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As you probably know, Rutgers will be playing in the Texas Bowl this year. The Texas Bowl is only being played because of a late deal by the NFL to sponsor the game. They own the TV rights through NFL Network.

Unfortunately, the NFL Network is not available to most people in New Jersey. Of the major providers, only Dish Network, DirecTV, and Comcast carry it, and not in basic packages (because it is a very expensive network to carry).

The NFL Network is looking like they will not let a local station carry the game, and they are pushing consumers to call their cable companies and complain.

Here's the whole article...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls06/news/story?id=2689097

MustangStealth wrote:As you probably know, Rutgers will be playing in the Texas Bowl this year. The Texas Bowl is only being played because of a late deal by the NFL to sponsor the game. They own the TV rights through NFL Network.

Unfortunately, the NFL Network is not available to most people in New Jersey. Of the major providers, only Dish Network, DirecTV, and Comcast carry it, and not in basic packages (because it is a very expensive network to carry).

The NFL Network is looking like they will not let a local station carry the game, and they are pushing consumers to call their cable companies and complain.

Here's the whole article...
http://sports.espn.go.com/ncf/bowls06/news/story?id=2689097

that sucks... but atleast they are in a bowl game

I feel bad for the Rutgers fans but I can see the NFL Network's point. The only reason there is a Texas Bowl is because they are paying for it so I have no problem with them using it as a bargaining chip in their high stakes game with the cable providers. You have to figure this is the reason they sponsored it in the first place.

Hell, its no different than SMU and CSTV which is not carried by most cable providers in the areas. Easy solution though, go to a sports bar and watch, get a dish, or go to the house of a friend that has a dish.

So how does that make them a pawn?

LonghornFan68 wrote:So how does that make them a pawn?

The NFL is using them as bait to get consumers in NJ to complain to their cable companies. The network has been fighting cable companies over pricing/availability since it started and this is their latest tactic. With the Thursday night NFL games, they have allowed local channels to carry them in the teams' markets since NFL network is not widely available and they want to sell their primary product (the league). They are willing to hold this game hostage because unlike NFL games, it is not their product. They don't really care if Rutgers fans can see the game, they are just using this game as leverage in their fight against cable companies.

Pretty soon down the road, most NFL games will be played on NFL Network...therefore most non cable houses and non dish houses will be forced to buy a dish if you want to watch good football.

A frustrated Rutgers fan who can't get his NFL Network.

LonghornFan68 wrote:So how does that make them a pawn?

longhorns

J.T.supporta wrote:Pretty soon down the road, most NFL games will be played on NFL Network...therefore most non cable houses and non dish houses will be forced to buy a dish if you want to watch good football.

Everyone should consider what Pay for View has done for Boxing...

PhirePhilBennett wrote:

J.T.supporta wrote:Pretty soon down the road, most NFL games will be played on NFL Network...therefore most non cable houses and non dish houses will be forced to buy a dish if you want to watch good football.

Everyone should consider what Pay for View has done for Boxing...

killed the sport?

I am so sick of these ratings BS. Whatever happened to the good old days when football was sunday and monday night? now its thursdays, college football is on tuesdays, thursdays, fridays and saturdays. MNF isn't even good anymore. crappy commentators and matchups that looked interesting in the pre-season suck. I don't mind college ball b/c I love it 10x more than the NFL, but soon there will be a Tuesday Night or Friday night game. SWEET. NFL network can kiss my a--.

ponyfan84 wrote:I am so sick of these ratings BS. Whatever happened to the good old days when football was sunday and monday night? now its thursdays, college football is on tuesdays, thursdays, fridays and saturdays. MNF isn't even good anymore. crappy commentators and matchups that looked interesting in the pre-season suck. I don't mind college ball b/c I love it 10x more than the NFL, but soon there will be a Tuesday Night or Friday night game. SWEET. NFL network can kiss my a--.

I agree that it has made the quality decline... however, i love the quantity... i would much rather have football 7 nights a week, but im also not married

expony18 wrote:i would much rather have football 7 nights a week, but im also not married

Me, too...and my wife loves college football almost as much as I do so it's not a problem at my house!

Please. Spare me the pity party. Sorry if i don't shed a tear for the for the 12 Rutgers fans that aren't able to watch the game. If people in NJ really want to watch that game they'll truck their happy butts to a sports bar and watch it. Rutgers could have accepted a different bowl, but they chose to accept this one. They knew it would be carried on a proprietary network. And yet I'm supposed to feel sorry them. Whatever.

Am i also supposed to cry for Texas Tech, Kansas State and Minnesota? All three of them also accepted bowl bids that are only going to be aired on NFL Network.

MustangStealth wrote:. . .only Dish Network, DirecTV, and Comcast carry it, and not in basic packages (because it is a very expensive network to carry). . .

I have the Dish America's Top 60 Plus and it has NFL Network.