Congress must not boost NFL's TV channel

UNION-TRIBUNE EDITORIAL

November 22, 2007

Tonight, the league-owned NFL Network will air the first of eight Thursday night games. The Indianapolis-Atlanta matchup will not be seen by most of America, because most cable companies – including giants Time Warner and Comcast – balk at including the network in basic cable packages. They object to the fee the NFL charges: 70 cents per customer per month.

That doesn't sound like much, but in context it is an utter rip-off. Seventy cents per customer per month is far more than what is charged by CNN, the Discovery Channel, CNBC and many other channels. And unlike the NFL Network, those channels actually have fresh, relevant programming much of the time.

The sole attractive, unique shows on the NFL Network are the eight Thursday night games – about 26 hours of programming a year. The other 26,734 hours a year are filled with repeats, league-flattering features and the standard blathering about injuries, contracts, “Cover 2” defenses, etc., that is available everywhere. No wonder Time Warner tartly observes that the NFL Network “doesn't satisfy the price-value equation.”

Now here's where things get ridiculous: NFL owners, led by the Dallas Cowboys' Jerry Jones, are pushing hard for Congress to force cable companies to put the NFL Network on basic cable and thus add $300 million a year to league coffers – money that cable companies will generate by charging higher rates for basic cable.

That last point is crucial. The way to see this fight isn't the NFL versus cable companies. It's the NFL versus cable customers. That's why the proper response for lawmakers to Jones' proposal is raucous laughter.

The NFL is a highly prosperous league with no need for a congressionally arranged bailout. If the business model for its cable network is – excuse us – a turkey, that is the NFL's problem and no one else's.

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I already have this channel included with my cable's digital package. So I'll be watching football tonight! :D

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me@rescam.org

What about some wine whilst you wait for the turkey? ;-)



And I shall find the story .... brb.

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What about some wine whilst you wait for the turkey? ;-)



And I shall find the story .... brb.

That'll be real nice, Moon of my Moon!

OOOH! Nice wine, Thanks!!! :]]



@ Misfit: Moneygrubbers! I'm on the Atlanta Falcons to come withing a +12 point spread. Yep, that's the odds and I think that Indy is ridiculously overrated here. ;]

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Oki. Since its Thanksgiving, and all this talk about
turkies, I thought a story about birds would be nice.. lol
Here it goes...


Today`s Story

Are you a prairie chicken ?



An old Amerindian legend tells of a brave who found an eagle's
egg one day and put it in a prairie chicken's nest. The eaglet
hatched at the same time as a nestful of prairie chickens saw
the light of day, and grew up alongside them.

All his life the young eagle did exactly what prairie chickens do.
He pecked for insects and grubs in the earth. He clucked and
cackled exactly like a prairie chicken. And when he flew it was
always in a cloud of feathers and only for a few yards at most.

After all, that's how prairie chickens fly.

The years passed and the eagle grew old. One day he saw a
magnificent bird gliding high in the cloudless sky. Gracefully the
huge bird rode the air currents, hardly moving his great golden
wings.

"What a beautiful bird!" exclaimed our eagle to his prairie
chicken friends. "What is it?"

"That's an eagle, the king of birds," clucked his neighbor.
"But you better forget about it. You'll never be an eagle."

And so the eagle forgot all about the magnificent bird and
died, thinking he was a prairie chicken.

Have you ever thought you were less than
you could be, like the eagle who thought he was a prairie
chicken?

If so, think again...

;-)

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~AriZ~ . . . You 'ave 'hit the nail right square on it's head' . . . *S*

< 'ave a Great Rest of the Day / Evenin' y'all . . .

> i'm cookin' a bird right now . . . later

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BOINC Wiki . . .

Science Status Page . . .

Chris.. I`m very glad to hear that..hehe
Please tell me when you`re finished.. ;-))

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Another great story, Moon. Thank you!!! :]]

I hope everyone had a wonderful Thanksgiving holiday!!!


Good Night, everyone. :]

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Coffee made and served ;-)

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Good morning to you all

Good morning to you all

Hello Cowboy..what time is it with you? maybe a bit early for the
mornng coffe..? hehe.. you can drink it anyway ;-)

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Thank you, I will. Here at this moment it is: 12:59 AM PST

Thank you, I will. Here at this moment it is: 12:59 AM PST

Hmm.. Were do you live? I cant figure it out..hehe.. mabye I need some more coffee... ;-)

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Live in the northwest corner of the Washington state in the USA. About 150km south of Vancouver, BC, Canada. Lots of rain and air pollution.(yuk) Lived in Wyoming for 7 years, and loved every moment of it.

Live in the northwest corner of the Washington state in the USA. About 150km south of Vancouver, BC, Canada. Lots of rain and air pollution.(yuk) Lived in Wyoming for 7 years, and loved every moment of it.

aye...but why move if you loved it there.. ;-))) you cowboys are strange ;-)

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health reasons. the altitude there was 5000feet, and I have asthma with COPD. Although I have been up to 10,997ft of altitude and no problems. Sea level makes it easier to breath. BUT, with the allergies I have here, I'm not sure! Anyway, my wife got all scared about it and two of her daughters live here - so did I have a chance to say no? not really

health reasons. the altitude there was 5000feet, and I have asthma with COPD. Although I have been up to 10,997ft of altitude and no problems. Sea level makes it easier to breath. BUT, with the allergies I have here, I'm not sure! Anyway, my wife got all scared about it and two of her daughters live here - so did I have a chance to say no? not really

;-) im not too sure.. It might have felt so..but you could of corse
stayed, and seen what happend.. ;-)

..have u become any happier of it? ;-D

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NO!

NO!

I hope you`ll find your way.....

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Thank you Moon. Very much appreciated.

I guess its breakfast time for many soon.. (its very difficult to serve the righ meals in the right time on an international cafe like this.. ;-))



But ok.. breakfast coming up..

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