What do you mean I can't watch the Green Bay Dallas game on Thursday?

[Paulypalooza]

I was looking forward to the Green Bay Dallas game on Thursday that has very important post season implications. The winner of this game will most likely get home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Now I find out it is only being shown on the NFL Network. What about the people like me who want to watch the game but can't afford another $40 a month for digital cable? What about the people who can't get the NFL Network because their cable provider doesn't offer it?

Showing games only on the NFL Network is just another way for for a multi billion dollar a year industry to squeeze a few more dollars out of the fans and is entirely unnecessary

[Wook]

The NFL network thing is a dark piece of comedy. NFL Sunday ticket is available only to people who can receive a Direct TV satelite signal and for many people this excludes them for purely technical reasons that do not involve their personal finances. The NFL does not care about this but at the same time bitches and moans like an old nag at the cable companies for refusing to carry NFL Network... Tuesday Morning Quarterback complains about this almost every other week and dedicates at least one issue a year almost exclusively to it. :sawink2:

[Kalzazz]

I feel your pain. Whenever there is a Football game I really want to watch, we dont get it. I really wanted to watch the Patriots/Colts game recently and nope, no dice. We just have normal HD DirectTV, not having paid the extra to buy NFL Network or whatever gives us more NFL games

Not to get off topic to much, but for baseball my family discovered that buying HD DirectTV and buying MLB Extra Innings does not in fact actually give us all the ballgames, every so often there would be an Indians game that was blocked. And we had bought MLB Extra Innings, there wasnt any more MLB stutff to buy, we even had the extra 'get pregame/postgame shows' package

[Starhawk]

I'm just deliriously happy that they broadcast the Colts-Falcons game locally on our NBC affiliate.

I thought I was shit out of luck, because I don't want to pay $15/mo for Comcast Cable's "sports tier".

[silverwhisper]

pauly: what about a local sports bar? they're guaranteed to have that package, right?

[Origen]

pauly: what about a local sports bar? they're guaranteed to have that package, right?

That's what I was going to suggest. Call around and find a sports bar that will carry it, and show up a little early so you can get a good place near the screen. Yes, it's not ideal, but it's better than missing a game you want to see.

[Starhawk]

You guys ever heard of any sports bars that are open on Thanksgiving?

I'm tellin you, man, those NFL brass are sneaky. :th_thumbsdownsmiley

[silverwhisper]

starhawk, the game pauly is talking about is set for this coming thursday. :>

besides, did you need to see the game to know that indy was gonna embarrass atlanta? :D

[carmachu]

I was looking forward to the Green Bay Dallas game on Thursday that has very important post season implications. The winner of this game will most likely get home field advantage throughout the playoffs.

Now I find out it is only being shown on the NFL Network. What about the people like me who want to watch the game but can't afford another $40 a month for digital cable? What about the people who can't get the NFL Network because their cable provider doesn't offer it?

Showing games only on the NFL Network is just another way for for a multi billion dollar a year industry to squeeze a few more dollars out of the fans and is entirely unnecessary

Its the way it is now. Like Wotc and DI. Everyone is trying to squeeze one last dollar out of you....

[Kalzazz]

Starhawk, I thought you lived in Indianapolis?

Even people who live there wont necessary get the Colts games on local channels?

Whoa. That isnt cool

[Paulypalooza]

pauly: what about a local sports bar? they're guaranteed to have that package, right?

That's what I was going to suggest. Call around and find a sports bar that will carry it, and show up a little early so you can get a good place near the screen. Yes, it's not ideal, but it's better than missing a game you want to see.

Origens Black Ops game is on Thursday night. I was planning to watch the first hour with no distractions and then multitask between the two games. If role playing needed my full attention I could always turn off the football game.

I really shouldn't complain too much. My work schedule and an assload of nationally televised games has allowed me to watch every Dallas game this year except the Miami game.

Still, this could be the most important game of the year.

[Detritus]

Still, this could be the most important game of the year.
My guess is this is not the last time that the Cowboys and Packers will meet this season.

[Paulypalooza]

My guess is this is not the last time that the Cowboys and Packers will meet this season.

