ChrisinPDX went to a fan council a few years ago, during which he was promised that the Blazers would address the Comcast/Blazer TV contract after two years. Well, it's been two years. Is Larry Miller a liar? Where are the "negotiations", at this point?
All that shit meant as much as when Steve Patterson told me that Darius Miles, Sebastian Telfair, and Reuben Patterson were the "good guys" who would lead the Blazers out of the JailBlazers era.
I heard the Blazers Marketing VP say that a TV deal (in the fans' favor) would be struck before the season.....with or without Comcast's participation.
They claim to have verbage in the contract that can cause them to terminate their deal with Comcast if they feel that Comcast is not promoting the team properly, i.e. distributing the broadcasts to the widest possible audience. Personally I think it's a lot of bullshit. The Blazers know exactly what's going on, and as long as they get paid, they don't give two shits that Joe Blow in The Dalles can't watch the games even if he wanted to pay for them, or that Mary What's-Her-Fuck in McMinnville has no possible way of watching the games in HD. Maybe that'll force them to buy tickets to the game. What, sold out? Well, even better!
The team may have a tiny bit of leverage based on the reputed clause in their contract with Comcast about Comcast's failure to deliver the goods satisfactorily, but it seems unlikely that they would start throwing their weight around now when there seems to have been little movement in that direction to date -- of course, I have no idea if there are things going on behind the scenes that we are not privy to. My guess is that we won't see any traction on this until at least next season.
I hear ya, but she was adamant on, I believe, Wheels' show. I'm gonna ask him at the upcoming post-M&G happy hour.
That's interesting. I don't recall hearing that before. [Although, I probably did hear it before, I just don't remember it.] That would be somewhat short-sighted of them. Presumably the TV revenue isn't viewed as an end unto itself, but a way to maintain enthusiasm among existing customers and to hook new customers. barfo
VP of Marketing ... marketing ... <---- emphasis I'm not saying she's lying, but it's her job to put up the best possible public relations spin with respect to the organization; all she has to do is try and make it seem like the Blazers are really upset/disappointed/<fill-in-the-blank-with-some-other-frowny-face-feeling> with Comcast and are doing everything they can to make everything honky dory for the fans, it doesn't actually mean there's any movement in that direction.
She stated - unequivocally - there would be a better solution in place by season's start....with, or without, Comcast's involvement. Oh, and FWIW, she's actually Senior VP of Sales & Marketing.
I have mixed emotions about this. I understand that people are frustrated....but as a Comcast customer, I am afraid that their "solution" will leave *us* as the ones with no TV access. (EG: Comcast's monopoly is replace by a Dish Network monopoly) They need a solution that expands coverage, not one that just screws a different group!
How about the solution that Comcast made in Northern California? They sold their network there to Dish and DirecTV so everybody in the region can see the games. Why not in Oregon?
That wold be ugly (for us comcast customers). But do you think that's a likely outcome? They'd have to break the contract with Comcast, and wouldn't that have a rather high legal barrier to overcome? barfo
Canzano must not know his facts, since the deal was announced May 21, 2007. http://www.highbeam.com/doc/1G1-163702745.html
