Last Sunday I was glued to the tube, just like I’m sure the rest of Football loving America was. In Los Angeles, we get an average of three football games a Sunday. Since LA doesn’t have a pro team, we’re usually stuck watching the abysmal, lackluster Raiders or San Diego Chargers. Now, being from LA my whole life, nothing makes me madder then having to embrace anything from San Diego or the Bay area. This weekend however, we Angelinos were given a special treat, what was being called “The Super Bowl & a Half†the biggest regular season game in NFL history. My favorite team the Indianapolis Colts against “Spy Gaters†the New England Patriots.
If you look back to the other “big game†of this NFL season, it would have been the October 14th match-up between the then unbeaten Dallas Cowboys and New England. The reason this is important is because if you lived in California that game was missed, neither CBS nor Fox had the game playing on their West Coast markets. With the exception of Colts/Patriots, this is a common thread for Los Angeles football addicts. Unlike Baseball with 162 games or Basketball with 82, Football season is 16 games long, with three rounds of playoffs. All together Football fans are only privy to a little over 20 games a season.
If your favorite team is the Colts, like mine, the number 20 is cut into thirds. A Colts or Green Bay or Giants fan, living in Los Angeles is lucky to catch 6 games a season from their favorite team. Maybe they make the playoffs and you can see another one or two, but that’s a big maybe.
Believe it or not there is some light at the end of this Football tunnel. Direct TV has a package called NFL: Season Ticket. For only $179 bucks or three payments of like $55 . Now, I know what you’re thinking, “I’ve already got Time Warner or Comcast,†well to that I’d have to say too bad. Direct TV has a monopoly with the NFL to only provide season packages with them. I thought T.R. got rid of all Americas monopolies, apparently not.
At one time a monopoly was thought of as a great thing for the consumer. It forced a specific format for things like Television and film stocks; it also reduces competition, providing maximum profits. But, when it comes to watching a sport, more specifically Football, monopolies and maximized profits shouldn’t way in. Nothing in 2007 is more American then Football, except maybe eating apple pie while watching it.
In LA, probably the largest viewing market for sports, not being able to simply watch and follow a team isn’t just Un-American, it’s economically retarded.
As a final note, to the commissioner of the NFL and the presidents of CBS and Fox, we are dying in LA, there is less football then there is water. We need sports nourishment and I mean fast. One big game every month and a half isn’t going to cut it. By the time you get around to addressing this issue, we might have all become David Beckham addicts, please help.
1 response so far ↓
1 Jay McGillicuddy // Nov 9, 2007 at 2:18 pm
Sorry to hear about your football viewing. As a New England Patriot fan I would have been bummed if Bob Kraft had moved the team to Connecticut many years ago.
I remember the old Los Angeles Rams and I am surprised LA has no football team.
Go Pats!!!
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