What do these places have in common?
Bloomington, Indiana; Indianapolis; Champaign, Illinois
And what do these places have in common?
Davenport, Iowa; North central Iowa; Japan
The first three are places where yesterday's game telecast was blacked out, according to reports from BCB readers in the game thread. The last three are places where BCB readers reported they could watch the game (and in Davenport, cwyers noted that he had both the CSN and TBS feeds).
So let me get this straight. MLB's ridiculous TV blackout policy prevented Cubs fans in the Midwest from watching the game, but dragonsfanatic reported from Japan that he was able to watch the game -- seeing the CSN feed on his satellite channel.
I hesitate to start being a Johnny-one-note on this topic, but hey -- I've got an online soapbox here and I have really strong feelings about this, so why the heck not.
This makes absolutely no sense. How does preventing Cubs fans in Champaign, Bloomington and Indianapolis from watching yesterday's game -- either on the Chicago feed from CSN or the national TBS telecast -- protect anyone's interest? All it accomplished was having fewer sets of eyeballs for either or both telecasts, thus diminishing the ratings numbers -- and possibly lowering advertising rates -- and having pissed-off Cubs fans who couldn't watch the game.
Meanwhile, cwyers had his choice of telecasts in the Quad Cities area. Other parts of Iowa could watch the game on CSN, but not on TBS, and our Japanese correspondent, dragonsfanatic, was also able to see the CSN feed on his Japanese satellite service. In Chicago, I watched the game on CSN, but had TBS blacked out. I guess I can understand this -- in Chicago, they want you to watch the CSN commercials -- but how does blacking out Cub fans in Bloomington, Indiana accomplish anything except making potential customers angry?
Here's what I'm hoping to accomplish with this post. First, I'd like anyone who was blacked out yesterday to post their location. Second, the other day when I wrote on this topic, I quoted Maury Brown's Baseball Prospectus article ($) on the subject. Later that day I discovered that Maury had signed up to be a BCB member. So Maury, if you're reading this, I hope you too will post a comment, and perhaps if we raise our voices loud enough, even the see-no-evil-hear-no-evil-speak-no-evil ostriches who run baseball will see the light of their television screens.
In a phrase borrowed from the Passover season, which begins this weekend: Let our people watch!
0 recs | 168 comments
Blacked out
From Logansport, IN.
Cable here does not feature CSN, but its bastard brother FSN, which in this region carries Reds broadcasts.
Ayralin - April 14, 2008
Not that familiar with Indiana.
Exactly where is Logansport?
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
About halfway between...
...Indianapolis and South Bend. North-central part of the state.
Ayralin - April 14, 2008
Sounds like Cub country to me.
n/t
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Agreed.
We previously had FSN Midwest, which featured Cardinals games, but then they gave Indiana its own region and stripped half the programming from it. Retaining Pacers games was not a positive.
Ayralin - April 14, 2008
They seem to refuse to understand...
... that with mobility these days, there are fans of many teams who live outside the "home" area of that team.
Heads buried deeply in the sand, that's MLB ownership.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
MLB.TV
Was nice while it lasted, at least. Now, I want to cry false advertising whenever I hear the "see your favorite team's out-of-market games live" schpiel. They could at least word it "see your favorite out-of-market team's games live" to stop getting my hopes up.
Ayralin - April 14, 2008
I hated that
when I lived south of Rt. 30 during my undergrad years. I suppose that area of Indiana, and especially Muncie and Bloomington, could be considered Reds country. But according to the map Al posted in his earlier post on this topic, B-town, Muncie and Logansport are all in shared Cubs/White Sox/Reds territory.
There are tons of Cubs and a couple Sox fans in the college towns. I could go to a Meijer store in Muncie and buy Cubs gear, for crying out loud. I don't recall seeing any Reds or Sox gear for sale anywhere.
Yet, the only Cubs games I would get were those on WGN, and the random few games telecasted nationally on Fox [not FSN]. I understand it's impossible to show every team's game, but we didn't even get a third of the ones on FSN/CSN. I don't wanna get too mushy, but seeing games on WGN alleviated a lot of homesickness at times and it really stunk to not be able to watch the games when they were on other channels.
You'd think that poor college students wouldn't be able to afford beyond-basic cable, but there were actually some good TV/internet bundle deals we could afford. So it's not like there wouldn't be home viewers in these areas.
Needless to say, the abundance of Cubs coverage was a big factor in my decision to move back to my hometown.
bluebythebook - April 14, 2008
you're right, i am poor...
although i was gone this weekend and couldn't watch the game anyway, the thought that i may not be able to watch all the games this summer while down in champaign is not a pleasant one. i know my numbers are probably a bit off, but i'm guessing at least 50% of students on campus (U of I) are cubs fans. thats 20,000 students who are missing out on games. now, i could live with not watching the games, but 720 WGN doesn't come in down here, so i can't even listen (i would actually prefer listening.)
Oh well, i'll just have to find a way to get by.
Also, with the MLB.com audio, is that the WGN radio broadcast?
Luke82385 - April 14, 2008
Yes
Its Pat and Ron all the time.
gwood - April 14, 2008
Again, this is the reason not to have cable
I dont know why anybody who is a cubs fan in Indiana would have cable. I have dish network, I get the comcast sports chicago station, the big ten station, the NFL network and all for cheaper than the cable company. To me there just isnt any choice, dump cable and get Dish Network. I hope they send me a check for promoting them.
indytaz - April 14, 2008
I pay $35 for digital...
... but DN would cost me $80, at least in Des Moines. No CSN on the digital cable, but this is sort of my silent protest against WGN for splitting time with the White Sox. All Cubs games should be on WGN.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
Well, unfortunately we'll never have that again.
All Cubs games should be available on all sources (satellite, digital cable, MLB.TV) to ANYONE as long as they are willing to pay for them. Period.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
we didn't have a choice.
If we wanted high speed internet, we HAD to get the cable bundle. It was that or get satellite and have dial-up. Jeez.
bluebythebook - April 14, 2008
Agreed
Plus some apartment buildings won't let you put dishes up anyway. I moved from Dayton, OH where I could watch every single Cubs game on MLB.TV (except for Cubs/Reds games which were on FSN anyway) to a suburb of Indianapolis where I can't watch any MLB.TV games. I also have Comcast Cable but can't get Comcast Sports Network, instead I get stupid FSN and way too much Dusty Baker in my life. This is a HUGE problem, I love my Cubs and rarely get to see them.
