Turnover! ESPN's Ball!

Looks like the NFL is throwing in the towel on its cable network. While the story in the WSJ isn't really written as clearly as it could have been, it sounds like the NFL Network will merge with ESPN Classic. The only thing that matters in that is that ESPN Classic will now also carry games. That means ESPN Classic (which was a pretty cool channel until ESPN bought it several years ago) will now be able to jack up its subscriber fees to cable operators (who will then pass it along to us). And unlike the NFL, which didn't have the leverage to get Time Warner and Comcast to pony up the over-the-top fees they wanted for their channel, ESPN can use its main channel as leverage.

As far as deal-making goes, this one is pretty smart for Disney. The NFL got slapped around, but they'll recover. Got to hand it to the league, they are the only people who managed to make cable operators look sympathetic. Way to go?

But if I'm a cable operator I am PISSED. I don't want ESPN having this much NFL content. And if I"m Fox or CBS or NBC I'm not sure how I feel about it either. The NFL Network had some pretty crappy games. ESPN will want better games. And the league has kind of been sticking it to ESPN with crappy Monday Night games since it took over the franchise. I think that'll end now.

Ultimately, I think the league is still going down the wrong road by diluting its brand and is making a little bit of a tactical error by getting further into bed with ESPN. But the real loser, as usual, will be the fan.

On a separate note, since Rambler typed his last `30' and walked away (or was chased away, whatever suits you) from the reporting life, it hasn't been too hard an adjustment. Rambler last few years in the game were much like that Knight in Monty Python and the Holy Grail who keeps getting limbs cutoff while declaring `it's just a flesh wound.'

Today was the first time in a long time I saw a story and thought, "I would have owned this fucker." And I would of. I missed it today. It's good to know that competitive drive is still in me (and it was there yesterday in my knew job too when I was scrambling unsuccessfully to find just the right European or Muslim for some dumb ass panel). It's good to know that if I get into something, I can still turn it on.

Now I just have to find something to get into.