Actually, what baseball has done, if you'll indulge a mixed sporting metaphor, is hit a brilliant volley, putting the ball squarely in the court of In Demand and Dish. In the space of one paragraph, MLB has turned them from victims to villains if they don't go along.
Until Thursday, opponents of the deal -- including this column but especially the cable companies and Dish -- had been whining that MLB was the bad guy, denying hardworking, puppy-loving baseball fans their precious out-of-town games in the venal pursuit of a few bucks.
So now baseball says, "OK, In Demand and Dish, if you're going to crusade for the inalienable right of baseball fans to be able to see their national game as much as they ever have, match DirecTV's offer and you'll get your wish."
And all of a sudden it's not about the inalienable rights of baseball fans anymore, is it? It's about the cable companies and the Dish Network not liking the terms of the deal. Who's keeping baseball fans who can't or don't want to sign up for DirecTV from getting Extra Innings now?
It's one thing for Major League Baseball to make a less-than-optimal deal to ensure that all baseball fans have access to Extra Innings, In Demand and the Dish Network seem to be saying. It's quite another for us to do so.
Well played, MLB. Now, instead of shutting fans out for the few extra million dollars of an exclusive deal, baseball is simply saying, "Here's the best offer so far. Match it and you can come on board."
Why should baseball accept less? To protect the profits of the cable companies and the Dish Network? Looks like there are some new villains in town. They have three weeks to make their move.
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Ironically, they're called stickers [PERMALINK]
Nevada guard Kyle Shiloh will likely miss Friday's WAC tournament semifinal against Utah State and may be out for the rest of the postseason after pulling his hamstring in a win over Idaho Thursday. Nevada is a lock for the NCAA Tournament.
Shiloh was injured in the second half when he slipped on a WAC logo sticker on the floor of the Pan American Center in Las Cruces, N.M.
"Let that be a national statement for those stupid stickers they put on the court," Nevada coach Mark Fox said. "He's probably done for the year. Let that be a statement that if you put those stickers on the floor, you put kids at risk."
It has always amazed me how seldom all those stickers, for conferences and sponsors, come into play, not just as a hazard, but as a variation in the surface of the floor.
But if you're looking for some reform to come out of this mishap, good luck. Advertising stickers on the hardwood will be around when college basketball is being played by androids.
Previous column: Curt Schilling's new blog
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About the writer
King Kaufman is a senior writer for Salon. Visit his column archive. You can e-mail him at king at salon dot com or visit his MySpace page.
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