Z’Blog

The Big Ten Network is driving me to drink! Because the network isn’t offered on my cable system and I cannot get a dish placed on my property (heavy forest & hilltop location), I’m forced to go to a local pub - preferrably the Cobblestone Grill in Zionsville - to watch 14 IU basketball games that aren’t available on my home TV.

No more curling up on the couch. No more warm nights at home. This winter, if I’m going to watch the Hoosiers, I have to head out in the cold, plop down on a less than comfy bar stool and try to hear the play by play at the bar.

 Perhaps this is a plot by both the networks and beer distributors to get sports fans back into bars?

Also, the quality of the Big Ten Network’s telecasts really suck. Lousy camera angles, slow replays and NO HDTV! The announcers are a bunch of regional network drones who lend no excitement to the games, don’t sound like they’ve done their homework and are basically boring.  Even the commercials are boring.

I went out and watched the Packers/Cowboys game on the NFL Network last night - another network my cable system doesn’t offer and felt the same about the lousy telecast.  If these new sports networks are going to gouge us for more $$ to watch their programming, why don’t they put some of those bucks back into their broadcasts?

This “Take it or Leave it” attitude by the Big 10 and NFL networks gives no doubt it’s all about the Benjamins when it comes to college and pro sports. We are all fools to believe there’s such a thing as team loyalty to its fans.