After reading all the comments concerning the desire of many fans wanting to see Broadcasts of Our Washington Nationals on High Definition, I reached out to The Mid-Atlantic Sports Network this afternoon--looking for some answers. MASN Spokesperson--Todd Webster--told me that nothing is definitive right now--but details are being worked out for the possibility of some HD Broadcasts in the coming year. Nothing is set in stone, but "We hope to have an announcement soon," replied Todd.
As always, just passing along the information gathered.
Oh how benevolent of Peter Angelo$ to have some games in HD. Doesn't every other MLB team have most if not all of their games in HD?
ReplyDeleteJust another effort to try and suppress the growth of the fanbase. They've had three years to get their act together. This is simply unacceptable.
ReplyDeleteDoes anyone know how ironclad the Nats' forced marriage with MASN is?
ReplyDeleteI'm wondering if there might be any escape clauses that might allow the Nats to jump ship to Comcast Sports Net if the Nats could demonstrate some level of deliberateness by Angelos and MASN to deliver as poor a product as possible. I am one who almost never espouses any sort of conspiracy theory, but it does not take much of a leap of faith to see Angelos doing everything within his power, including allowing his TV network to now fall two years behind the rest of the league in HD broadcasts, to petulantly prove his point that the market cannot support two teams.
He was the only owner to vote against the move. It doesn't make sense for the Nationals to subsidize such an individual.
ReplyDeleteIf he doesn't believe the markets can each support a franchise, he ought to sell the Baltimore team.
I advise all Washingtonians to boycott going to Baltimore baseball games, even if the Nationals are involved. Angelo$ should not be given any other handouts.
Protest, as haiku:
ReplyDeletePitchers and catchers Report to Nats' Spring Training
Put Angelos to pasture
Trust in 19th Century Japanese haiku master Masaoki Shiki ("Spring breeze; the green field; tempts me to play catch"). All good.
Angelos is an old fart. Looks like one too.
ReplyDeleteI wish I could put this down as a conspiracy of Peter Angelos to dissuade fans from following the Nationals. There's just one problem with this theory---the Orioles are also on MASN and their games aren't being shown in hi-def either.
ReplyDeleteI think this can really be summed up in three words---Angelos is cheap.
I think your haiku is wrong, senatornat. It's supposed to be five syllables in the first line, seven syllables in the second line, and five syllables in the third line. You have 5-7-7, at least in English anyway. Maybe it works if you translate it to Japanese. Nice sentiment, though.
ReplyDeleteMr. Cunningham, you may be right. But OTOH, didn't MASN say "some games will be in HD"? I would not be at all surprised if those "some games" turn out to be mostly Orioles games. Would you? Angelos may indeed be cheap, but never forget this: he's also evil.
It wouldn't surprise me in the least if all "some" of the HD games turn out to involve the Orioles. But "some" is not "all." How do you think Orioles fans must feel knowing that every other MLB fan (except the Nats) can see ALL their games in HD?
ReplyDeleteWell, it's fair to say Angelos is REALLY going to feel the heat this year. Tampa's club is looking like they'll make their way out of the cellar this year. He really takes the Charm out of the Charm City. No Miggy, possibly losing Bedard, as much as I have come to loathe the Birds, it's sad to see an owner neglect such a storied team.
ReplyDeleteSeriously, do you think Angelos has enough time on his hands to go to his management and say - "NO HD for the NATS, BUT OKAY FOR THE ORIOLES? I mean, lets grow up.
ReplyDeleteAdditionally, if you look around the majors, the majority of teams are backed by a NATIONAL company...not an Regional NET. Fox Sports (South, Midwest, Rocky Mtn etc) aren't some RSN they are local nets supported financially by national congolmerates. The TBS, SNY, NESN's of the world have been around longer and have a better infrastructure in place than the young MASN group...
Give me a break
"Seriously, do you think Angelos has enough time on his hands to go to his management and say - "NO HD for the NATS, BUT OKAY FOR THE ORIOLES?"
ReplyDeleteThat is entirely plausible given that Angelo$ didn't cut his corrupt bargain to create MASN with MLB until March 30, 2005. The season opened on April 4 that year. Angelo$ also publicly said, "there are no baseball fans in Washington D.C., that's a fiction" in 2004. Additionally, he kept MASN off of area cable networks for almost 2 full seasons. Last year, when the Nats and Baltimore played each other, MASN treated Baltimore like the home team on the Nats broadcast. So, Anonymous Angelo$ apologist, it is entirely possible that he would put most HD games, if he even gets pulls that off, onto Baltimore broadcasts. The man has proven to be malevolent towards the Nationals and Washington D.C. at every opportunity. Don't forget that he is SUBSIDIZED by the Nationals, so really has no excuse. That his network doesn't have HD yet just shows that he is as competent a broadcaster as he is a baseball executive too.
"Doesn't every other MLB team have most if not all of their games in HD?"
ReplyDeleteAll MLB teams will televise at least some games in HD, except for the Nationals and the Orioles. Most teams will have all or a majority of their home games in HD, and there are around a half dozen teams that will have all games in HD for 2008.
I find this thread interesting, to say the least.
ReplyDeleteI go way back, and remember as a kid sitting 1 section over from good ole Tricky Dick back in the 60's at then DC Stadium, not sure it was even RFK yet.
I've never once had any inclination to go to an O's game, as simply put, I'm a Washingtonian and never thought of going to anything but Nats games.
In the struggle to get a team in washington, one face was the Satanic evil in every shot of DC getting a team. It didn't matter if it was the Astros on the verge of signing the papers, or expansion when MLB thought Vegas or Puerto Rico was a better investment than WASHINGTON DC and it's 4 million inhabitants.
Every time, EVERY SINGLE time the area got close, Satan, I mean Angelos appeared in a firey ball, with reams of legal documents, threats of millions of dollars in lawsuits and ultimately the end of humanity as we know it IF Washington is granted a baseball team.
Forget that Satan, I mean Peter, ran his once proud franchise into the toilet, and was willing to lie to anyone who'd listen that DC was a wasteland, and no one would go to games in DC. It didn't have ANYTHING, according to him, that he derived a good portion of HIS Revenue in Balimore, from DC area residents he knew would leave in droves to get away from his substandard product.
And yet, even today, he still twists the knife in the collective Nats fan and will never stop doing so until someone more powerful than Satan can defeat this evil, ugly entity of hatred.
Who's willing to bet the O's get HD way before DC does? Remember, he can only afford one HD camera.. And is it just me, or are others totally annoyed that almost immediately after Nats Extra is done, MASN starts going on with almost 100% O's programming? I've turned the TV on at 1 am and if it's not ESPN recaps, it's someone talking about O's baseball, Ravens football or some other Balt thing.
DC is merely a quick stop for MASN.. Once the game is over, the recaps are done, and they go home, MASN goes back to 100% Baltimore programming.
I can only hope that the Lerners have the financial resources to fight Satan (I mean Angelos) until he's rendered back into dust.
Angelos has sworn DC is his mortal enemy, so the only choice is we fight back.