Playoffs on TV

Discussion in 'Business and Media' started by monster, Sep 23, 2002.

  1. gatopreto

    gatopreto Member

    May 31, 2000
    NYC
    I almost did that. They said it was unrefundable.

    Not worth it now.

    F***heads.
     
  2. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I got it. Amazing that TWNY and some others hasn't wised up. Just effing amazing. Call MLS Monday and bitch too. It's not their fault directly, but they need to know who is effing them over.
     
  3. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    I plan to. As far as I can tell this was a screw-up between InDemand and the cable companies. Had they customer service numbers it actually would have made more sense to call InDemand. But though we can't perhaps MLS can.
     
  4. MetroDug

    MetroDug Member

    May 4, 1999
    New York, NY USA
    i knew this would happen and that's why i called TWNYC twice before the game even started. I told them this LA v COL was on a "gameday channel" and to unblock it for me, but they said it would be on. even called back later to confirm,

    after an hour on the phone from 10-11, i got them to unblock channel five for me. I missed the "enormously entertaining" first half.

    They said they'd have to charge me the $99 for gameday, and that it was non-refundable, yeah. But I can guarantee you they'll never see a penny of that from me. I'm calling to cancel and log a formal complaint now...
     
  5. Brrca Fan redded

    Brrca Fan redded Red Card

    Aug 6, 2002
    Chasing Tornadoes.
    It is 7am sunday,would they still show a replay of last night,s game on the shootout today?
     
  6. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Nope. The Shootout is only a redirect of the live feed of the game. Unless the game is rebroadcast on the originating station, they don't show it again. And even when that happened, only people who had dishes and got the regional sports package got the rebroadcast.
     
  7. eneste

    eneste Member

    Mar 24, 2000
    Pittsburgh, PA
  8. eneste

    eneste Member

    Mar 24, 2000
    Pittsburgh, PA
    Well it was there for me but it said that I hadn't paid for it yet and I had to buy it for $5.99. Last weekend worked fine. Now I get to spend a half hour explaining why I don't owe Adelphia money for this. Fun!
     
  9. dark knight

    dark knight Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    Dec 15, 1999
    Club:
    Leicester City FC
    pretty lousy picture here...
     
  10. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    I had to call Adelphia again in order to get the game. It showed up on my onscreen guide but I couldn't get it to come on. It looked like I just had the PPV screen there. So I called and they admitted that the game was listed (something they did not admit and/or know yesterday when I asked about it) and then they opened up the channel for me. They said the problem was the sharing of the channel with ESPN Gameplan.

    Anyway, I was told that there was a note on my account to have someone higher up look into all this and call me back. I had requested this but I was still somewhat surprised to learn that someone actually was supposed to do this.

    My problems, it would seem, are not just with InDemand overlapping the stations. There seems to be a lack of communication between InDemand and Adelphia. The result is that Adelphia usually doesn't know anything about the Shootout schedule and then when the do get the information (or finally process the information) it's too late. Like I said, they obviously got new information between last night and this morning because last night they told me there was no game today. Today, even if they didn't properly unlock the station for me at least they knew I really was supposed to get the game.

    I'll post more if and when the Adelphia folks call me back.
     
  11. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I think this is Adelphia covering their ass for 2 reasons:

    1. My cable company is getting me the info as soon as it is available. They got me info on this coming Wednesday's games last Thursday or Friday. I see no reason why one cable company gets the info and another doesn't.

    2. The info is freaking available online. Send your Adelphia people this link - http://www.indemand.com/sports/schedules/MLSPlayoff.xls - and tell them if they can't get off their ass to call for the info or such, it's available for the whole world to see. The Wednesday info is already available.

    Sorry if I sound pissy, but I just hate that these cable companies are blaming someone else for their incompetence and screwing you out of games because of their own laziness.

    As far as I'm concerned, if one system gets things on the air with no problems - whether that be mine or yours or someone else's - there is no excuse in the world for every cable system with the bandwidth not to have the games on the air.
     
  12. Knave

    Knave Member+

    May 25, 1999
    I've tried to tell them that the info is available online but nobody seems to care.

    Let me clarify one thing - I don't really know if this is a communication problem between Adelphia and InDemand or if it's a problem internal to Adelphia. Clearly somebody there isn't getting the proper information.

    Anyway, you don't sound pissy to me. I know pissy because that's what I've been whenever I call Adelphia. All that said, I'm calling them again early in the week if I don't hear back from them to make sure (or attempt to make sure) that they don't screw up the Wednesday games.

    Also, what exactly did you request from the cable company in terms of the info they're sending you. I'd like to find out if Adelphia can do something similar for me.
     
  13. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Cool.

    I just kept asking them what the latest news was and that iNDemand was screwing with the package (this was when they really were a month or so ago).

    But I have a good, locally owned cable company that actually gives a toot about its customers. And they have received so many e-mails from me about the Shootout and asking to add FSW, they know it's probably better to be proactive and feed me info.

    So, the woman in charge of PPV sends me an e-mail (I never asked for this, they just did it) whenever games are added.

    Suscom rocks.
     
  14. Bushman

    Bushman New Member

    May 9, 2000
    As many of you know, I have a weekly television program on the Adelphia system here in Virginia. I plug the Shootout package every week, and like many of you, haven't been getting the playoff games either. I've called HQ, and even my local office where they KNOW me, and yet I still can't get the games.

    They told me last week the package "ran out" and we wouldn't get the games anymore, yet they were still advertised and "available" to buy...ridiculous!

