Dear Bud Selig, Jimmy Lee Solomon, and all other MLB Suits:
Modern technology has come a long way in recent years, and with it cable television offers us better entertainment options such as On Demand and premium sports packages. Your MLB package is one such premium option. I grew up on Long Island a diehard Mets fan, and still am a diehard Mets fan. But I went through a few years of limited access to my team when I moved to Cleveland, Ohio in 1992 and then to Nashville 2003. The MLB package has been around for a while, but it wasn’t until last season that I thought I would get my money’s worth, because my wife and I had a baby boy in 2007 and we sure were going to be home on the couch in the evenings a lot more than before.
So in 2008, I took the plunge, and felt like a re-born New Yorker. Not only were many of the Mets’ games on the package the feed from SNY with the great Gary Cohen as well as the insightful Ron Darling and the less-than-enthused-most-of-the-time-unless-he’s-talking-about-himself Keith Hernandez, but I even got all those great Giuseppe Franco commercials. You know, he doesn’t own the company….he doesn’t own anything about it! But I digress. My connection to New York grew even more the last few seasons when I realized I could listen to WFAN online as I work. What a country, right?
Well, here is my only beef with you guys. When my Mets play the Braves or Reds, there is a wonderful blackout rule that your company has imposed. Since Atlanta and Cincinnati are what you call driving distance to Nashville (each is 4 hours away), I do not get any Mets’ games played in those cities, because you want me to drive to the games instead. Yeah, like that’s realistic. I don’t mind a weekend trip once in a while, but not when those games are during the week, and not every series. But it gets worse. The Reds’ and Braves’ road games are not shown either, so not only do I not get the games at Shea when the Mets play those teams, but if I’m up late and for some strange reason want to watch the Reds or Braves play in Dodger stadium, surprise–that is blacked out too! Tell me, please…who is so lazy that they can’t at least lift that part of the rule? Is it MLB or Comcast? Regardless, it’s beyond stupid.
So a few days ago, I called Comcast to order the 2009 MLB package. I want my Mets and I want them now. And I thought I read that the blackout rule would be lifted because of something to do with the new MLB Network. But I was wrong. The dude who took my order wanted to make sure I understood the blackout rule. That was at least better than last season when I was caught completely by surprise. But regardless, it’s still there, and I’m not happy about it.
Sincerely,
Mikey J. a.k.a. Blacked Out in Nashville
P.S. Still, I am looking forward to this season as the Mets look to overcome the pesky Phillies and get back to the World Series for the first time in almost a decade. Now, If only I could order some New York potato salad online…..
