I also recommend trying to convince them of going for a cash game. In an
earlier thread I complained about not convincing my friends to play a cash game. I finally turned the tables by doing two things:
1. Picking on guys who busted out early from the tournament, reminding them if it was a cash game then they wouldnt have to wait an hour or more for another game.
2. Setting up the cash blinds to promote the same buy-in as a tournament.
The key is that you play as long as you'd like, don't have to fool with timers, and even if your friends bust early, they are no worse off than a tournament.