TheHawk5 - April 14, 2008
Blacked Out
From Bloomington, IN as you already established in your original post
Although Comcast is our cable provider(recently acquired Insight), they do not provide CSN and instead provide FSN and the damn Reds games as well....TBS broadcast was blacked out as previously mentioned
gmhaynes - April 14, 2008
Out in the boonies
Here in the Northwest Iowa countryside, 15 miles north of Cherokee, relying on Direct TV to bring me the world. Unfortunately, my world yesterday was blank, as TBS was blacked out here. At least KCIM-AM radio in Carroll broadcast Pat and Ron; they have my undying gratitude. My DTV lease expires this summer, and boy, are they in for a treat when they call to ask for a subscription renewal. Not that it will matter - I suppose DTV will pass the blame on to MLB. To say I am upset is the understatement of the year. How in the hell am I supposed to remain a fan when I continuously get dumped on like this?
Thanks for carrying the torch for us, Al. We really, really appreciate it.
NWIowaCubFan - April 14, 2008
That's awesome!
At least you got to listen to Pat and Ron! (Trying to see the bright side for you)
toaster - April 14, 2008
I'm not going to dump the Cubs...
for anything, but I might dump Mediacom for not carrying CSN. It's not their fault that they have to blackout the games, but it is their fault for not carrying CSN.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
Need help
Al or anyone, I am trying to find the Cubs web cam that shows home plate. It's impossible to find on their web site, google was no help, and a search on BCB said "No Stories were found for "web cam" in Bleed Cubbie Blue ". I know people have posted them here, but apparently the search doesn't include posts.
Thanks and it stinks for you guys who couldn't watch the game!
toaster - April 14, 2008
The webcam...
... is now behind the Cubs Club wall... you have to join, then you'll find the link. It costs $20 and you get free MLB audio.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
What a joke.
If the Cubs think I'm going to pay $20 just to see a grainy webcam of Wrigley Field (I wouldn't use the audio), they're crazy.
northsider - April 14, 2008
There are other things you get for the $20.
For one thing, opportunities to buy tickets to supposedly sold-out games.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Thanks Al
But yeah I'm not spending $20, it's just I have to get some work done and wanted to see if there was a BP happening today for a noon time walk. It's nice to see Ballhawk and hear the crack of the bat too.
Have a good day all, it's Spring again!!!!
toaster - April 14, 2008
I understand.
My guess is, with all the extra-inning games, Lou probably gave everyone the day completely off.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Thats true
I made up my $20 in a matters of days. I also got offers for half-price tickets. When there is a rain-out you will get an offer for half-price tickets also. The ticket offer for sold out games goes like this.... Being a Cubs Club member youwill get an offer to enter for "a chance to purchase up to 2 bleacher tickets at face value" for sold out bleacher games.
I guess I can donate $20 a year to the Cubs seeing how I save sooo much $$$ on bringing my own 'drinks' into the stadium.
Keystone80435 - April 14, 2008
Don't forget the shiny membership card!
Because we ALL need more plastic to shove in our wallets.
bluebythebook - April 14, 2008
Here is my take on Cubs Club
If you live in the Chicagoland area and attend Cub games then it's great.
Buying it for MLB Cubs audio isn't so hot. You can get ALL the games on MLB.COM for $15
If you ever listen to Cub audio and never go to a game then it's probably not worth it.
If you never listen to Cub audio and never go to a game but want to support your team then it's worth it.
It makes a great gift to any Cub fan. They'll get a fancy membership card.
Keystone80435 - April 14, 2008
Interesting.
Would it be worth it for the time between now and the first two weeks of June when I graduate (and leave the area)?
northsider - April 14, 2008
You can bypass the Cubs Club fee
and see just the webcam for free by clicking on here.
MillsChC - April 14, 2008
Another Bloomingtonian Complaint
Another citizen of Bloomington with the same situation. I noticed the game was on TBS yesterday so I left for work with it scheduled to be recorded, taking special care to not see the score at work, only to come home and find that all I had was a blank screen, except for the occasional blip of a commercial cutting into the darkness. Maybe all of us Bloomingtonians should meet to form a Bloomington chapter of Bleed Cubbie Blue.
waltetod - April 14, 2008
Agreed.
For this and the post just after. As a Nashville TN native just moved to Bloomington, IN, I am incensed at the asinine blackout policy in both places. Nashville is a 4 1/2 hr drive from Atlanta and a 5 hour drive from Cincinnati. Stupid to blackout either. Bloomington is 4 1/2 hours from Chicago (Wrigley) and 3+ from Cincinnati. What a stupid idea. I am one that MLB IS losing revenue from. I won't buy the MLB.tv if I can't watch Cubs home games in the afternoon on my computer. It's not like blacking me out is going to make me drive 4 1/2 hours more often to go see the Cubs. I have 4 kids 6 and under. Their mother would shoot me! :)
Archie - April 14, 2008
Btown
I'm another Btowner. I hate this blackout business. Last year I ended up spending countless hours (and dollars) at BW3 last season so I could watch their satellite for the CSN games. I thought maybe we'd be in luck with the switch from Insight to Comcast, but I think everyone's agreed that Comcast has brought nothing but trouble.
I've been lurking BCB since the middle of last season and could have sworn there was no one else here from Bloomington!
Caheisey - April 14, 2008
MLB blackout policy is absurd
Cubs fans here in Nashville are blacked out for any games involving the Reds or the Braves. A four to five hour drive shows them as our "home" team. I'm surprised they don't block the audio feed.
Cajuncub - April 14, 2008
Idiotic.
Hundreds of miles from those teams. If nothing else, you should get the Reds or Braves home feed, but they black that out... why? To protect the Nashville Sounds? Stupid.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
We get the Reds and Braves once a week
on FSN south. That's it. I could understand if we got all their games via FSN or TBS or whatever. I wonder how long until the Cubs follow the Braves by having no games on WGN? I guess it depends on the new owner, but it may be coming. I don't know what part of Nashville the others live in, but I have gone to Atlanta and Cincy in less than 4 hours driving the speed limit. But that is still too far to expect me to go to the games because I am blacked out. What are they thinking? Nevermind...
LT - April 14, 2008
Waverly, Iowa
Fortunate enough to have CSN even though TBS was blacked out.
WartburgCub - April 14, 2008
DES MOINES... blacked out
We're pretty much a Cubs town, you know, with the AAA affilliate Iowa CUBS here and all.
Instead, I listened to the Cubs radio broadcast and watched the absolutely thrilling Kansas City/Minnesota game on FSN Midwest with the sound off pretending that the Cubs were playing.
Pathetic? Absolutely.
I called Mediacom to complain, but it really didn't matter. The lady on the phone said that they had received "several" phone calls from angered Cubs fans about the blackout. Mediacom doesn't offer CSN in Des Moines, but they offer it in Eastern Iowa. What gives??
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
Thank God
Iowa City gets Comcast Sports Net. Im a student at the university of iowa from the suburbs of chicago so I get to watch most of the games on CSN and WGN. However the games on CLTV or CSN+ or whatever its called we dont get. I bought MLB.TV thinking i could watch the games but of course im blackedout from watching it. The only good thing about it is i can watch replays of old games.
dlee25 - April 14, 2008
CSN+ games in IC
If you have Mediacom, check channel 74 for CSN+ games. No CLTV games, though.
salparadise23 - April 14, 2008
Yea thats true
Thats right chan 74 had the game last time.... but i dont know if its goning to have every CSN+ game and also it cut out to espn news when the cubbies were playin Pittsburgh in extras
dlee25 - April 14, 2008
Does Mediacom...
