# FSNW dumps Blazers



## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

So, looks like no FSN broadcasts next year...

http://portland.bizjournals.com/portland/stories/2007/04/23/daily14.html?jst=b_ln_hl

barfo


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Thats weak sauce!


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## mediocre man (Feb 24, 2004)

Ack!!!!!!!!! This could be a bad thing for all of us that rely on NBALP for games.

I'm sure they'll do something though. Can't go an entire season without your games being telecasted can you?


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## Trader Ed (Jun 17, 2002)

bummer.. I got to see a lot of games in the past on FSNW


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

This could be good for Portland as a city... FSNW seems incredibly Seattle-centric, and by showing Blazers games elsewhere, FSNW might whither and blow away from the Portland market.

Of course, the Blazers games hopefully will be showed SOMEWHERE.

I'd love to see the ratings numbers on a yearly basis... it might speak to the importance of winning.

Ed O.


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## ebott (Jan 7, 2003)

Let's hope the comcast speculation is correct. Sure would suck to only have half the TV games we currently get.


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

comcast is supposed to be the next one, and all but 4 games (total) will be broadcast on TV.

however, it's unknown if this will be available on dish, as "comcast 14" isn't a dish channel.


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## SodaPopinski (Aug 10, 2004)

Just one of the first steps to them officially changing their name to "Fox Sports Seattle," which it pretty much has been for years anyway. This is a minor bump in the road. Comcast will pick up their rights. Many NBA cities have deals with the local cable carrier, and I think the Blazers will strike a deal to have the games on Comcast Channel 14.

By the way, how stupid of a move is this? The Blazers are destined to be pretty darn good for the next few years. Talk about jumping ship at the wrong time.

Don't let the door hit you in the *** on the way out, Fox Sports Seattle.

-Pop


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## BlazeTop (Jan 22, 2004)

If Comcast does pick up and ball and run I hope they give max exposure of the team. With the hype and excitement surrounding it theres no reason why they eat up all the games from FSN and UPN and cover those random road games that havent gotten coverage the last couple of years. Does this mean we will still see Barrett and Rice?


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

Comcast SportsNet exists in Chicago/Philly/Mid-Atlantic/West, and I would imagine they'd do something to extend into Oregon, if they were to acquire the rights.

Paying $12m+ per year to put it on the equivalent of a public access channel wouldn't make much sense... 

I wonder how much ASCN wanted from AT&T to add the channel. I couldn't find it in a quick Google search.

Ed O.


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## SodaPopinski (Aug 10, 2004)

BlazeTop said:


> Does this mean we will still see Barrett and Rice?


Yes. MB and The Wild One are Blazers employees, so they will do the broadcasts from whatever station decides to pick up the games.

-Pop


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## sa1177 (Feb 18, 2005)

Hmmm...I was really pissed that I couldn't get DirectTV at my new place....

Maybe now...not so much. 

I still hate Comcast and their BS cable monopoly though.


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## Oil Can (May 25, 2006)

Go Comcast! Lets make our own channel! 

Fox Sports Seattle sucks!


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

"FSN Northwest said its rating for Blazers games has dropped by 56 percent over the last five years, from a 3.4 cable rating in 2002-03 to a 1.5 cable rating this year"

OUCH! I think posters on this board are the only ones watching Blazer games this year.

Did someone say Blazermania is still alive?


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## HispanicCausinPanic (Jul 2, 2005)

Barrett and Rice aren't goin' anywhere. If Comcast lands the contract, there will be a designated channel on Dish and Direct where the games will always be on. Good riddance FSN. It was all Seattle all the time. I think it's a good move, and the funny thing is if the Sonix move, what are they gonna show up there?


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

whats kinda strange is the ratings for KGW went up, iirc. And whats even funnier, is that (from what I heard, from a 3rd non Blazers source) the Blazers were the ones who dumped FSN, not the other way around.


