The National Football League, sometimes known among players and fans as the No Fun League because of its high-handed rules, has booted local TV cameras from the sidelines of its games.
The NFL will spoon-feed local TV with clips from its own NFL Network and from the network broadcasting the game. Independent coverage? Channels 2, 7, 9 and 13 in Denver will be left out in the cold. Even Channel 4, the “official Broncos station,” must rely on the networks for its game highlights, which may be used only within newscasts.
The restrictions show a remarkable contempt for NFL fans who follow their favorite team by tuning in to sportscasts during the week and for stations whose daily coverage has helped put the NFL on its pedestal atop all local TV sports.
The new rule, passed down in March, will severely hamstring local TV stations’ ability to bring their viewers fresh angles on the Broncos.
“Local fans may not totally get what they’re missing, but over time you’ll see less of the personality of the team,” said 9News news director Patti Dennis.
“We never tried to show the chronology of the game,” she said. “We shot it to show the personality of the team.”
What if a station is doing a piece on Bradlee Van Pelt’s role as the team’s No. 3 quarterback? The NFL isn’t likely to provide footage of Van Pelt, and if it did, it wouldn’t be integrated with the TV storyline.
Officials say the ban is meant to protect the NFL’s “intellectual property” and because of sideline safety concerns.We think the NFL is simply trying to direct traffic to its new television channel and control its image.
Remember Jake Plummer caught on camera flipping the bird in 2004? Those sort of antics will still happen, of course, but it will be easier for the NFL to keep them under wraps.
Still photographers from publications such as The Denver Post are still allowed on the sidelines, but editors are worrying they could lose their privileges someday.
There are as many reasons for NFL owners to rescind this ridiculous rule as there are fans of the NFL.
Dare we mention that Invesco Field and stadiums across the country were built with taxpayer dollars? Let NFL owners foot the bill if they plan to start limiting fair access.
The new NFL commissioner, Roger Goodell, has a golden opportunity to stand up for fans on this issue. He ought to just say: “After further review, the ruling on the field has been overturned.”
