NFL Rant

I have to vent....

Have you heard that the NFL 'game of the year' between the Packers and the Cowboys will only be broadcast on the NFL Network? I sure have. People all over are pissed that they can't see the game because they don't have the channel. Knowing what you know about me you may think that I would be one of them....

No so fast!

Am I annoyed that I can't watch the game? Yeah, a little bit. I'll live though.

Why does everyone think that viewing all football games is their God given right? Last I checked, the NFL was a business, not a government provided service. If they wanted to go pay-per-view for EVERY game they could. Remember blackouts? Up to around 2004 here in Seattle they were commonplace. Since the game wasn't sold out the local market couldn't see it. Their business, their call. If they felt that they were losing money because of it, they would have stopped it.

But boy, people are pissed at the NFL Network.

A few years ago, Carrie and I checked out the HBO series, Entourage, after a recommendation by a friend. We got the first season DVD and loved it. We loved it so much we stepped up paid for HBO so we didn't have wait for the next episodes. If this game is such 'must see' you can get it, you just need to pay for it. Simple as that. Comcast around here offers it in a package, or if you live in the boonies, get a dish...

Can you even get Monday Night Football on ESPN anymore if you don't pay for cable? You don't hear a peep about that.

The NFL wants their network on basic cable. The cable companies don't want to pay the higher than usual fee that the NFL is demanding. Both are selling a product. We the consumer are in the middle. In my mind, the only way this will change is if enough people totally cancel their cable and boycott the NFL Network (not going to the dish as Jerry Jones suggests) Then maybe the NFLN would lower their price and Comcast would agree to put them on basic. Will it happen?

Never.