Dear Bud Selig and Cronies

[membengal]

Sigh.

Why, WHY, why, other than you still hate your most loyal customers, do you continue to so compartmentalize the Fox Game of the Week window that out-of-market fans cannot see their favorite teams on Saturdays? It makes no sense. None.

But on behalf of all of us out of market Reds fans on 3 weeks in a row of not being able to see the team on Saturdays, thanks for nothing. From 7:00 - 10:00 tonight, I can only see, in my area, Tigers/Yankees. I will, instead, watch the NBA. So, well done!

I hate you all.

[RedsManRick]

Amen.

MLB is actively preventing me from watching their product on a Saturday. Nice thinking, guys.

[membengal]

Amen.

MLB is actively preventing me from watching their product on a Saturday. Nice thinking, guys.

It really does defy any logic. It is absurd wrapped up in a big bag of wtf.

If they are going to insist on a "Game of the Week"....pick ONE game, make it the "Game of the Week" in one window, and leave everything else alone. Good grief.

[REDSEER]

It really is ridiculous.

Imagine the NFL having 4 Monday night football games, all at the same time, all on the same channel, with most of the country relegated to Redskins/Cowboys. Oh, big Packers fan that has moved down to Florida? Sorry, you get to miss Packers/Vikings because the Cowboys are more important. Sad thing is, that would NEVER happen because the NFL seems to have some business sense.

That's what this is like. Completely absurd.

[BCubb2003]

cc: Fox Sports.

[membengal]

Fox does what baseball lets them. Its ultimately up to MLB that this happens.

[757690]

I would have no problem with this if they didn't charge so much for the MLB package on MLB.com or Directv. It's all about money, and they can't have it both ways, charging so much for the package and charging Fox for exclusivity on Saturdays.

[Reds Fanatic]

What is ridiculous is MLB allowed Fox to have this exclusive contract without making their backup games available on Extra Innings or MLB.TV. MLB is the only major sports that shuts games out of their TV package like this without making them avaiable for those that pay for the games.

As part of the next contract MLB should make it a condition that backup games be avaialable but they will get more money and let Fox get away with it again.

[RichRed]

Sigh.

Why, WHY, why, other than you still hate your most loyal customers, do you continue to so compartmentalize the Fox Game of the Week window that out-of-market fans cannot see their favorite teams on Saturdays? It makes no sense. None.

But on behalf of all of us out of market Reds fans on 3 weeks in a row of not being able to see the team on Saturdays, thanks for nothing. From 7:00 - 10:00 tonight, I can only see, in my area, Tigers/Yankees. I will, instead, watch the NBA. So, well done!

I hate you all.

Word. I remember reading something about how even Selig doesn't understand the blackout rules. Well that makes me feel better. It's beyond absurd.

[membengal]

Good news! Yanks/Tigers were in a rain delay, so I got to see...

Cubs/Giants!

Yay me!

Sigh. Again.

[RichRed]

Congrats, MLB, this is the first time I've watched more than 5 minutes of an NBA game all season.

[Vottomatic]

The game is on Channel 3 on Time Warner Cable. Not sure what the problem is?

[membengal]

We don't live in Lebanon...but thanks for your input!

[Vottomatic]

We don't live in Lebanon...but thanks for your input!

Got it. Thanks for pointing that out. I didn't look at your locations.

[traderumor]

And the stupidest thing about the blackout rules is that the premise of their existence has been proven as a myth. The coverage of nearly every game has poured money into the game, attendance is such that 3M is now the standard, and people do not stay home if the game is on TV. How slow witted can these decision makers be than to continue this charade?

Its also ridiculous that you can only watch the game on cable TV if you are in the local TV market. Another myth. Open the faucet and they'll raise even more advertising dollars. Let the fans watch it on whichever device they want.