I think I've been to one good baseball game (because of bottom of 9th comeback), but all the others were boring, to the point where the crowd was more interested in the beach ball being bumped around the stands. So what's the point of going to a game? You can't possibly see if the pitcher is throwing strikes or balls. On tv a pitching duel is great. But in the stadium? I'm afraid I don't get it.
Football on the other hand must be watched in person. On television you only really get to watch a portion of what is going on. You really don't get a good feel for all the positional battles that are going on all day.
I prefer TV to be honest...i like to go to baseball games though since Brewer games are relatively inexpensive. Plus I enjoy the atmosphere. Now a days, the way TVs have become watching sports at home is far more exciting than it ever has been.
I would agree in most cases that watching on television is often more enjoyable, but there are exceptions. There's nothing like attending a Red Sox/Yankees game. I'm assuming Cubs/Cardinals, Dodgers/Giants and other rivalries are just as exciting in person. Televison is great, more so nowadays with HD, but you can't beat the atmosphere for a great rivalry matchup.
I prefer going to games over TV...for big games the atmosphere is always great, and in general it's just nice to be outside and see things in person. I also think it's a great place to take a girl -- enough down time to talk, not constantly loud like football games.
The thing I hate about football games live is the sheer amount of TV timeouts. Really interrupts the flow.
I think it makes a big difference where you're sitting at the game. Sitting in the upper deck where the players look like ants is a lot different than box seats.
Plus, a big part of going to games is just to take in the atmosphere. The hot dogs, all that.