JOPLIN, Mo. — Baseball may be America’s favorite pastime, but football is America’s favorite sport. And Southwest Missouri is definitely football country -- though Joplin is mostly Kansas City Chiefs country, it’s the home of fans of virutally every team in the league.

It’s also the home of plenty of great places to watch football. Places such as Legends inside Downstream Casino, Chatters in Webb City and Pittsburg and virtually any place with a TV draw fans every week.  

As the NFL season prepares to kick off next Thursday, our newsroom staff threw out some suggestions of where you can catch your favorite team playing. The list includes a few staples and a few places off the beaten path.

Sportsman’s Park

1729 E. Seventh St.

Ah, how far the old Red Lion has come. What used to be a meat market nightclub is now, arguably, Joplin’s most advanced sports bar.

Where others in this list have a few great features, Sportsman’s Park has it all.

Plenty of flat screen TVs at good display heights? Check.

Access to DirecTV’s NFL plan, so that you can watch every game shown on Sunday? Yes.

Portable speakers so everyone at your table can hear the game you want to hear? Got ‘em.

Plenty of food and drink specials? Yep.

Crowds of football fans to share in the spirit and revelry? Absolutely.

Those crowds might be one of the few strikes against the sports bar -- it can be hard to find a table at times. But overall, the place offers everything for a diehard football fan. Sportsman’s Park offers the best features found in better sports bars in metropolitan areas.

Details: 417-659-8988.

Buffalo Wild Wings

430 Geneva Ave. (Seventh and Range Line)

We come for the wings, but we stay for the game. Buffalo Wild Wings offers a little bit of everything for the sports fan.

The Joplin location has plenty of TVs that show every game on Sunday. They are angled pretty high, so you don’t have to worry about getting a bad seat.

We wish the Joplin location would add portable speakers for tables. But then again, that may not matter, because the volume is usually cranked up loud enough to render even a table-side speaker useless.

But a wide open bar, good food and drink and other video-based activites such as trivia and poker make BWW a great place to spend a game day.

Details: 417-206-9464.

Gusano’s

3929 E. Seventh St.

Of all the places on our list, Gusano’s offers the most for the palate. Sure, there are plenty of TVs at Joplin’s latest and greatest pizza joint.

But what highlights the  restaurant is what comes from the kitchen and bar. The pizza at Gusano’s is excellent -- a Chicago-style pie will fill you up well.

The bar offers a wide variety of brews. And the restaurant’s smoke-free dining room will ensure your voice can handle three hours of screaming and yelling for your favorite team.

The restaurant’s WiFi is pretty solid, as well -- fantasy football fans will have no problems checking on their teams while feasting on a Carnivore Craze. Just keep the greasy fingers away from the keyboard.

Details: 417-623-9090.

Bayou

864 E U.S. Highway 60, Monett

During the Super Bowl, sportscasters talked about the crazy, passionate fan base of the New Orleans Saints. Those who want to see Saints fans firsthand can do so. Besides, they knew how to have a good time back when the reigning Super Bowl champs were terrible, so we can’t wait to see them now.

The Bayou is run by New Orleans natives who brought their knowledge of Cajun cuisine and culture. The restaurant is filled with authentic Big Easy ephemera, and diners can nosh on some of the best traditional New Orleans dishes -- the best muffuletta in Southwest Missouri can be ordered here.

The owners also brought their love of the New Orleans Saints with them -- there are plenty of fleur-de-lis and black and gold beads inside, as well as Southern hospitality.

Details: 417-235-7800.

Blackthorn Pizza & Pub

510 S. Joplin Ave.

It’s more about the camaraderie than the game at Blackthorn Pizza and Pub. The restaurant isn’t open on Sundays, but makes up for it during Monday Night Football.

Ever played Fingo? It’s a game that makes a game’s boring moments entertaining. The guys at Blackthorn run the game every Monday and offer free prizes.

The crowd is more laid back than the typical sports crowd -- you’re more likely to see fans of rival teams sitting at the same table at Blackthorn. No matter how rough a Monday starts, we’re pretty sure it will end well here.

Details: 417-623-2485.

Columbia Traders

420 S. Main St.

It’s tough to find a place in Joplin that shows football in a non-alcoholic environment. So it’s good that one of the only such places is a pretty good restaurant.

Columbia Traders is a favorite lunchtime spot for many in our newsroom. The deli’s sandwiches, cupcakes and coffee drinks keep us coming back. Throwing in a good football game to its regular offerings makes a perfect score.

The restaurant has only one TV, but it’s a big one with digital cable, and it is surrounded by comfy couches. Columbia Traders is probably the family-friendliest place to watch a game.

Details: 417-623-4111.

Your place

Inside your home

Let’s face it: Sometimes the worst part of a sports bar is all the other idiots screaming, cussing and showing how little they know about football.

That’s what makes your den the best place to cheer your favorite team. The food is always prepared just the way you like it. The drinks are always exactly what you want and mixed perfectly.

With the right gear, fantasy geeks can have laptops handy to track their team’s success. The seating is comfy and you are in charge of the remote -- not some manager who is trying to balance the requests from hordes of fervent fans. Kick back, relax and enjoy.

Details: It’s your number. If you forgot, call information.