NORTH ADAMS - Millions of New England Patriots fans - including in the Berkshires - won't be able to tune in this Saturday to see the team end its so-far undefeated season. That has one lawmaker dropping a flag on the National Football League for penalizing fans who can't pay for its premium network.
On Monday, U.S. John F. Kerry called on NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell to ensure all Pats fans get to see what could well be a historic game against the New York Giants.
No football team has had an undefeated season since Don Shula's legendary 1972 Dolphins.
But the game will be on the NFL Network, which is only available through a separate package deal for satellite television subscribers. Cable companies have been fighting with the NFL about how - or if - they will carry the network. Comcast Corp. offers the network as part of its sports channel tier.
Fans in Boston and parts of New Hampshire will be able to watch because WCVB Channel 5 in Boston won the bidding rights to show the final game, which begins at 8:15 p.m. on Saturday night. But most of New England won't be so lucky.
"Unless immediate action is taken, thousands of fans outside the Boston area will not even have access to the broadcast," said Kerry, a Massachusetts Democrat in a statement. "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 12th man to see this unprecedented event."
The senator sent a letter to Goodell asking the league to consider broadcasting the game on NBC, allowing the most number of people to see it. The league has changed its TV schedule before, he wrote, when games of broad national interest have been played.
If fans are shut out, Kerry's threatening to call for Senate hearings on the emergence of premium sports channels - and how Congress can ensure fairness for the consumers.
"If my team was poised to do something on such a grand scale I would want someone advocating for this as well," said iBerkshires sports columnist Brian Flagg. The Denver Broncos fan discussed the impact of the fledgling NFL Network in a recent column. "The cable companies and the NFL (mostly the NFL) are being unreasonable about this and they need to figure it out. The fans deserve to be able to see something like this."
Bill Fine, president and general manager of WCVB-TV, told the Boston Herald that fans who won't get to see the showdown are "going to go nuts."
Channel 5 only has the rights to air the game in the Boston metro area; the game will be blacked out for communities in Western Mass. and parts of New Hampshire that receive Channel 5 through Time Warner, according to The Boston Globe.
Kerry made the appeal after the Pats victory on Sunday, when it seems all but assured they will end up with a 16-0. He has previously offered to help broker a deal between the NFL and cable companies.
The text of the letter is as follows:
Dec. 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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Tammy- we get Channel 5 WCVB in North Adams via Time-Warner cable---we should get the game-- I recall reading an article a couple of weeks ago about the Cowboys/Packers game not being broadcast- but as I recall a spokesperson from Time/Warner said that the Pats-Giants game would be broadcast ---maybe something has changed--but if WCVB is broadcasting it- I don't see how North Adams could be blacked out--chbpod
FYI
BRADY- MANNING COMPARISON -compare Brady's 2007 season to Manning's 2004 season. Manning had 49 touchdowns with just 497 pass attempts. If Brady plays next week like he has the last few games, he'll end up with something like 51 touchdowns in 570 pass attempts. that gives him more touchdowns, but it isn't as impressive when it takes him 73 more pass attempts to score them.
Lanesborough Town Meeting to Vote Budget, Bylaws & Vehicle Purchases
By Breanna SteeleiBerkshires Staff
LANESBOROUGH, Mass. — Tuesday's annual town meeting includes a $14 million operating budget, new short-term rentals, accessory dwelling units and sign bylaws, and free cash article appropriations.
Voters will gather at Lanesborough Elementary School on June 9 at 6 p.m. to decide on 20 warrant articles.
The fiscal 2027 budget is up a little over 10 percent. Some of the main increases are the Mount Greylock Regional School District and McCann Technical School: the McCann assessment is up more than 30 percent based on factors including enrollment and the school renovation project, and Mount Greylock's is up 11 percent.
Article 11 is for the town to vote to approve from free cash the sum of $16,298.48 for the McCann Technical School roof and window replacement project so as not to impact the budget. Article 3 is appropriate $7,586,284 for Mount Greylock Regional School assessment.
Another notable increase was in life and health insurance, showing an increase of about 26 percent.
Ambulance Director Jen Weber is planning 24-hour coverage, which means more staff and a hike in her budget. One of the articles asks the town to appropriate $234,100 to operate the Ambulance Enterprise Fund for salaries and expenses.
Many town departments are looking for new vehicles. The Fire Department is looking to replace its outdated 1996 fire engine. There are two articles related to the truck at a total of $813,366. Article 12 would transfer $225,000 from free cash into the Fire Truck Stabilization Fund; Article 13 would transfer $605,000 from the fund and authorize the borrowing of $208,366.08.
The total includes a $100,000 contingency cost to cover any additional costs if a 2026 model-year chassis cannot be secured before new emissions standards go into effect in 2027.
The board at its last meeting moved the $225,000 transfer to come before the borrowing article, changing the stabilization number. If the $225,000 is not voted on, then they will amend the next article's number on the floor, subtracting the $225,000. This shows the borrowing number significantly lower.
Article 17 asks for the transfer of $80,000 from free cash to replace a police cruiser.
Police Chief Rob Derksen's aim is to replace one vehicle every other year, meaning the oldest vehicle gets replaced about every 10 years.
He stressed that if delayed this year, the town may have to double up in a future year to get back on schedule, and that paying later usually costs more. The article will ask for $80,000 from free cash, the vehicles used to be funded by the BHRD.
Lastly, the Highway Department is looking to replace a 2014 International dump truck that will be a total of $330,000 and will take two to three years to receive.
Money will be used from last year's approval of $250,000 from free cash for the replacement of a 2012 highway front-end loader that was underspent $49,261. Town meeting is being asked to approve a transfer of $53,274.85 from free cash and the use of $227,464 from funds from the Sale of Town Real Estate to fund the balance.
Other free cash proposals include $1,200 to purchase software to support tracking and ongoing maintenance schedules of town-owned vehicles; $42,000 for the replacement of the Highway Department's storage shed roof, $200,000 to reduce the tax levy.
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