YardRat
02-26-2012, 09:07 AM
http://www.buffalonews.com/city/columns/donn-esmonde/article741893.ece
The timing could not be better. We soon will likely be asked to spend upwards of $100 million to upgrade the operations facility of business owner Ralph Wilson. Local and state taxpayers—whether they care about the Buffalo Bills or not—will have to ante up for stadium improvements to keep the team in town.
In return, I think, we should get the chance every football Sunday to see what we’re paying for. That only happens if the NFL ends the counter-productive and taxpayer- offensive TV blackout rule.
Since we subsidize the business, I think we should by rights have access to the product.
The Federal Communications Commission is revisiting the 1973 rule preventing NFL home games not sold out 72 hours in advance from being locally televised. Thousands of irate fans spoke up during a recent comment period. The ball is now in the FCC’s hands. Although the FCC cannot force the NFL to comply, an anti-blackout edict might embarrass the league into changing its ways.
Rep. Brian Higgins is playing offense. “Bills fans made an economic investment in the team by supporting stadium improvements in the 1990s, and will be asked to again,” Higgins told me. “This is a great opportunity for the NFL to give back to the fans.”
The timing could not be better. We soon will likely be asked to spend upwards of $100 million to upgrade the operations facility of business owner Ralph Wilson. Local and state taxpayers—whether they care about the Buffalo Bills or not—will have to ante up for stadium improvements to keep the team in town.
In return, I think, we should get the chance every football Sunday to see what we’re paying for. That only happens if the NFL ends the counter-productive and taxpayer- offensive TV blackout rule.
Since we subsidize the business, I think we should by rights have access to the product.
The Federal Communications Commission is revisiting the 1973 rule preventing NFL home games not sold out 72 hours in advance from being locally televised. Thousands of irate fans spoke up during a recent comment period. The ball is now in the FCC’s hands. Although the FCC cannot force the NFL to comply, an anti-blackout edict might embarrass the league into changing its ways.
Rep. Brian Higgins is playing offense. “Bills fans made an economic investment in the team by supporting stadium improvements in the 1990s, and will be asked to again,” Higgins told me. “This is a great opportunity for the NFL to give back to the fans.”