A Christmas Gift from the NFL

Its seems the NFL has had a change of heart, and in true Dickens fasion they have agreed to make the upcoming Patriots/Giants game available to everyone.

NEW YORK (AP) -- The New England Patriots' shot at history Saturday night will be available to every television viewer in the country after months of wrangling.

Their game against the New York Giants, in which the Patriots could become the first NFL team to go 16-0 in the regular season, was originally scheduled to be shown only on the NFL Network. Fewer than 40 percent of the nation's homes with TVs receive the channel.

The league announced Wednesday that the NFL Network feed will be simulcast on NBC and CBS. It's a major concession by league officials, who repeatedly said they would not show the game anywhere but the NFL Network. The NFL had faced mounting pressure from lawmakers in recent weeks to make the game available to more viewers.

Local TV affiliates in the Boston, Manchester, N.H., and New York areas who were already set to simulcast the game under NFL policy will still air it.

The NFL has feuded with major cable companies, who have declined to carry the network as part of basic packages.

"We have taken this extraordinary step because it is in the best interest of our fans," commissioner Roger Goodell said. "What we have seen for the past year is a very strong consumer demand for NFL Network. We appreciate CBS and NBC delivering the NFL Network telecast on Saturday night to the broad audience that deserves to see this potentially historic game. Our commitment to the NFL Network is stronger than ever."

This will be the first three-network simulcast in NFL history and the first simulcast of any kind of an NFL game since the first Super Bowl in 1967, when CBS and NBC both televised the first meeting of the champions of the newly merged National Football League and American Football League.

This was the only smart decision the league could have made under the circumstances. They have contiunally emphasized the significance of this event, so its only right that they allow everyone to experience it.

Merry Christams.. You're Fired!

Chicago Bulls head coach Scott Skiles was fired on Christmas Eve. Thats pretty cold, if you as me. I have just lost a lot of respect for the entire Bulls organization.

Skiles might not have been the greatest coach in the team's history, but he certainly was not the worst. Over the span of five seasons with the Bulls, he compiled a record of 165-172 (.490), and guided the team to the playoffs three consecutive years, highlighted by a first-round series sweep of the defending NBA Champion Miami Heat in the 2007 NBA Playoffs. In eight-plus seasons as a head coach in the NBA, Skiles owns a career coaching record of 281-251 (.528).

The Bulls are currently 9-16. We are only 1/4 of the way through the season. Its certainly not time to hit the panic button in Chicago. Their schedule has upcoming games against Milaukee, New York, Sacramento, Orlando, Memphis, Charlotte, and Golden State. Those are all games the Bulls can win. If the team can manage to pull off a few victories against the Spurs, Detroit, or the 76ers, they will be in great shape.

I am not complaining that they fired Skiles. I did not think it was really needed, but these things happen. But I am going to complain about the timing of the announcement. Did they really need to fire him on Christmas Eve? Couldn't they have waited a couple days?

Here is the million dollar question: Why was Skiles fired for being 9-16 right now, but Isiah Thomas is keeping his job at 8-19 with fans protesting in the streets? It just makes no sense. Firing Isiah would have seemed like a Christmas Miracle for the people of New York.

The MSG Mystery

Ryan Parker continues to put together great musical sports satires. This time he simply asks what many in New York have been wondering for a long time...





Please visit RyanParkerSongs.com and check out all his great sports satire videos. The guy is really talented and he knows his sports!