I meant of the regular season. They will almost undoubtedly meet in the post season.

[silverwhisper]

it'll be interesting to see which QB has a better day.

[SD Anderson]

Now I find out it is only being shown on the NFL Network. What about the people like me who want to watch the game but can't afford another $40 a month for digital cable? What about the people who can't get the NFL Network because their cable provider doesn't offer it?


Sports bar/pizza parlor. Somebody has it on a publlicly accessible big scrren you can get to.

[Brother Brian]

I feel your pain. Whenever there is a Football game I really want to watch, we dont get it. I really wanted to watch the Patriots/Colts game recently and nope, no dice. We just have normal HD DirectTV, not having paid the extra to buy NFL Network or whatever gives us more NFL games

Not to get off topic to much, but for baseball my family discovered that buying HD DirectTV and buying MLB Extra Innings does not in fact actually give us all the ballgames, every so often there would be an Indians game that was blocked. And we had bought MLB Extra Innings, there wasnt any more MLB stutff to buy, we even had the extra 'get pregame/postgame shows' package

If a baseball game is blacked out, it's because it's available on another station available in your area. So if a local channel broadcasts the games in your area, they have exclusive rights to do so.

[Detritus]

Well, this game looks like it would have been really fun to watch....

The NFL.com version isn't quite the same, I must say.

[Kalzazz]

Gah! Brett Favre, -4.9pts?!

Bad Favre!

[Parzival]

It was a good game.
The Packers went deep into the doldrums after their first possesion. There was some bad play-calling, and/or bad decisions by Farve.
After he got hurt, (and Rodgers spend a couple series getting the feel for things) the Packers came back and made a game of it.

[Detritus]

Gah! Brett Favre, -4.9pts?!

Bad Favre!
Yeah, he got off to a bad start, then got hurt and was out before he could right the ship.

Packers fans should be happy with the way Rodgers acquitted himself in a pinch.

[Parzival]

Just was watching the NFL network, and saw the VP head of officating try to soft-peddle the two major blown calls. (Both of which went against the Packers.)

I wasn't pissed about them (hey, mistakes happen, and while it sucks, it's inevitable) until this asshole defended them as the proper calls to be made.
His reasoning was just bizarre.
The tangled feet/PI was called legit because even though the defender was looking up (presumably for the ball) he wasn't looking back towards the quarterback.
The call robbing Harris' strip of Owens was called legit because the sidejudge ruled that forward progress had stopped. Despite the replay clearly showing that forward progress had not, in fact, stopped. And the extent of forward progress is not reviewable. Even though it's frequently reviewed, and challenging the spot of the ball is one of the most frequent challenges.

[Paulypalooza]

It was a good game.
The Packers went deep into the doldrums after their first possesion. There was some bad play-calling, and/or bad decisions by Farve.
After he got hurt, (and Rodgers spend a couple series getting the feel for things) the Packers came back and made a game of it.
From what I could tell from the highlights reel it looked like Favre was trying to do to much to fast and but burnt for it

[Kalzazz]

I actually couldnt care less about whether the game itself or the teams involved (though it sounds like it was a good one so I wouldnt have minded watching it)

I was just upset on the Fantasy Football angle when my highest hoped for player puts up negatives

[Parzival]

From what I could tell from the highlights reel it looked like Favre was trying to do to much to fast and but burnt for it
It was partially him, and partially the play calling. After running a stretch offense for the first series, the Packers went max-protect. They were sending only two players out on routes, and Favre wasn't making his reads. He was just hucking the ball to the deep receiver, no matter how many defenders were covering. (And then consistantly underthrew that triple-covered reciever, with predictable results.)

At least, that's my analysis of it. <shrug> It's a lot harder to make a solid analysis since the superimposed lines made it possible for the cameramen to zoom and pan with impunity. You only get to see part of the play.

No bones about it, the Cowboys deserved to win.
Favre looked like he did last year (and the year before), while the Packers D (missing three starters from the secondary) blew a lot of coverages for big plays and scores.
But the league official trying to whitewash the blown calls really gets my goat.