Buffalo Boy's Blog

How Major League Baseball determines their blackout rules is beyond me. I respect the NFL for doing it the way they do, they black out games in the home market if the game in that market doesn't sell out thereby forcing fans to buy a ticket if they want to see the game.

With Major League Baseball, the only teams that would have games on TV would be the Yankees and the Redsox. All the other teams would probably struggle to get all their games or the majority of their games televised.

This weekend I was pumped, Cito and the new management I wanted to see the heroic manager from the World Series years back in '92/'93 back on the job with his old team. Everything old is new again.

Well, I turned on the game on the package Friday night, no dice, I tried to tune in Saturday evening, no dice. I tried to tune in today, still blacked out. The channel was there, the game was listed but it was blacked out.

Apparently, MLB views the Buffalo area as part of the Pittsburgh market, thereby they blackout the Pirates broadcasts. I called Direct TV and bitched with little result, the only explanation that I got was that Buffalo is in the Pittsburgh market and in order to get the games I could purchase an ADDITIONAL local sports package that includes the Pittsburgh Fox Sports affiliate for $12 a month extra. What a hose job that is.

I pay close to $160 for a BASEBALL only package only to have a game blacked out that is 4 hours away. Its a bunch of crap. They put Pittsburgh in the "Buffalo" market dating back to the days when the Bisons were affiliated with the Pittsburgh Pirates. Now, its Cleveland of course through this season and the Indians games are always blacked out because due to Buffalo's affiliation with the Indians, they are considered an "in market" team and also 3-4 hours away.

No chance of making Indians games either but they won't show them here because apparently because the Bisons are affiliated with them we here in Buffalo must have special powers to telepathically connect with the Indians and live their games in our minds.

That kinda scares me a little, next year rumors are swirling about the Bisons new parent club being either the Blue Jays or the Mets. If its the Jays, does that mean Jays games will be all of a sudden considered "in market" games? Granted the Jays are closer, but I still can't go to all of them and their affiliation will only increase interest in the Jays in the Buffalo area. So either they should be on a local network that is not blacked out or the Jays present status should remain the same. Im rooting for the Mets to get the Bisons now. Ill live if the Jays are not the Bisons parents club in order to preserve my ability to see as many games as I do. 

The whole reason I get the Extra Innings package is because I get 80-90% of all Jays games unless they are playing of all teams this weekend, the Pittsburgh Pirates or Cleveland Indians. Gee what luck.

The Yankees are also considered in market but the YES Network is included. If I purchase the Extra Innings package there should be no blackouts in non major league markets/cities. Buffalo, no matter how you look at it is not a baseball market. We can not reasonably attend a major league game on a nightly basis. The rules should not apply to this area. Period.