NFL • New England Patriots • New York Giants

The Perfect Game Of Chicken

All season long the battle has waged between Big Cable and the NFL over carriage of the NFL Network. The debate has been fought in the boardrooms, in the court of public opinion and even in the halls of our state and federal legislatures. Neither side has budged from their positions and the protracted blackout of NFL football from millions of TV sets seems sure to last through next season as well.

At the end of November it looked like the issue might come to head when the Packers traveled to Dallas for a meeting between the two best teams in the NFC. The much-anticipated game that would go mostly unseen in the state capitals of Madison and San Antonio could have provided a flashpoint for action and led to some sort of compromise. But neither side blinked. Instead the only winners were the nation’s tavern owners who reaped millions from fans pouring out into the night to get their fill of suds and Thurday night football.

This week another opportunity for resolution rears its ugly head as the NFL Network prepares to show its final game of the season between the New England Patriots and the New York Giants. What would otherwise be a meaningless game has been rendered historic because the Pats could become the first team ever to win all 16 of the regular season games. Without a compromise solution between Big Cable and the NFL, a nation of football fans will miss seeing the moment New England achieves this feat. The news will be relayed only by the sports channels and internet sites but hardly anyone will be able to say they saw it happen live.

A pox on both your houses.

UPDATE: Whatevs.

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