Why does the NFL hate America?

A recent posting at Consumerist.com about the relatively large number of games expected to be blacked out in local markets this season got me to wondering just why the NFL is so inflexible in its approach to permitting fans of the NFL, who happen live in this country, to watch the games live.

In that Consumerist posting NFL commissioner Roger Goodell expresses empathy for all the fans who, as a result of the economic downturn, are no longer able to purchase game tickets. For those fans who are unable to see their team play in person, and whose games are blacked out, the NFL will allow them to watch the game tape delayed, online.

It can be argued that something is better than nothing ~ this does represent something of a step in the right direction; however in Canada the Sunday Ticket package, which is only available via DirecTV in the United States, is available through cable operators. Moreover, in Europe NFL games stream live on the internet.

In an effort to cultivate fans in far-flung parts of the globe it seems that the NFL is, once again, giving short-shrift to those who made the league the financial and entertainment juggernaut that it is.