NFL Network = Big Waste of Space

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

Ok, I've held off posting about this, but I haven't seen anyone else mention it so I'll go ahead and do it.

 

1. The selling point of the channel programing wise is NFL Total Access hosted by Rich Eisen. I think its the one of the few non-NFL Films show on the channel. Its not that bad of a show, they do a lot of cool stuff with the players during the week and they have the required fantasy talk and they go over news and stuff like that. But Rich Eisen just doesn't seem to be fitted for hosting the show.

 

2. LOTS OF NFL FILMS SHOWS. I think they might put ESPN 2 out of business if they got the rights to all of them. Obviously there are a ton of them, but a sample of the schedule this weekend shows that they are only replaying a few of them over and over and over: Dan Marino: Heart of a Champion, 99 Titans Yearbook, 02 Raiders Yearbook, Super Bowl 27/28 (Cowboys/Bills), Football America (some sort of Documentary on Football) and 9 back to back replays of Sounds of the Game (going into Monday morning).

 

3. On Sunday they have a College Football wrap up show. College Football...NFL Network...hmm. It runs all morning instead of some sort of Sunday Morning NFL show. I guess we don't want to compete with ESPN/FOX/CBS's NFL shows.

 

4. On Sundays durring the game it says they have a show called RED ZONE - Coverage of NFL Games with Scores, Statistics and Game Updates. This could be a good thing depending on how its done, but I can't see them running constant updates of all the games and taking away from the networks and Sunday Ticket (seeing as how NFL network is probably available only on Directv right now...)

 

5. I think they replaced most of the commercials with either - 1)NFL Total Access spots 2) NFL.com ads 3) United Way Ads with they players.

 

I can't imagine what the network will be like from February to August. I guess they can have draft coverage shows and Team training camp shows, but other than that, their main show (NFL Total Access) will be rendered useless for the most part. More NFL Films shows! Oh, and maybe NFL Europe coverage too, oh joy!...

[Guest FrigidSoul]

is this channel free? Something tells me no, but then again I get ESPN Classic for free when some people have to pay

[Vern Gagne 0]

Maybe the NFL network will be able to show classic games has they appeard on tv, and not just highlights done by a narrator.

[Slayer 0]

Maybe the NFL network will be able to show classic games has they appeard on tv, and not just highlights done by a narrator.

Until that happens, Angelslayer cares not

[Fökai 0]

Maybe the NFL network will be able to show classic games has they appeard on tv, and not just highlights done by a narrator.

Can't do that.

 

They'd have to re-produce the entire game to air it (including camera angles and commentary) to avoid breaching each network's contract with the NFL.

[Slayer 0]

Maybe the NFL network will be able to show classic games has they appeard on tv, and not just highlights done by a narrator.

Can't do that.

 

They'd have to re-produce the entire game to air it (including camera angles and commentary) to avoid breaching each network's contract with the NFL.

The hell?

 

Explain in better detail, please

 

My point remains though, if all they show are chopped to hell, downsized, overglorified, over-soundtracked NFL Films versions of games, I will never watch. I can't stand those.

[Guest HHH123007]

I think it will take some time to get rolling....like NBA TV. They're a lot better now than they were at the start.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

I think it will take some time to get rolling....like NBA TV. They're a lot better now than they were at the start.

At least NBA TV carries games on Saturday/Sunday I think.

 

NFL Network will never be able to air a full game (recent or classic) due to various reasons.

 

Right now NFL Network is free on Directv Channel 212. Im willing to bet that it will be available only with NFL Sunday Ticket next year though.

[Guest FrigidSoul]

I got digital cable and its not an option. Oh well

[Slayer 0]

Nobody's explained how the whole "we can't air full games" thing yet, and if it has to do with network contracts, that doesn't make sense to me, since nearly every other sport airs freely on ESPN classic or elsewhere...

 

I remember when I first got ESPN classic two years ago, I was overjoyed to learn what I could watch...

 

Full classic college football games? Right here

Full classic college basketball games? Sure thing

Full classic NHL games? We got it

Full classic NBA games? There they are

Full classic MLB games? Not a problem

Full classic NFL games? Fuck you NFL fans, nothing for you!

[Bored 0]

Yes why is the NFL still not allowing the original broadcasted classic games to be show like every other sport? I've said this before but I think it has something to do with the NFL Films where they feel only they should tell the history of the NFL.

Edited November 9, 2003 by Bored

[Slayer 0]

Yes why is the NFL still not allowing the original broadcasted classic games to be show like everything other sport? I've said this before but I think it has something to do with the NFL Films where they feel only they should tell the history of the NFL.

