is equal viewing area, but the TVs are of lower quality. There is also a viewing room, complete with its own pair of screens, perfect for a group of friends to watch a game in. The opening in the upstairs gives the lower floor a courtyard feel, as you can look down at all the first-floor peons.

Rivalries is the place for Portland sports fans, but it isn’t only for fans. At about 9:45 p.m., a dad and his two kids came in to eat. The bartender welcomed them at the bar, and though the family sat down at a table to feast, it was nice to know of Rivalries’ welcoming nature.

One of the best times to experience Rivalries, March Madness, is about a month away. The bar shows every tournament game, a must for long-range fans. And to commemorate Red Sox Opening Day, Rivalries plans on opening at 6 a.m. to show the Sox’s Japan trip.

These are the types of events hardcore sports bars have, and it is nice to know there is a place for like-minded fans to chart on-base percentage and pick-and-rolls in Southern Maine. If that stuff isn’t for you, the Guinness is pretty good, too.