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## HispanicCausinPanic (Jul 2, 2005)

Kiss_My_Darius said:


> "FSN Northwest said its rating for Blazers games has dropped by 56 percent over the last five years, from a 3.4 cable rating in 2002-03 to a 1.5 cable rating this year"
> 
> OUCH! I think posters on this board are the only ones watching Blazer games this year.
> 
> Did someone say Blazermania is still alive?


Blazermania is alive! Usually people only watch a winner. Real fans stick with them thru the good times and bad. That's us brutha'!


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

HispanicCausinPanic said:


> Barrett and Rice aren't goin' anywhere. If Comcast lands the contract, there will be a designated channel on Dish and Direct where the games will always be on. Good riddance FSN. It was all Seattle all the time. I think it's a good move, and the funny thing is if the Sonix move, what are they gonna show up there?


I'm glad that it'll have a dish channel. Plus, I'll be glad to finally have some non Seattle based shows on a local sports show. I grew tired of "sonics all access" followed by "huskies all access" followed by "mariners all access/reliving the 95 season/2001 season" love fest that they gave seattle.

And yes I know it's a station based out of Seattle, but good god almighty, try doing some shows about the Beavers and the Blazers once in a blue freaking moon.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Outside of the Blazers games there really is very little worth watching on FSNW anyway.


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## porkchopexpress (May 24, 2006)

sa1177 said:


> I still hate Comcast and their BS cable monopoly though.



I used to hate Comcast, now I wish I had it. Time Warner Cable sucks. ESPN is 39, but ESPN2 is in th 50s. MTV is in the 50s, but MTV2 is in the 130s or so. News channels aren't in any order the on demand free movies are non existant, besides a few unknowns. Plus my friend who has an HD tv, but no cable just found out that besides network channels, they only offer premium channels in HD (espnhd is considered premium). Oh, and no Gol TV!!!

Hopefully these games will still be on NBALP because now that I'm not broke, I'll be buying it next year.


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## TLo (Dec 27, 2006)

I just switched to DirecTV from Comcast. They better get the games or I'll be PISSED!


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

Schilly said:


> Outside of the Blazers games there really is very little worth watching on FSNW anyway.


if comcast makes a station, and puts the blazers, beavers and ducks on it, there will be 0 reason to watch FSN. And outside of OSU being on it currently, there is no reason to watch it. Honestly, I rarely watch FSN anymore.


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## crowTrobot (Jun 24, 2005)

Schilly said:


> Outside of the Blazers games there really is very little worth watching on FSNW anyway.



unless you're into poker


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## crowTrobot (Jun 24, 2005)

as someone who lives in charter country i think i'll kill myself now.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Yeah second rate backyard poker


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## yakbladder (Sep 13, 2003)

To the poster who mentioned a channel being put on Dish/DirectTV for the games even though Comcast owns the broadcast - do they know this from experience or are they speculating? It just seems weird that Comcast would allow this when they'd have another reason to try and force people to their overpriced monopoly (not that Dish and DirecTV aren't as bad, I'm just saying...)


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## Spoolie Gee (Feb 3, 2005)

Hap said:


> if comcast makes a station, and puts the blazers, beavers and ducks on it, there will be 0 reason to watch FSN. And outside of OSU being on it currently, there is no reason to watch it. Honestly, I rarely watch FSN anymore.



That's the truth right there. I wonder if the Blazers are thinking about the Sonics leaving town and how big a market that would create. Good time to put the screws to FSS.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Comcast could then get contracts with the dish companies to carry their channel which could be just as profitable to them as the handful of people that might switch just to watch Blazers games.


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## HispanicCausinPanic (Jul 2, 2005)

Well-I heard from the cousin of a guy who used to live nextdoor to guy who once dated a chick who knew a guy who parked cars at the Rose Garden- the Blazers haven't been to happy with FSN. Remember the only reason they were with them is because ASCN didn't pan out. I think it's a good move. And yes all the games are on the league pass.