...serve Iowa City as well?
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
Yes, Mediacom does, all of Eastern Iowa I think.
and to the other post above, they do show games on 74 for CSN+, but if the game goes longer than its scheduled they will cut off the game. They did that for the 15 inning game against the Pirates, cut the game off at 9:30 in the 12th inning for ESPN News. I complained but all I got was a generic "we'll pass your comment on."
BrownE34 - April 14, 2008
I have family
in Des Moines and they switched from Mediacom to DirecTV so they could get CSN. They also get the CSN+ channel too. Have you thought about switching?
sue369 - April 14, 2008
Considered it, but...
I just got Cable in my home for the first time this week, thinking I could at least get games on the weekends and an occasional night game on WGN. I don't watch that much TV besides baseball, and DTV is a bit too expensive for my family.
I think that I'm going to start a petition to get Mediacom to carry CSN.
Nice suggestion, though.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
I live in
Iowa Falls and Mediacom here carries CSN. I would definitely ask them why they don't offer it in Des Moines.
sue369 - April 14, 2008
Dubuque here
And we get CSN games, and usually we get the ones that are on CSN+ too. They usually put them on the Mediacom Connections channel or whatever it is.
rambler19 - April 14, 2008
Angry
Blacked out all over in indy. Had to go to a bar (oh well...) to see the game. I don't understand it, but I long for the good old WGN days with Harry and Stone.
IndyDiehard - April 14, 2008
Suggestion
Al, have you spoken with any other SBnation blogs regarding this? It would be cool to see the true extent of this. How are Cardinal fans affected, Giants fans, etc. If there can be a compendium of the inconsistancies, the inanities, the absurdities and the absolute stupidities of the MLB blackout restriction policy perhaps something can get done.
I can dream, right?
brokenland - April 14, 2008
This is a good idea.
I'll see what I can do about this. You're right, that would raise a lot more voices in protest.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Living in St Louis
I can tell you it seems most Cardinals games are shown on FSN Midwest, with a portion on the local NBC affiliate (used to be shown on WB before it switched to CW). I don't know the exact number cos I don't really follow the Cards. I can tell you that, thankfully, Fox Saturday will almost always show the Cubs game (when they're playing) over any other games, unless the Cardinals happen to be playing. And, obviously, any Cubs/Cards game on Fox Saturday is shown. Last year, I believe all but one Cubs Saturday games were shown here.
neverAcquiesce - April 14, 2008
Love the sig line.
Did you see this?
http://www.nbcuniversalstore.com/detail.php?p=59189
Bildo1805 - April 14, 2008
Plus, I just bought
A $200 plasma screen TV. So its even worse that I can't watch games.
TheHawk5 - April 14, 2008
Cubs look shockingly mediocre thru 12 games
It's nice to be 7-5. That said there are disturbing warning signs about this ballclub that need to get resolved. Right now we aren't a very good ballclub.
1. The tablesetters. In a word, AWFUL.
2. The continued dysfunctionality of the Cub offense - i.e., the fundamental inability to execute and manufacture runs when the situation calls for it.
3. I hate Alfonso Soriano. There, I got that off my chest.
4. Shortstop. Ryan Theriot isn't exactly a good gloveman and will have to hit a lot better than .240 to justify existence in the everyday lineup.
5. Centerfield. Reed Johnson is an OK role player, but not suited to play CF several days a week. Felix Pie needs to contribute something offensively, otherwise he is a wasted roster spot.
6. Ted Lilly and Rich Hill. Our starting pitching is already suspect enough without both these guys struggling. One of them needs to get out of their funk if we are to have a chance in 2008.
If it were up to me I'd cut to the chase and insert Jon Lieber into the rotation right now. I'd also be scouring the four corners of the earth for help at the top of the batting order, either in the form of a centerfielder or shortstop type. Doesn't have to be a star or an everyday ballplayer necessarily.
MDBNIU - April 14, 2008
Chill?...
Why do you always have to be such a downer? Can you ever say anything positive? We won yesterday and it's April 14th. Time to relax.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
Loud, sustained applause.
n/t
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
What he said!
LT - April 14, 2008
Also
Fukudome and Lee are hitting under .400. Wait til next year everybody.
brokenland - April 14, 2008
Fine
Tune out the negatives and the warning signs. After all, the ostrich approach of burying heads in sand has worked SO WELL for Cub fans the last 100 years.
Cubs have core problems that need to be addressed. Right now this is a mediocre ballclub.
MDBNIU - April 14, 2008
Of course
They have problems. We know that. But there are positive things going on too. Lee, Fukudome, Soto, Dempster, Wood (to a point). And yes, those three extra inning games were nail biters, and all three we maybe shoulda lost. But we didn't. We won those games. If you lose those games it's demoralizing.
Here is the problem, the main problem with the team this year (after 11 games, c'mon), we need to be able to beat teams like the Phillies. In a couple of weeks the Mets come to town for two games and we should win both, Santana or no Santana. WE NEED TO DEFEAT GOOD TEAMS.
Because last year we won the division, but....and I don't want anymore Buts.
brokenland - April 14, 2008
The Cubs are on pace...
to win 115 games. Our winning percentage is .714. Hardly mediocre.
This is not sustainable of course, but I like our odds anyway.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
Actually
Our winning percentage is .583. Not bad, but not great either.
brokenland - April 14, 2008
Ahh, math...
...not so good at it. Even at .583, we're on pace to win 95 games. Not too shabby.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
That's our MDBINU! (cue laugh track, applause)
Exactly what, and please be specific here because I'm genuinely curious, will tuning into the negatives accomplish as a fan? Are we going to stop going to games en masse because we think Ted Lilly's started the year poorly? Boycott hotdogs until Pie starts hitting? Start coming to games late until Ryan Theriot's defense improves? Stage a sit-in until the Cubs DFA Soriano?
Precisely what recourse are we, as fans, avoiding by "burying heads in the sand" and cheering for our team?
Wreckard - April 14, 2008
AH. AND
ENOUGH WITH THE BOOING. Derrek Lee said of Dusty's return "They boo everything now. They might boo him. I don't see a reason why. He did a great job, he's a good person, and he should be received [well]."
"They boo everything now" Hearing my favorite player say that embarasses me as a fan.
IndyDiehard - April 14, 2008
If anything..
Cheer that Dusty is not our manager anymore!
Bildo1805 - April 14, 2008
yeah
But we used to be thought of as loyal, fun loving, and informed fans. Now we come off as bitter and beleagered. I just hate to see the Wrigley fans start down the path of NY fandom.
