Chick Ludwig covers the Cincinnati Bengals. He also writes about his other passions: college football, basketball and golf.Home > Blogs > Chick Ludwig At Large > Archives > 2008 > November > 06 > Entry
The Chickster gives a thumbs-up to Brady & the Browns; thumbs-down to NFL Network
HERE’S HOPING THE BROWNS
PUNISH THE DENVER BRONCOS
IN A NATIONAL TV GAME
THAT NOBODY GETS TO WATCH
LUDWIG AT LARGE would love to watch Brady Quinn and the Cleveland Browns pound the hated Denver Broncos tonight, but I can’t for two reasons.
Quinn
One … I’ll be at the University of Dayton Arena checking out the Flyers vs. Capital University men’s college basketball exhibition game.
Two … The Browns-Broncos are on the hated, despised, decrepit NFL Network, which — according to the Associated Press — is available in less than 40 percent of households.
Since the NFL Network is not available on regular cable TV, you’ll need a dish (DirecTV) or you’ll have to go to a sports bar to view the game.
My first choice is Taggart’s Pub, 970 Patterson Road, Dayton, Ohio (phone: 937-296-9477)
My second choice is tuning in on WONE-AM (980), which is exactly what I’ll be doing from UD Arena.
Members of the U.S. Senate sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, complaining about the NFL Network, but it most certainly fell on deaf ears.
http://www.usatoday.com/sports/football/nfl/2008-11-03-nfl-network_N.htm
P.S. Did you see Goodell snuggling with Redskins owner Daniel Snyder on Monday Night Football? I had to laugh thinking of Rog snuggling with Bengals owner Mike Brown. One gets escorted in a limo; the other drives a Lumina.
BROWNS NOTES
—-The Browns were 7-1 at home in 2007. They’re 1-3 at home in 2008.
—-The Browns have five nationally televised regular season games in 2008 — three Monday Night (ESPN) contests, one Sunday Night (NBC) game and one Thursday Night (NFL Network) contest. Previously, the most national primetime games that featured the Browns in a single-season were three during the 1988 and 1989 seasons.
Steinbach
Dawson
—-The availability of Browns left guard Eric Steinbach, the ex-Bengal, is up in the air. Steinbach left Sunday’s loss to Baltimore with a rib injury. He had an MRI on Monday.
—-Phil Dawson boomed a career-long 54-yard field goal on Sunday. “I was fooled,” Dawson told Tony Grossi of The (Cleveland) Plain Dealer. “I had actually told the coaches that 53 was my limit (into the Dawg Pound end zone). It tells you how much I’ve learned in my 10 years here.”
“Boo-Dey”
—-Now that the Bengals season is HIS-TOR-EEE, my rooting interest is with three clubs. The Browns (I used to live in Willowick); The Bills (I can still picture my friend, Patricia Budenz, on a bar stool at the Anchor Bar); and the Titans (LUDWIG AT LARGE has tons of relatives in Nashville).
Permalink | Comments (5) | Post your comment | Categories: Bengals
Comments
By Brandon Rau
November 6, 2008 12:05 PM | Link to this
I glad to see the US Senate has enough time on the hands to worry about the NFL Network. I’m tired of hearing this argument about NFLN. If you want to see the game, get dish! I hate the fact I only get 4 games on sunday afternoon, does that mean Congress should get the NFL to televise all games? NO. NFL is a business and the last time I checked this is still a Capitalist nation..well until January at least.By David V.
November 6, 2008 12:36 PM | Link to this
Mikey boy still drives the same Lumina, huh? I wonder if the stain ever came off from when someone threw an egg at his car at Spinney Field. Rear passenger door-driver’s side.By Robert Young
November 6, 2008 1:11 PM | Link to this
As someone who dumped Time Warner a couple of years ago I agree w/ Brandon get a dish. It’s cheaper w/ more channels. The Boo Day picture is hilarious but I have a biased opinion.By Tony
November 7, 2008 12:15 AM | Link to this
Why should we watch the Browns… Really? Am I on the wrong site? As for the capitalist nation comment, don’t fret, we are still a country that believes in capitalism. Don’t worry, they are not closing malls after Obama’s inauguration, certainly not charging less than $7 a beer at a ball game, and your gas prices will still put a strain on your family’s finances. Last time I checked this is not a country founded on capitalism. We are a democracy. Capitalism, when done right, is what gives our people hope for a better future, but it is not the ideology that we were founded upon. It came in much later. There is good capitalism, which gives people with ideas and drive the ability to create something and make money based on their hard work and drive. And there is bad capitalism, which allows Mike Brown to have a sub-par football team in Cincy and make money without any concern about the product because the demand pays the bills. We are all complicit in this. Sometime, when it makes sense, we should stop.By blindeye
November 7, 2008 9:35 PM | Link to this
I’ll speak to this. The NFL is way out of bounds with this. Just for the sake of grinding out more dollars the NFL is holding everyone hostage. The is like the British during the revolutionary war period. So you like tea then we’ll tax it. You like to watch football then we can extort even more profits from a cable company. This kind of arrogance is exactly the kind of mindset that created the AFL. Really, I like professional football but I have to draw a line at this madness. To a fan, everyone should boycott the NFL network. Really, just tune this s**t out and only watch network TV. Why? Because as a consumer you’ve already paid for the network broadcast. Why would you pay higher cable rates to watch something you’ve already paid for. I know, I know, eveyone is ga-ga about NFL football games but this is extortion on a major scale.