Dec 21, 2007 11:57 am US/Eastern
Many New Englanders Won't See Patriots-Giants Game
PROVIDENCE, R.I. (WBZ) ―
Rhode Island's congressional delegation says New England Patriots fans who live there shouldn't be shutout when it comes to watching the team's potentially historic regular-season finale.
The Dec. 29 game against the New York Giants will be shown on the NFL Network, which is available by subscription only on cable TV.
Under league rules, games scheduled on the NFL Network must be shown on local television in the team's primary market -- which in the case of the Patriots, is Boston. It will also be shown on a local channel in New York City for Giants fans that don't have the NFL Network.
So while the game will be shown on regular TV in Boston and New York City, the same will not be true in other New York and New England markets, such as Providence and Albany.
The congressional delegation has sent a letter to NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell, urging him to make the game available on local TV in Rhode Island.
The attempt follows similar letters sent by Sen. John Kerry and Vermont and Connecticut politicians.
Kerry also sent a letter to the President and CEO of the National Cable and Telecommunications Association, asking him to break the stalemate between the NFL Network and Cable Companies.
Kerry argued that not even everyone in the Patriots home state of Massachusetts will be able to see the game; because it is being shown on a Boston TV station that's not carried on cable in many areas of central and western Massachusetts.
The game also won't be seen in many parts of New York State, including Albany, where the Giants hold their training camp every summer.
Rhode Island lawmakers are arguing that the Patriots are a regional team and point out that Gillette Stadium is only 30 minutes from Providence.
But the request appears unlikely to be granted.
"It's never been done before in the 20-plus years NFL games have been on cable," said Seth Palansky, the NFL Networks communications director. "It proves our point that everyone should have access to the game."
Patriots spokesman Stacey James said the team is siding with the fans and wants "the largest audience possible."
The cable companies and the NFL Network both point the finger at each other over who's to blame.
Perhaps the only people happy with the situation are local sports bar owners who are likely to see their patronage spike, when no one is able to watch the game at home.
If the Patriots win Sunday against Miami, they would be trying to complete an undefeated regular season against the Giants.
You can see the Patriots - Dolphins game at 4 pm Sunday on WBZ.
(© 2009 CBS Broadcasting Inc. All Rights Reserved. This material may not be published, broadcast, rewritten, or redistributed. The Associated Press contributed to this report.)
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