IndyDiehard - April 14, 2008
And the Boston fans too
watching a portion of the Yankees-Red Sox game last night, the cheer heard most often was not "Let's Go Red Sox" or some derivation thereof, it was "Yankees Suck". I get annoyed when fans root against the other team vs. for their own team.
gwood - April 14, 2008
I'll be sad if Dusty is booed...
...He sucked, but it's not like he took a dump on home plate.
I was pissed that the Brewers fans booed Carlos Lee last year in his first game back to Miller Park. It was classless, and you can't blame a guy for leaving a team to make more money for his family.
Please cheer for him people.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
I love Carlos Lee
Ive seen him take so much crap in the bleachers and he always turns and laughs when theres a good one yelled at him.
Hammer - April 14, 2008
C'mon man...
You are completely off-topic right now. Give the Nostradamus act a rest for the day.
Damen Jackson - April 14, 2008
Geez... think positive.
We've played poorly, BUT... we have a winning record!
Just think how many games we can win, if we start to actually play good baseball :)
SackMan - April 14, 2008
Nothing to do with blackouts...
Other than the fact that I'd like to blackout your posts from time to time.
Bildo1805 - April 14, 2008
BlueMike,
You have no idea how happy I am that you don't post much or at all on weekends. Your Debbie Downer material would have been better suited for the thread below this one.
sue369 - April 14, 2008
Is that really BlueMike resurrected?..
I didn't know.
Damen Jackson - April 14, 2008
yep
sue369 - April 14, 2008
Oh...
That actually explains a lot. Thanks.
Damen Jackson - April 14, 2008
Also...
#2...
You don't win 3 extra inning games in your first 12 games by not executing.
In fact, I call winning games in extras pretty darn executionable. Executed? Executious? Ah...you get what I'm saying.
Bildo1805 - April 14, 2008
A lot of redundancy...
Your points 1, 3, and 4 are essentially the same point. Soriano has been the leadoff hitter nearly every game. Theriot is the only guy who's been problematic in the #2 spot (Johnson has actually been terrific as a tablesetter when he's played). And I'm not sure what you mean by "dysfunctionality of the Cub offense. We have 5 regulars who have an OPS over 800. The problems are Soriano, Theriot, and Pie. EVERYONE else has hit well. That's not dysfunctional. That's just a repeat of point 1 and point 5. So unless you're trying to sound more negative (which I think is the case), it's redundant to say points 2-4.
As for those points. Well, you know Soriano will improve. He's going to be streaky, but when he's on, he's fantastic. Given the productivity of our 3-7 hitters, I'm not terribly worried about him. Theriot is going to be below average. That's a given. But once Soriano bounces back, again, it's not going to be a problem. Pie is the only question mark.
As for the rotation, I don't expect Lilly to continue to struggle. I don't expect Hill to continue to struggle. I expect our rotation to be adequate, not great. Zambrano will be very good, and the rest will be of #3-4 starter quality. The bullpen will be good.
In short, I think this was a pointless exercise on your part. We haven't played particularly great baseball, but you know you're going to get better play from the veterans. I'd say only Hill and Pie are truly "warning signs." Soriano and Lilly not reason for concern - they just require patience.
SouthernCub - April 14, 2008
I think you need Valium, MDBNIU
crazymountain - April 14, 2008
Another note:
From article I found online, this was one complaint I had. I have the MLBTV package. And this is a definite change from last year:
"NOTE: Due to broadcast restrictions, new MLB.TV and Condensed Game archives are limited to a playing time of five minutes in duration until 6 am ET on the day following that on which the applicable game commenced play."
brokenland - April 14, 2008
Link
here's the link, if already posted I apologize:
http://www.bizofbaseball.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=2073&Itemid=52
brokenland - April 14, 2008
More
Another quote from same:
"If you live in Las Vegas, you are subject to "local television" blackout restrictions for the Dodgers, Angels, Giants, Athletics, Padres, and Diamondbacks."
brokenland - April 14, 2008
STUPIDSTUPIDSTUPIDSTUPIDSTUPID!!!
Not your post, this policy.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Yeah
That's the main reason I didn't get MLBTV this year. What good is it to wait until 6 am the next day? I can't not look at the score for almost two days just to watch the game. The archive was the best because you could avoid the score at work then go home and watch immediately.
TheHawk5 - April 14, 2008
Not new
That policy has formally been in place for years. They were enforcing it two years ago, but people around this board claim that it was not being enforced in 2007. So far, I have not seen a 5 minute lockout this year (though Condensed Games don't seem to be offered anymore). The Saturday afternoon blackout rules are still in the fine print AFAIK, but MLB.TV has made those games available to subscribers for the past two weeks. It seems like MLBAM are trying to offer what customers want as much as they can, but are keeping the legal text in place to protect themselves later on if the TV networks start to gripe.
Qixotl - April 14, 2008
Reverse Blackout??
I do not understand yesterday's blackout on TBS. If Iowa is part of the Cubs territory, why blackout TBS? Is it because the game was on CSN and therefore they have a monopoly in the home team territory?
I live across the river in Nebraska, and normally all Cubs games are out of market (blackout on CSN), so I have Extra Innings, but yesterday I could get the games on CSN and TBS - no blackouts. This hurts my brain.
Ihatethecards - April 14, 2008
But across the river in Council Bluffs...
TBS was blacked out. Makes total sense.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
To an idiot, maybe.
Not to thinking human beings.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Here in Charleston IL
I was able to watch the game on CSN, the TBS feed was blacked out. However during a break I was flipping and came across TBS and I was getting a commercial. It freaked me out so I checked back later and TBS was still blacked out.
miamicanes - April 14, 2008
That's totally bizarre.
So if you had tuned your TV to TBS all afternoon, you'd have been able to see nothing except their commercials. Idiocy taken to an even higher level.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
Blackout
Blacked out on TBS in Carbondale IL
jganze84 - April 14, 2008
Sort of Blackout
I've been reading this site for a few years but have never posted. This however is a topic that I must chime in on as it is something that I feel very strongly about.
I grew up in the chicago area but am now living outside of Memphis Tennessee. Here we are blacked out for the Cardinals, Reds, and Braves. If you check your map you will see that St. Louis is the only city of the three that is close and it is still 5 hours away.
Over the past few years I've subscribed to EI and been constantly frustrated when I couldn't watch the blacked out games because my local cable company didn't carry all three of the stations that they were supposedly playing on "Locally." I got in touch with Jim Cook who is the V.P. Affiliate Sales & Marketing for Fox cable Networks and we shared a few emails back and forth. He was very nice about it and explained why it is set up and why Fox can't do anything about it. He also is a Cubs fan, but that still didn't get any resolution.
