The (further) Wussification of America

The PISOFf (People in search of fairness) brigade is out in full force again. This time the call to arms again involves Directv. You’ll recall the middle of last year when cable subscribers everywhere took to the streets over the “NFL Network” being unavailable on a smattering of cable providers. Thousands of cable subscribers complained that they couldn’t get the NFL Network channel and thus were excluded from seeing some of the NFL games broadcast (for the first time ever) on NFL Network. Boo hoo.

This time, the game is baseball and the U.S. Senate is involved. Rumors started swirling in January and February that Directv had acquired exclusive rights to Major League Baseballs’ “Extra Innings” package which offers up to 900 MLB games a year and allows fans out of market from their favorite team to still see the games. During that period, anyone without Directv would be unable to purchase and watch the Extra Innings package as they do today.

I’m as fanatic of a fan as anyone else so I certainly understand wanting to follow one’s team, especially when living in another city. What I cannot support is the entitlement mentality which has become so pervasive in this country. Entitlement along with hyper-sensitive political correctness is driving the wussification of America and it has to stop. Americans are entitled to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness. Nowhere in the documents of our founding fathers does it state “Americans are entitled to purchase MLB Extra Innings regardless of who their cable or satellite provider is”. Go ahead and check- the Bill of Rights, the Constitution, the Louisiana Purchase. The “MLB clause” is nowhere to be found.

I can certainly understand the folks living in an apartment or condo who aren’t allowed to mount a satellite dish on their patio or on their neighbor’s cat. That’s not a Directv problem though, that’s a “you” problem. Lobby to change the bylaws/covenants of your condo association. Go to a sports bar to see the game. Move. You’ve got lots of options so quit complaining. I have even less patience for the people that complain they’ve got cable, phone, and internet bundled through their cable provider and thus don’t want to change to Directv. Again, that’s a choice your making.

If Directv wants to spend $700 million to buy exclusive rights and try to leverage the MLB package to drive new subscribers- that’s their choice. If MLB wants to risk alienating fans unwilling to switch to Directv, that’s their prerogative too. Morons of America- it’s called capitalism. The outcome of those decisions will be driven by the forces of the open market. If there are so many unhappy people, Directv will not see the extra subscribers and thus not get a return on their $700 million investment. MLB would also be impacted financially by lower tv revenues and drops in attendance by disgruntled fans. And in a capitalistic marketplace, that’s how outcomes are determined. We’re not talking about electricity or water here, we’re talking about superfluous baseball games.

Done deal right? Not even close. For all the half-wits complaining about the potential action, there’s a knight in shining armor for you. It’s Senator John Kerry and the Senate Commerce Committee. In another dazzling display of tax-payer dollar waste from both sides of the aisle, the Senate Commerce Committee held a hearing on behalf of cable tv subscribers and also subscribers of Echostar Communication Corp’s Dish Network. The hearing was filled with sickening examples of just how akimbo our country’s values have become. First from FCC Chairman Kevin Martin, “I am concerned whenever consumers cannot purchase the programming they want, or are forced to purchase programming they don’t want.” Arlen Spector added “When fans react, Congress reacts”. Then there were some quotes from John Kerry including these two gems: “You get MLB and DirecTV marshalling their forces to go out and make money while cutting out fans.” “There’s a whole movement toward fans being screwed by consolidation which raises prices and reduces options.”

When the dust settled on the hearing, MLB had agreed to broker a deal with IN Demand (owned by affiliates of Time Warner, Comcast, and Cox) who would then distribute the Extra Innings package to cable providers. Directv will likely remain the exclusive satellite provider for the baseball package. In conclusion, Senator Kerry added “Everyone kept talking and pressing until we had a deal that protects the rights of most fans to follow their hometown team.” Mr. Kerry- you are wrong. It’s not a right, it’s a privilege. And this deal is not good for Americans. One thing history has shown is that when there is governmental influence in commerce in trade matters leads to higher prices for everyone. So congratulations to all of you that grabbed your pitchforks and torches. I will pay more for my Directv because they won’t see the subscriber boost they expected and you will pay more for your cable because that’s what cable subscribers do, they raise your rates.

You’re welcome.