Is an invite to watch or play sports a date?

[DishLady]

A guy's asked me to attend a bunch of sporting events with him and ofc with the winter olympics craze hitting I didn't think anything of it. We've watched a few games at a local restaurant together as well, heckling to a point that makes the bartender and folks around us chuckle. It's fun. He's good company.

He just asked me to come play tennis... on a Friday night... That's not our thing. I looked at him, trying to figure out if this was him asking me out. I can't tell.

I'm gonna presume that it's not and just see what happens.

Would love for you guys and gals to weigh in. Is this tennis invite a date?

[Kabluie]

Dates don’t have to be formal in a sense, just hanging out alone together and doing some activity is a date. Even sitting in alone watching sports which is similar to netflix and chill. I do watch sports with a partner all the time, we may cook or go out for food or even club after kind of thing.

[DishLady]

I don't know about that. If that were true I'd be dating every guy I've ever watched a game with. There's nothing else to do while watching a game than to eat and share a few laughs.

[Kabluie]

dates with friends happen, doesn't have to resolve to anything but they can be considered dates especially if you convert to a relationship. I remember a girlfriend got me on this technicality. She was like but they were all dates we had even if we were just hooking up as FWBs at the time.

[DishLady]

Interesting.

[OlderAndWiser]

A single man is expressing continuing interest in spending alone time with a single woman. It is not the ultra-traditional dinner or movie date, but it is still a date.

Is this a shy guy. Has he tried to hold your hand or kiss you? Has he held doors open for you? Did he pay for your dinner or snacks when you were at the sports bar?

[DishLady]

No hand holding etc.

Opening doors isn't an indicator. I only hang out with guys who have good manners, so they tend to be the door opening types. And the ones who aren't will get a patient waiting look till they understand "open the door, guy."

We take turns paying, but yes he always offers and usually pays bc he has longer arms so he reaches past me with his card to give it to the bartender.

[OlderAndWiser]

Shy guy who just has a problem expressing himself openly and candidly?

[DishLady]

I don't know. He's always spoken to me pretty plainly.

[OlderAndWiser]

Do you think sometimes you may be intimidating for some guys?

[DishLady]

Personally, I don't think there's anything particularly intimidating, but who knows?

[queenofcardio]

How did he ask ?

Doesn’t sound like a date to me. Did he offer to do something else after tennis?

[DishLady]

It's already unusual that he asked me to do anything beyond hanging at our usual spot to watch football/basketball after I made him laugh one time while heckling a game and betting my team would lose by exactly 5 points as usual. (We usually just meet up Sunday/Monday after church/work and watch a game at bare area of our local restaurant. He's never asked me to go do anything else and I've known him about a year now.)

The way he asked was funny too. He was trying to sound casual but something about the way he asked made me stop what I was doing to turn and look at him. He got a little pink and shy when I looked at him.

I don't know. Maybe I'm imagining it.

[queenofcardio]

Sounds way too casual to me for it to be a date.

[DishLady]

🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️ 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Unycorn]

I would say no it is not.

[Summeroflove]

Ask directly because getting the wrong idea can be awkward. A date has romantic intentions hanging out as friends doesn’t. Be direct and ask him I’m guessing he’s romantically interested but I can’t unfortunately read his mind.

Anything can be a date if two people have something in common they’re wanting to do.

[MicahRaine]

To play? Could be a date but he also might just want a partner he gets along with.

To watch? Absolutely a date.

[DishLady]

Why would watching be a date?

[MicahRaine]

Because going to watch a game is very roughly similar to going to the county fair or a rodeo. You can watch the main event (s), have food, have drinks, be close to each other the whole time, or sneak off somewhere. It’s just what I’ve seen 🤷‍♂️.

[exitseven]

it is a date. You are inviting somebody to participate in some activity with you.

[DishLady]

It's just... on the one hand, there's nothing particularly "date-like" about going to play tennis, but on the other hand we've never been out doing anything at all, so the invite threw me off.

[exitseven]

@DishLady haven't you ever heard of s tennis date?

[DishLady]

Nope. Usually I’d go with a girl I know, but she’s since moved and I stopped playing. 🤷🏻‍♀️

[Mark987]

I think it depends. How much time does he spend talking to you during the game? I would rather watch a date than play.

[DishLady]

We're kind of stupid, staring in suspense one second then yelling at the TV or making faces and shaking our heads another second. (I'm told we're hilarious, but for me that's not enough to warrant a date.)

[Mark987]

Lol.. I am a die hard fan of Hockey, and I would never invite a woman on a first date to that. In my home I would easily spend all my time with her,

[DishLady]

He invited me to come play tennis.

[Mark987]

Lol... that sport...

[Iron_Man]

it could be you’re either friend zoned or he wants you

[DishLady]

Even if he wants me, I haven't looked at him as even an actual friend at all. We're just game night buddies, you know? Just the invite was a little... out of the blue.

[Iron_Man]

Well, enjoy the moment and see what happens. Are you watching the Super Bowl now?

[DishLady]

I was trying to, but the game's only airing on paid channels, so I'm waiting for highlights. V annoying.

[Iron_Man]

You Don’t have local network TV channels? The game is free. It’s on NBC.

[DishLady]

I don't have a TV.

[Iron_Man]

That’s a shame

[DishLady]

Watching it now, but I had to pay into a subscription. Seattle's killing it. I don't know why New England's doing so poorly... we wouldn't have made it through the Revolution with these guys on the field. Pfft.

[Iron_Man]

Wow lol glad you can see some of the game. It’s over now. Seattle won their world champions.

[DishLady]

I saw!

[Iron_Man]

Good

[CuriousMufuxka]

That's a hangout or just activity. Not that it really matters. You could find love anywhere.

[spartan55]

To watch or play? I'd it's weird, but...😁

[DishLady]

@spartan55 You think everyone's weird, man...
This guy's ok. Just... our thing is to be like the two critics on the Muppet Show, heckling whatever game we're watching. But now he's all "Come out on Friday, we'll work on your tennis."

[Spencer10]

Yes... thats totally a date

[DishLady]

How do you figure that. See the G@G gals agree it's not... I'm still undecided about his intention, but generally speaking it was odd that he asked me to do more than just watch a game. How is it a date?

[Spencer10]

I would say with reasonable certainty... unless you both are certain he is only a friend... that most guys would consider this a date.

[DishLady]

Personally I wouldn't even put him in "friend" category bc I literally don't see him aside from when we're at that place watching and heckling a game. Why would a guy consider it a date?