This year I changed to Direct TV and did not sign up for the baseball package. I did subscribe to the sports teir so that I could get CSNC. I figured that I would at least get the majority of the games through that and WGN. This weekend both Friday and Sunday's games were supposed to be on CSNC (and they were listed on the scedule) so I was excited to sit down and watch baseball. Unfortunately I learned about a different type of blackout.
Both days I tuned in to the station to receive a message that I had not purchased the channel. I called tech support at Direct Tv and after much research they told me that I was getting blacked out by direct tv because EI was using the CSNC feed. They informed me that I would need to order EI in order view the game. I was furious that I couldn't receive a feed on a channel I was paying for so I had them forward me on to their scheduling department. There the lady told me that I received the Braves game in my area and that I should just watch that. She got quite frustrated with me when I told her that I wanted to watch the Cubs game and didn't really care for the Braves.
In the end I just listed to the game on my laptop and played video games on the tv. I guess I will prepare my yearly round of emails hope for different results this time. Isn't that the definition of insanity?
KingDave - April 14, 2008
I'm not sure
what you are upset about. You can't buy the sports tier package and get the ballgames. If you had purchased Extra Innings, you could have seen the game. DTV has never claimed that the sports pack got you out of town games.
If they didn't blackout the games on the sports tier, then everyone could get Extra Innings, NHL Center Ice and NBA Season Pass, all three for the low price of 12 bucks a month. Throw in MLS Direct Kick too.
Now if you had purchased Extra Innings and the Cubs game was blacked out on that AND it was blacked out on the sports tier, then you'd have a real complaint. The sports tier is great for people who live in Iowa or Vegas, as they, in theory, should not be blacked out for all the games that they are blacked out in for EI.
But what it sounds like to me is that you were trying to get EI on the cheap, and that has never been allowed.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
I think you missed the point
I got the sports teir so I could get CSNC. That is one of the channels in the sports teir. I expect to get to watch programs on that channel if I pay for it. In the same way, if I get Cable so that I can get WGN superstation, I expect to be able to watch programs on that station.
I will also note that I have been able to watch some of the Cubs games so far this year on CSNC through the sports teir. I am only unable to watch them with the CSNC feed is the one used by EI.
KingDave - April 14, 2008
I see your point, but...
... that's always been the case with the regional sports channels. You don't get the live games unless you buy EI.
Is that fair? No. But it's always been the case.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
No, you have missed the point, King --
It's awfully naive to think you could 'cherry-pick' Cubs games by assuming you'd get Cubs games on CSNC. Why would there be any need for an EI package? Every out-of-market cable game could be accessed by anybody who wanted to buy FSN Wisconsin, YES, FSN West, NESN, etc etc etc. There is NO cafeteria sports programming of this type. These are local channels. WGN, the Superstation is not. WGN-TV, Chicago -- IS. You don't get that channel on cable, outside of the Chicago market. You get the Superstation. Different programming, save for the Cubs games and the 7pm News. (You'll note the WGN Morning News is not aired on the Superstation.)
And, due to NBA rules, WGN Superstation does not air all of the Bulls games on WGN/Chicago.
I am going to hope next years Blackhawks telecasts on WGN are not Chicago-only. That policy has not been clarified.
I would assume the NHL wants their game out as much as possible, as long as there is no conflict with games on Vs. (sorry to go off-topic)
San Diego Smooth Jazz Man - April 14, 2008
Actually, the Blackhawks policy HAS been clarified.
The WGN games will be Chicago-only. You'll still need Center Ice to see them.
And you'll still be the only person in San Diego County who subscribes to it.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
A lot of people make this mistake
I don't think the sports tiers are blacked out during spring training, or at least they didn't used to be a few years ago. That made me think I would get the games I wanted to see, until the season started. You should know when there is a difference between a $159 season package or $10-12/month charge that something isn't going to be the same....
LT - April 14, 2008
I get some games
Maybe it is naive and maybe it isn't. I was hoping to get more games then I get now, but I certainly wasn't hoping to get them all. I've subscribed to EI for the last few years but this year I didn't want to pay for it when I get blacked out for Reds, Cardinals, and Braves games. I was getting ripped off. I called direct tv and they assured me that i would get the games on CSNC so I went with. Every game has worked this year up until Friday.
But the point of this whole discussion is how things should be and not how they are. You can explain to me all day how the system currently works and call me naive for trying somethign different but all I want is to watch the games.
I wish there was some pacakage where I could "Cherry-pick" the games I want. I'm sure in general a lot more money would be made by advertisors and teams if this was the case.
KingDave - April 14, 2008
I don't know
what DTV told you--there are some idiot CSR out there. But Cub games on CSN have never been available to people who buy the sports pack outside of Cubs territory. Not any of them.
I think I completely get what you're saying--you want to subscribe to just CSN and get the Cub games out-of-market. But you can't. You're not supposed to be able to. That will cost you Extra Innings. You got the Cub games before this weekend because Extra Innings was in "free preview" mode. You weren't getting the games because you had CSN, you were getting it because for ten days or so, you had Extra Innings.
As far as the Sports pack goes, you should NOT be blacked out of Reds, Cardinals and Braves games, because they're in your territory. If you got EI and the sports pack, you would get almost every game, with the national blackout exceptions.
Hopefully with the new meeting that Maury Brown wrote about, Memphis will just be declared Cardinals territory and then EI will be a better buy for you. But as Al and SDSJM points out, you aren't getting cheated here. Other people are. I live in Sacramento and there are a good twenty or so Oakland games that I literally cannot watch no matter how much I pay for them. It's asinine that an A's fan in Sacramento cannot see their team. An A's fan living in San Diego, I understand. But Oakland is our nearest team, and there are twenty or so games (I haven't counted) that I can't watch. That's the injustice.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
Free Preview
Now that makes sense. The Satalite person should have figured that out when I spoke to them on the phone.
In the past I always had EI on cable. Memphis cable only had 1 FSN and so the local FSN affiliate would chose which of the three (Reds, Cardinals, Braves) and only show that one (They have since added another). That means that the other 2 would be blacked out unless they were on a national channel. So in effect we were always blacked out on 2 of the 3.
I think I see what you are saying about the sports teir on Direct TV and EI. With those two combined I should be able to get the rest of the regional FSN's so I'm not blacked out on those (actually after reading on the Direct tv site, I have to have a premium package to qualify for the reds affiliate). So I just have to pay more money for the same coverage as someone not in the region I'm in.
I still don't understand how anyone could ever have thought that Memphis was in the Reds or Braves territory. At least with the Cardinals their AAA team is here.
KingDave - April 14, 2008
Now you're getting it!
Yes, there is no freaking reason why Atlanta and the Reds claim Memphis. That's what we're complaining about--and what you have every right to grouse about.
