I admit that I am a pretty easy target. It goes without saying that when you are as big of a nerd as I am, friends and family will joke freely at your expense. I get this and take it in stride, sometimes even considering the good-natured tough time I am given as flattery. With the help of social media, something that I own that my friends like to make fun of me for has gained some traction.

I own one television. While it is not a black and white rabbit ears set, it is not a 60 inch plasma TV either. The television I own is a 27 inch Sony Trinitron, a relic I bought in the dorms over seven years ago for $100. I purchased it from someone who lived on the same floor as me and at the time after the transaction I thought I had a movie theater screen in my room. I used the TV through my whole college career and continued to use it as I entered the professional workforce as well. It has traveled with me to each different place I have lived. With 2014 here, I still have it set up front and center in my living room.

Here is my famous Sony Trinitron television set I have owned for over seven years.

I have come to grips with that fact that it is nearing the end. The picture has become increasingly grainy. Frequently I have to go behind the big box set (who needs a flat screen?) and fiddle with a cord to make it viewable. It is not accessible with many of the new appliances and systems out there. Compared to what has been out on the market for the past five years, it looks like an oversized antique.

But do I care? Not really.

The same can’t be said for my guests. When I have people over, they can’t get past the “ancient” box sitting in front of them. Looking at me with a confused and slightly agitated look they will exclaim something along the lines of “Are you serious?!” I usually will just tell them the standard response I have down by memory: You know, I don’t put a lot of weight on material possessions and I don’t watch that much TV to begin with except for sports.

Me in front of my scrutinized TV.

That response only gets me so far though. My friends will then counter with the belief that the only way to watch sports on television is through a large high definition plasma screen. They will then twist the knife even more by saying that someone like me who works in athletics for a living and who only watches sports has absolutely no excuse to view the action through a TV that looks like it came out of a dumpster.

My friend Shaun Rainey called me out via Twitter on my TV when he came over to watch football.

A year ago my response to my “But do I care?” question about my underwhelming television would be a big, fat “NO”. But as you see from my response above, it has changed to a “not really”. Because my TV is actually starting to malfunction a little bit and because of the pressure I have received from guests, I am going to start looking to upgrade. I think the time has come. In the end what it all comes down to is the comfort level for the people I invite over. Although I know I will love the new TV I end up purchasing, I honestly could live with the one I have for another ten years. But I want to keep my friends coming over to my place. I don’t want them to not enjoy hanging out at my apartment because my television falls well below their standards. When I am entertaining, I want to make the experience of my guests the best possible and if that means getting with the times by purchasing a new television, it will be worth it.

So, I ask you all: What type of new television should I go for? Where should I buy it from? Any special info you have on good deals? Any help would be much appreciated and if you do offer me some good tips, you can expect an invitation to enjoy a game with me on my nice, new TV. Don’t Blink.