Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

[ProfessaPackMan]

I was looking around on NFL.com earlier, just looking at various team highlights from last season and watching a few game clips as well and one thing stood out to me: The fact that websites like this and NBA.com(not sure about MLB.com since I don't go there)don't have archive sections where you can actually watch the ENTIRE game in it's original form.

I mean you would think that with everything being on the internet, as far as trying to find old games or anything, that sites like these would have these already on their sites. I've had countless times(as well as you all have as well)where I wanted to go back and watch a game from like 3,4 or 5 years back but could never be able to because I could never find them or you had to go thru like 20 different sites to get it and even that's not a guarantee.

Anybody know why sites like the ones I mentioned don't have this available yet for people to be able to see online? Or is it a money/broadcasting issue and that's why it's not available?

[e0820]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

Maybe no advertising money in it?

[Blzer]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

Yeah, that would probably require a whole lot of bandwidth storage to archive things like that.

If MLB.com has it, it's only through premium packages and subscriptions but I doubt they have that. They did however remove highlight moments for regular users which is damn near blasphemous. I watch those all of the time. I could always watch the Sportscenter highlights, but I like hearing the announcer's reactions and getting sucked into the moment of the game.

[SPTO]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

Actually MLB.Com has pretty extensive archives that go back 2-3 years ago and also historical games. The thing is, it's subscription based and from what i've heard MLB is making a killing off their MLB.TV service so it's not like they're struggling.

Darren Rovell of CNBC is a sports business contributor to a radio show up here and this was brought up as an extension to a conversation about how the NFL is trying to restrict players and media from reporting on things through twitter. Anyways the NFL could EASILY go and do a video service like ProfessaPackMan is advocating as they have deals with DTV and such that it would be able to finance having a sub service for broadcasting games live over the net as well as providing classic games.

The NFL would make a killing doing this but they're so overly protective of the brand that they don't want to let the genie out of the bottle which is why NFL.com and NBA.com aren't destinations for fans really because they can find the content elsewhere.

[ProfessaPackMan]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

Exactly. I'm sure Goodell and especially Stern wouldn't have issues with this since they would be raking in money like crazy, especially if they released them on DVD or if they made it like a premium subscription where you had to pay for it, which I wouldn't even mind doing.

I mean they're already allowing teams to wear sponsorship patches on their jerseys and giving people the access to watch live games on their cellphones, so im definitely surprised this hasn't come to fruition yet.

[J.R. Locke]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

I agree! Someone has to understand that there is a market for fools like us who would love to watch archived games in the offseason. Right now I am just craving some real NBA action.

[KG]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

Exactly. I'm sure Goodell and especially Stern wouldn't have issues with this since they would be raking in money like crazy, especially if they released them on DVD or if they made it like a premium subscription where you had to pay for it, which I wouldn't even mind doing.

I mean they're already allowing teams to wear sponsorship patches on their jerseys and giving people the access to watch live games on their cellphones, so im definitely surprised this hasn't come to fruition yet.

Like someone said, it's got to be a bandwidth issue. It would be great to have but storing HD quality videos would eat up server space. I would love to see an NFL game chopped down to a little over an hour.

[SuperBowlNachos]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

Doesn't seem like it would be that difficult. There are millions if not billions of hours of footage on youtube. Do it like Hulu and have commercial breaks.

[CMH]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

There's a possibility that this stuff isn't even archived.

I mean, NASA didn't even think to store the recorded original footage of the moon landing.

There are a number of networks that film the games, record them, and do whatever they might do with that footage. The NBA owns the property, but to assume that they have all of the games archived directly to them is likely incorrect.

[SPTO]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

There's a possibility that this stuff isn't even archived.

I mean, NASA didn't even think to store the recorded original footage of the moon landing.

There are a number of networks that film the games, record them, and do whatever they might do with that footage. The NBA owns the property, but to assume that they have all of the games archived directly to them is likely incorrect.

This is the excuse the NFL makes all the time. However, ABC kept many, if not all of the MNF games from the mid '70s onwards. CBS and NBC kept quite a few games as far back as the late '70s.

Also if the NFL really wants they could crack down on traders and take the best available copies of games out there in the hobby. (though personally i'd hate that!)

[jmood88]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

NFL Films keeps everything so if the NFL is saying that they don't have stuff saved, they're clearly lying.

[SPTO]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

NFL Films keeps everything so if the NFL is saying that they don't have stuff saved, they're clearly lying.

Well the networks used to erase the tapes all the time til about 1975. ABC was very good at archiving what they had so there's quite a few MNF games pre '75. The networks did keep some playoff games before '75 stashed away. I think the earliest was the '70 or '71 (can't remember) playoff between the Cowboys and Niners at old Kezar stadium.

[VDusen04]

Re: Am I The Only One Who Doesn't Understand This?

I think this is a great idea (to provide an extensive collection of archived footage in some fashion) and would be in favor of every league giving this a real look. I have to say, I kind of live off of NBA and NHL highlights I can catch on youtube and it's a bummer I cannot find anything of real substance of MLB and NFL. Access to the game's video history breeds interest in the sport itself. I understand there's business reasons for why leagues do or do not choose to make this stuff accessible but as a fan it bums me out.

In the NBA for instance, I think there'd be a market for the release of NBA Finals DVD's (full-length games) on a year-by-year basis. I'd even be interested in All-Star Weekend DVD's (or other full-length accessible outlet).