Again, we can hope at the next owners meeting that Memphis gets declared Cardinal territory and only Cardinal territory.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
It was on Dish Network in Champaign
If that helps whoever said they were blacked out here.
cubzfan - April 14, 2008
Game Was on TBS (Basic Cable) in Memphis
I was lucky down here in Memphis to get the game on basic cable on TBS (no Extra Innings required) because we are not in the Cubs or Phillies territory. I imagine TBS will televise the July 6 Cubs-Cardinals afternoon game. I'm concerned I won't be able to see it down here because the game is not going to be on WGN, Fox Sports Midwest, or ESPN (Yankees-Red Sox play that night). In Memphis, we could be blacked out being in Cardinals territory.
memphiscub - April 14, 2008
Partial blackout
I have dish network, Des Moines area. I had the game on CSN but would have liked to watch on Hi-Def with Pat and Ron on the radio. TBS was blocked out.
mrcubsfan - April 14, 2008
That is the way the blackouts are supposed to work
You were able to watch the game on your local broadcaster but not on the national one. The problem is too many people were blacked out on TBS and don't get CSNC on their cable system. MLB would say that you should call your cable company and demand they carry CSNC, but as people know, it's never that simple.
This is where satellite subscribers have a real advantage over cable companies.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
Right.
TBS was blacked out - or at least, should have been - anywhere CSN Chicago is available. That's because TBS signed a contract to broadcast games for which they did not have exclusivity.
The issue is that not all carriers in those areas offer CSN Chicago. That's where satellite comes in; inexplicably I had the game on two channels in HD.
cwyers - April 14, 2008
same here
I had 2 HD versions of the game in Omaha
Ihatethecards - April 14, 2008
Thankfully CO Springs....longterm
I think that over the next ten years we will not have this miss-match as MLB will be broadcast on HD through cable/satellite and computer networks. There will be subscription except for these national broadcast games like weekend games....
The old-world local market is ridiculous in that the entire nation should be a MLB market....it is based on a ancient old premise where fans are not mobile and you are a fan where you live. I never watch the Rockies....don't care.....and my neighbor is a Mets a fan, next to him is a Mariner's fan.....
Ivy Walls - April 14, 2008
HD question
Does anyone know if WGN has made any kind of change in their HD setup?
I first noticed this in, I think, game 3 of the Pittsburgh series. WGN's HD feed on that game was SPECTACULAR. Other people at work noticed it too.
Yesterday on CSN looked good, maybe better than some of the home game broadcasts. I haven't seen enough games on TV this year to make a judgment.
But that WGN feed on the Pittsburgh game really popped.
sdrone - April 14, 2008
LOUD SUSTAINED FRUSTRATED FANS
Al,
Man, if you can spark a fire throughout SBnation on this, then run for something and I'll vote for you.
There must be a business model that makes more money than the current madness for everyone involved AND makes fans happier.
I am in the suburbs of Philadelphia [just went to all three games this weekend - my big weekend out here on the east coast].
I have tried EI on DTV, I have done just MLB audio [for Pat & Ron], MLBtv, and now this season I went with MLBtv premium and Verizon Fios [for non-HD WGN].
I would pay the same kind of money to subscribe to every single Cubs games and nothing else - I am like many fans, a fan of one team only.
A key rider on that statement is paying for Cub broadcasts, not the Pittsburgh announcers or cranky Hawk or some disinterested national broadcast team. Until they can clone Vin Scully to call every single game in the universe, I want to hear the emotional response of a broadcast team who cares about what I care about: the Cubs. Ron may get off-topic at times, but he is a fan and he puts me in Wrigley field even when I am thousands of miles away.
SBnationals unite! Get regional and national press coverage! Contact the decision makers! Help them realize how they can make even more money off us hopeless saps who live and die with our teams if they just give us what we really want!
Go Cubs!
RavenswoodRob - April 14, 2008
I've sent an email to all the SBN baseball bloggers.
Haven't heard anything back from anyone yet, but we'll see.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
saw the game
on TBS, all the way out here in San Diego. I don't get MLB's logic...I can watch it out here and folks in IA and IL can't? Absurd...
Jay Johnstone - April 14, 2008
Why would that be absurd?
TBS games are supposed to be national telecasts -- with the usual crazy black-out problems near the home market.
Being Cubs fans FARTHER away from Chicago is an advantage for us.
San Diego Smooth Jazz Man - April 14, 2008
It is absurd.
As he said -- why should someone in California be able to watch the game, but someone in Iowa can't? Idiotic.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
I have a theory, Al...
I think you are talking about this to increase your readership from Iowans.
Whatever you're doing it's working.
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
LMAO
That wasn't my intent. But it DOES appear to be working.
:)
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
MLB blackout furor!!!
I also live in the MLB black hole of Des Moines, Iowa...we are the home to the Chicago Cubs Triple A farm club BUT our stupid cable company carries Fox Sports Midwest (Cardinals/Royals)....so at our minor league ballpark they hand out free Royals t-shirts since the cable company wants to push FoxSports Midwest....add to it the fact that we are blacked out from Chicago, Milwaukee, Minnesota, St. Louis, and Kansas City as we are apparently part of all of those teams' territories and the frustration level here is huge.....Direct TV with the sports pack helps but it still amazes me that MLB wants to keep so many people from seeing their product....it isn't like all of us here in Des Moines can just drive over to Chicago every day for the game so the blackouts don't protect Cubbie revenue...in fact it probably causes the Cubs to lose fan interest....only the geniuses at MLB could think up such a ridiculous and old-fashioned idea like this.....
razzpunk - April 14, 2008
Not to mention...
that the T-Shirt gun at Iowa Cubs games is "Brought to you by the Kansas City Royals!"
Oh the shame!
(okay, this is getting rediculous)
IowaCubs- - April 14, 2008
This is part of a bigger issue...
Which is the campaign by all the major sports industry segments, including college sports machines like the Big Ten, to milk the last dollars available from fans by playing the broadcast, cable and satellite services off each other. Can you say Big Ten Network? or NFL Network? I applaud efforts like Al's to point out the many absurd elements of the convoluted system we navigate to watch or hear games we desire, but the real solution is political: eliminate the anti-trust immunity that professional sports (and that includes the NCAA) enjoys to the detriment of all our wallets. End rant.
santo4hof - April 14, 2008
I HATE the big ten network!!!!!! It is evil!!!!!
Madison Cub Fan - April 14, 2008
It's not a Cubs issue
but I'll repeat it here so it doesn't get lost. Living in Sacramento, there are several (maybe 20) Athletics games that I can't watch. Does that make sense? The A's are our closest team. We get CSN Bay Area who carries Athletics games. (along with CSN West, which is Sacramento and broadcasts the Kings). But if a game is televised over the air in the Bay Area and a local Sacramento station doesn't pick it up (and they don't pick up many), then we can't see the game. And despite Oakland being close and the Athletics having threatened to move to Sacramento a few times, there is very spotty radio coverage of the Athletics around here. (I've met four Giants fans for every A's fan.)
