Sunday afternoon brings us the NFL version of the Game of the Century (for this year, at least). The undefeated New England Patriots visit Indianapolis to take on the undefeated Colts. This is a matchup of titanic proportions.
CBS will broadcast the game nationally. Almost nationally, that is, thanks to the NFL's TV policy. There are two other games scheduled for the late slot on Sunday.
The Seattle Seahawks play at Cleveland, to be televised on Fox. NFL TV rules prohibit a game to be shown opposite the home team's game in the home market. Therefore, CBS cannot show a game in Cleveland opposite the Seahawks-Browns game. The CBS station in Cleveland will be reduced to showing informercials, old westerns, bad TV movies, or something.
The sorry Houston Texans play in Oakland against the awful Raiders. As is the case with many games in Oakland, it is not a sellout. Therefore, it cannot be televised in Oakland or in any TV market that reaches within 75 miles of the stadium. So, the game will not be televised in the home market of San Francisco, or in the secondary markets of Sacramento and Monterey. Other markets in California that would normally show the Raiders are switching to the Patriots-Colts game.
This means that the Texans-Raiders game will only be shown on three CBS affiliates, plus NFL Sunday Ticket. NFL TV rules force the CBS stations in Houston, Beaumont, and Bryan to televise the Texans-Raiders game. Per NFL rules, the game must be shown in the visiting team's market. Houston is the home market for the Texans. The market areas for the stations in Bryan and Beaumont come within 75 miles of Reliant Stadium, so those cities are considered the Texans' secondary markets by the NFL. The NFL requires all away games to be televised in the team's primary and secondary markets.
So, we in the Houston area are stuck with the sorry Texans. The sports bars will be full on Sunday.
This blog will enter new territory on Sunday. I will be live blogging from a local eating establishment with both NFL Sunday Ticket and wi-fi access. (you gotta love technology) This blog can't miss the Pats and the Colts. Of course, if the game gets bad, the live blog will shut down and go home.
The game starts at 3:15 PM CST. The Patriots-Colts game will be blogged, with possible updates from Texans-Raiders and Seahawks-Browns.
Subscribe to:
Post Comments (Atom)
5 comments:
Sounds like fun (the live blog, not being stuck with the sorry Oilers).
I hope to be around then.
Sorry Oilers? The Titans are pretty good and play at 12:00.
The Texans really are sorry, especially now that half of their team is hurt and they still don't have a running back.
U of H plays SMU Sunday night for TV. Before the game, they're going to have two huge screen TVs outside the stadium with Pats-Colts and/maybe Texans-Raiders. Anything to draw a crowd, especially a game people want to watch but can't get on their TV.
Maybe LA should have gotten the 32nd team instead of Houston. That way, Houston would get Cowboy games every week on Fox and would get Pats-Colts this Sunday. :-)
You're not missing anything on the cowboy games. And yes, I said Oilers. Get over it. Houston's team ... lol.
Did I ever tell you the story about the time I was in an inservice and someone said the most famous person they ever met was Earl Campbell and this younger lady said, "Is that the sausage guy?" lol
The Houston Oilers were the biggest wannabes. You're right: Houston's team...lol
That's pretty sad when someone knows Earl Campbell as the sausage guy. LOL It seems like yesterday he was running over people for UT and the Oilers.
Post a Comment