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## SodaPopinski (Aug 10, 2004)

Just got to thinking about how they quoted the ratings as reason why they backed out. Does anyone truly believe that their ratings for the Sonics in Seattle were any higher than the ratings for the Blazers in Portland? Something fishy here. I wouldn't doubt Hap's claim that the Blazers may have been the ones that dropped FSN. And then Fox Sports just took matters into their own hands and issued a press release to make it sound like they were making a sound business decision.

Should be interesting to hear what the Blazers have to say about the matter once the media contacts them for comment.

-Pop


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

whats kind of interesting is that as much as I like the Blazers, I wouldn't switch from DISH to Comcast Cable just for the Blazers. I'd live without them.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

It depends to me on how many broadcast games there would be....Anyone notice attendance started going down when home games started being a regular broadcast thing?


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## HispanicCausinPanic (Jul 2, 2005)

Hap said:


> whats kind of interesting is that as much as I like the Blazers, I wouldn't switch from DISH to Comcast Cable just for the Blazers. I'd live without them.


So you aren't the #1 Fan we all thought!


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## HispanicCausinPanic (Jul 2, 2005)

Schilly said:


> It depends to me on how many broadcast games there would be....Anyone notice attendance started going down when home games started being a regular broadcast thing?


Good point. But if you look at other teams schedule's the Blazers show the least amount of games in the league. I'm sure they'll show more then in the past.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Bring Back Blazer Cable!


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

HispanicCausinPanic said:


> So you aren't the #1 Fan we all thought!


you notice you never hear "and here's an email from Hap" anymore? Do the math.


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

SodaPopinski said:


> Just got to thinking about how they quoted the ratings as reason why they backed out. Does anyone truly believe that their ratings for the Sonics in Seattle were any higher than the ratings for the Blazers in Portland?


I don't know, but do you think the Sonics would ask for three times as much from FSNW?



> Something fishy here. I wouldn't doubt Hap's claim that the Blazers may have been the ones that dropped FSN. And then Fox Sports just took matters into their own hands and issued a press release to make it sound like they were making a sound business decision.


It looks like the Blazers made the network an offer that they could only refuse... and FSNW decided to get some PR points on the way out the door 

Ed O.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

Reading this thread, it is probably obvious, but why don't posters like comcast. I don't love it, but I don't really have a problem with it. 

Cable is cable in my mind. Don't know about thier customer service, but I do like the DVR feature and find the whole system user friendly. I don't see it as a monopoly, because if you don't like comcast, you can always go with Direct or some other dish, right?

Is it the whole big corporation taking advantage of the little guy thing. They probably do that, but most companies do and besides we have Bush as president . . . talk about taking advantage of the little guy. :biggrin:


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## iverigma (Apr 22, 2007)

yakbladder said:


> To the poster who mentioned a channel being put on Dish/DirectTV for the games even though Comcast owns the broadcast - do they know this from experience or are they speculating? It just seems weird that Comcast would allow this when they'd have another reason to try and force people to their overpriced monopoly (not that Dish and DirecTV aren't as bad, I'm just saying...)


Yes I am sure right now Dish carries some, if not all, Comcast Sports channels like CSN-West, CSN-East..,etc.


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## yakbladder (Sep 13, 2003)

iverigma said:


> Yes I am sure right now Dish carries some, if not all, Comcast Sports channels like CSN-West, CSN-East..,etc.


Danke.

It mentions in the Oregonian article that one reason Comcast was looking at this (and the Oregon Sports channel) was because they were about to lose their cable monopoly with Verizon moving in. If I were Verizon I'd snatch the idea away from them to try and encourage residents to switch over right away.


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## Schilly (Dec 30, 2002)

Comcast Sportsnet is listed on Dishnetworks programming packages.

http://www.dishnetwork.com/content/whats_on_dish/programming_packages/at_100plus/packages.aspx


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## SheedSoNasty (Dec 31, 2002)

Well, I officially have no reason to watch FSN now. 

I just hope that another channel will pick them up. Ideally, KGW would just take on all the games that FSN showed throughout the course of a year.

Could that feasibly happen?


