Did I miss something?

[tgk]

From Carrie Muskat's mailbag on Cubs.com:

http://chicago.cubs.mlb.com/NASApp/mlb/news/article.jsp?ymd=20050919&content_id=1215753&vkey=news_chc&fext=.jsp&c_id=chc

 

Thanks for the suggestions and advice. Anyone interested in DirecTV or MLB.TV packages should read the fine print carefully because of blackout rules. Many people who live in Indiana and in Illinois, but outside of Chicago wrote about blackout problems. The days of free TV broadcasts on WGN are over.

 

I know I haven't been paying very close attention, but did I miss an announcement by WGN that they are dropping their games? Or is she trying to say that WGN won't air any more games?

 

I'm confused, and maybe a bit befuddled too.

 

:?

 

(Edited for readability)

[Transmogrified Tiger]

I think she was referring to Cable companies dropping WGN, forcing people to pay to see those games. I haven't heard anything about it, and it certainly would've been noticed by someone around here if it was announced.

[tgk]

I think she was referring to Cable companies dropping WGN, forcing people to pay to see those games. I haven't heard anything about it, and it certainly would've been noticed by someone around here if it was announced.

 

That's what I thougt, it just made me do a double take. I figured if WGN was dropping games people here would know about it.

[MeatampPotatoesMan]

ah, Muskat strikes again. :roll:

[J.R.]

The days of 160 free TV broadcasts on WGN are over.

 

That's more like it.

[Zaphkiel]

I'm surprised that WGN hasn't been dropped before this. Did WGN ever show anything besides bad 80s-early 90s movies and Cubs games? I submit that they did not. :)

[Schwarber Fan]

I'm surprised that WGN hasn't been dropped before this. Did WGN ever show anything besides bad 80s-early 90s movies and Cubs games? I submit that they did not. :)

 

White Sox games :lol:

[bhogg]

as an out of market fan, I can watch every cub game except those against houston and SL (and most of those are on TV down here).

 

How about the typical chicago fan?

 

I think black out rules are dumb as freakin' dirt.

[hardcorecubfan]

If you haven't noticed a traditoion of WGN carrying the last game of the season is now by the way-side as well.. It was the one way I could get my fix of the Cubs before the great black-out period of the NFL and NBA.

[tgk]

I've noticed, it also seems like they trim a few more games from WGN each year. I guess it's not that big of a deal anymore because I don't have the time to watch games like I used to. When I was in college I never missed a day game, 10 years later I never see one.

 

In a way I almost wish they would go ahead and drop the Cubs off of WGN completely because then I could more easily justify paying for the Xtra innings package.

 

I work in sports so not only do I work during the day, but it isn't unusual for me to work at night too. A few years, when I was working for a college in Texas, I actually sat down, looked at the Cubs schedule for the final half of the season, removed the games I could see for free, (WGN, Fox, Espn and via the Astros Fox Sports broadcast), then crossed off the games I knew I wouldn't be able to watch because of work. It was the halfway point and they were offering the package for about $80. I realized there were only about 8 games that I didn't have to work during AND that were not on WGN or something else. Because of that it would have cost me like $10/game for those games - assuming I would have been able to actually watch them - Which is unlikely with a wife and two small children.

 

I'd be much more likely to buy the package if the Cubs weren't on WGN and didn't play all the day games. Basically, you are buying the package for the games which are unavailable via other methods, which is less than half of many other teams. Which means the per game cost is twice what it is for almost any team except the Braves. As it is I just have the internet radio subscription and try to listen when I can.

 

Anyway, I know I'm rambling. If you can think of a reason this should matter to anyone other than myslef let me know. :wink:

[LoneStarCubFan]

I've got WGN thru DirecTV and I have the baseball package plus XM radio in my office. I generally don't have a problem finding a game unless it's blacked out for Fox on Saturday afternoons.

 

We get all the Astros games anyway so even if DirecTV blacks it out I can watch it anyway.