CENTER FIELD :: A Love Letter to NESN

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A Love Letter to NESN

NESN- I have a very serious thing to discuss with you.

We've known each other for awhile now- but that wasn't always so. As a kid growing up in Texas, I wasn't blessed with the awesomeness of your existence. All we got was WGN- which as we both know, is totally not the same thing at all, even with the brilliance of Harry Caray- and so I lived in a state of sad and miserable ignorance of the wonder of a network that would bring me Red Sox joy every day of the week for practically the whole year. Then our mutual friend, DirecTV, introduced us- and that was all she wrote. We were inseparable- and even when we were going to be apart, you were always thoughtful enough to leave me hours of your awesomeness for me on the TiVo. After all the time we spent together this year, after all the magic, I thought it couldn't get any better.

But I was wrong, NESN. So very wrong.

250% more Red Sox programming during Spring Training this year? Including a TWO HOUR SHOW, on six different days? I don't even care that we're only getting 7 games this year instead of 9, NESN. (besides, I know our pal MLB.TV will help us out for the rest) You're going to be giving me my Sox back on February 13th, NESN. And then there will be hours upon hours of random NESN goodness, with silly featurettes on the guys asking all the important questions- like how long did it take Youk to grow his chinstrap beard back? Or how many moose did Papelbon kill this offseason? Or where the hell was Tavarez all that time anyway?

NESN - 250% more programming means I love you 250% more.

Now quit with the Sox Appeal nonsense, and give me access to those classic game rebroadcasts (instead of a blackout), and I'd run away with you.

Here are the details on NESN's 2008 Spring Training broadcast schedule...

Feb 13	Red Sox Spring Training LIVE	6:30 pm
Feb 14	Red Sox Spring Training LIVE	10:00 am
Feb 15	Red Sox Spring Training LIVE	10:00 am
Feb 19	Globe 10.0 (from Ft. Myers)	5:30 pm
Feb 20	Red Sox Spring Training LIVE	10:00 am
Feb 20	Globe 10.0 (from Ft. Myers)	5:30 pm
Feb 21	Red Sox Spring Training LIVE	10:00 am
Feb 21	Globe 10.0 (from Ft. Myers)	5:30 pm
Feb 22	Red Sox Spring Training LIVE	10:00 am
Feb 29	Red Sox vs. Twins	7:00 pm
Mar 2	Red Sox @ Twins	1:00 pm
Mar 9	Red Sox @ Dodgers	1:00 pm
Mar 16	Red Sox @ Pirates	1:00 pm
Mar 17	Red Sox @ Yankees	1:00 pm
Mar 19	Red Sox vs. Blue Jays	12:00 pm
Mar 29	Red Sox vs. Dodgers (@ LA County)	TBD

Comments (11)

[ Liza ] says:
on January 19, 2008 8:34 AM

I'm not sure what's worse: that I'll be in Florida from the 17th-23rd or that I'll be at school until 4 pm each other Monday-Friday.

But I love this anyway. I'm going to record all the times I'm at school for...

[ jenny again ] says:
on January 19, 2008 10:14 AM

games all entered into iCal (though if ALL those games really were on 2/29, that would be a pretty incredible leap year day! hee). i can now start planning my life around baseball again! HOORAY!

[ Piney61 ] says:
on January 19, 2008 12:12 PM

Spring Training Live will be the awesomest 2 hours ever. I'll be able to watch it on the 13th, 14th and 22nd. I'll hafta tape the 15th, 20th, and 21st though. I do kinda wish they did it on Photo Day because I'd love to get a look in the Photo Day and see them all trying ot keep a straight face as Papelbon probably makes facase at them

Also, why not the Japan exhibition games. I'm guessing it's too late, eh?

[ nj ] says:
on January 19, 2008 12:19 PM

You are SOOOOOOOOOO lucky!!
We don't get NESN here in Jersey, but we do get the horrible YES Network (which I call NO Network because of its affiliation with a certain pin-striped team).
If there's ever anything cool from Spring Training, do you think you could post it on your site, TG? That would be pretty awsome.

[ jules ] says:
on January 19, 2008 1:01 PM

TG, from your post, it seems you get the MLB Extra Innings package? Do you also get the sports package? If you do, are you able to see all the spring training shows?

Thanks.

[ Jennifer ] says:
on January 19, 2008 2:05 PM

Anyone with Direct TV can add the sports package which includes NESN. MLB Extra Innings is not the same; it's a different package, but MLB Extra Innings is also subject to blackout restrictions, (though you can usually catch it on ESPN or wherever else it is playing-kind of the same with Sunday Ticket.) I would doubt they will black out the spring training based on the titles TG posted. Usually only games labeled as such are blacked out, but it depends on where you live. Also, sometimes you just have to check. The YES Network rarely blacks out old games, like if they are re-playing a game, but NESN blacks out any games, even the old ones. (Blast you NESN when I'm going through baseball withdrawals ad I know that's a game Beckett pitched in! Would it really hurt you to let me see it?) Again though, blackout restrictions have to do with where you live, so it could be different.

[ jules ] says:
on January 19, 2008 2:33 PM

I started getting the MLB Extra Innings for my native New England husband, then I got completely hooked on the Sox. I'll never forget his face when he first walked in the house and I had a game on. He heard Remy & Don and immediately recognized their voices. We have a lot of fun watching the games.

We're in California, and the only games that are blacked out are when the Sox play the A's--even when the game is in Boston! augh. Anyways, I was curious if NESN would show the pre-season Sox programming with the sports package. I'll have to get the sports package and see ;-).

Thanks!

[ Texas Gal ] says:
on January 19, 2008 7:05 PM

jenny- are you trying to tell me the guys aren't playing 6 games on one day? ;)

jules- I get the sports package and MLB Extra Innings. None of the spring training programming should be blacked out -- but on random occasion during the season, I am blacked out of NESN broadcasts of games. There's no rhyme or reason why or when- but there's always the other team's broadcast on Extra Innings. But I'd say I get 60-70% of the NESN broadcasts during the season. I get ZERO of the rebroadcasts- whether it's the 2 hour condensed versions replayed in the mornings, or the classic games replayed from years past.

I also am blacked out of The Ultimate Red Sox Show, every single time it's broadcast -- although I always get the Red Sox Report, Friday Night Fenway and Red Sox Monster Monday. Curiously, I was also blacked out of Sox Appeal - which I really didn't mind at all.

[ Meg ] says:
on January 19, 2008 8:27 PM

Some of the "reasoning" for certain game blackouts is explained here: http://thebigschill.blogspot.com/2006/07/nation-vs-nesn.html

[ Texas Gal ] says:
on January 19, 2008 8:43 PM

That's precisely why I don't complain about being blacked out of games, rebroadcasts or URSS -- because I don't want Red Sox Report or any other of the NESN game broadcasts to be taken away. I NEED MY RED SOX REPORT.

If they black out spring training programming, I will go ballistic. How else are Sox fans outside of the New England area supposed to be able to get the programming if they black it out?

[ Ian ] says:
on January 19, 2008 10:15 PM

How else are Sox fans outside of the New England area supposed to be able to get the programming if they black it out?

I'd have to think moving to an area of New England that has NESN for starters would solve the problem.

Just kidding. Trust me you didn't miss much with Sox Appeal. The other shows are good though that y'all miss.

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