This is the type of absurdity of the system. It's more of an inconvenience for me than a problem, as I'm not an A's fan. But if I was, I'd be upset.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
More on Blackouts
First off, thanks for making the issue of blackouts more known, Al. As I wrote for BP, everyone gets hit with it, just some more than others.
As I wrote in the article, I find the national blackouts the most annoying as they're a clear money grab by MLB. Let's face it, most Americans have the weekend off, so finding a black screen on EI channels during the time when we would most use Extra Innings is galling.
For those that don't have a BP subscription, I write about this topic regularly on The Biz of Baseball. Here was a recent article that covers much of the ground in the BP article:
Back in Black: Extra Innings and MLB.TV Blackouts
If anyone has questions, maybe I can answer.
Thanks again to Al and Bleed Cubbie Blue for making this comment more visible. -- Maury
Maury Brown - April 14, 2008
Thanks for joining the conversation, Maury.
And thanks for the link to your Biz of Baseball article, which anyone can read.
If you have any ideas how we can raise our voices so they might actually be heard, let me know.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
It was on in Champaign
At least it was on Insight/Comcast. I watched the whole game.
gjdow - April 14, 2008
Living in Chicago....
I am almost never blacked out, and for that, I consider myself very lucky. One exception is the games that are on Comcast Sports Net Plus, which has three Wednesday games in a row in April. I have never known anyone who is able to get these games. I'm not going to pay for extra cable channels because of maybe five games over an entire season when I can just as easily walk to a neighborhood bar and watch, but these games are nonetheless a nuissance.
ctcoff99 - April 14, 2008
uhhh....
...the csn+ games have always been carried on cltv on comcast and one of the rsn alternate channels on the dishes, no extra cost involved. now hd csn+ games are carried on mojo on comcast.
jolietconvict - April 14, 2008
Sheesh.....
CLTV?? I guess I've never looked in the right place. Wow. Thanks for the tip.
"Do I feel sheepish!!" -- Robin Williams as "The Genie" in Aladdin.
"I'm capable of being dumb as a sack full of hammers occasionally, and unfortunately, this is one of those times." -- Dan Rather (after speaking at a Democratic fundraiser for his daugher in 2001)
Plug my name into the above quotes.
ctcoff99 - April 14, 2008
DirectTV
CSN+ is channel 726.
slocs55 - April 14, 2008
Not only are they on CLTV...
... but the HD version is carried on Comcast channel 174.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
One thing to remember...
...is that a lot of this is the fault of the Cubs. They are the one's who declare their territory. It is also largely the fault of the cable companies who choose not to carry the RSNs that show the games. MLBs blackout policy would not be as onerous if it didn't let teams claim so much territory. One thing to remember is that this kind of goes both ways as well. Say the Cubs were no longer allowed to claim Des Moines as their territory, well that would be great for the cable customers there because they could see the non-exclusive national games and order EI to finally see the rest of the games. However for dish subscribers that were getting the games via CSN they'd be screwed and now have to order EI to see the games carried on CSN.
jolietconvict - April 14, 2008
Well sure
if you want to say it's the fault of the Cubs, but you are sort of blaming them for not unilaterally disarming. You're saying the Cubs could not claim these territories anymore but that doesn't mean that the White Sox, Brewers, Reds, Twins, Royals and Cardinals are not going to still keep claiming them. And if the Cubs don't claim the territory, then the people who do get CSN Chicago in those areas will be blacked out of Cub games.
On top of that, and maybe Maury Brown can expand on this more, I believe most of these territories were claimed sometime around the College of Coaches. These are territories claimed when there was usually one broadcast a week for most teams, usually on a Sunday, and these were designed to protect the syndication of those once or twice weekly broadcasts. They've been modified slightly for new franchises, but teams have absolutely no incentive to make their territory smaller. That's why there is so much overlap.
This is really the fault of MLB for waiting almost twenty years (when this started to be a problem) to fix this.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
Yep.
You've got it exactly right. These "territories" are dinosaurs, created to protect the rights of broadcast channels. How many games are even ON broadcast channels any more?
The territories need to be eliminated, not adjusted. There's no need or purpose for them. All they do is prevent people from buying a product they want. What kind of stupid business practice is that?
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
MLB and their never ending quest to make a buck.........
end up pissing off the fan base of the 3rd largest market in the country. When did Enron execs take over MLB? And I love the fact that MLB.TV blackouts are based on zip codes. I don't ever remember trying to stream anything online where my zip code was a necessary component of the equation. What's worse, as previous posters have mentioned, when you buck up for the EI you usually end up having to listen to the other team's announcers and watch their crappy 3rd world Piggly Wiggly commercials. I think I'm going to sue MLB/Cable Companies for forcing me to go to the local tavern to see my Cubbies where I developed a horrible drinking habit and eventually impregnated the town hag. Oh wait, that happened in Feb. HaHa just kidding. But seriously, this is bs and someone needs to come up with a solution fast. So much technology... so little Cubs. It doesn't add up.
chi-townbleacherbum - April 14, 2008
Royals should be only team claiming Des Moines
Only 1 MLB team should be able to claim territory more than 100 miles from the nearest MLB team. The Royals (the closest team) should be it. You get a lot of their games anyway on FSN Midwest. No Cubs, Cardinals, Twins, Brewers, or White Sox games should be blacked out unless one of those teams is playing Kansas City and the game is not on FSN Midwest. You guys in Des Moines have it so much worse than I do. The only "territorial" team that mucks things up for me in Memphis is the Reds because Cincinnati have virtually no games on basic cable here. We get almost all of the Braves games and some of the Cardinals games on basic cable.
memphiscub - April 14, 2008
Off topic - Soto
But Soto is catching people's attention in a big way...Eric Karabell (The ESPN Fantasy Expert) ranked him 4th out of all Major League catchers.
cubsonWGN4ever - April 14, 2008
Sue has him ranked #1
Keystone80435 - April 14, 2008
Poop!
LT - April 14, 2008
Even with
his current facial hair style? Not a big fan of that goatee he's got going on.
gwood - April 14, 2008
Well, I
don't mind it but I like him better clean shaven.
sue369 - April 14, 2008
HAHA!
So true.
sue369 - April 14, 2008
The thing I like about him
Is the he hits the ball REALLY REALLY HARD
Hammer - April 14, 2008
i second that!
cubsonWGN4ever - April 14, 2008
Yeah, there's
that too. ;-)
sue369 - April 14, 2008
Blackout Issues Nationwide
The Cubs fans have not been the only ones noticing weird blackout situations this year. Out here in Western Connecticut, my cable provider (Charter) has a system footprint which is half in/half out of the formal Red Sox zone. To compensate for this, they don't offer NESN to anyone, but were not blacking out Red Sox games on ESPN or Extra Innings last year. This year, both Japan games were blacked out along with all of the opening week games on EI. The games vs. the Yankees this past weekend were the first ones I have been able to watch all year long without being creative (the Internet is very powerful). When I called Charter about the issue, they claimed to me that they had no clue why it was suddenly happening this year and could not seem to fix it. Perhaps the issue seen by Cub fans yesterday actually goes beyond their normal cable provider's idiocy and the blame should be directed towards the satellite feed managers or the cable networks themselves.
