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NFL Sunday Ticket Going to Supreme Court

Discussion in 'Miami Dolphins Forum' started by KeyFin, Mar 7, 2020.

  1. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    There's been a class action against the NFL and Direct TV for years now on their monopoly on seeing NFL games, and that case is finally scheduled to his the courts this week. At the same time, however, Direct TV is hinting at changing the programming for the Sunday Ticket for the 2020 season.

    What's it mean for us? I don't know. If the courts side with the "fans" represented in this case, it's possible they make games available online on a team by team basis or force Direct TV to do the same. I've personally thought about canceling the subscription for years now but I'm pretty darn sure I'll never actually do it because I love football so much...so this ruling will be interesting. They did just renew the partnership until 2023 so Direct is "locked" in an exclusive deal for another 3 years unless the courts break it.

    The "fans" are alleging that it's illegal to force us to buy a subscription for every single game (for every team) when fans clearly don't watch every weekly game....they claim it violates antitrust laws. They also argue bias based on location and that with today's technology, a Baltimore fan living in Miami should be able to watch his Baltimore team play each week without relying on illegal streams.

    https://www.espn.com/nfl/story/_/id/28838824/nfl-seeks-us-supreme-court-review-case-aimed-sunday-ticket
     
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  2. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    As a Phins fan who has never lived in Miami or needed/wanted Direct TV or the full Ticket, I hope the fans take it.

    No reason the NFL can't let Amazon or whomever stream a game for like $5. Though knowing how greedy they all get, I am sure they will aim high.
     
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  3. resnor

    resnor Derp Sherpa

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    I used a site last season that streamed every NFL game for free. Played in my phone browser, and used airplay to send it to my TV. Games were HD quality. I'm never paying for Sunday Ticket ever again. Had paid for Sunday Ticket got almost 15 years because I'm a Dolphins fan living in NH.
     
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  4. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    No reason why Direct TV shouldn't break up Streaming, have team packages, and also sell by game.
     
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  5. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    Yeah, I've been paying for the Sunday Ticket for over a decade and it's like $380 this coming year. It's just ridiculous and they could probably make more money selling team subscriptions for like $99 or $129 for the season. I don't mind paying, but forcing me to own the right to watch 16 games for all 32 teams is just wrong.

    I don't have great internet since I'm in the countryside in South Carolina...otherwise I'd use the free streams as well. I did watch McGreggor's latest fight on a free stream though and the quality was excellent, so I'm hoping 5G launches nationwide soon and everybody can just stream the games. That would force the NFL/Direct TV to rethink their price gouging.
     
  6. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    There was word last year that the league could, should they choose to, sell fans the games via online streaming starting in 2020, regardless of what they do with Sunday Ticket. We should learn a lot more about that as soon as they figure out the CBA and sign the new broadcast contracts with the networks.

    There's also the fact that AT&T is intentionally gradually killing DirecTV and trying to force people into their other streaming service instead, so that could also of course have a big impact on how things go.
     
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  7. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    It's archaic in 2020 so I support this lawsuit. I wish this would apply to EA and Madden as well, because that's been a stinking turd of a series for as long as I can remember, and us football fans deserve better.
     
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  8. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    I am in the woods in Carolina also... I use reddit to stream and watch from my laptop and the quality has been excellent. CBS all access and my Amazon prime account give me games online to stream also and the quality is excellent. I would never pay for direct TV.... **** them
     
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  9. jpep13

    jpep13 Coach Of The Year Club Member

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    I do believe NfL can opt out after the 2020, Alot of misinformation on this as well. After 16 years finally cancelled my directv satellite, I won't even touch that crap app, I have a great new Iptv that is stable and watched some games on it as I had sunday ticket this past season. Even with my discounts just had enough with Direct, Also planning to move hopefully sometime this year and didn't want to sign another 2 yr agreement. I will also look at other options as well.
     
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  10. Puka-head

    Puka-head My2nd Fav team:___vs Jets Club Member

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    You have to believe the NFL knows it can make billions more by making more choices avaialable. You want all the games Pay XYZ, You want all the AFC east games, pay XY. Only want jest games, seek counseling, and pay X. So easy.
     
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  11. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    They were allegedly weighing the benefit of selling things in various ways, which fans would obviously love a lot more, vs the potential of making more off of Sunday Ticket by keeping it exclusive. My personal guess would be that selling it both ways would make them more money, but apparently its not that clear cut to the league office, because they get the huge chunk right up front if they keep doing it the way that they have been. DirecTV has been paying them 1.5 billion dollars every single year since 2014 to keep it exclusive. If the league were to sell the streaming rights to people for $100 to watch just their team, like MLB does, they would need to get 15 million people to sign on to equal that, and the estimates are that only about 2 million people pay for the service via DirecTV.
     
