More Potential Congressional Involvement in MLB

[DGetz]

http://sports.yahoo.com/mlb/news;_ylt=AseMru_I9z.oGrhUGfRGbDoRvLYF?slug=ap-nationals-television&prov=ap&type=lgns

The deal here is that Comcast SportsNet used to broadcast Orioles games. Peter Angelos started his own network (Mid-Atlanta Sports Net) and started showing Orioles games on it; MLB gave him the right to Nats tv games to essential get him to quit bitching about the Nats moving to DC. Comcast is mad Angelos left the contract and refuses to carry MASN on its cable; only games which are on broadcast are available. Congress is theatening to intervene.
The whole thing is really just another case in recent history of the most screwed over franchse in sports. I mean seriously, you give the tv rights of a team to the owner of another team?

As someone who is going to be in the DC area over the summer, it would be nice to have Nationals games on cable. I also think Comcast is being petty, punishing Nationals fans because Angelos is a jerk. Still think it's werid Congress is getting involved and more than anything else I think it's just a ploy for political favoritism.

[SPTO]

Re: More Potential Congressional Involvement in MLB

As someone who is going to be in the DC area over the summer, it would be nice to have Nationals games on cable. I also think Comcast is being petty, punishing Nationals fans because Angelos is a jerk. Still think it's werid Congress is getting involved and more than anything else I think it's just a ploy for political favoritism.

As someone who doesn't ALWAYS favour gov't intervention I think this is necessary tho. I mean how in the world could you have the broadcast rights for one team owned by the owner of another team in the same market? It makes no sense. In fact if anything this may prompt MLB to, you know GET A FREAKIN' OWNER FOR DC!

Sorry

[devilsjaw]

Re: More Potential Congressional Involvement in MLB

Angelos just needs to go away. He has already ruined one franchise, and that's enough.

[greenegt]

Re: More Potential Congressional Involvement in MLB

In fact if anything this may prompt MLB to, you know GET A FREAKIN' OWNER FOR DC!

I hope so. I live near DC and it's a damn shame how MLB is using the Nationals franchise to fleece every dollar out of the city that they can. MLB should have just sold to a local group, making a nice profit in the process, and let the new owner make the deals for the new stadium and whatnot. Now, the new owner has to take what's given and you've got the Nationals TV rights tied up with Angelos. Absolutely ridiculous.

[DGetz]

Re: More Potential Congressional Involvement in MLB

I hope so. I live near DC and it's a damn shame how MLB is using the Nationals franchise to fleece every dollar out of the city that they can. MLB should have just sold to a local group, making a nice profit in the process, and let the new owner make the deals for the new stadium and whatnot. Now, the new owner has to take what's given and you've got the Nationals TV rights tied up with Angelos. Absolutely ridiculous.

It's pathetic how the franchise is almost a year overdue for getting an owner. The franchise has been screwed over by MLB so much: first the MLB refusal to move the team, which cost them in terms of being able to keep players. If the team had moved in 2002 when it should have Vlad would be a National. Then taking forever to pick a location although DC was the obvious choice; giving the tv rights away to a different owner (who opposes the existence of the team); anoher offseaon with no owner so the budget is constrained and it's unclear what the team can do in the free agent market. Not to mention the hiring of the worst GM in the game.