FCC commissioner wants to repeal NFL blackout rule
The rule prevents games in a home team's market from being broadcast on TV if the game is not sold out. Pai said the the FCC needed to "be on the side of sports fans" when it came to a rule change.
According to an Associated Press report on USA Today's website, the FCC has spent the last year seeking fan input about the blackout rule.
NFL commissioner Roger Goodell does not want to change the rule and said that a change could impact future TV contracts and could also jeopardize free broadcasts.
While I'm in favor of a rule change (some Jaguars fans just wanna watch their team too, c'mon guys!), I could sort of see why the NFL wouldn't want to change the rule. If a game isn't sold out, it's entirely possible that there isn't an overwhelming amount of fan interest outside of the people who are attending.
Sure, bars in the local areas will have the games on, but they might not draw as big of a crowd as opposed to a bar in a city in which the local team is good. It's also likely people will find better ways to spend their Sundays at home than watch a bad football team.
That's all just speculation on my part, but it definitely seems like a logical assumption.
In the meantime, here's a great, poetic take on the FCC by the lovely people of Quahog.
What do you think about the possibility of the FCC changing the NFL blackout rule? Follow me on Twitter - @JesseGaunce
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