    So, Adelphia people, I'm still working on this, trying to find out what the hell is going on...truth be told, Adelphia doesn't care...they're waiting to get bought out and absorbed by one of the other companies. Hopefully it'll happen before next year, and we'll get the shootout package in its entirety...

    Mark Bushman
    "This Week In Soccer"
     
  15. FlashMan

    FlashMan Member

    Jan 6, 2000
    'diego
    Club:
    --other--
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    monster had me email the GM of Cox Cable here in San Diego about a month ago when all these problems started. Surprisingly enough, the GM emailed me back and put me in touch with the head of "sports PPV packages" at Cox Cable, who personally called me. Ever since he's kept a close eye on my account and that of the MLS Shootout package - calling me with the channel numbers, updates, etc., providing me with an "IT" number personnel guy to call if I was having trouble the day of a game - and they've provided me with great - albeit not always perfect - service ever since. Cox is known for its good customer service here in San Diego but maybe if you can get a hold of someone higher up in managership who won't be happy their customer is being treated shabbily, s/he might do something about it.

    It's possible anyway.

    PS. O yea. I got a 1/2 refund for the entire season's package 'cause I missed 4 or 5 games at the end of the year due to their malfunctions.
     
  16. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I've read about 5-6 pages of this thread, and it's absolutely ridiculous that MLS fans have to put up with this crap to get playoffs coverage on television. Whether it's MLS' fault or not, they should make sure this is handled better in the future.
     
  17. monster

    monster Member

    Oct 19, 1999
    Hanover, PA
    Club:
    DC United
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Why do you automatically assume they haven't tried? But when they are trying to work with a company (or companies) who doesn't give a crap about them, it's kind of hard for them to affect change.

    And still, they have. iNDemand was going to stop showing games altogether when college football season. But thats to pressure from fans and a lot of hard work at MLSHQ, the games got on the air.

    They are trying, but to paraprhase one MLS official, they don't really have a lot of strength in their bargaining position.

    However, they really hope to promote the hell out of the Shootout and put pressure on cable providers next year togive it a better shake so that it can be an even better package. So they are trying.
     
  18. Brownswan

    Brownswan New Member

    Jun 30, 1999
    Port St. Lucie, FL
    24k at the Rose Bowl to watch LA vs. Col. Cobi Jones is carted off the field, injured, and upon returning to play gets a standing ovation from the crowd -- but no national TV.

    2k at North Carolina to watch the USWNT bulldoze yet another victim, despite less than stellar play - and this gets on ESPN2.

    Just because something is called the US Cup doesn't mean it merits TV coverage compared with a First Division playoff game in a major market. Frankly, why not cover both?

    The point is at least one playoff match at each juncture deserves to be shown. I'm not asking for every match, but at least something to record the progress to the Final.
     
  19. PZ

    PZ Member

    Apr 11, 1999
    Michiana
    Club:
    Ipswich Town FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    LA @ Colorado on Fox Sports West 2 delayed to 8PM.

    It'll be live for those of us with the MLS Shootout pkg though.
     
  20. dark knight

    dark knight Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    Dec 15, 1999
    Club:
    Leicester City FC
    They also deserve a lot of credit for putting on that Crew game.
     
  21. Motterman

    Motterman Member

    Jul 8, 2002
    Orlando, FL
    Club:
    Manchester United FC
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    I'm not saying they haven't tried. I'm saying they haven't gotten it done.

    "Do, or do not. There is no try." - Yoda
     
  22. dark knight

    dark knight Super Moderator
    Staff Member

    Dec 15, 1999
    Club:
    Leicester City FC
    I don't think it is in their power to make most cable companies semi-competent. This past weekend, the shootout was on a channel in NY that we didn't have access to. Rather than granting us access for one day, they told us that we would have to pay a non-refundable 100 dollars to see the channel. They insisted that it was non-refundable.

    With all do respect to Yoda, since "do" may be impossible, I can live with "try".
     
  23. Bleacherbutt

    Bleacherbutt New Member

    May 1, 2001
    Rochester, NY
    The Soccer Boat

    It appears that MLS has refined Nike's "private tournament" promotion that the shoe company used during the World Cup. Whereas, Nike had 3v3 tournament in private, MLS is having 11v11 tournament in private. Oh, that wasn't Comissioner Grabber's idea, you mean they just screwed up by not having any of the playoffs on TV?

    Here's my rant: The USMNT makes it to the Quarterfinals in the WC, the level of play in MLS is the highest it's been (although you have a one in three chance of being named to an allstar team), and every team was in the play-off hunt until the final whistle of the season. What a lousy shame that the top level of the beautiful game in the U.S. is in the hands of such bumblers and incompetents. Hopefully, there will be a special ring of hell devoted to MLS and USSF officials for pissing this opportunity away (idea: in this ring the execs will watch Tampa Bay Mutiny intrasquad scrimmages for all of eternity?). What happened to that agreement they made with the Mouse for WC broadcast rights?

    Is anybody more than casually interested? The MLS blackout has certainly de-winded my sails for the league. Watching it live will be doubtful if it's on a nice day--I have some housepainting to do. I am so uninspired, I have a hard time thinking that I will even tape it.
     
  24. Eric B

    Eric B Member

    Feb 21, 2000
    the LBC
    Club:
    Los Angeles Galaxy
    Nat'l Team:
    United States
    Re: The Soccer Boat

    Don't let the door hit ya where the good lord split ya...
     
  25. Bleacherbutt

    Bleacherbutt New Member

    May 1, 2001
    Rochester, NY
    Eric, that's good. Did you come up with that all by yourself or did you just cut and paste it?
     

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