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## SodaPopinski (Aug 10, 2004)

SheedSoNasty said:


> Well, I officially have no reason to watch FSN now.
> 
> I just hope that another channel will pick them up. Ideally, KGW would just take on all the games that FSN showed throughout the course of a year.
> 
> Could that feasibly happen?


Doubtful. KGW would likely be very reluctant to preempt its regularly scheduled prime time broadcasts to air Blazer games. Portland is not unique in this aspect. Most markets' network affiliate stations will not air a majority of their sports teams' games if they conflict with ratings-heavy network TV shows during prime time. Not a wise business decision to do so. Expect KGW to continue to air 10 or so games a year, but not likely any more than that.

-Pop


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## Dan (Dec 30, 2002)

SodaPopinski said:


> Doubtful. KGW would likely be very reluctant to preempt its regularly scheduled prime time broadcasts to air Blazer games. Portland is not unique in this aspect. Most markets' network affiliate stations will not air a majority of their sports teams' games if they conflict with ratings-heavy network TV shows during prime time. Not a wise business decision to do so. Expect KGW to continue to air 10 or so games a year, but not likely any more than that.
> 
> -Pop


if my memory serves me right, we're one of the only (or were the first) teams to have games offered on an major tv station.


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## Yega1979 (Mar 22, 2003)

That's pretty awesome, because I just dumped FSNW. I got tired of pay $67 a month for cable + HD + Digital Classic, so I knocked it down to the family package + HD and saved $35 a month. Most of the channells you get on cable are pure crap anyway.


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## HispanicCausinPanic (Jul 2, 2005)

Didn't Kerry Eggers write an article a month or so ago about how good of an idea it would be if the Blazers were on Comcast?


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## TLo (Dec 27, 2006)

The only reason I would tune into FSNW is to watch that terrific Mariners' squad this year.


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## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

Hap said:


> whats kind of interesting is that as much as I like the Blazers, I wouldn't switch from DISH to Comcast Cable just for the Blazers. I'd live without them.


Your account here at bbf.com has now been closed, as you no longer meet the minimum requirements for posting. 

Should your fanaticism return in the future, you are always welcome to reapply. 

Best wishes,
the management


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## Ed O (Dec 30, 2002)

TLo said:


> The only reason I would tune into FSNW is to watch that terrific Mariners' squad this year.


They're a young and upcoming squad. What about the heart of that order?

If you can deal with Beltre, you gotta deal with Vidro. Then you gotta deal with Ibanez. And Sexson. And then the mighty Jose Guillen.

And the pitching? Forgettabout it.

Washburn. Batista. Ramirez. Jeff Weaver.

Lights out, baby.

Ed O.


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## Utherhimo (Feb 20, 2005)

marniers booo weehawks boo sonics...boo whuskys...boo you can tell i hate all seattle teamsthus i am happy to see FSNorth Seattle gone!


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## loyalty4life (Sep 17, 2002)

> "Fox does a good job, but clearly, they have a Seattle focus," Golub said. "Portland is a great sports city, and there are so many things going on here and throughout the state. Comcast recognized that and said, 'Let's establish a Portland-based, Oregon-focused sports channel on the back of the Blazers' rights. It's a win-win for everyone."


All I can say is: Finally!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: 

Let's get as far away from Fox Sports <strike>Northwest</strike> Seattle as humanly possible. I would be absolutely *thrilled* if we could have our own station for Oregon sports - Blazers, Ducks, Beavers, etc. 

What great news!


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## barfo (Jan 2, 2003)

Loyalty4Life said:


> All I can say is: Finally!!! :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap: :clap:


link for that quote?

barfo


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## ProudBFan (Apr 29, 2003)

Hap said:


> whats kinda strange is the ratings for KGW went up, iirc. And whats even funnier, is that (from what I heard, from a 3rd non Blazers source) the Blazers were the ones who dumped FSN, not the other way around.


Thats what I heard, too. And that they dumped FSN *because* negotiations w/ Comcast were going in a (very) positive direction.

