Thank you, NBC – short for "No Body Cares."
Adam J Locascio
Thursday July 6, 2006
We heard NBC was going to carry the games on their network. Great! The first three-quarters of the season get covered and the rest is preempted for NHL hockey. I especially enjoyed the Philadelphia Soul – Colorado Crush game earlier this season where halftime showed nothing but Olympic highlights.
These ridiculous deals that the AFL is cutting with people in an attempt to gain national exposure are starting to get a little stale. Worse yet, they do nothing but tease the fans.
Nike is going to be the exclusive provider of AFL merchandise? Fantastic! Thanks for the hat, the t-shirt, and the polo. This is the first season that I actually can boast I owned all of a team’s merchandise. ALL of it.
Champs Sports is going to be the exclusive retailer for AFL merchandise? Phenomenal! Thanks for the one rack that we have to share with the leftover Boston Red Sox World Series Championship merchandise on clearance.
Let’s face it; the AFL is marketing itself like that little kid in your neighborhood who will let anyone borrow anything he owns if they will just be his friend.
The AFL hitches its wagon to NBC, Champs, and Nike to gain exposure, but the only thing accomplished is the deprivation of actual coverage and exposure. NBC, Champs, and Nike get to pad their resumes.
And what’s the saddest thing? Lacrosse is now getting Saturday afternoon coverage on ESPN. It’s a shame that an alleged rape can generate interest in a sport (see Duke University) but a sport that markets itself as affordable and fan-friendly can’t get a break. I’ve also been seeing commercials on ESPN for the National Spelling Bee, the Dominos championships, and a darts competition. What’s an ad cost during those? Eight bucks?
This season, regular season AFL games have had better ratings than NHL playoff hockey, yet NBC insists on cutting down a palm tree with a sledgehammer.
I’m no programmer, but if I know 1 million people are going to watch football and 750,000 people are going to watch hockey, I’m showing football. Can I be president of NBC? How hard can this job be? Just don’t ask me to talk to Leno in the halls.
My fiancé actually asked me last night, "When’s the Stanley Cup playoffs?" Tampa Bay won the Cup two years ago and we can’t name a single playoff team? How’s that for interest? Who won the Cup anyhow? Is the strike over?
"Fan-friendly" is a great concept, but if the fans can’t see it, does it matter? On paper, NBC looks great, but let’s face it: NBC treats the AFL like the fat friend with the good personality that’s always hanging with the hot chick (think Janeane Garafolo in every movie she’s ever been in).
Do you think I’m wrong? Anyone notice that NBC is the fourth ranked network? Anyone notice that they have held this distinction for two years straight? Is that a coincidence? Isn’t that a shining example that they don’t know what they are doing when it comes to broadcasting and ratings? This is the network that lost ratings while broadcasting the Winter Olympics.
This is the network that thought "Celebrity Cooking Showdown" was a good idea. If I want to watch someone cook, I’ll go to Benehana.
In 2006, the NFL returns to NBC as they pick up ESPN’s weekly Sunday night primetime game. Was the NBC’s foray into the AFL just an audition for the NFL?
If that’s the case, why did the NFL choose NBC? I wasn’t impressed at all. I know one thing for damn sure: the NFL won’t get preempted for the Senior PGA Tour.
Is it a coincidence that once they shore up the deal with the NFL for the cash-cow Sunday night game, AFL coverage is pushed to the back burner and subsequently not renewed?
It’s time to stand up to these jerks at NBC. Thanks, but no thanks. C’mon, AFL. You’re 20 years old. Have some pride. Have some integrity. Twenty years means we don’t have to say yes to the first geek who asks us to the prom.
Adam J. Locascio is a financial advisor in the Tampa Bay area and a Board Member of the Tampa Bay Storm Surge Fan Club. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree from the University of Phoenix and is a six-year season ticket holder for the Tampa Bay Storm.
