With 22 TVs and 7 Satellites, Sports Fans Win at Legends

There are bars where conversation and the television often turn to sports, and there are sports bars, where the conscious focus is on games and the people who play them.

And then there is Costa Mesa’s new Legends Sports Bar and Rib Room, which is something else again.

Three guys in various stages of sportoholism walked into the place during a recent happy hour. The reaction:

“I don’t believe this.”

“This is like the best sports book (gambling parlor) in Las Vegas, only without the gambling.”

“This . . . is . . . paradise.”

Each comment was tinged with awe. Legends is an impressive--and imposing--shrine to teams and their fans. And it has opened just in time, with college and NFL football beginning in earnest this weekend.

The complimentary valet parking is a nice touch. It’s also all but forgotten when you walk through the front door.

If the huge main bar, tables and chairs were removed, Legends could play host to an Arena Football League game. It is 7,400 square feet, and it seems as though every free inch is covered with sports pictures, jerseys, helmets and other memorabilia.

And that’s all very nice, but the sports junkies’ attention immediately will be drawn to the main attraction: 14 big screen (96 inch) televisions, five each on two sides and four hanging in the middle. There are also eight 27-inch monitors for people who prefer to follow the action while facing the bar.

Action is the right word. In a couple of hours on a recent Friday night, a patron could watch at least part of:

* San Diego Charger-New England Patriot NFL exhibition play from Foxboro, Mass.

* San Francisco at Dodgers baseball.

* San Diego at Cincinnati baseball.

* Atlanta at Pittsburgh baseball.

* New York Yankees at Chicago White Sox baseball.

* Boston at Milwaukee baseball.

* Baltimore at Kansas City baseball.

* Minnesota at Seattle baseball.

If a customer had a particular interest in a game that wasn’t showing, he or she could have asked a manager--Norm Walker, Steve Zeller or John Moore--or staff member to find the game, using one of the establishment’s seven satellite dishes.

Walker says it happens all the time, although there are restrictions depending an an event’s popularity (don’t expect a Scottish League soccer fan to preempt the Bears-Cowboys anytime soon).

This is the third Legends, and the biggest. The first, which opened in 1979, remains highly successful in Long Beach. The second in Santa Monica opened in March of last year. Owner John Morris is considering further expansion; San Francisco has been discussed.

The Costa Mesa Legends’ grand opening was July 31. They’re obviously trying hard to make a favorable impression. The management, bar and wait staff are providing quality service. They’re a friendly group, and they seem to pick up the slack for each other, particularly at the bar. Rarely does it seem that you’ve waited more than a couple of minutes to place a drink order, even when it’s busy.

Happy hour runs from 4 to 7 p.m. with appetizers at half price and drink specials that include $1 off domestic and draft beer, well drinks and the house wine.

In the midst of everything else, it’s easy to miss the fact that food is a key player. Prices run to $21.95 for a 22-ounce porterhouse with salad, vegetable and a side order. The ribs are $9.95.

On Saturdays and Sundays during the football season, things will fire up at 9 a.m. for breakfast. This has been a particularly popular feature in Long Beach, so expect a crowd.

There are a couple of minor drawbacks. Because there are so many games on, it can be hard-to-impossible to hear any of them very well. Beyond that, when football and baseball are playing side-by-side on the big screens, you can find yourself under the impression that you’ve just seen a Minnesota outfielder catching a pass against the New England Patriots.

The case could be made that it is almost too much. But with some fans, that much is still not enough. Confronted with all this--six or seven games on 22 televisions, athletic history displayed on every wall, sports, sports, sports as far as the eye could see--a friend turned and said, with complete seriousness:

“Ya know, I wish they had a ticker machine where I could see it so I could get the latest scores.”

Legends Sports Bar and Rib Room, 580 Anton Blvd., Costa Mesa. 11 a.m. to 1:30 a.m. Mondays through Fridays; from 9 a.m. Saturdays and Sundays. (714) 966-5338.