Will the Comcast regional sports network be available in the Seattle area? I have to imagine so. And if so, whats to keep the Comcast channel from being just as Seattle-centric as FSN was (or even moreso)?

Still, now more than ever Im hoping the Sonics go bye-bye, and Seattle-area NBA fans (without NBALP) will have to get their fix from the Blazers. Dont know why I feel that way, really... probably just feeling vengeful for having Seattle this and Seattle that crammed down my throat day and night by Fox Seattle Net.

PBF


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## Oldmangrouch (Feb 11, 2003)

Ed O said:


> They're a young and upcoming squad. What about the heart of that order?
> 
> If you can deal with Beltre, you gotta deal with Vidro. Then you gotta deal with Ibanez. And Sexson. And then the mighty Jose Guillen.
> 
> ...



Never forget that awe inspiring battlecry: "We are still better than the Royals!" 

:cheer: :cheer: :cheer: 

:yay: :clap2: :yay: :clap2: :yay: :clap2: 

:twave:


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## Nate Dogg (Oct 20, 2006)

Thats fine with me. FSNW has always made their coverage as Supersonic gimic or UO football. They have never made their coverage equal with the Blazers or OSU Football. It has always made me sick. I'm glad they are pulling out. I always liked KGW Blazer coverage anyways especially on Sport Sundays.


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## Spoolie Gee (Feb 3, 2005)

Nate Dogg said:


> Thats fine with me. FSNW has always made their coverage as Supersonic gimic or *UO football*. They have never made their coverage equal with the Blazers or OSU Football. It has always made me sick. I'm glad they are pulling out. I always liked KGW Blazer coverage anyways especially on Sport Sundays.



:krazy: FSN and UO hate each other. Thats why Oregon signed a deal with ESPN and stuff like the coaches show is on comcast. The only time Oregon is on FSN is if it's a national game or are playing one of the NW teams.


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## soonerterp (Nov 13, 2005)

I have mixed feelings about Fox Sports Net ... one thing I consider a blessing comes only during college basketball season when (if I'm not mistaken) ALL of the regional Fox Sports networks (including FS Southwest, which is in my neck of the woods) carry Pac 10 and Atlantic Coast Conference games.

In general, I'm not crazy about how Fox Sports *presents* games. Watching FSN games on League Pass (which I'm cancelling because I can't really justify the expense considering I'm not home five or six nights a week), for example, leaves some to be desired for me (in my region that's Mavericks, Spurs and Rockets games). And I've watched Big XII AND ACC basketball games -- men and women alike -- where it looks like they sent the Mildly Retarded Production Crew to cover it and there are production gaffes like dead mics and misplaced graphics and weird camera angles. This isn't so true of professional games but I'm not so crazy about Fox Sports' amateurish-looking standard-template graphic package on dozens and dozens of different games in different regions.

FSN Southwest does a decent job of covering Big XII (South Division -- which is Baylor, Oklahoma, Oklahoma State, Texas A&M, UT-Austin and Texas Tech) but it seems like (in the appropriate seasons) there's only so much airtime they can give to the huge number of pro teams in Texas (Cowboys, Texans, Astros, Rangers, Spurs, Mavs, Rockets, Stars) that it seems like some get overlooked.


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

Ed O said:


> They're a young and upcoming squad. What about the heart of that order?
> 
> If you can deal with Beltre, you gotta deal with Vidro. Then you gotta deal with Ibanez. And Sexson. And then the mighty Jose Guillen.
> 
> ...


Batista and Weaver were easily the most awful off-season pickups I've ever seen.


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## zagsfan20 (Dec 24, 2004)

FSN shows about half of Zag games, and a lot of Pac-10 bball games during the season.


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## It's_GO_Time (Oct 13, 2005)

Good article in the business section of the Oregonian today about this issue. This thread has pretty much nailed what is in the article. 

Sounds very positive about comcast doing a local sports network . . . as one poster pointed out, Verizon cable is coming soon and comcast is trying to keep an edge, so they have a lot of motivation to do this.

I also now see why some posters do not like comcast, it seems they raise their rates every other hour.


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