Qixotl - April 14, 2008
The Japan games were blacked out?
How stupid. Those were national telecasts!
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
The Japan games were also on NESN
so I guess ESPN was blacked out in the Red Sox territory.
va cubsfan - April 14, 2008
I'm in Champaign Illinois
and TBS was blacked out here, but CSN was NOT blacked out. I may have left some with the impression that I was completely blacked out in yesterday's game-thread.
BlueSox - April 14, 2008
AT&T U-Verse in Indianapolis-NOT blacked out
I have no idea why, but I live in Indy and was able to watch the game on CSN via AT&T U-Verse. For the uninitiated, U-Verse is an IP TV system (similar to Verizon's Fios which I believe they have in Chicago). It's not cable, it's not dish, it's a new form of TV/Internet that they run to homes via fiber. (Really great service, by the way-check it out)
I turned the game on to CSN yesterday and watched it there. I didn't see if the TBS feed was blacked out.
It makes no sense why I would get the game in Indy while anyone else in town would not. U-Verse does have blackouts for several games so that's not the issue.
I think a lot of this boils down to cable/TV company confusion.
themicks - April 14, 2008
If they ever get the rights to show Extra Innings
I'm going to give U-Verse a look. I've been impressed with what I've seen, but not having the rights to Extra Innings is a deal-breaker for me.
Josh Timmers - April 14, 2008
Hannibal, MO
was blacked out on TBS yesterday too...for someone who gets to see very few Cubs games because no one here wants WGN on local cable, this was VERY disappointing...
When I called the cable company, they explained a rule change last year that expanded the blackout range to 400 miles on non-exclusive time-slots...asinine indeed.
Tater01 - April 14, 2008
BS
I go to college in Bloomington, IN - the game was blacked out here. I also happen to own a slingbox at my home - in Elmhurst, a suburb of Chicago. The game (on TBS) was also blacked out there. Thanks MLB.
rsefer - April 14, 2008
True, but your slingox...
... should have gotten you the CSN telecast.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
SLINGBOX
not "slingox"
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
It is all $$$$$
The only way to get all teams most of the time is to get DirecTV (I don't know if Dish network does this) pay about $180 (they bill in 4 payments, I am too tired to get the bill)for ExtraInnings package. Then you get the sports pack which is $12 per month, that gets you CSNet and the FSN stations. WGN comes with the regular package.
I go round and round with the dish folks, even last year, called the FCC when DirecTv told me that the FCC regulated these "territories". OF course, the FCC says it is MLB, who ALSO says it is the FCC. SO, what you have to do is pay gazillions of $$$$ to the dish company and you will get MOST of the games but you have to eat all the bullshit everyone dishes out.
In short, to paraphrase Lily Tomlin "We are MLB...We don't care, we don't have to!!!". So it comes down to $$$. You have to have a bunch of it to see baseball, what USED to be family entertainment for Americans. It really is a no win situation.
crazymountain - April 14, 2008
But the point is...
... that there are plenty of people who are willing and able to pay big $ to see all the games they want. And MLB still says, "You can't." And there's no particular reason for that.
Al Yellon - April 14, 2008
True
Notice I said all teams most of the time......When I build an amp or a guitar, I tell people that they can't buy them.....makes sense to me!!!
crazymountain - April 14, 2008
Directv
Guys CSN+ on directv is channel 668.
it took me a while to figure out last year
Reed's Johnson - April 14, 2008
However,
MLB makes sure the fans really pay at the gate by sponsoring StubHub, fan to fan (what an f'ing joke!!!) ticket sales. We looked for tickets at Wrigley for the games being played when we spend our week in Chicago. Funny how the Cubs/MLB site says there is only 1 seat in every section with "available" seating. So, StubHub it is....I think it used to be called scalping and was illegal....hmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmmm
crazymountain - April 14, 2008
MLB absurdity:
I noticed in a Gameday window that tonight there is a free preview of MLB.TV for the D'backs game. Right there it says:
No Blackouts*
*Blackout restrictions apply in the SF home television territory...
So I guess my question is how can they say there are no blackouts?
Schwa - April 14, 2008
I tried MLB.TV last year
the streaming was horrible!!! Picture looked more like a kalidescope than a ballgame!!
crazymountain - April 14, 2008
WGN sports radio on the internet
I guess about a year ago a link was posted to a site that allowed you to listen to the WGN feed for games as well as links to other feeds (audio and video) of other sporting events. I remember that it worked for awhile but eventually became hit or miss at to whether or not it actually played anything and finally nothing at all. I do know some of the other links continued to work though. Does anyone remember this?
Villeslgr - April 14, 2008
Direct TV
I had trouble the first Saturday of the season finding a 1:00 Cubs game with Milwaukee. What in WGN is going on here?
jaredprebish - April 14, 2008
While I see every game
Being in Chicago I see every game (actually will see it better now that I’ve had eye surgery) but I find it ridiculous my friend in Australia because of sattelite gets to see almost every game if she so chooses but people in Indiana can’t.
She doesn’t watch many games except for sometimes when she’s getting ready for work in the morning she’ll watch an afternoon game at Wrigley. She met Wood when she was here a few years ago so she particularly follows him.
puckishcubsfan - April 15, 2008
Johnson City, TN
I live in Johnson City, Tennesse and I had Direct TV and purchased MLB extra innings. This is the second game that has been blacked out. What did I pay for? On my guide channel it shows the game on five different channels and I get none of them. I called Direct TV and they told me it was blacked out because the game was not a sell-out. Your telling me the first night game of the season and the return of Dusty Baker is not a sell-out at Wrigley? Its BS and I get pissed every time I turn the channel to ESPN NEWS to get a score update or get on the Cubs site. If we pay for t we should get it.
waddoupsbelieves - April 15, 2008
Racine Wi
I live in Racine. We have Time Warner Cable. The Sunday game was blacked out here, but not in Kenosha which most of you probably know is right down the road from Racine. The Brewers are usually on FSN, but there are a few times when they are on a local station. I am not sure if it is a territorial think or not. I am guessing Kenosha is included in the Brewer territory so I am not sure why they got the game and Racine didn’t.
sanman - April 16, 2008
Muncie, IN
In Muncie TBS was blacked out, since everyone but Comcast cable customers get CSN Chicago…of course, I’m in the dorms at Ball State and their cable is provided by Comcast….sigh. Am I the only one who thinks that there’s a bit of a problem when COMCAST doesn’t have COMCAST Sports Net?
schwarztech - April 16, 2008
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