Saturday, March 17, 2007

Play Ball or Not

MLB announced an exclusive agreement with DirecTV last week for their MLB extra innings package, cutting out cable and Dish Network. It is a 7 year, $700 million deal.

Not only is this bad for baseball, but this is bad for (once again) baseball fans. If cable and Dish Network do not get cut into this deal, as MLB says they will before seasons start, this is the equivalent of Bud Selig taking out the fans to the woods and doing his best impression of Dick Cheney.

I'm not switching to DirecTV, I had it way back when, and it sucked. I do want to switch from Time Warner to Dish Network, but either way the only baseball I get to see is ESPN broadcasts, FOX when it picks up baseball late in the season, and as much Braves, Cubs and White Sox as my heart desires. This would be fine, if I were a Braves, Cubs or White Sox fan, but I'm not. I am also not a Washington Nationals fan, which is available on FXSS as North Carolina's home region team.

I am a Yankees fan. I watch almost every game and have for the better part of 27+ years. I have spent about $170 a season for this luxury since I moved down here from NJ in the early 90's.

Here's a solution for you Bud. Let the fans choose what they want to watch. In my case have a NY Yankees package for $170 a year. I'd buy that to see my team play every game. I don't care about the rest of the teams. Boston fans could just watch the Red Sox, etc... Then everyone's happy. But you won't do that, that would be good for baseball. And you don't do anything good for baseball.

Here's the clear message Bud Selig, you've been bad for baseball since you became commissioner. It seems that you have done everything in your power to make the fans angry, the very fans that support financially MLB. The same fans that pay your salary, pay the players salaries. The deal with DirecTV is a clear message to the fans, we don't care if you watch MLB. Well Mr Selig, message received. The only way for you to make this right is to make the games available to all. Otherwise, you'll never see another dime of my money. I believe a lot of the fans would stand behind me on that. Oh and thanks, you just freed up 162 nights a year for me to spend my money elsewhere.

Let's not just boycott MLB though. Let's boycott their sponsors as well.
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