We got a concerned e-mail this week from Scott Smith and the Sports & Events Committee.
It read...
Rumor has it that you (WDEF) are not showing the Falcons/Dolphins game on Sunday but instead the Colts game. Please tell me this isn’t true. There are almost as many Falcons fans here as Titans fans and this is a great team against another playoff team. Since Titans are Thursday night I never dreamed you wouldn’t choose the Falcons game. Please change your decision. Can we expect the same thing on Dec. 27 against Buffalo(Titans play on Friday)? Thanks
Die-Hard Falcons Fan,
Scott
Scott wasn't off his rocker.. this was more than just a rumor.
CBS had scheduled all of Tennessee to get the Colts game this week (since we don't have a Titans game & Tennessee loves Peyton Manning).
But we've managed to do some negotiating with the network and can now announce that we will air the Falcons game here on WDEF, News 12 at 1:00 PM, after all.
It's not as easy switching these games as you may think. The network doesn't take individual requests from every station in the country on a weekly basis... whether it's the NFL.. March Madness or college football.
That was the case last week, when CBS chose to gives us U.S. open coverage over college football, even though tennis is far less popular down south than football.
And while we're on the subject, brace yourself for Black Out restrictions this year. The NFL is playing hardball with TV and their fans. Several teams are struggling to sell tickets this year because of the economy, but the NFL is not easing black out rules.
That means if the Titans don't sell out, you won't see them on TV here. Luckily, the NFL no longer considers us a home market for Falcons games.
[1]