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The changed atmosphere after the terrorist attacks in New York brought one welcome
change that should be retained: the setting aside of the television blackout rule.
It was obvious not all fans would be comfortable returning to the stadiums at that
time, even though it was almost two weeks since the attacks. Attendance was down
throughout the league.
But then the league reinstated the rule — games are blacked out locally unless
they’re sold out 72 hours in advance of game time. That rule has not made sense for a
very long time now, but the NFL still clings to it.
The television blackout rule had its genesis in the fear of then-commissioner Pete
Rozelle in the 1960s that football could become a "studio game" if fans had the
option of either going to the stadium or staying home to watch in the comfort of their
homes.
Rozelle’s fear seemed reasonable at the time. Football is the perfect television
game because the camera follows the ball, just as virtually all fans at the stadium do.
That’s in sharp contrast to baseball, where a fan’s attention is split when a
ball is hit between the baserunner and the fielders pursuing the ball.
At that time, too, stadiums did not have the big screens that show replays of the
action, so fans at home actually saw more than those who were at the games.
So Rozelle decided that only telecasts of away games would be available. It took a
political decision to modify that stance. When the Redskins became good in the early
’70s, politicians often were unable to get tickets to games, so they threatened to
pass legislation that eliminated the blackouts. Rozelle agreed to a change to the current
form of the rule so politicians could watch the home games on television.
Those of us who knew sports history thought the blackout rule was a mistake even then.
In the late ’30s, when baseball teams first began to broadcast games on radio, owners
were certain that it would cut into attendance.
In New York, both the Giants and Yankees originally broadcast only road games. Only
Brooklyn Dodgers owner Larry MacPhail was smart enough to see that the broadcasts would
stimulate fan interest. Those who lived in Brooklyn in those days remember that you could
hear the game broadcasts everywhere you went. Fortunately for MacPhail, the team was
improving, and attendance jumped dramatically.
When fans got their information from newspapers and then radio, baseball was the
nation’s No. 1 game by a large margin. Newspapers are vital to baseball fans because
games are played every day, so there are stories and box scores to be devoured. Radio is
important too because many fans can follow games while they’re working at physical
jobs such as construction, or if they’re home working in the backyard or around the
home.
When television became the biggest factor, starting around ’60, pro football
boomed, and the NFL became the No. 1 sport. Office workers who couldn’t listen to
baseball on the radio could keep up with NFL games played on weekends and eventually on
Monday night through television.
Just as radio did for baseball, television stimulated interest in football. The fans
who watched the game on television were even more motivated to go to the games in person.
Televised games are the ultimate marketing tool.
Strangely, baseball has recognized this more than football. Though baseball teams
seldom sell out games because they play so many of them — 81 at home every year
— teams still televise home games on a regular basis.
They recognize that it’s an important source of revenue and that it stimulates
interest. Since baseball teams started televising home games, attendance records have been
set.
Yet the NFL, which pioneered in game telecasts, lags behind in the reality game, still
blacking out home games.
It’s hard to see the rationale. It certainly doesn’t help home attendance.
One of the teams in my home area, the Raiders, are often subject to blackouts because they
don’t sell enough tickets. Down the stretch last season, as the Raiders were driving
toward a division title, they started selling out games, but the non-sellouts resumed this
season when they played the inept Seahawks and Cowboys at home.
Meanwhile, across the bay, the 49ers continue to sell out, meaning their home games are
on TV. If televising home games really did keep fans away, it should be killing the 49ers,
whose glory days have disappeared with consecutive 4-12 and 6-10 seasons. But that has not
happened.
The reality is that fans who can afford tickets to games and who are physically able to
attend are always going to choose going to the game over watching on television. The total
experience is what counts. Fans love to spend the day at the stadium, tailgating with
friends before and after the games, as well as watching the action. And the games
themselves are more exciting now that the big screens allow fans to see the same replays
they can see at home.
With the help of television, hundreds of thousands of fans across the country have made
NFL games a staple of their lives for more than half the year. Fans go to the home games
and then gather with friends for parties to watch the away games on television.
There’s another factor too. NFL ticket prices are high, and that discourages
families from attending. The televised games allow families to watch together, and it is
the youngsters who watch who will form the future audience for the league.
The blackout rule was a mistake from the start, and it’s an even bigger mistake
now. It’s past the time for the NFL to realize that.
Glenn Dickey is a columnist for The San Francisco Chronicle and has covered pro
football since 1967. He can be reached via e-mail at dickey@sfgate.com |