  12. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    And now this morning I read a story that says AT&T might kill or sell off DirecTV all together as soon as their contract with the NFL is over. So its highly likely that things are going to change in the not too distant future one way or another regardless.
     
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  13. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    I read the other day that they're open to a merger/acquisition with Dish if it could get past the FCC, which isn't likely. Their short-term goal is to focus on their new streaming service and phase out Direct TV and U-Verse completely by moving customers to the new streaming platform. They also know that rural folks can't make that switch so Direct will be around a few more years at least....satellite internet and 5G will both guarantee worldwide high speed internet in the next few years.
     
  14. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    I think that streaming has changed the game... There is a new paradigm... Direct Ticket is going to go the way of the Dinosaur. As more and more streaming options become available and the quality of those streams improves... There is just less need for Direct Ticket. The tech has changed what is possible. Direct TV is going to be like Blockbuster... The technology improved we got Netflix and RedBox... and Then Blockbuster went out of business.
     
  15. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I'll believe it when I see it, lol. I had satellite internet from around 2006-2017. It was awful, but it was all that I could get. And while I'm less rural now than I was then, cell phone service where I live is still spotty - sometimes 4 bars, sometimes 1.
     
  16. Dol-Fan Dupree

    Dol-Fan Dupree Tank? Who is Tank? I am Guy Incognito.

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    Blockbuster would have probably stayed in business if it embraced streaming.

    Turned down the opportunity to buy Netflix.

    Also having a model where your main source of income is punishing people did not help.

    If Direct TV can be the sole source of streaming mfl at a decent cost they could thrive, imo. Just create multiple packages.
     
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  17. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    No, this is a completely different type of satellite internet....they're lower in orbit and Tesla is launching a total of 1800 satellites worldwide to cover the entire Earth. They already have 900+ in orbit and the rest are launching this year. Their model will be like $29/month for unlimited internet with plans of eliminating all competition....early testing is on 5G levels (average 1+ gig/sec download speeds). So once they actually launch, it changes everything for home internet.
     
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  18. Tin Indian

    Tin Indian Rockin' The Bottom End Club Member

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    Let me tell you something, even living in Florida doesn't guarantee that you can see Dolphin games. Ever since Jacksonville came into the league since I live in Brevard County I get my CBS Affliliate out of Orlando and since they broadcast within 50 miles of Jacksonville the NFL's archaic rules dictate they must show Jaguars games. If I lived 15 miles south I'd be in a different county and would have the Dolphins games on. I used to have Direct TV but it went to heck after AT&T bought it. I had ditched Sunday Ticket several years before that. Struck me as a load that I had to pay for a bunch of games I have no interest in watching.

    The situation really ticked me off last year when here I am living in Central Florida and there was only 4 games on all year! That's just not right. So I hope the Supreme Court smacks them down hard. I would gladly pay for an NFL Stream of just Miami games when they weren't on regular TV. It seems so obvious to do it.
     
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  19. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    Tin Indian

    A good digital antenna on your roof will allow you to get the CBS channel 50 miles a way in the next county... You can get all of the Dolphin games you want. Living in Florida with that much population you will likely pick up three or four different CBS affiliates.
     
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  20. M1NDCRlME

    M1NDCRlME Fear The Spear

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    Yep. I'm in Orlando so I feel your pain on this one. The SOBs designated us as their secondary market. It used to be that the Jags were so bad that WKMG showed the Phins games when the Jags were at home, but were still forced to broadcast the road games (the blackout rule actually helped us). Unfortunately, as you said that changed last season and it seems like we're stuck with them. I'm holding out hope that WHEN the Phins are good again we'll start seeing them on local TV again. In the mean time, the Jags can kiss my *** (I'll never get over what they did to Marino & the Phins) and I'll watch RedZone. The only time I'll watch the Jags is when they play the Phins.
    If they decided to breakout streaming for individual teams for a reasonble price then I'll but the Phins package, if not, RedZone, unofficial streams, and going to the bar will continue to be the way I watch.
     
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  21. invid

    invid Season Ticket Holder Club Member

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    Or...










    Just put the games on the interwebz.
     
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  22. The_Dark_Knight

    The_Dark_Knight Defender of the Truth

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    Can’t speak much to the lawsuit as I haven’t followed it much but as to DTV, I can DEFINITELY speak to since I am a wire tech for AT&T.

