Super Bowl poll: Rather watch in person, or at home in HD?

This New York Times story about sports teams trying to entice couch potatoes back to stadiums got me thinking: What about the Super Bowl, arguably the biggest single event in sports? Would I rather be at the game, or watch on my gorgeous HDTV with surround sound?

You know, it's funny—only 10 years ago, we wouldn't even be talking about this. Sure, flat-screen HDTVs were around back in 1999, but few of us were willing to part with the $40,000 it took to get one. And besides, the Super Bowl wasn't even broadcast in HD until 2000.

But now, well … I gotta say, even if someone were to hand me a couple of tickets to Super Bowl XLIII, I'd have to think long and hard. Why? Because thanks to my eye-popping, 46-inch 1080p HDTV and 5.1-channel Dolby Digital sound—not to mention that HD sports broadcasting has finally come of age—I love watching football at home. Love it.

Sure, I could go to Raymond James Stadium in Tampa with my free tickets (or cough up $1,398 on StubHub for one—yes, one—ticket in the nosebleed seats), soak up the sights (plus the spilled beer) and sounds (although lets face it, your average Super Bowl crowd is a pretty listless bunch, thanks to all the corporate suits with comped tickets), pay $12.95 for a hot dog, and watch from afar as 22 pipsqueaks duke it out on a postage stamp-sized field. 

Or I could get razor-sharp, high-definition close-ups of the players, expert commentary from Al and John, snazzy-looking graphics detailing every formation and stat, thunderous sound (I love it when you can hear individual fans clanking their cowbells in the left-rear speaker), and a cavalcade of high-caliber Super Bowl ads that we'll be talking about the next day. Also: Nachos and margaritas, made just the way I like them.

Indeed, thanks to my home-theater setup and the fact that almost all major sporting events are now broadcast in HD, it's getting harder and harder to justify getting off the sofa and schlepping to the stadium. Sure, I like a good summer baseball game at Shea Stadium, but when it comes to the U.S. Open tennis finals at the massive Arthur Ashe court, I'll take my den anytime.
 
So, I'm curious: What about you? How many of you would just as soon—or actually prefer—watching the big game at home? Cast your vote below.

Related:
Promising Fans at Game a View From the Couch [The New York Times]
10 Tips for a Super Bowl-Worthy HDTV [Yahoo! Tech]