Pats vs. Giants Game on Saturday night

[WDWfanatic742]

Patriots' historic game to be available to all of America, after all
By RACHEL COHEN, AP Sports Writer
December 26, 2007

NEW YORK (AP) -- After weeks of insisting they wouldn't cave in, NFL officials did just that Wednesday. Now all of America can see the Patriots' shot at history.

Saturday night's game between New England and the New York Giants on the NFL Network, which is available in fewer than 40 percent of the nation's homes with TVs, will be simulcast on CBS and NBC.

The Patriots could become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in the regular season.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," commissioner Roger Goodell said in a statement after the league announced it was reversing course. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

NFL Network spokesman Seth Palansky said officials would have no further comment Wednesday.

The NFL had claimed that the onus of making the game widely available fell on the major cable providers with which the league has bitterly feuded. Companies such as Comcast and Time Warner have declined to carry the network as part of basic packages.

But lawmakers have pressured the NFL to ensure more viewers could see the game. Last week, two prominent members of the Senate Judiciary Committee sent a letter to Goodell threatening to reconsider the league's antitrust exemption.

Sen. Patrick Leahy, D-Vt., who co-wrote the letter with Sen. Arlen Specter, R-Pa., said he was "delighted" by the NFL's concession.

"I think it was a smart move on their part," he said in a phone interview.

Leahy expected to speak with Goodell again next month about the ongoing question of how many fans will be able to see games on the channel. Saturday's matchup wraps up the NFL Network's second season of airing live contests, with eight per year. This one and a key Thursday night game between Green Bay and Dallas last month drew widespread complaints about the lack of availability.

"I never completely gave up hope, but I was getting a little discouraged Christmas afternoon when we still had not gotten a positive answer," said Leahy, who added that his staff members were talking with NFL officials during the holiday.

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas that were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it. That means viewers in those markets will have four channels to choose from if they get NFL Network.

"I couldn't be more thrilled that as the Patriots rush toward an historic undefeated season, football fans everywhere have won a victory of their own," said Sen. John Kerry, D-Mass., who had urged cable and NFL executives to settle the dispute. "With today's announcement, the NFL showed their loyalty to the sports fans who made the NFL an empire in the first place.

"The best news of all is that now no die-hard Pats fans will be shut out from watching their team take aim at football history," Kerry said in a statement.

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of an NFL game since the inaugural Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC televised the meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

"We're happy to accommodate the NFL's request for a joint national simulcast of this potentially historic game to make it available to the widest possible audience," said Dick Ebersol, NBC Universal's chairman for sports and Olympics.

NBC was scheduled to air "Dateline NBC" and a repeat of "Law & Order: SVU" during the time slot. CBS was set to broadcast the movie "Good Night, and Good Luck" and "48 Hours: Mysteries."

[RedheadWriter]

I've got Directv and I get the NFL network (as a matter of fact, right now I am watching the re-airing of the Pats vs Colts game from Nov4) but my Dad was upset that he probably wouldn;t be able to watch the game this weekend. I am happy they did this. Football is our American pastime and every fan should be able to watch!

[JPL]

Funny thing is this game is going to be a joke with both teams holding back their starters for the playoffs

[Donald A]

I am so glad that US Senators from both parties made this a priority Such important work is getting done as they protect America's right to watch millionaires play a game!

[RedheadWriter]

I am so glad that US Senators from both parties made this a priority Such important work is getting done as they protect America's right to watch millionaires play a game!

Hehe....I see sarcasm is your friend, too! Love it!!!

[Mufasa]

Unfortunately with the NFL Network coverage you'll have to listen to Bryant Mumble (who will find a way to mess up the player names, team names, and who knows what else) and Cris Collingsworth- the worst play by play/commentary team out there.

[sportsguy2315]

Unfortunately with the NFL Network coverage you'll have to listen to Bryant Mumble (who will find a way to mess up the player names, team names, and who knows what else) and Cris Collingsworth- the worst play by play/commentary team out there.

I totally agree with the first part of your comment Mufasa, Bryant Mumble is not that great. However, don't be so hard on Cris: The guy's on three networks (NFL, HBO and NBC), so he has to be good; in fact, that's one of the reasons why after he left FOX NFL Sunday I converted to CBS for my pregame coverage (I'll just say that there's more jokes on FOX now than Frank Caliendo's routine!).

[Scar]

Unfortunately with the NFL Network coverage you'll have to listen to Bryant Mumble (who will find a way to mess up the player names, team names, and who knows what else) and Cris Collingsworth- the worst play by play/commentary team out there.

Everybody write your senators. Maybe we can get them to force the NFL to replace them too.

[Ian]

I am so glad that US Senators from both parties made this a priority Such important work is getting done as they protect America's right to watch millionaires play a game!

That was my first thought, too. THIS is all these clowns have to worry about??? And they wonder why most of America doesn't trust or respect them.

Unfortunately with the NFL Network coverage you'll have to listen to Bryant Mumble (who will find a way to mess up the player names, team names, and who knows what else) and Cris Collingsworth- the worst play by play/commentary team out there.

Hey if you're going to come up with a snappy derogatory name for Gumble, you've got to call Collingsworth "Collingsworst" ... it just completes the matched set!

On a more pointed note, this whole thing with the NFL Network irritates me. One set of billionaires arguing with another set over some nickles and dimes and meanwhile the average guy, who's already paying ridiculous sums of money for his cable in the first place, gets jobbed out of being able to watch football.

[pogo]

On a more pointed note, this whole thing with the NFL Network irritates me. One set of billionaires arguing with another set over some nickles and dimes and meanwhile the average guy, who's already paying ridiculous sums of money for his cable in the first place, gets jobbed out of being able to watch football.

I couldn't agree with you more ! I don't watch Baseball on TV any more, with the exception of the Little League World Series and I probably won't watch game either.

I'm not a fan of either team and I find the NFL becomming increasingly boring !

[DisneyGiant]

This game is probably going to be a big let down.

This Giant fan's prediction - Patriots unfortunately win.

Many, many Giant fans are selling their tickets for obscene amounts of money ($500-1500) a ticket - so this will be more like a home game for the Patriots.

Most Giant fans really don't care about this game - we've made the playoffs already.

The pressure is really going to be on the Pats after this game - their perfect season won't really mean much unless they win it all (that's what Miami did.........)