Comments on: The NFL Should Bench Its Blackout Rules http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/ ...Musings, Commentary, Opinions, and Drivel Mon, 23 Jan 2012 20:30:13 -0500 hourly 1 http://wordpress.org/?v=3.3.1 By: joe fan http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-6966 joe fan Sun, 10 Oct 2010 22:29:52 +0000 http://www.cleverdonkey.com?p=106#comment-6966 As an Alameda county resident, I have been paying for the Oakland Colosseum upgrade though our taxes. (thank you Don Perata). So , I buy the NFL ticket on Direct TV and low and behold black rules still apply . Still ! Strike two . The NFL is filthy rich with all TV endorsements intact . Also Personal Seat License (PSL's) has it's flaws. Strike three. I'm out ! As an Alameda county resident, I have been paying for the Oakland Colosseum upgrade though our taxes. (thank you Don Perata).
So , I buy the NFL ticket on Direct TV and low and behold black rules still apply . Still !
Strike two .
The NFL is filthy rich with all TV endorsements intact .
Also
Personal Seat License (PSL’s) has it’s flaws.
Strike three. I’m out !

]]> By: Matt http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-6748 Matt Wed, 18 Aug 2010 03:25:13 +0000 http://www.cleverdonkey.com?p=106#comment-6748 This is a really well-written piece on this subject. I completely agree that the NFL is shooting itself in the foot with this policy. I'm not sure how blacking out games the local team is playing is going to increase interest in the team. Sounds kind of backwards to me lol. Also stupid is that Jacksonville is allowed to cover up seats and create an artificially low capacity number to help the team avoid blackouts (even then it hasn't helped too much, but having this rule and then allowing teams to cover up seats and not count them is so beyond stupid it's laughable). Back in the old days, MLB teams oftentimes did not broadcast games on local TV because they felt it hurt home attendance. While this may be true, hurting your TV audience is a lot worse of a situation to be in. Also, by not having games on TV you are eliminating any chance you have of bringing in fans who are curious about the team, but have not taken the dive to become "fans." And those who may not even realize they like the team and/or sport before they came across a game on TV. MLB today also has the stupid rule for its online offerings - mlb.tv - in that games are blacked out in so many markets. Like when I lived in Knoxville, Tenn., Cincinnati Reds games were blacked out even though none of their games were on local TV. I understood Atlanta Braves games being blacked out because they were on local TV, but Reds games made no sense whatsoever. And I believe there are around six (six!) teams who have games blacked out throughout the state of Iowa even though most of them don't even broadcast games there. Some of these leagues need to get a clue. This is a really well-written piece on this subject. I completely agree that the NFL is shooting itself in the foot with this policy. I’m not sure how blacking out games the local team is playing is going to increase interest in the team. Sounds kind of backwards to me lol.

Also stupid is that Jacksonville is allowed to cover up seats and create an artificially low capacity number to help the team avoid blackouts (even then it hasn’t helped too much, but having this rule and then allowing teams to cover up seats and not count them is so beyond stupid it’s laughable).

Back in the old days, MLB teams oftentimes did not broadcast games on local TV because they felt it hurt home attendance. While this may be true, hurting your TV audience is a lot worse of a situation to be in. Also, by not having games on TV you are eliminating any chance you have of bringing in fans who are curious about the team, but have not taken the dive to become “fans.” And those who may not even realize they like the team and/or sport before they came across a game on TV.

MLB today also has the stupid rule for its online offerings – mlb.tv – in that games are blacked out in so many markets. Like when I lived in Knoxville, Tenn., Cincinnati Reds games were blacked out even though none of their games were on local TV. I understood Atlanta Braves games being blacked out because they were on local TV, but Reds games made no sense whatsoever. And I believe there are around six (six!) teams who have games blacked out throughout the state of Iowa even though most of them don’t even broadcast games there.

Some of these leagues need to get a clue.

]]> By: Richard http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-6743 Richard Sun, 15 Aug 2010 17:30:01 +0000 http://www.cleverdonkey.com?p=106#comment-6743 They black out their own network now too. I could be watching the 49ers preseason game on NFL network right now, except it is blacked out, and I live in Tennessee. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the NFL's blackout rules. Richard They black out their own network now too. I could be watching the 49ers preseason game on NFL network right now, except it is blacked out, and I live in Tennessee. There is absolutely no rhyme or reason to the NFL’s blackout rules.
Richard

]]> By: EngineerBoy http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-6740 EngineerBoy Sat, 14 Aug 2010 21:46:02 +0000 http://www.cleverdonkey.com?p=106#comment-6740 James, I agree 100%, and I still don't understand what the NFL is thinking. One thing that has changed since I posted the original article is that the NFL has really started focusing on the NFL Network, and I wonder if part of their long-term plan might be to try to get the majority of games on their own network, or something. Otherwise, I agree, they are driving away all but the most die-hard fans by trying to force them to watch the team that is geographically closest (assuming they even sell out at home). I keep waiting for NFL to change, but they never do, and in fact seem to keep making things worse as time passes. Scott James,

I agree 100%, and I still don’t understand what the NFL is thinking. One thing that has changed since I posted the original article is that the NFL has really started focusing on the NFL Network, and I wonder if part of their long-term plan might be to try to get the majority of games on their own network, or something. Otherwise, I agree, they are driving away all but the most die-hard fans by trying to force them to watch the team that is geographically closest (assuming they even sell out at home).

I keep waiting for NFL to change, but they never do, and in fact seem to keep making things worse as time passes.

Scott

]]> By: James http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-6739 James Sat, 14 Aug 2010 20:35:29 +0000 http://www.cleverdonkey.com?p=106#comment-6739 I didn't realize that the NFL actually blacked out some out of market games in a local market, meaning that some local Fox or CBS are showing oh, let's say elderly knitting while an exciting game is going on elsewhere. That's just stupid. Why can't both networks show a doubleheader every week in every market if they want to? Limiting exposure in today's cable satalite, internet world just means people will have plenty of other things to do besides go to the local game. Plus it's possible to find unauthorized live streaming of most major sports games on the internet if you know where to look. Limiting the number of legal broadcasts will only take away from those providers while turning off all but the most die hard fans. I didn’t realize that the NFL actually blacked out some out of market games in a local market, meaning that some local Fox or CBS are showing oh, let’s say elderly knitting while an exciting game is going on elsewhere.
That’s just stupid. Why can’t both networks show a doubleheader every week in every market if they want to? Limiting exposure in today’s cable satalite, internet world just means people will have plenty of other things to do besides go to the local game.

Plus it’s possible to find unauthorized live streaming of most major sports games on the internet if you know where to look. Limiting the number of legal broadcasts will only take away from those providers while turning off all but the most die hard fans.

]]> By: msc http://www.cleverdonkey.com/106-the-nfl-should-bench-its-blackout-rules/comment-page-1/#comment-565 msc Sun, 09 Nov 2008 18:00:45 +0000 http://www.cleverdonkey.com?p=106#comment-565 If live in the NY/NJ area you hardly ever get the third game, the NFL is nuts with its home team protection racket. The stadium attendence will not suffer if third game is on tv! If live in the NY/NJ area you hardly ever get the third game, the NFL is nuts with its home team protection racket. The stadium attendence will not suffer if third game is on tv!

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