I used to watch it when Comcrap had it off that sports tier thing but as soon as it went up on there I stopped.... I actually haven't really cared either... I mean sure, I miss being able to see a game like last nights but other than that I just never warmed up to it...I always felt like they were dissing us and guys like Sanders just annoyed me. I did enjoy the cheerleader competitions though
There are 2 sides to the story between cable compnies and NFLN-here is the cable company's side (since I am an employee of one of them). Cable channels, networks, etc. are paid a licensing fee by the cable companies to air their signals. The price is typically based on the amount of coverage they will receive and number of subscribers that the cable company has. ESPN, for example, is the most expensive group of channels out there. They provide 12-15 channels, though (ESPN, ESPN2, Classic, News, ESPNU, plus the College Football and Basketball packages). When the NFL Network was founded, they charged typical cable channel fees, the same as say MTV or or Discovery. Once they grew a little, in their 3rd year of existence, NFLN decided they were worth ESPN money, without providing any more than they had provided for their first 3 years, except now they had live games. They cable company I work for (I won't say who) countered with "okay, we'll pay that, but we are going to move you to a special sports package that costs 5 bucks a month to offset the cost". With that package, you also get 10 other sports channels as well. NFLN got their panties in a bunch and started demanding that ALL cable companies provide their programming on BASIC cable. This would bring them more money, because again, they get paid per subscriber and availability. And this is where we are today-neither side wants to back down or compromise. Both sides are equally at fault, but NFLN has a rather high opinion of itself and has caused the root of the problem. IMHO, of course. I think this is my longest post ever.
NFL and Concast is in court right now debating that issue. Hopefully the NFL will win and those of you that still have Comcast can watch the games.
Honestly, its not the worst thing in the world to have to go to a bar and watch the game. Its louder and a hell of a lot more fun. I was at one for the game yesterday. We gotta be able to stop the instant gratification at home babying that we've been used to.
I started this thread and now I will hijack it: As much as I hate the NFL Network, I hate the DirecTV/Sunday Ticket more! I have cable and would like the Sunday Ticket. But as we all know, you need Directv to get the Sunday ticket, even though many homes cannot receive dish signals due to trees and other technical obstacles. On the bright side, I watched the 1st half of the jets/Pats game at a bar. I drank 2 Guinesses, talked to some people, was able to watch the Canes game as well, and had a swell time. Same for Sundays. No Sunday Ticket, so I go to a bar and get drunk and interact with other people. I enjoy it, but I want the OPTION to watch these games at home.
What about the kids that aren't 21? What about people that got kids at home and can't leave them for the bar? I mean, it's really not an option for a lot of people. These prime time games should be available to everyone if the league doesn't want to alienate.
Instant gratification is what drives new inventions and new technology. We all love things that are instant!
I was hoping the game could have ended in a tie, and at the end of the year, the Jets and Pats would both finish a half game beinhd us.
I find it hilarious that Mangenious apparently thought there was no way the Pats could score on them with a little over a minute left to play, using a Prevent Defense. Brilliant I say, Brilliant!
This is why I no longer have cable with comcast. Right before the preseason last year they took NFL network out of my already 80 dollar a month digital cable package and made it cost more. I've been enjoying Sunday Ticket ever since. I anxiously await the day though [if it ever comes] when there is competition for out of region game packages and the price comes down.
Direct TV has lots of issues where I live, the signal is not good and the internet connectivity is still slow because they can't use the cable here...yet. This is why I pay the extra $5 a month. To me I'm getting my moneys worth, like they say, it's football 24/7. But it's also why I go into my local cable co's office every month to pay my bill and remind them that sattelite TV isn't far in my future. Just about 6 mos-1yr and they'll have the fiber-optic lines laid out in my neck o the woods and then bye bye cable, Hello Sunday Ticket. I for one would love to see pay per view, especially if I could by a "season ticket" to the Dolphins games, that would be beachin.
See I heard it was a different story. That the NFLN is charging Cable companies 40¢ a susbscriber per day, while nornal stations like CNN are charging like 22¢ per subscriber. The NFLN is insisting that its channel be on basic, so to recoup the money, the cable companies would then have to charge lots of money to show local ads that no one wants to pay in advertising. So the Cable companies wanted to put it on a "tier" for $ 5 a month. The NFLN balked at that idea, and insisted that it be shown as a basic channel. And there is the problem.....that until the cable companies agree to leave the channel on a basic plan, the NFLN is blocking the cable networks access to the station. Now how much of this story is right and how much is bull ? This was related to me from a friend.
Not being able to watch games isnt a new thing...obviously its easier to sit and watch it at home....thats not the point. I am trying to emphasize the exact opposite - we have gotten too used to sitting at home watching games. Its the same complacency that is keeping the stands empty at home games. So what if its more work, so what if you cant be a creature of comfort, so what if not everybody can do it all of the time. But just as there are noisy bars to watch a game for the of-age crowd, there are family establishments as well. If you feel like you cannot afford to go out, or if its truly not an option, that shouldnt take away from the people that can and choose to as well. In short, the football experience is dying in my eyes, the enjoyment of the process is dying, and its because of our insatiable demand for instant satisfaction and ultimate comfort. Sometimes, if you remember from football games before the fantasy football age, its the process of going out, being amongst other people, being uncomfortable, that you get a 'complete' football experience.
I'll live my life my way, and you can live your life your way. If the technology is there (and it is), there's nothing wrong with a person who wants to watch the games in the comfort of his own home. The football experience is dying? I think you're overreacting a bit. You might like socializing with other football fans. I might not. You live your life and I'll live mine.
And I remember the days 2 games per Sunday, 1 on Monday night and no Sunday night games. All you got was 3 and you were happy to get those Geeeeeesh....the younger generation !
Its true, you are more than entitled to watch/experience football the way you want. But the experience is changing, and in my eyes, for the worse...there is no denying that. A loss is much tougher on me when Im at the stadium than when im at home. I think this holds true for many people as well. There is something about doing that extra amount of effort that forges a passion that you cannot replicate when your at home. You can tune off in a loss, you can watch a more exciting game, you have options...but not at the stadium...not at a packed bar with your fellow fans. No one hurts more than me when that stadium isnt packed and rocking...and that is my basis for why the football experience is dying. Its complacency. Its tied into technology. If your going to take a stance and want to stay at home, thats fine, but dont go and criticize it when the stadium isnt full anymore, or the fan base isnt as passionate anymore.
I don't feel the football experience is dying. Stadiums are getting larger and larger and are still being sold out. I got to the Green Turtle in Laurel MD and that place is always packed on Sundays. Maybe if you live in So. FLA your opinion may be a bit skewed, but the NFL is the most popular sport in our country and is visibly so.
Im not sure why you think people are not attending games around the NFL. check out this: ESPN - 2008 NFL Football Attendance - National Football League Those are some pretty healthy league-wide attendance figures. Miami is at the bottom with respect to home game attendance % (86%), but those are excellent league-wide numbers.
We're tied with Atlanta for worst percentage of attendance. Wow. But in fairness, after both teams season's last year, this should be expected. We'll see what it turns out to be at the end of the season with both teams surging past expectations.