Back when NBC, CBS and ABC were the only three stations in the US. Saturdays were filled with college football games. They were free to watch. You could find a game pretty much anytime in the morning and afternoon.
Now, on the other hand, you have to pay for a service if you want to watch the games. You still get a game or two (Notre Dame game every week), but now if you turn it to a station on a saturday morning you are just as likely to find an info-merical on how to make an upside down cake in a small cooker.
I think it is for the detrement of sports. As a kid I used to watch sports, because they were on. Watching sports led to playing sports. Now kids have to find other things to do because the sports aren't on. Now you have sports as an industry that sucks money out of middle aged men who want to re-live their childhoods and are willing to pay hundreds of bucks to do it.
most people now have cable TV -- and pretty much any time of the day or night, you can find a channel where some sport is being played somewhere -- not to mention encore broadcasts or broadcasts of classic games from the past. Not to mention 24-hr a day sports news from ESPN.
The problem might be that because sports are ALWAYS on, there might be less incentive for kids to go out and play sports themselves.
Originally posted by EladarWhere I am, subscribing to cable is a must if you want to watch any sports whatsoever. For free (using rabbit ears) you might get one football game a week and Hockey Night in Canada on the weekend and that's about it.
Should a person be forced to pay for cable tv to watch sports?
Technically, if you want more than three or four fuzzy analog channels, you have to pay for it.
What do you Yanks get for free as far as TV goes?
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Originally posted by Palynkayes 😏
Is it a natural right to watch sports on tv?
living in ireland, the quality of free sport on tv is pretty good. between rte and the bbc plus the odd itv event, it's a lot better than every country i've been to for viewing free sport. would’ve been a lot better as well if five hadn't dumped all of its american sporting coverage, i miss having a studio for baseball and hockey games.
Originally posted by darvlayWe went to digital TV for free TV last year I think. What stations do I get for free?
Where I am, subscribing to cable is a must if you want to watch any sports whatsoever. For free (using rabbit ears) you might get one football game a week and Hockey Night in Canada on the weekend and that's about it.
Technically, if you want more than three or four fuzzy analog channels, you have to pay for it.
What do you Yanks get for free as far as TV goes?
ABC
CBS
NBC
FOX
PBS
These are the locals pretty much everyone gets. In OKC we get a few more local stations. Then there are the three ION stations. We picked them up when we went digital, had to get a converter.
Free sports on TV a right? Not at all. It is just a different business model than we used to have back in the 70's and 80's. I saw it coming when ESPN first came out. I thought to myself even back in the eary 80's that it won't be too long until you have to pay for all your sports.
Sports in general are fading here in the US. There are fewer and fewer kids playing sports now. Perhaps nintendo has something to do with it, but I think having fewer sports on TV and fewer sports heros doesn't help.
Originally posted by EladarSports in general are fading here in the US. There are fewer and fewer kids playing sports now. Perhaps nintendo has something to do with it, but I think having fewer sports on TV and fewer sports heros doesn't help
We went to digital TV for free TV last year I think. What stations do I get for free?
ABC
CBS
NBC
FOX
PBS
These are the locals pretty much everyone gets. In OKC we get a few more local stations. Then there are the three ION stations. We picked them up when we went digital, had to get a converter.
Free sports on TV a right? Not at all. I g to do with it, but I think having fewer sports on TV and fewer sports heros doesn't help.
people are attending games and watching sports at unprecedented levels -- there's a reason why you now see athletes making salaries as high as $30mill-yr -- where 30 years ago, the idea of an athlete making over $1mill-yr was a REALLY big deal.
In fact, this heavy demand has caused ticket and concession prices to rise to levels where it is much harder for people with modest incomes to take their family to see a game. Perhaps this is the argument you're trying to make? -- that even as the overall economy has grown, it has become harder for people with the lower incomes to go to games, or even to afford the cable TV necessary to watch them - perhaps reflecting a widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots?
In fact, this heavy demand has caused ticket and concession prices to rise to levels where it is much harder for people with modest incomes to take their family to see a game. Perhaps this is the argument you're trying to make? -- that even as the overall economy has grown, it has become harder for people with the lower incomes to go to games, or even to afford the cable TV necessary to watch them - perhaps reflecting a widening gulf between the haves and the have-nots?
I believe that pretty well hits the nail on the head.
Originally posted by EladarBut think of all those wonder cakes you can bake!!
Back when NBC, CBS and ABC were the only three stations in the US. Saturdays were filled with college football games. They were free to watch. You could find a game pretty much anytime in the morning and afternoon.
Now, on the other hand, you have to pay for a service if you want to watch the games. You still get a game or two (Notre Dame game every we ...[text shortened]... ged men who want to re-live their childhoods and are willing to pay hundreds of bucks to do it.
Originally posted by EladarWhat inherent rights do you think you have to anything free at all?
Should a person be forced to pay for cable tv to watch sports?
I'll bet you don't even buy the products of the poor advertisers who sponsor the games.
This is America....Home of the Capitalists!!!