Blazer Fan Access Coalition

by walkoff41 on Dec 15, 2007 3:25 PM PST

As you may know from Canzano's column,
a couple of Blazermaniacs have started a
group to put pressure on Comcast and the Blazers
to help get deals done with the cable and sattelite companies. We don't get any TV coverage
beside National TV games here in Southern Oregon
(Medford) and our Blazer radio affiliate is
now spanish language. According to Chuck Cushman,
one of the organizers, the Comcast deal basically
eliminated coverage for Southern and Eastern
Oregon, Southern Washington (including areas just
outside Vancouver), as well as other rural areas
of Oregon. Chuck's research indicates that
the population excluded is near 600,000 households. Mr. Cushman is a land use lobbist/
National Parks and Forests advocate and so has
a email, fax and internet based communication
group that has effectively lobbied Congress and
other governmental agencies for many years. He is also a huge Blazer fan and has set up a network of
links to Comcast and Blazer officials as well as
advertiser's that we can inform of our displeasure.

Blazer Fan Access Coalition
P.O. Box 423
Battle Ground, WA 98604
(360) 687-2505
ccushman@pacifier.com

If you think Comcast holding 25% of the
Blazer fans hostage isn't right, please get on
the phone or email list. Bring back our Blazers !

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Comments

agreed

and while i really feel for anyone who can't get csn, since i'm living in eugene (with the exception of this winter break) and don't have the opportunity to go to the majority of the games, i'll be damned if you'll see me boycotting the channel (which i do get there) as suggested in the canzano column

so in short i'm with him on position but not on method

by DominicanAvenger on Dec 15, 2007 4:52 PM PST reply actions

radio

audio nba league pass is free this year and you can listen to all the games online through that. Thats how i get by in vegas and it works just fine. they shouldnt use that as a reason to complain.

Noam

by noam16 on Dec 15, 2007 6:08 PM PST reply actions

It sure won't be free next year!

NFL uses the same system and charge a hefty annual fee. Monopoly anyone?

by lee3022 on Dec 16, 2007 2:52 AM PST up reply actions

A couple of typical, expected responses:

Most look out only after ol' number one; if they are getting the coverage, hang those who aren't.

by TwoDeep on Dec 15, 2007 7:12 PM PST reply actions

Southern Oregon and CSN

So I live in Ashland as I go to college here, I don't have comcast but still get Comcast Sports Net through our local cable company Ashland Home Net. Anyone in the Ashland Area should look into switching, don't know if they support Medford, but having suffered through the previous 3 years in the dorms where I was stuck with Charter Cable and only nationally televised games because they chose to not carry a feed for any blazers games I am in heaven.

by Sandman on Dec 15, 2007 9:45 PM PST reply actions

I question the fanhood

of any fan who passes on an opportunity to see a game in person. It appears that the crowd helps our young team.

I am outside of comcast service and inside the league pass blackout. It is frustrating, but it actually makes me want to drive up for a few more games this year.

by tweener on Dec 15, 2007 11:36 PM PST reply actions

Some of us are not physically able

to travel to Portland or to deal with the crowds if we could get there. So there goes my fanhood....

by lee3022 on Dec 16, 2007 2:54 AM PST up reply actions

to clarify.........

I am referring to fans who choose not to attend games only because they are boycotting. I certainly don't devalue any blazer fan who is unable to attend....that is silly sorry for any offense caused by my lack of clarity.

by tweener on Dec 16, 2007 4:12 PM PST up reply actions

I think..

...most fans would enjoy the opportunity to see games live, but we are talking about the rural and distant fan base.

Not fair IMO to question the fanhood of those fans. A lot of factors as to why some people might not be able to get to see a game in person.

Kudo's if you drive up and catch a few more games live, and enjoy, but that really isn't the issue. The issue is making the games as available as possible to the widest range of Blazer fans possible. That's not happening right now, I think fans have a right to be disappointed and upset.

"Mother Nature started this fight, I think it's about time we ended it!"

by Krang on Dec 16, 2007 11:25 AM PST up reply actions

I try to make 4 to 6 games a year.

