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RU's Bowl game on nfl network

JetCane

By JetCane
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JetCane

JetCane

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NFL Network not carried by local cable providers

Associated Press

NEWARK, N.J. -- Rutgers football fans hoping to watch their team in the Texas Bowl later this month may be better off going to Manhattan -- the one in Kansas, that is.

The hometown of bowl opponent Kansas State is likely to have better coverage since the NFL Network, which has exclusive rights to televise the game, is not carried on two cable companies that serve more than 1 million of New Jersey's 2.5 million cable subscribers, not to mention most of New York City.

With No. 16 Rutgers suddenly at the flashpoint of the dispute between the NFL Network and cable operators Time Warner and Cablevision, New Jersey Sen. Frank Lautenberg sent a letter to the NFL on Wednesday urging the league to allow the Dec. 28 game to be shown on local television.

"Rutgers fans and the people of New Jersey do not deserve to be punished or used as a bargaining chip in that dispute," Lautenberg wrote.

Through spokesman Seth Palansky, the NFL Network said a solution will depend on an agreement between the network and the cable providers.

"As the senator recognizes, we have repeatedly offered to make not only this Rutgers game but all NFL Network programming available broadly throughout New Jersey," Palansky said. "We regret that Time Warner and Cablevision have not yet agreed to carry NFL Network, but we will continue to work as hard as we can to resolve this commercial dispute as soon as possible."

That isn't likely to happen in the next three weeks. According to Time Warner cable spokesman Mark Harrad, the NFL Network wants cable providers to offer it as part of a basic cable package rather than as a premium service, an idea he said would force Time Warner to raise rates for all subscribers to cover the network's $140 million price tag.

"The NFL Network is asking for a price that would make it one of the top five networks in terms of audience," Harrad said, comparing it to networks such as Disney, ESPN and TNT. "But they're not a network that has shown broad ratings or broad appeal. That doesn't mean we don't want to offer it, because there are definitely customers who will want to pay more to get the NFL Network."

In his letter to NFL commissioner Roger Goodell and NFL Network president Steve Bornstein, Lautenberg asked the league to apply the same policy for the Texas Bowl that it uses for its eight NFL telecasts this season. Those games are also broadcast locally by network affiliates.

Officials from Rutgers and the Big East are searching for a way that a local broadcaster such as MSG Network or Secaucus-based WOR Channel 9 could show the game.

That would require changing the NFL's broadcast agreement with the Texas Bowl, and Palansky said the league has no plans to alter that agreement.

Barring that, Rutgers fans could be forced to find bars or restaurants that have satellite feeds, since the NFL Network is carried on DirecTV and the Dish Network.

Comcast, the largest cable company in the country, carries the NFL Network on its digital service that is used by about 7 million of its 24 million subscribers. Comcast is the largest cable provider in New Jersey with about 1.3 million subscribers.

Oddly, Rutgers' men's basketball game against North Carolina will be broadcast on ESPN2 at the same time as the bowl game.

A notice on the Texas Bowl Web site didn't offer much hope for New Jerseyans, though it did suggest a call to action.

"NFL Network is the exclusive broadcaster of the Texas Bowl," it read. "The Texas Bowl can only be seen on NFL Network. If you don't have NFL Network, you won't get the Texas Bowl. Call your local cable provider and ask for NFL Network now."

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Alk

Alk

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There are going to be alot of pissed off people here in Kansas too beacuse I don't think the whole NFL Network situation is any better here. On one hand, I don't care because they're K-St. fans but on the other hand, I do think the NFL is getting way too gready and it's only going to get worse.

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madmike1

madmike1

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They're trying to work out a deal to show it most likely on UPN9 or some garbage channel like that.

Who cares?

90% of the RU fans didn't even know RU was in New Jersey until 6 weeks ago.

Thats complete BS. Rutgers has a very large and loyal alumni fan base.

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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large and loyal fan base? now that is hysterical... some people in the tri state area may have gotten caught up in the drive to a bcs game but care no longer..

It's not exactly a small school. Sure plenty of us would only make the trip a game or two a year, but with the product they were putting out pre-Schiano was that a surprise? Believe me, plenty of us may be kind of fair weather fans, but there are a ton of people that went there and consider them their favorite college team.

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4HCrew

4HCrew

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#27 the bottom line is they were not even selling out games the beginning of this year coming off a good year last year. There may be a fan base out there but no where near as big as Madmike states. In addition if Schiano would have gotten his demands from Miami the fan base would be even smaller. To me it is was a nice run for the bandwagon jumpers

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madmike1

madmike1

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Rutgers' fanbase is about as loyal as the Miami Dolphins' on a late December game against a 2-12 team

Typical hater BS. Or course we're drawing more fans because we are winning, exactly the same as ANY TEAM IN ANY SPORT. That doesn't mean we don't have a loyal alumni fan base that have been behind this team for a while through some horrible years.