If that is the case (not gonna jump to conclusions) then fuck the Sabol family

[Dr. Tom 0]

When the NFL Network brings the Sunday Ticket package to digital cable, I'll be interested. Until then, fuck the NFL and their stupid exclusive agreement with 10% of the fucking country.

[MrRant 0]

And it should piss you off since I believe cable companies offered more money and they would have gotten more ad space etc and they STILL TURNED IT DOWN.

[Tony149 0]

And it should piss you off since I believe cable companies offered more money and they would have gotten more ad space etc and they STILL TURNED IT DOWN.

After doing a search on google, apparently that isn't true according to an article from yesterday.

 

From Star Tribune...

 

Does this should sound familiar? An all-sports channel launches, but many can't see it because the network is having trouble getting distribution.

 

No, we're not talking about Victory Sports. That's last week's news. This time, it's the NFL Network, which debuted Tuesday on DirecTV and Voom -- a new satellite service.

 

Like Victory, which will begin showing Twins games next spring and has only a few deals with small cable operators in the region, the NFL Network also has been unable to reach agreements with cable giants such as Time Warner and Comcast.

 

Granted, the 11.9 million subscriber base of DirecTV isn't a bad place to start, but an extended period without cable deals won't sit well for long at the league's Park Avenue offices. NFL Networks President Steve Bornstein, the former head of ABC and ESPN, said he is in negotiations with every cable operator and satellite provider.

 

So what does the NFL Network offer? Among the things Bornstein is trying to sell operators on is Video on Demand applications; some high definition programming, including a game of the week that is edited to an hour; never-before seen footage from the NFL Films archives; a college football show that will focus on pro prospects; fantasy football content; and "NFL Total Access," a weeknight program which will serve as the network's flagship show and be hosted by former ESPN "SportsCenter" anchor Rich Eisen.

 

In addition to Eisen, the network's stable of talent includes former NFL coaches Mike Ditka and Marv Levy, and ex-players Sterling Sharpe, Ken Norton Jr. and Seth Joyner. Warren Sapp of the Buccaneers and Michael Strahan of the Giants also will have roles, and former ESPN personalities Charley Steiner and Bill Patrick are on board as hosts.

 

The network will carry preseason games as well as NFL Europe contests, but not regular-season or playoff games. The league might see an opportunity to make a buck off this channel, but it knows better than to take money out of its own pockets by messing with the dollars Fox, CBS, ABC and ESPN are paying for the right to show games. Those networks have two seasons to go after this one of their current deals, and Bornstein said he does not anticipate the NFL Network being a player in the next round of negotiations.

 

Bornstein remains confident, almost cocky, about the fact the venture will succeed.

 

"We are dealing with a product that is unparalleled in this country," he said. "It is called NFL football. And it has an incredible following. It is the most popular programming on this planet. We believe that there is an opportunity to exploit that and to serve those people that are interested in this product on a seven-day-a-week business.

And I think this is beyond any other sports league, it is beyond any other entertainment franchise."

Only time will tell if the operators agree.

 

© Copyright 2003 Star Tribune. All rights reserved.

[Dr. Tom 0]

I think he was talking about the NFL Sunday Ticket package, Tony. The NFL decided to continue offering it exclusively on DirecTV, and spuring the greater offer and much greater installed subscriber base of digital cable. I'd have it in a heartbeat if it were available here, but I'm not getting a crappy dish installed just to watch football.

[Guest Black Widow]

Maybe the NFL network will be able to show classic games has they appeard on tv, and not just highlights done by a narrator.

Until that happens, umm... Black Widow doesn't care.

 

The channel is still basically the same as ESPN2's early afternoon programming.

[MarvinisaLunatic 0]

The NFL Game of the Week in HD last night was the Seahawks vs the Redskins. I thought it was actually pretty cool the way they did it, and if I had a HD set it might have been even better.

 

And I dont think Directv can afford to lose NFL Sunday Ticket because Im willing to bet that 75% of the people who have directv probably only have it for Sunday Ticket. Directv overpaid for it this go-round and will probably overpay for it again whenever the time comes to renew their contract. Of course overpaying means that the price went up, but all things factored its still not a bad deal.

[The Czech Republic 0]

Yes why is the NFL still not allowing the original broadcasted classic games to be show like everything other sport? I've said this before but I think it has something to do with the NFL Films where they feel only they should tell the history of the NFL.

If that is the case (not gonna jump to conclusions) then fuck the Sabol family

Agreed. The little narrated soundtracked NFL Films renditions of Super Bowl games are fun to watch, because it's dramatic, and on film, and everything, but still, just show a real game for once.