    Effective 1 March, AT&T is no longer selling new subscriptions to U-verse IPTV, instead focusing on its new Osprey box, better known as AT&T TV. It’s a streaming service that requires only internet service, 25mg or higher.

    As for DTV, there’s not going to be any big push for bundled packages with AT&T internet service, although it will be available. Just not a big push for it.

    AT&T has been trying to sell DTV, particularly to Dish Network, but they don’t even want any part of it. AT&T spent $48 billion on DTV in hopes of cornering the market on in home entertainment but discovered their plan wasn’t going to produce the profit they were hoping. As it stands, DTV has a contract with the NFL for Sunday ticket through 2023 I believe.

    The only downside I potentially see in steaming subscriptions is teams with a significant higher fan base ie; Dallas, New England etc would see higher subscriptions than teams with a lower fan base such as Jacksonville or Detroit. Profit sharing will become an issue. The league will get their cut and teams with the higher fan base will profit more than those with a lower fan base, setting the stage for further lawsuits for inequality.

    What’s the answer? I don’t really know. Should Detroit receive equal profit for fan based subscriptions that Dallas generates? Seems a bit unfair. Produce a better product but it’s difficult to produce a better product when the teams with the bottomless war chests are able to attract the better talent.

    If the NFL goes to a streaming subscription, I suspect we’ll eventually see a coaching staff salary cap to level out that playing field. This way teams with the larger war chest won’t be able to arbitrarily out spend the smaller market teams
     
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  23. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I subscribe to MLB TV, just to watch the games my team (the Cubs) play. It has to be out of market, which complicates things for some people depending on where you live, but its run through MLB itself and not the team. I believe that all of the profits made through their streaming service are shared equally among the 30 teams. I see no reason why the NFL couldn't do something similar if they wanted to.
     
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  24. texanphinatic

    texanphinatic Senior Member

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    MLB TV was pretty solid. A comparably priced NFL package might get my attention.
     
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  25. Tin Indian

    Tin Indian Rockin' The Bottom End Club Member

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    You and I are on exactly the same page here. I could have written that myself.
     
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  26. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I would quickly and gladly pay double what I do for that ($120) for the ability to watch all of the Dolphins games from my home.
     
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  27. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    Wait...

    You pay $120.... for what?

    Jesus I cut the cord with cable a decade ago and got rid of my television what 5 or 6 years ago... I bought a big screen on my computer and I can watch what I want on there now.. for free. My internet is expensive though $49 a month...I do write that off through my business though.
     
  28. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    My biggest problem with Direct TV isn't even the Sunday Ticket....it's that the prices for everything just keeps going up. We have a mid tier package with locals and HBO (which is free for having cellular with them) and my bill these days is around $185/month out of football season and $240ish in-season.

    I honestly think we'd be fine with a satellite antennae and Netflix for a total of $15/month, plus we have Prime so we could check out Amazon's streaming. I also have Verizon for my work phone/laptop so I have free Disney+ for a year...I just can't justify Direct TV's prices anymore and I completely understand why people are "cutting the cord". Internet is okay in my area but it's all cellular, so for the moment we're just waiting on 5G or the next-gen satellite stuff to give up on AT&T.

    The $200/month average doesn't make or break us...it's just ridiculous to pay that much these days since most of us get news from our phones/computers anyway.
     
  29. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    185 off season and 240 in season

    Holy ****.

    I have Verizon prepaid... unlimited talk and text and something like 10g internet Which I never use on my phone.. $40 a month I have 200 mg internet for $49 a month. I have amazon and Youtube premium... I use both of them for my business... Together they cost me an extra $25 a month... With You Tube premium I get google music for free. Which allowed me to kill my Spotify and save that 10 bucks

    There is supposed to be a way to watch Television on youtube... I watched the Superbowl at a friend's house this year through youtube... I am not tech-savvy so I am not sure how they did it.

    I am painting and refinishing the floors in my living room next month after that I will get a flat screen to hang by the fireplace. I plan on rocking out a good digital antenna... and whatever benefit I can get from streaming Amazon, and Youtube... Someone I know has been trying to get me to buy a firestick they claim they can jailbreak it for extra channels...

    There is only so much television I can watch.

    Cell phone, internet, television services, satellite radio, and youtube combined cost me about $120 a month. And I think that is too much...

    When I hear of people paying $240 a month... It blows my mind.
     