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nj meadowlands

nj meadowlands

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Typical hater BS. Or course we're drawing more fans because we are winning, exactly the same as ANY TEAM IN ANY SPORT. That doesn't mean we don't have a loyal alumni fan base that have been behind this team for a while through some horrible years.

You'd definitely have a RU sig if your team pulled its usual 3-9 crap

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Long Island Legend

Long Island Legend

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Typical hater BS. Or course we're drawing more fans because we are winning, exactly the same as ANY TEAM IN ANY SPORT. That doesn't mean we don't have a loyal alumni fan base that have been behind this team for a while through some horrible years.

And those horrible years will continue starting in 2007. Schiano shoulda jumped ship while he could

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madmike1

madmike1

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#27 the bottom line is they were not even selling out games the beginning of this year coming off a good year last year. There may be a fan base out there but no where near as big as Madmike states. In addition if Schiano would have gotten his demands from Miami the fan base would be even smaller. To me it is was a nice run for the bandwagon jumpers

Rutgers has been building something basically from the ground up so of course their are going to be bandwagon jumpers just like every team in every sport but their are still a lot of guys who have been fans for a while and stuck with this team through a lot of UGLY football who are getting rewarded now.

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Gainzo

Gainzo

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Rutgers has been building something basically from the ground up so of course their are going to be bandwagon jumpers just like every team in every sport but their are still a lot of guys who have been fans for a while and stuck with this team through a lot of UGLY football who are getting rewarded now.

Are those "guys" going to the games?

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madmike1

madmike1

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And those horrible years will continue starting in 2007. Schiano shoulda jumped ship while he could

LOL good job wishful thinking hater but thats not gonna happen. We are 10-2 going to our 2nd bowl game in a row and next year we will be bringing back 3/4 of a good team along with the best recruiting class in school history and one of the best coaches in the country.

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Gainzo

Gainzo

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There is a reason they are going to expand the stadium before next year and again after next year.

I hadn't heard that they were going to expand the Stadium. Good for Rutgers.

Does that mean you will fill the place when you play UBuffalo or Villanova?

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madmike1

madmike1

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I hadn't heard that they were going to expand the Stadium. Good for Rutgers.

Does that mean you will fill the place when you play UBuffalo or Villanova?

Well from the number of season tickets being sold I'd assume so. It's just like any other sport. If you win people will go.

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Long Island Legend

Long Island Legend

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LOL good job wishful thinking hater but thats not gonna happen. We are 10-2 going to our 2nd bowl game in a row and next year we will be bringing back 3/4 of a good team along with the best recruiting class in school history and one of the best coaches in the country.

The team was decent, they've been playing better football than the last couple years but I wouldn't go sayin their gonna keep this ball rolling. They played two good teams all season and lost to one of them (even though it was close). If Louisville didn't sh*t the bed were not even having this conversation right now.

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madmike1

madmike1

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The team was decent, they've been playing better football than the last couple years but I wouldn't go sayin their gonna keep this ball rolling. They played two good teams all season and lost to one of them (even though it was close). If Louisville didn't sh*t the bed were not even having this conversation right now.
Of course they **** the bed LOL Don't give any credit to Rutgers top 10 ranked D in the NCAA that shut down one of the best offenses in college football in the 2nd half. Thats a spin job TX would be proud of...
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Gainzo

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Well from the number of season tickets being sold I'd assume so. It's just like any other sport. If you win people will go.

I don't want to rain on your parade but there is no way that the Stadium will be full when they play a 1-AA or a crappy 1-A team.

It may be sold out on a season ticket basis but will the "fans" show up for a Rutgers/SUNY-ESC game? I doubt it.

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#27TheDominator

#27TheDominator

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I don't want to rain on your parade but there is no way that the Stadium will be full when they play a 1-AA or a crappy 1-A team.

It may be sold out on a season ticket basis but will the "fans" show up for a Rutgers/SUNY-ESC game? I doubt it.

You underestimate the desire for RU fans to see wins. I think it's as likely they'll fill it for Buffalo as for VA Tech years back when we all knew we were getting routed.

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JetCane

JetCane

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I'd like to believe that RU has a large loyal fan base, but I really havent seen it over the years. A couple of questions for the alums:

-How large is the stadium. I seem to recall it held about 42K.

-How many sellouts have there been in the last 10 years other than the L'ville game?

-How many students go to school there?

I lean to what gainzo said about attendance being poor for games against Buffalo and Nova, and the other fluff teams on their schedule. But it's still good they are doing well, as i have said, i'm happy for the RU fans.

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madmike1

madmike1

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I don't want to rain on your parade but there is no way that the Stadium will be full when they play a 1-AA or a crappy 1-A team.

It may be sold out on a season ticket basis but will the "fans" show up for a Rutgers/SUNY-ESC game? I doubt it.

If we really become a top 25 program every year which looks like it's going to happen then people will come no matter who we're playing. We sold out the last home game vs a doormat cuse team even though all the students were out of the dorms for thanksgiving.
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