TR Forums

The arguments:

Cable wants the NFL Network on a pay tier. That way those that want it, pay for it.
The NFL Network wants to be on basic cable free to all. They would charge cable 70¢ per subscriber per month.
In south east Wisconsin, if there are 350,000 subscribers, that would work out to $245,000.00 per month.

My thoughts:
I have seen 2 games on the NFL Network. Green Bay vs Minnesota last year and Green Bay vs Dallas this year.
Chris Collingsworth is an excellent commentator.
Bryant Gumble is another story. He is an amateur at best. He brings nothing to the telecast.
He might as well be sitting on the couch next to me commentating on what we are both watching on the television.

Gumble is awful. And other than games, the NFL network's lineup of shows is so so. The Big Ten is doing the same dance with Comcast also. I have DirecTV so I get them both. If they were to both go away, I'd live.

However, what Comcast is doing is sort of dishonest. In Chicago, they've bombarded our radios with ads crying about how the Big Ten is "stealing the games away from the fans until they pay a Big Ten tax" and "Comcast is standing up for the consumers." Um, no Comcast you're not. You think you can make more money if you do it with a tier. That's all. neither Comcast nor the NFL/Big Ten care one whit about the consumer.

idchafee wrote:

Gumble is awful. And other than games, the NFL network's lineup of shows is so so. The Big Ten is doing the same dance with Comcast also. I have DirecTV so I get them both. If they were to both go away, I'd live.

However, what Comcast is doing is sort of dishonest. In Chicago, they've bombarded our radios with ads crying about how the Big Ten is "stealing the games away from the fans until they pay a Big Ten tax" and "Comcast is standing up for the consumers." Um, no Comcast you're not. You think you can make more money if you do it with a tier. That's all. neither Comcast nor the NFL/Big Ten care one whit about the consumer.

Yeah, those commercials are stupid. They just make me want to see comcast lose.

Looks like the Pats-Giants game where they go for a perfect season (pre-playoffs) is on NFL network.

(I am also assuming they crush the Dolphins)

Hmm, company wants to charge me for something that was once free. *** you, NFL network.

Any bets on how soon we will have Pay-per-view NFL games?

Scorpiuscat wrote:

Any bets on how soon we will have Pay-per-view NFL games?

I think the league is more interested in selling expensive packages to lots of people at this point.

mattsteg wrote:

Scorpiuscat wrote:

Any bets on how soon we will have Pay-per-view NFL games?

I think the league is more interested in selling expensive packages to lots of people at this point.

They already do, with the NFL season ticket on DirecTV. But if you watch a lot of football (as I did when I had it), its not that crazy expensive at all. Before I got that package (pre-kids), me and the wife used to spend 17 straight sundays at the bar, ordering booze and food and all that stuff. The bill for the group (there was usually 5-10 of us) was easily $300. The package (at the time) was ~$150 for the whole year. Saved a buttload of cash.

edit: DirecTV, not Comcast.

idchafee wrote:

mattsteg wrote:

Scorpiuscat wrote:

Any bets on how soon we will have Pay-per-view NFL games?

I think the league is more interested in selling expensive packages to lots of people at this point.

They already do, with the NFL season ticket on Comcast. But if you watch a lot of football (as I did when I had it), its not that crazy expensive at all. Before I got that package (pre-kids), me and the wife used to spend 17 straight sundays at the bar, ordering booze and food and all that stuff. The bill for the group (there was usually 5-10 of us) was easily $300. The package (at the time) was ~$150 for the whole year. Saved a buttload of cash.

Right. I'm just saying that the league is more concerned with selling packages like that and the NFL network than trying the pay per view model.

I think the NFL Networks game coverage sucks, bording on the absurd.

I see no need to pay for any NFL package at this point.

Scorpiuscat wrote:

I think the NFL Networks game coverage sucks, bording on the absurd.

I see no need to pay for any NFL package at this point.

The Season Ticket on DirecTV is just a link to all the network games. Its not NFL Network coverage

Scorpiuscat wrote:

I think the NFL Networks game coverage sucks, bording on the absurd.

I see no need to pay for any NFL package at this point.

Unless, of course, you want to watch games that aren't broadcast in your local market.

KDKA is carrying the burgh tonight, that's all I care about.

idchafee wrote:

Gumble is awful. And other than games, the NFL network's lineup of shows is so so. The Big Ten is doing the same dance with Comcast also. I have DirecTV so I get them both. If they were to both go away, I'd live.

However, what Comcast is doing is sort of dishonest. In Chicago, they've bombarded our radios with ads crying about how the Big Ten is "stealing the games away from the fans until they pay a Big Ten tax" and "Comcast is standing up for the consumers." Um, no Comcast you're not. You think you can make more money if you do it with a tier. That's all. neither Comcast nor the NFL/Big Ten care one whit about the consumer.

