Not this crap again..... http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs...rcuit-tv-only/2012/05/09/gIQAmuQXDU_blog.html
I hope the USSF eats the rights to the final home match and refuses to let the game be seen in Guatemala. If Mediopro does this non sense again.
Crossposted from another thread: Well, here we go again. Many of you may remember that USA at Honduras on 10 October 2009 was only available on closed-circuit TV. The USA clinched a World Cup berth by winning that game. Here's what I wrote then about whether you should pay to watch the game: My feelings are essentially the same this time, although it's fair to point out that if Honduras or Guatemala makes the hex, your decision to not go to a bar in October 2009 would have affected that bar's decision to purchase this game in June 2012, which may affect MediaPro's bid for the rights to one or more games in 2013. Nevertheless, if USA-Guatemala is only available on closed-circuit TV, I myself plan to be back at Molly Malone's, assuming they show the game. The other thread temporarily, and weirdly, devolved into jawdropping bigotry before the moderators cleaned it up. In hopes of inoculating this thread, here are some parenthetical comments. The Guatemalans I have met have uniformly been wonderful people. If Guatemalan hospitality isn't a cliche, it should be. Based on my limited experience, I love Guatemalan folk art and cooking (especially barbecue). People very close to me tell me that Guatemala itself is a beautiful country, though I've never been there. On the other hand, the Guatemalan soccer team has displayed a lot of dirty play in the past, although maybe that's improved in recent years. Whether you agree or disagree with those parenthetical comments, none of them have anything to do with the point of this thread, which is that another USA WCQ may end up on closed-circuit TV. No, that's not my preference; yes, it's ridiculous in this day and age that other soccer federations can do that to us; but if we get put in that position, I highly recommend supporting the team by going and watching the game anyway. If there's a bar in your area showing the game, it's a relatively easy way to earn some USA fandom street cred, for whatever that's worth.
I quite enjoyed my Honduran-US fan 300-3 odds last time, but I still would prefer to watch at home. And the solution is still the same as it was last time: USSF refuses to give the foreign Fed rights to play any US based friendlies until they stop holding US TV rights hostage.
Dear Dr. Gulati, This is an issue that we fans care about. It's worth going to battle over. Please play hardball. Sincerely, A fan of the USMNT (and probably a lot more than myself) PS Just bought a new 2012 home jersey and scarf. Love the new Waldo stripes.
Do we know what sort of bargaining power Gulati has in this scenario? Why would some media corporation in central america care what he thinks?
The idea goes like this. Whenever we draw another team in a group, including the hex, USSF should call up their federation immediately and make some sort of deal. For example, USSF might trade Guatemalan rights to the game played in the USA for USA rights to the game played in Guatemala. Or USSF might sign an agreement with the other federation stating that both countries must sell the rights to buyers who will broadcast the game either on free airwaves or cable channels (i.e., not closed-circuit). The problem, of course, is that by the time another federation sells the rights to MediaPro, as FedefutGuate has done, it's too late. The only recourse is for ESPN or Fox Soccer to repurchase the rights from MediaPro. I'm not aware of such a repurchase ever having happened.
Yea that's what I was thinking. Interesting that the home team has all the power re: television rights. You'd think that each federation would have rights to all games played by their national team in their own country, regardless of where the game is played.
Is MediaPro aware that it is 2012? Finding an online stream of this game for free will not be difficult. I paid $20 to watch a US away qualifier in 2001. A decade later, I'll be watching from the computer...
When the Honduras game was not on TV in October 2009, I don't remember reading about many people finding illegal streams of it.
haha I remember that. I was on some Honduran news website I think. The feed was pretty bad and hard to make out the players, made Conor Casey scoring all the more funny.
Well, I can't speak for those living out in the boonies (soccer wise), but in the thriving metropolis of Columbus, OH, it certainly won't be difficult to find a bar that will be showing it, for free. Call some friends up, head out, and have a bite and a beer and watch the US game with other like minded individuals. You may even meet someone interesting. We spend far too much time staring into computer (or phone) screens as it is. And suiting action to words, I'm out of here.
Wait was it the WCQ game where the US played in Central America and a bald guy scored I forgot his name I think it was Conor Casey and they were wearing the all navy blue jerseys? If so I found a stream for that game also.
I did too but I lost it in final 20 minutes and couldn't get another one, which sucked. Was forced to listen to Honduras radio, and thankfully I understand Spanish. Point is: TV over stream any time you can.
Totally agree with the TV over stream. However, if the option is streaming at home or paying $20 (or worse, not seeing the game at all), I'll opt for the stream. The "business model" of acquiring TV rights and demanding a huge payday is over. Even though it was a huge pain in the ass, at least Mexico v. US last cycle was on TV (though *you* try explaining to the various bartenders of Boston what Mun2 is!)
Yes, that, was, the, game. Also, the, US, qualified, for, the, World Cup, by -- winning -- that, game. I've, included, some, extra, punctuation -- in, my, post -- in, case, you, need, to, borrow, any.