Sat 5 Jul 2008
Argh. Faux Sports, the world’s WORST sports network, has the rights to today’s Red Sox/Yankmees game and the Cubs game. Since the Cubs are the local team, I don’t get to see the Sox on Fox. And since MLB caved in to Fox’s ridiculous demands for a nationwide blackout, I don’t get to see it on MLB.com either. Wonderful. 
Faux Sports screws up Formula One coverage, they insult the intelligence of all baseball fans by adding in their moronic sound “supplements” such as the ball striking the catcher’s mitt, and now they’re screwing up Red Sox coverage for fans outside the normal Sox viewing area. I fail to understand how or why it’s economically advantageous for them to do a really poor job covering sporting events, yet they seem to be making money at it. Go figure. 
Â
July 6th, 2008 at 2:22 am
Funny, I had the same complaint today, but the other way: the Red Sox/Yankees game was broadcast on the west coast, despite the fact that it’s an inconsequential game for anybody outside of New York or Boston. At least the Cubs/Cards game involves a division race. And obviously, where you live your argument isn’t going to get very far (for the TV broadcast, that is–the complaint about the stupid blackout rules is, of course, more than valid).
It’s funny how all of the problems stem from the same fact, though: the fact that Fox has the rights to the broadcasts. And of course since they only do one or two games a week, they suck at it and have no idea what’s going on in the league as a whole. It’s infuriating.
July 6th, 2008 at 10:47 am
My biggest complaint is that MLB.com won’t show the games even though Fox is also not showing them. I don’t understand that blackout. Most people who have the choice of watching a game on TV will do so as it’s much easier to view and it’s real time, whereas MLB.com is delayed as much as 30 seconds and isn’t nearly TV image quality. So the loss of viewers to Fox would be insignificant.
Maybe Fox figures some folks will watch *any* baseball as opposed to *no* baseball? Even there, I doubt the loss of viewership would be more than negligible.
July 6th, 2008 at 7:25 pm
I was actually just reading up on the blackout rules (due to the fact that I’ve had to deal with them on several occasions already since moving to the west coast), and the Wikipedia article says exactly what you did: “The reasoning is that since people will not be able to watch their favorite team, they may be willing to settle for some baseball, even if it involves teams they are not as excited about.” How that is not obviously stupid to anybody who reads it is beyond my comprehension.
July 14th, 2008 at 12:37 am
[…] to follow my favorite teams. DirecTV with the MLB Extra Innings package helps, although due to MLB’s stupid blackout rules it can be frustrating at times. For live game experiences, though, one of the first things I […]
August 2nd, 2008 at 5:39 pm
[…] me to add to Mark’s rants about Fox Sports and their idiotic monopoly on Saturday daytime baseball broadcasts, and the […]
August 8th, 2008 at 1:04 pm
I actually watched a non-local game on Saturday Fox (me bad, I know). It was a Red Sox / Reds game, which was actually pretty exciting. And I got to see Jr. Griffey really stink it up & what was one of the most pathetic doubleplays I have ever seen. His bat is REALLY bad. And now he’s a White Sox. Fox sucks. I hate that whole “Fox attitude” shit. It is what it is: shit. I don’t need sound effects or stupid graphic effects.
July 13th, 2009 at 1:36 pm
MLB on FOX sucks even more this year. The graphics look even tackier while last year’s and the 2004 graphics looked so much cooler because of the top screen banner. Now they downgraded it back to a bug and I will be writing FOX Sports and tell them to use the 2004 graphics
September 17th, 2009 at 8:08 am
You guys reckon you’ve got problems? –
try 7 Sports Perth –
A 3pm International Rugby match is screened live into Adelaide but is delayed until 11:30 PM into Perth – 2 hours later than Melbourne, 10 hours later than in Adeleaide and 11 1/2 hours later than it is screened in Sydney & Brisbane. Why???
Who the hell knows!!!
They buy the rights and then lock them up – free to air!!! Bastards!!!!
August 17th, 2013 at 10:36 am
I hope everyone who enjoys racing, even the round in circle types, boycott fox sports. They suck.
August 22nd, 2013 at 1:54 pm
Fox just screwed up racing fans big time by taking off The Speed Channel . They have lost me as a viewer.
September 27th, 2014 at 2:56 pm
Why would they show the Yankees/Red Sox game at all. WHO CARES!!!! Both teams are out of it. They should be showing the Pirates/Reds game that has meaning!
September 27th, 2014 at 3:00 pm
It’s the whole Derek Jeter thing. They need to blow that horn as much as possible.