Around the NFL - Week 17: NE/NYG simulcast on 3 stations

[Seabiscuit36]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bryant_Gumbel

Gumbel began his television career in October 1972, when he was made a sportscaster for KNBC-TV out of Los Angeles.

NBC Sports
Gumbel impressed and surprised NBC with his likable on-air presence and well-spoken, articulate commentary. He was hired by NBC Sports in the fall of 1975 as co-host of its National Football League pre-game show GrandStand with Jack Buck.

From 1975 until January 1982 (when he left to do The Today Show) Gumbel hosted numerous sporting events for NBC including Major League Baseball, NCAA basketball and the National Football League. Gumbel returned to sportscasting for NBC when he hosted the prime time coverage of the 1988 Summer Olympics from Seoul and the PGA Tour in 1990.

One of Gumbel's more memorable moments during his time at NBC Sports occurred in 1982, when he was on site for the now legendary "Epic in Miami" NFL playoff game between the San Diego Chargers and Miami Dolphins. At the end of the game, Gumbel told the viewing audience "If you didn't like this football game then you didn't like football!"

[rjs246]

All of this is fascinating.

[SunMo]

he started as a sportscaster...which makes it even more embarrassing that he sucks so much now

[ice grillin you]

he started as a sportscaster...which makes it even more embarrassing that he sucks so much now

thats because hes doing play by play now...he used to strictly do program hosting

i grew up on him doing the nbc nfl pregame and musburger doing the cbs version...both were fantastic...in fact everything gumbel has ever done except  play by play has been great...

[MDS]

gumbel was wearing a green sweater in the new real sports episode. i think igy may be blacker than him.

[Diomedes]

NFL caved.  Congress is breathing down their necks about monopoly and the cable companies and so long as they charge the cable companies 70 cents per subscriber who gets NFL Network, there's no way Cable is going to dump the channel into it's base packages.

The NFL is going to lose this struggle in the end.

[ice grillin you]

there's no way Cable is going to dump the channel into it's base packages.

except doesnt virtually every cable and satelitte provider except comcast do just that

additionally comcast at one point had it on their basic package and removed it because of directtv and the nfl's exclusive relationship re: the nfl package

at least thats my understanding but im far from an expert on this type of stuff

[QB Eagles]

there's no way Cable is going to dump the channel into it's base packages.

except doesnt virtually every cable and satelitte provider except comcast do just that

Nope. Cox and Comcast ghettoize it in a sports tier. Time Warner, Cablevision, Charter, Bright House, Suddenlink, and Mediacom don't have the NFL Network at all. Those are the eight largest cable providers in the US.

[4and26]

woohooo seven hours of pregame 

[ice grillin you]

dear mercury morris-

please stfu...go away...get a farging life and get the hell off my TV....


sincerely,

igy

[Rome]

There was a full page advertisement in USA Today from the NFL attacking "big cable" for not providing the country with the NFL Network.  The gist of the advertisement was that the cable industry was being selfish for not offering the network  to as many people as possible and that was the main impetus behind the NFL simulcasting the game on CBS & NBC.

Apparently the NFL doesn't understand the concept of irony considering they provide their pay per view package exclusively to DirecTv.

I wish I could find the advertisement and post it here.  The brazenness of it is something to behold.

[ice grillin you]

yeah but romey dont you think theres a big difference btwn a full season pay per view package and a single prime time week 17 game

[Rome]

Obviously.  Still, the fact that the NFL has the stones to complain about the cable industry not carrying their useless network while at the same time not allowing those same networks the opportunity to carry the Sunday Ticket is a hilarious expression of arrogance and hubris.

[Seabiscuit36]

Romey, you realize it was a bidding process for the NFL Ticket.  They opened it up to all bidders, and DTV paid out the ass for it.  Your point is flawed

[Diomedes]

Fine play by Eli so far..now leading 7 to nothing.