Tuesday 10 November 2009

Media screws consumers again

I wrote previously: There are huge issues with Canadian cable companies. We are losing local channels, and our choices seem to be bug budget US shows, rather than local, regional or national productions.

That said, we make choices with the TV remote, as well as with our satellite package. We do not go out much, and this is our entertainment.

Hockey, for me, is not a sport I like to watch. I know I am not alone, but some days I feel so! The fighting, injuries and body checks I cannot abide.
Concussions in all sports abounds. It is a life threatening, serious problem with players and coaches who do not take this issue seriously. Much discussion ensued after the death of Don Sanderson. Each year, according to a 2004 healthlink post, 40,000 high school football players suffer concussions. The symptoms are debilitating and many over the course of a life time of play must have a profound effect on a person. Even one concussion can have a lasting effect, they say. 

But there are great stories, too. Chris Hogan's Faith Christian School football team vs. the Tornadoes of the Gainesville State School (Juvenile Delinquents) in a maximum security facility.
A story of selflessness and joy, in a nation that takes football VERY seriously, in which they evened out the playing field. Fabulous story.

We do joke about football. Chatting about plays, watching for novel ideas like Belichik's fashion sense. A man who makes a fortune using his knowledge, skills & expertise, cannot, apparently, find a sweat shirt with short sleeves! But it is a great past time. having traveled all over the US, hubby prefers the NFL, and teams he has watched in real time! The spreadsheet is up to date, the ledger all filled in with the stats from both the print media and the Internet. (Both my husbands have been accountants - what can I say?)

The sport is a little less violent than hockey (see NHL hockey injuries) , and I can merrily blog on the couch, in parallel play, while hubby watches his games. Here, in Central Ontario, we are content uphold our family tradition and watch sports. We have filled our days with volunteering, chores, walks, errands, and we deserve our quiet time.

My Town Mondays: football widow I wrote previously, but it was tongue in cheek. We sat down last night, to enjoy our Monday night football. We hunkered down, sans peanuts, pop, and popcorn, both of us watching our weight, hopefully to be engaged in our games on NFL satellite channel, for which we pay big bucks. 

The figures are set up, the spreadsheet, on which hubby keeps track of the teams is handy. He has his shirt on. We are good to go.

What do we see?

A broadcast of the NHL Awards ceremony. Now, we purchase Bell satellite. Big bucks...someone tell me, by what right did Canadian broadcasters  rip out the NFL game and put in an awards ceremony? It seems to me that there is something wrong about this. We are going to phone Bell. 

This is not the service we purchased. And we do not often watch awards ceremonies. It is difficult to get good football coverage of the NFL here in Ontario. It is lost in the hockey shuffle, for the most part, and print media just really...well, to quote my gr. 8's, sucks!


William Stephen Belichick (born April 16, 1952 in Nashville, Tennessee) is the American football head coach for the New England Patriots of the NFL.

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