used be that way. it was a pain in the ass with pop ups, the buffering and losing the feed altogether but that was years ago. some of those issues you mention could still happen even (internet connection, ect) with those "legal" sites but just as everything else internet related they have advanced as well. now, I can watch a game in HD until the end although you do deal with some delay, not minutes by any means but at least 30-45 seconds.
not going to guarantee you or anyone else would have the same success but for me it has been my Sunday ticket for years.