MLB Extra Innings Update

by Yakker on Feb 1, 2007 3:02 AM EST

According to this news story, Senator Kerry is on the case. Good to see the Senate tackling issues that matter.

And, without getting into political views, I think I can safely say that we're all rooting for the Senator on this one!

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AmjVKqIfMwVJnN6maCpmVDkRvLYF?slug=ap-kerry-baseballtv&prov =ap&type=lgns

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Dang, beat me!

I'm not big on gubmint interference, but I do think that anti-trust carrot/stick needs to be waved in front of MLB every once in a while. Especially while the Worst Commissioner in Sports History (TM) is at the helm.

by bigfatdrunk on Feb 1, 2007 9:00 AM EST reply actions

Worst Commissioner in Sports History (TM)?

Why would you want to trademark an erroneous statement?

by ftheyankees on Feb 1, 2007 1:57 PM EST up reply actions

It will be interesting

To see if anything at all comes of that. I am not sure how it breaks an anti-trust law, since it is a premium service and is not the only way you can get baseball on TV.

Also if they are going to come down on baseball for that they should come down on the NFL for it as well. Since the Sunday Ticket is exclusively on DirecTV as well.

by VtTigers on Feb 1, 2007 10:56 AM EST reply actions

Anything cable is premium

This whole discussion is kind of a joke. I personally don't think anything will come of this. John Kerry hasn't had enough face time lately.

The only "free" tv is if you have rabbit ears and watch NBC, CBS and ABC along with 2-3 other channels that may come in. Everyone has to pay for cable tv so I guess we should be waving the anti-trust laws on every channel out there except these 3 since not everyone can afford to have access to them. Baseball games are still on TV - the Yankees aren't going away. Not everyone can get the NFL ticket but no one makes a big deal about that. What about Time Warner who flipped their biggest profit in a long time not letting subscribers have the NFL network and missing at least 5-10 games this year?

If people want to take up a cause - help out Mike Ditka and Joe Delamaliere who are trying to help NFL retired players who only get $900/month to live on. Guys like Unitas and many others who laid the ground work for the morons making millions today. Talk about lousy people - when Ditka asked Gene Upshaw to help out, his answer was that he is not responsible for the players of yesterday but only the players of today. Talk about abandoning your troops. Baseball has a right to do whatever is in their best interest and my guess is that cable companies like Time Warner are at blame here because they did not pony up to provide their customer base with the MLB package. Why is Time Warner being let off the hook and Direct TV and MLB being crucified? I just don't get the logic that has occurred in these threads about this topic.

by slickwdb on Feb 1, 2007 2:32 PM EST up reply actions

Somebody watched Real Sports

by caintastic on Feb 1, 2007 3:42 PM EST up reply actions

No

Actually, someone spends a lot of time in his car and was listening to Jim Rome yesterday and heard Ditka and was listening to the local Buffalo sports show on Wednesday night and heard Joe D who played for the Bill's for a number of years. He is auctioning off a gold bracelet that OJ gave the O-line during his 2000 yard season. He said if anyone from Buffalo won the bracelet, he would also take them out to dinner and give them a couple hours of personal training.

These guys like Ditka and Joe D. are running a foundation with no expenses. They have said all the money is going to the ex-players. Do you realize a comparable retired MLB players gets about $6-8,000 per month versus these NFL players that get $9-1,200/month? It is a joke. Bud Selig? At least their players are taken care of. Worst people in sports are the NFL Players Association, the owners and commissioner for the way they have treated their ex players. $1200 a month is like making $7.50/hr at a fast food joint. It is barely above the new minimum wage. A owner of another team (had to be baseball or basketball) committed a $100,000 to Ditka. Maybe that was from the extra money he is getting from the DirectTV deal!!

by slickwdb on Feb 2, 2007 8:01 AM EST up reply actions

Tell me why

I should care that someone I don't know is only getting $900/month in pensions.

Do you realize how many people in this country woiuld be thrilled getting $900/month?

by Yakker on Feb 2, 2007 12:27 PM EST up reply actions

You don't have to care

My point is that a guy like Kerry is spending time on nonsense like anti-trust because Baseball has decided to go with DirectTV when he never complained about the NFL Ticket or Time Warner cancelling the NFL Network or a host of other issues like the way the NFLPA treats their retired players versus how well MLB takes care of theirs. Many of these guys played football when they were making $8,000/yr. They were told astro turf was the way of the future when all it really was a carpet over concrete. They were thrown to the curb after paving the way for the people making more in 1 game than many of them made for a career. MLB deciding to go with DirectTV is a non-issue - it is their perogative. In 20 years when the NFL decides the Super Bowl is a Pay-Per-View event - do you think Kerry will care about that - probably not because he would have no political gain at that point in his life.

by slickwdb on Feb 2, 2007 2:00 PM EST up reply actions

antitrust

Well, I kind of think you're missing the whole point. The NFL does not enjoy the common law exemption from the antitrust laws. MLB does.

No one is saying that MLB's decision to broadcast Extra Innings on solely one network violates any antitrust laws.

The exemption is just the carrot/stick to effect change.

by Yakker on Feb 2, 2007 4:24 PM EST up reply actions

Bud and pensions

I'd probably say the MLBPA deserves credit of creating/getting those pensions where they are. Bud. Not so much. Bud's not my favorite guy, but hard top argue with the results. Baseball is setting attendance records under his watch. Worst ever?

I ate a Grand Slam @ Denny's yesterday... pooped out a 2 run double today.

by slurve on Feb 3, 2007 4:34 PM EST up reply actions

The exemption

The anti-trust exemption for MLB is the point here. If baseball is going to enjoy that privilege then I have no problem with the government regulating their activities. If MLB wants to play unfettered in the free market then let them relinquish the exemption.

by exileincincy on Feb 1, 2007 11:49 AM EST reply actions

Well

The exemption never really made any sense anyway, so trying to logic out what MLB should have to do to keep it or not makes my head hurt.

But you're right, I do think the exemption's important enough to change MLB's mind on this, especially if, as reported, OnDemand raised its offer to get much closer to Direct TV.

Hopefully, at the very least, this will scuttle the exclusive deal for this season, giving me time to break my lease and find an apartment with a southern exposure.

by Yakker on Feb 1, 2007 12:34 PM EST up reply actions

I doubt DirecTV would pay as much for EI without having the exclusive rights to it.

If the MLB could reach a point where they had the same amount total from both In Demand and DirecTV as they would from just DirecTV then I think the deal will be made.

Should be interesting to watch. I doubt the negotiations are over.

by VtTigers on Feb 1, 2007 9:47 PM EST up reply actions