Same deal here in Detroit. Comcast ads all over the TV crying about the Big 10 network. My cable is so frickin expensive, I know comcast is only looking for another way to screw the customer. It's not like comcast can't sell ad space on those channels to make up the cost.

Although the NFL network has Steve Mariucci doing commentary, which is painful for us to watch in Detroit.

mattsteg wrote:

Scorpiuscat wrote:

I think the NFL Networks game coverage sucks, bording on the absurd.

I see no need to pay for any NFL package at this point.

Unless, of course, you want to watch games that aren't broadcast in your local market.

Thats just it, there are few games beyond the local team that I would need to watch so badly that I would pay for them.

IAmGhostDog wrote:

Chris Collingsworth is an excellent commentator.

This is off topic, but I have never heard this sentence muttered by anyone. Gumble and Collingsworth are both awful. Collingsworth is a smug, arrogant arsehole, Gumble is just a fumbling idiot. That is why I record all my NFL Network games. The commentary is enough to make you want to slam you balls into a dresser drawer.

5150 wrote:

IAmGhostDog wrote:

Chris Collingsworth is an excellent commentator.

This is off topic, but I have never heard this sentence muttered by anyone. Gumble and Collingsworth are both awful. Collingsworth is a smug, arrogant arsehole, Gumble is just a fumbling idiot. That is why I record all my NFL Network games. The commentary is enough to make you want to slam you balls into a dresser drawer.

Too each his own, I personally really like Madden + Michaels but many people do not.

PRIME1 wrote:

Too each his own, I personally really like Madden + Michaels but many people do not.

As far as prime time games go, they are easily the best. Madden is at least entertaining.

Collinsworth is definitely annoying, but he knows his football. If you can stand to listen to him, he makes good points, and points out things I know I would have missed otherwise. Which is a nice improvement from annoying commentators who make me feel like I'm getting stupider watching them *cough* phil simms *cough*.

Woman have no place on the sideline. Stop that.

pete_roth wrote:

Woman have no place on the sideline. Stop that.

You're just a McNabb sympathizer.

pete_roth wrote:

Woman have no place on the sideline. Stop that.

Don't tell me you think Jessica Simpson ruined the Dallas game to?

pete_roth wrote:

Woman have no place on the sideline. Stop that.

They need to be hotter first...And show the damn cheerleaders more!

5150 wrote:

slam you balls into a dresser drawer.

I can honestly say I've never had anything make me want to even think about that.

PRIME1 wrote:

Too each his own, I personally really like Madden + Michaels but many people do not.

You're all alone on that one.

5150 wrote:

IAmGhostDog wrote:

Chris Collingsworth is an excellent commentator.

This is off topic, but I have never heard this sentence muttered by anyone.

He played the game.
He knows the game.
Whether you like his style or not, he brings insight to the commentary.
Whereas Mr. Gumble didn't play, knows little or nothing and brings nothing.
Each to their own.

I miss the old-school announcer teams like Summerall & Brookshier, Summerall & Madden, and the never-to-be-topped trifecta of Dandy Don Meredith, Frank Gifford, and Howard Cosell.

Let's not forget the color commentary of Dennis Miller.










Really, really, really kidding.

PRIME1 wrote:

Let's not forget the color commentary of Dennis Miller.

I can't remember which game it was other than it was one of his first 2 or 3 when he remarked about a good corner blitz & sack: "He came off that line like Houston McTear".

Houston McTear? He was a nobody 20 years before Miller's comment.

idchafee wrote:

They already do, with the NFL season ticket on DirecTV. But if you watch a lot of football (as I did when I had it), its not that crazy expensive at all. Before I got that package (pre-kids), me and the wife used to spend 17 straight sundays at the bar, ordering booze and food and all that stuff. The bill for the group (there was usually 5-10 of us) was easily $300. The package (at the time) was ~$150 for the whole year. Saved a buttload of cash.

Except for the 'kids' I'm in the same situation. I'm in Orlando and the local games are aways Miami (yuck) or Tampa. I'm a Cowboy fan so it used to suck to know that they were playing and I couldn't watch it. Going to a bar is fun but like you said, the cost gets out of hand.

I have DirectTV now and have been pretty happy with it. Now on Sunday we invite a few friends over and cook a bunch of stuff on the grill. I provide the HD games and the grill - everyone else brings beer and food - works out great for everyone.

Heh, try living in New England and not liking the Patriots. We get the Pats, the Giants, and the Jets every weekend. The Pats are easy to understand, the Giants' summer training camp was at a local college during the Sam Huff days so there's an old-school pool of support here, but I cannot understand pumping the Jets. Beyond the fact they stink on ice, there's no local fanbase.

5150 wrote:

pete_roth wrote:

Woman have no place on the sideline. Stop that.

You're just a McNabb sympathizer.

Nah, they all come off as uninformed, overly passionate about something they probably don't give 2 **** about, and just fake. Their questions elicit reactions from coaches going in at half time such as "GROAN not this broad... where's my canned "we need to play better" response "