If you were watching the Packers/Bengals on FOX and you are in the New York market, and some adjacent markets as well, you missed the final minute of one of the more entertaining games of the season. With less than a minute left in the game, which was in overtime, the Packers field goal kicker, who had already missed three field goals, was about to try to kick the game winning field goal. Now this dude is generally automatic but not today. Suddenly, in several markets (possibly Dallas as well) the Giants/Cowboys game started. Those markets never carried the kick.
My Twitter feed exploded. I tried to explain why this happened. In case you're interested:
Here's how the Sunday TV deals work with CBS and FOX. Each week one of those networks can bring two games into the markets. The early game is made up of several "regional games" while the late game is the "Doubleheader Game". The doubleheader game is generally carried throughout the country although there could be a second game and that game goes to the markets of the teams playing in it. So today virtually everyone got the Giants/Cowboys but Phoenix and San Francisco got the Cardinals/49'ers instead which was also carried by FOX.
Following me so far?
This week the FOX owned stations in New York and Los Angeles carried the same two games. The "regional game" was the Packers/Bengals and the "doubleheader game" was the Giants/Cowboys. That rarely happens.
So the Packer game went into overtime and at 4:25 FOX switched over to the Giants game on WNYW in New York BUT STAYED WITH THE PACKERS GAME ON KTTV IN LOS ANGELES. The deal with the NFL is that you have to switch to the home team in the home team market. You can't join the game in progress.
Most early games are over by 4:25 so this rarely happens but, sadly, it happened with this game. It resulted in a lot of pissed off football fans. Something tells me there will be some conversations tomorrow between FOX, CBS and the NFL to address this. My guess: If you're beyond the two minute warning and the game is within eight points you stay with the regional game. Simple right? Watch them fuck this up.
By the way the kicker for the Packers who missed the three field goals (and an extra point as well) is a team captain and he lost the overtime coin toss as well. Happy he finally won the game for Green Bay. Also it's 34-13 Cowboys.Lucky Giants fans were able to watch this slaughter from the very beginning.
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