"Blackout Blues"

Major League Baseball's blackout rules are completely ridiculous, especially in this area.

I live in Eastern Pennsylvania, in the Philadelphia Phillies home television territory. Therefore, only their games should be blacked out for me, with the assumption that I can watch their games on a local channel or regional sports network. For some reason, MLB ridiculously has Phillies, NY Yankees, Pittsburg Pirates, and NY Mets games blacked out here.

People with Comcast Cable receive Phillies games on CSN, but do not get the YES Network.

People with Directv or DISH Network get Yankees games on YES, but not the Phillies, as Comcast won't allow satellite companies to carry their channel, CSN, since they are also their competitors.

It is a conflict of interest that Comcast owns both the regional sports network and the local cable company. It's an unfair business practice for them to deny their competition the regional sports network. It's unfair for local residents to be cheated out of having a local sports network just because they chose satellite over cable.

So basically, people in this television area get EITHER Phillies games or Yankees games, depending on their television carrier.

No one in this area receives Mets or Pirates games, so I don't know why they're blacked out.

So if the team you follow is playing one of those 4 teams, you cannot see the game live on MLB.TV, MLB Extra Innings, or any subscription package, or on ESPN, FOX, or any national broadcast.

If you are a Mets or Pirates fan, you can't view their games live at all.

The point of MLB's blackout rules is supposed to be so viewers watch games on local broadcasts, but in Eastern Pennsylvania, viewers don't receive 3 out of 4 blacked out games anywhere... Why are we punished more severely by blackout rules than other areas?

Hey MLB, it's time to stop alienating your fanbase, or you may someday fade into obscurity like the NHL? Maybe it's time to go back to airing your product on local broadcast channels like the immensely successful NFL does?

Copyright 2013 Denim McDemus

Sports Tidbits to Wet Your Appetite

VERY unproven free agent QB Matt Flynn signed with the Seattle Seahawks for a 3 year $26 mil deal. Everyone assumed he'd sign with Miami, but this is a good fit, since he can ease himself into an offense that has a great RB, FB, and O Line.

Disgruntled former-Niner and current free agent QB Alex Smith had a nice long visit with the QB needy Miami Dolphins. I'm sure the two sides enjoyed a nice pity party over both being spurned in the much more interesting Peyton Manning free agency saga. Maybe the two stood up parties will go to the prom together? After not even winning out on unproven QB Matt Flynn, the Dolphins are running out of options, and so is Alex Smith. If I were the Dolphins, I'd wait to see if Tim Tebow gets unseated by Manning. If I was Smith, I'd swallow my pride, admit Manning is a better QB, and wait and for San Fran to come calling if they don't land Peyton.

Apparently new Angels pitcher C.J. Wilson doesn't shy away from doing the taboo. He broke the first unwritten law of celebrities by posting former Texas Rangers teammate Mike Napoli's personal phone number on Twitter, reportedly over some trash talk between the two. The internet has mande sophomoric pranks a dangerous thing...

In injury news, Philadelphia Phillies All-Star second baseman Chase Utley left Phillies camp for the second straight Spring Training due to knee issues. This time he's going to go see a specialist. The team already has a huge void without injured superstar Ryan Howard.

New York Mets principle owners Fred Wilpon and Saul Latz will pay a $162 Million settlement to the victims of Bernie Madoff's ponzi scheme. Allegedly, they knew the investments were fraudulent, but stayed involved because they were making money hand over fist.

And in the fun world of hockey violence:
Winnipeg Jets defenseman Mark Stuart was fined $2,500 by the NHL on Saturday for Friday's hit on Washington forward Marcus Johansson.
Carolina Hurricanes forward Jeff Skinner was suspended for 2 games without pay for kicking St. Louis Blues forward Scott Nichol.
Phoenix Coyotes forward Shane Doan was fined $2,500 for boarding Calgary Flames defenseman Mark Giordano Thursday.
The Philadelphia Flyers ended intrastate and divisional rival Pittsburg Penguins' 11-game win streak with a 3-2 victory Sunday.
And the Columbus Blue Jackets lost starting goalie Curtis Sanford to an apparent leg injury in the first period of Sunday's game.

©2012 Denim McDemus