As a Blazer fan since 1975, I am not going to
stop loving the team, just exercising the power of
the pocketbook. I usually try to make it to 4 to
6 games per year. I like to get close, so I always spring for whites along with the usual
extras. I won't be attending any more games
(four & half hour drive) until all fans are allowed access to TV games. I bought League Pass
last year and watched all of the games on sattelite, but still attended 10 games.
I won't stop loving the team, but with management claiming at every turn that they want
to reclaim fans, the TV deal is a funny way to
show the love. We all know Comcast is biding their
time until the Blazers get GO back next year. As
of now Comcast is not getting the $ they want from
Sattelite and cable (Charter) providers, but Comcast knows the Blazers will be much better with
a healthy (fingers crossed) GO. In the meantime,
they will stick to their current negotiating stance. That means no deal this year. What a
great way to retain the diehard Blazermaniacs.
Oh well, they must think we are replaceable.

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Dec 16, 2007 1:52 PM PST reply actions

Here in Illinois...

I use the NBA radio broadcast and get by on that. And Dave's gameday threads (which turn out to improve my game experience a great deal).

Paradoxically, when the Blazers come play the Bulls (or the Nugs while I was in Colorado), I specifically didn't go see the games because seeing it on TV was such a major event.

To me, the biggest headache is NBA League Pass. I'm with all the people who want to pay money but can't get it either because of the blackout rules or--worse--the given cable provider just chose not to carry it (my situation). In those cases, the NBA won't even let you pay the money for the internet feed (because of whatever contract they have).

The contract situation is a headache for everyone, in all sports, in all areas, while the information age gets intellectual property rights all sorted out. As above, it's extremely disingenuous to try and portray this as an isolated event somehow connected with the Blazers.

by Fizbin on Dec 16, 2007 2:35 PM PST reply actions

I'm confused

Can't all the southern oregon and eastern oregon people get NBA league pass. The NBA imposed blackout is only 40 miles, isn't it?

This activist guy just wants to boycott the Blazer games, not comcast. It's out of the Blazers hands and comcast wouldn't suffer in the least.

by coreydm on Dec 16, 2007 7:10 PM PST reply actions

No Blazers on League Pass *

I switched from cable to sattelite last year in order to get all the Blazers games. It
was all good, except that most of the games were
opponents broadcasts. The alternate games were on
the regional sports network, Fox Sports Northwest.
Obviously when the Blazers sold the broadcast rights to Comcast Sports NW, they were
offered to all the Comcast cable subscribers in
Portland metro, Salem, Eugene, etc. Due to the fact that our cable company is Charter Communications, we don't have Comcast cable in
Southern Oregon (or Central/Eastern Oregon, or
Southern washington, and other rural areas).
In addition, Comcast Sports NW has not negotiated
a deal with either of the sattelite providers
(DirecTV or Dish Network) and although it lists
the blackout range as 150 miles (I'm 300 + miles
away in Medford) the whole state of Oregon has
been ceded to Comcast Sports NW.
I even got stuck by DirecTV for $ 49.99
of the $ 150.00 owed on League Pass, due to
an automatic renewal. Since I didn't think to
call and cancel, they tried to charge me even
though the Blazers weren't being showed in the
package. In addition, our local AM radio station
dropped the Blazer games, so we have to listen to KXL with constant fuzz and bleed over from Jazz
games. It SUCKS !
P.S. - Were not boycotting the Blazers in
particular, just Comcast who has arbitrarily
blacked us out. I would be happy to PAY to see the Blazers & I'm sure Mr. Cushman would as well.
P.P.S. - The underlying reason for NO DEAL ?
Comcast Sports NW knows GO is coming back next
year, along with Rudy and a #1 pick. If all
goes as planned the Blazers will be on their way
to being a top ten team with Championships in
the mix. Comcast isn't going to take less from
the sattelite providers when they hold all the
cards. SAAVVY ?

It's GO time !

by walkoff41 on Dec 17, 2007 2:51 PM PST reply actions