  30. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    This was the first year where we could actually stream video reliably at home...until now it's been a gamble if you'd have internet or not. There's millions in rural areas that doesn't have the choice of cutting cords. Heck, I've had Amazon Prime for 10 years now and access to Prime Video...yet never even logged into the streaming because of home internet. Until now, I've always watched Netflix on my phone for that reason as well.

    One other thing though- it sounds like you're single. I have a family of 5, plus a cabin on my property with my 85 year old dad. Cutting the cord is a lot more complicated when it's not just you or a spouse that watch TV together.
     
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  31. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I pay $120 a year to watch every Chicago Cubs game online, with the exception of those against my "local" team, the Washington Nationals, and when they are on national TV. I watch them both on my laptop and on my TV through my PS4 with an app. And the picture quality of the games on MLBTV is better than the ones on cable. I would be delighted if I were able to do the same thing with the Dolphins.
     
  32. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    I lived in a rural area from 2005 through 2018 before my wife and I built a new house. Now, we have access to Comcast, and broadband for the first time. I totally get the plight of those who are without it. I felt very, very left behind for a long time. Thankfully, my local electrical coop plans to bring fiber to every house that they serve within the next four years. They've been at it for a year and are making good progress. When they get to me, I plan to drop Comcast and go internet only. While I watch sports on TV, and shows on ESPN, NFL Network, MLB network and other channels like Nat Geo and Science, my wife and kids don't at all. Everything they do is via Netflix, Prime or Youtube.
     
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  33. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    I am divorced... The Roku is here from when I was married... If I had a wife and kids now... I mean I would hang a new television in the living room I had a huge big screen television before. There would be all the local cable channels for free via the antenna on the roof.... Amazon and Youtube... and if kids were here I would spring for netflix... Maybe I am a codgy old bastard... But I feel that is more than enough television. I have friends that get every channel and Disney and all of the streaming services... It is insane

    I find I am in the extreme minority with the women I date and friends I have...There is no way I would allow my kid to have a cell phone until they were 14 and had a part time job to help pay for it. I see 6 year old kids now with I phones that cost $5-600 it blows my mind.

    Sweet Jesus...
     
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  34. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    My 8-year old is whining that she doesn't have a phone. No way. She has a tablet and that's enough. We told her that we'll re-evaluate when she gets to high school.
     
  35. KeyFin

    KeyFin Well-Known Member

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    The only reason I've held onto Direct TV this long is Sunday Ticket...so if I cancel that then I'm canceling Direct as well. AT&T has a new streaming service for a fraction of Direct TV so I'll likely check that out once we have whole-home internet. I really need to check out routers to see if I can put together a solution, but unfortunately that takes time and I don't have that at the moment. My internet is a 4G LTE box that averages 12-15M download speeds so I think I can make it work.

    For those interested, Samsung TV's come with about 50-75 channels built in...nothing local and not major networks, but there's enough to watch if you don't have anything else. For instance, I watched a League of Legends tournament on a free channel for a little while the other night and that was surprisingly entertaining...one teen cried when he messed up and it brought me to tears laughing. LOL! Lots of free nature and Nat Geo/History Channel types of programming on Samsung as well.
     
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  36. Unlucky 13

    Unlucky 13 Team Raheem Club Member

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    My former TV (a Sumsung) died a few months ago, and I replaced it with a LG. It seems like it has a bunch of channels built in as well, but I can't figure out how to make it work. I use the Netflix and Prime apps with no issue, but these are in a different area.
     
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  37. Puka-head

    Puka-head My2nd Fav team:___vs Jets Club Member

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    Even if they do offer a Miami only stream, I'll probably still keep going to the End Zone, my local pub, for games. I've been the only Dolphin fan in a Shehack Fader, and strangely Viqueen bar for 16 yrs now. They made a spot for me in the corner with my own TV and sound, even put up some Dolphin decorations and let me hang up a Ricky jersey. Killer Bloody Marys for 10 am kickoffs. Made a lot of good friends there. And they don't get scared when I start yelling and throwing my hat at the TV like my girlz do, they run and hide in their rooms when I watch at home so...

    And then I'll watch it at home
     
  38. Etrius24

    Etrius24 Well-Known Member

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    Sounds like a great place to watch a game actually.
     
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  39. Puka-head

    Puka-head My2nd Fav team:___vs Jets Club Member

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    It's a dive really, but they will put on every game theres a fan to watch. When the Shehacks are on they get most of the screens but they made a separate area for all the Fader fans 10-30 of them usually and since its a military base suburb town there are fans from every team represented at some point. Now that I think about it however I don't think I've ever seen a jester fan. That's funny.
     
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