Massachusetts Senator John Kerry has appealed to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to take action to ensure that all Patriots fans in New England, and across the country, will have the chance to view the team's season finale against the Giants.
The game is scheduled to be broadcast on NFL Network. WCVB in Boston (Channel 5) will also carry the game, but that still means parts of New England won't be able to see it.
?In just five days, the Patriots will try to become the first team since Don Shula?s legendary ?72 Dolphins to finish the regular season undefeated, but huge numbers of Pats fans today wouldn?t be able to see the game. Unless immediate action is taken, thousands of fans outside the Boston area will not even have access to the broadcast,? Kerry said in a press release.
?If this isn?t fixed in a hurry, it speaks volumes about how some big interests see the fans. I hope the NFL sees the error of its ways and allows every ?twelfth man? to see this unprecedented event.?
Full text of Kerry's letter can be found by clicking the link below.
December 24, 2007
Mr. Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Dear Commissioner Goodell,
As a Bostonian, I couldn't be more pleased that in just five days, the New England Patriots will attempt to become the first NFL team in 35 years to finish the regular season with an undefeated record. But as someone who represents all of Massachusetts and not just those in the Boston media market, I remain deeply troubled that today as many as 250,000 Massachusetts households, and millions of Patriots fans nationwide, may be denied access to this historic sporting event.
Despite an unwillingness by both sides to strike a compromise that best meets the interest of the fans, there remain several options for making this game widely available. One option is found in what is referred to as the NFL's "flex schedule", which permits the League to switch the currently scheduled Sunday night NBC game for a game of broader public appeal. Electing to air the game on NBC would ensure that every television in America has access to such a historic game. Throughout the season, the NFL has made this decision with respect to other games of high importance and broad national interest.
For a game of this significance to be used as a bargaining chip or point of leverage between corporations locked in a dispute would say a great deal about the esteem in which America's football fans are held by the big interests. Under the unfortunate circumstance that this matter remains unresolved, leaving 60 percent of households across the country - including thousands in Massachusetts - without access to Saturday's game, I will ask the Senate Commerce Committee to hold hearings on how the emergence of premium sports channels are impacting the consumer, and I will consider what legislative measures may be necessary to ensure that consumers are more than bystanders in this process.
I hope very much to see a satisfactory solution achieved. I've offered - and my offer stands - to convene a meeting of all parties with the goal of reaching an 11th hour solution. I hope it is not too late to get something done for fans everywhere. Thank you for consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
John F. Kerry
United States Senate
cc: Brian Roberts, President, Comcast Corporation
Glenn Britt, President, Time Warner, Inc.
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The game is scheduled to be broadcast on NFL Network. WCVB in Boston (Channel 5) will also carry the game, but that still means parts of New England won't be able to see it.
?In just five days, the Patriots will try to become the first team since Don Shula?s legendary ?72 Dolphins to finish the regular season undefeated, but huge numbers of Pats fans today wouldn?t be able to see the game. Unless immediate action is taken, thousands of fans outside the Boston area will not even have access to the broadcast,? Kerry said in a press release.
?If this isn?t fixed in a hurry, it speaks volumes about how some big interests see the fans. I hope the NFL sees the error of its ways and allows every ?twelfth man? to see this unprecedented event.?
Full text of Kerry's letter can be found by clicking the link below.
December 24, 2007
Mr. Roger Goodell
Commissioner
National Football League
280 Park Avenue
New York, NY 10017
Dear Commissioner Goodell,
As a Bostonian, I couldn't be more pleased that in just five days, the New England Patriots will attempt to become the first NFL team in 35 years to finish the regular season with an undefeated record. But as someone who represents all of Massachusetts and not just those in the Boston media market, I remain deeply troubled that today as many as 250,000 Massachusetts households, and millions of Patriots fans nationwide, may be denied access to this historic sporting event.
Despite an unwillingness by both sides to strike a compromise that best meets the interest of the fans, there remain several options for making this game widely available. One option is found in what is referred to as the NFL's "flex schedule", which permits the League to switch the currently scheduled Sunday night NBC game for a game of broader public appeal. Electing to air the game on NBC would ensure that every television in America has access to such a historic game. Throughout the season, the NFL has made this decision with respect to other games of high importance and broad national interest.
For a game of this significance to be used as a bargaining chip or point of leverage between corporations locked in a dispute would say a great deal about the esteem in which America's football fans are held by the big interests. Under the unfortunate circumstance that this matter remains unresolved, leaving 60 percent of households across the country - including thousands in Massachusetts - without access to Saturday's game, I will ask the Senate Commerce Committee to hold hearings on how the emergence of premium sports channels are impacting the consumer, and I will consider what legislative measures may be necessary to ensure that consumers are more than bystanders in this process.
I hope very much to see a satisfactory solution achieved. I've offered - and my offer stands - to convene a meeting of all parties with the goal of reaching an 11th hour solution. I hope it is not too late to get something done for fans everywhere. Thank you for consideration of this request.
Sincerely,
John F. Kerry
United States Senate
cc: Brian Roberts, President, Comcast Corporation
Glenn Britt, President, Time Warner, Inc.
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