I'll add my displeasure to the heap. I ordered the MLS shootout this year to see DC United. I had to pay $20 more than the suggested retail in addition to the monthly cost of the digital cable, and how many losses, uh, I mean games, have not been available (digital didn't get the shootout till May? Something like 12 games? Pretty rediculous.
The fact that the road games are not on television (and that the team is crap) has a lot to do w/ declining attendance. Who wants to follow a team that you can't even follow? Why would the Post and Times bother reporting on games if nobody can see them? It's 100% stupid that they decide to show some home games while letting many of the road games go ignored. It's a recipe for disaster attendance-wise. Unless you're a hardcore fan these days it is next to impossible to follow the team. Hell, even the WUSA team's game is on TV tonight -- Comcast no less.
The same thing happened to me. I posted a query about it in the debug forum, and it was suggested that Netscape 4.7x had problems with the chat script. Upgrading to NS 6.2 was a solution. I haven't tried the upgrade, but I am using 4.79.
1. What do you mean not watch the game? Granted the team sucks right now and it is painful but it is STILL YOUR CLUB! As much as I have wanted to puke at the last few games, and bitched all the time on BS, watching United is still the best damn thing I do for lesiure in the week. 2. Netscape not working, if you have some bias against IE use opera. 3. I got into the chat room (again thanks all those who shared info for us without a soundcard) and am not premium.
The absurd thing about the current TV situation is that DC United HOME games are usually on TV via the Shoot-Out package. That's because the package gives you the visiting team's telecast. Frequently you get Dave Johnson and a color commentator from the other city -- so there's Dave at RFK plugging some restaurant in Denver or bank in Kansas City. Last Saturday's game, for example, was on Ch 794 on Direct TV via the Shoot Out package. It was the telecast back to New England. I tape the RFK games I attend so I can check replays later, but every time I set it up the absurdity strikes me: I don't have to go to RFK to watch DCU play at home. I can watch them on TV. But I can't watch them on the road. It looks to me as if we're the only MLS team without a decent TV contract for our away games.