# Chargers granted 24-hour extension to lift local TV blackout for opener



## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3569775&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines


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## JACKIEGAGA (Dec 11, 2006)

DCSholtis said:


> http://sports.espn.go.com/nfl/news/story?id=3569775&campaign=rss&source=NFLHeadlines


For an opener that is strange. First game of the year all the teams thinks they have chance


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## MN Sportsfan (May 2, 2008)

The economy is awful right now. Why can't the NFL just dump this stupid rule? Not all fans can afford tickets.


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## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

From reading that article the problem is that it seems the Chargers have an out clause in their stadium contract after this season. Could be their fans are getting pissed.


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## MN Sportsfan (May 2, 2008)

I know they're having trouble getting a stadium and they might be the best bet for L.A. Although I wonder if Al Davis will try to block it? He wants rights to the Los Angeles market.


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## Ken S (Feb 13, 2007)

MN Sportsfan said:


> The economy is awful right now. Why can't the NFL just dump this stupid rule? Not all fans can afford tickets.


Because in most cities the local TV station or other business will buy up the remaining seats in order to avoid the blackout.


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## usmcbob55 (Oct 6, 2007)

Ken S said:


> Because in most cities the local TV station or other business will buy up the remaining seats in order to avoid the blackout.


Where is this happening? I only know of a few teams that don't sell out most games. The Raiders are blocked out most of the time and if there's a market with more ability to do this and would have more benefit I'd like to know.


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## ARKDTVfan (May 19, 2003)

MN Sportsfan said:


> The economy is awful right now. Why can't the NFL just dump this stupid rule? Not all fans can afford tickets.


because multi-millionares might risk losing a couple thousand bucks a year


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## usmcbob55 (Oct 6, 2007)

My opinion of whether it's a good rule or not aside I don't understand this specific situation. If the NFL enforces this rule than it's in the best interest of the specific team. Why then does the team need an exemption if the rule is self imposed for their own benefit? I guess the team just needs a scapegoat so it doesn't seem like the bad guy for not televising the games.


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## paulman182 (Aug 4, 2006)

Ken S said:


> Because in most cities the local TV station or other business will buy up the remaining seats in order to avoid the blackout.


Is this true or an urban legend?


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## koji68 (Jun 21, 2004)

I know this was true for the Lions when they played in the Silverdome. The capacity at the Silverdome was over 80,000.

Ford Field is 65,000 expandable to 70,000 and now they are allways sold out. They almost didn't sell out a game last year.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

Ken S said:


> Because in most cities the local TV station or other business will buy up the remaining seats in order to avoid the blackout.





paulman182 said:


> Is this true or an urban legend?


TRUE.. Sometimes every the team will buy them themselves

Typically when this happens, whomever buys the tickets will turn around and donate them to charity and take the write-off.

My guess is the 24 extension was granted as the Chargers may already have someone lined up to buy the remaining tickets but they wanted to give the public one last chance..


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## timmmaaayyy2003 (Jan 27, 2008)

MN Sportsfan said:


> I know they're having trouble getting a stadium and they might be the best bet for L.A. Although I wonder if Al Davis will try to block it? He wants rights to the Los Angeles market.


Al Davis and the Oakland Mercinaries had their chance. The NFL considers the Chargers L.A.'s home team. Therefore any blackout would cut off L.A. and San Diego.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

MN Sportsfan said:


> The economy is awful right now. Why can't the NFL just dump this stupid rule? Not all fans can afford tickets.


the giants as of last week had every game sold out & 110,000 on the waiting list.

maybe its just the fact that chargers fans Suck !!!


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## bonscott (May 1, 2007)

usmcbob55 said:


> Where is this happening? I only know of a few teams that don't sell out most games. The Raiders are blocked out most of the time and if there's a market with more ability to do this and would have more benefit I'd like to know.


The raiders were blacked out most of the time because of a stupid PSL ticket policy. Which is paying for the rights to pay for a ticket. Ever since they got rid of that they have sold out most of there games even with the worst record in the NFL.


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

anyone have an update regarding this issue. 

The 24 hour extension deadline passed 2 hours ago.


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## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

Blackout lifted due to the "new" Fox 5

http://www.chargers.com/news/press-releases/press-release-20080905.php



> The new Fox 5 San Diego has guaranteed the purchase of enough tickets to lift the television blackout on Sunday's game between the Chargers and the Carolina Panthers. Kickoff is 1:15 pm. The game will be shown live on Fox 5, the new Fox network affiliate in San Diego that just hit the airwaves on August 1.


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## ARKDTVfan (May 19, 2003)

DCSholtis said:


> Blackout lifted due to the "new" Fox 5
> 
> http://www.chargers.com/news/press-releases/press-release-20080905.php


is the MNF game between the Broncos/Raiders sold out?
For the Raiders fans' sake I hope it's blacked out there 
gonna be ugly for you guys


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## DCSholtis (Aug 7, 2002)

ARKDTVfan said:


> is the MNF game between the Broncos/Raiders sold out?
> For the Raiders fans' sake I hope it's blacked out there
> gonna be ugly for you guys


Raider fans in in Oakland are rejoicing. Blackout lifted without an extension. Take that Charger fans.  Being in Ohio, NFL ST is a godsend......From Al....


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## fluffybear (Jun 19, 2004)

DCSholtis said:


> Blackout lifted due to the "new" Fox 5
> 
> http://www.chargers.com/news/press-releases/press-release-20080905.php


KSWB, Channel 69 is the Fox affiliate but San Diego is one of those unique places where stations like to push their cable channel assignment more then there OTA assignment thus Fox 5 or NBC 7-39


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## BlackHitachi (Jan 1, 2004)

DCSholtis said:


> From reading that article the problem is that it seems the Chargers have an out clause in their stadium contract after this season. Could be their fans are getting pissed.


Heck the only time they can sell out a game is if OAKLAND is in town! Then they started that stupid rule If you buy tickets to the game's when the RAIDERS are in town you have to buy two more home game tickets!! Seems pretty straight forward to me.. This play off team can not sell out a game! ha ha:hurah:


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## MN Sportsfan (May 2, 2008)

Raiders shouldn't have had a problem selling this game out. Division games plus being on Monday Night should almost guarantee sellout. Atlanta, Carolina & Houston may be difficult for them though. Patriots should sell out & so should Jets with the addition of Favre.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

NFL announced every game this weekend is sold out.


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## carlsbad_bolt_fan (May 18, 2004)

dcowboy7 said:


> the giants as of last week had every game sold out & 110,000 on the waiting list.
> 
> maybe its just the fact that chargers fans Suck !!!


Suck? Hardly. I love it when out of town fans chime in as to WHY we ALMOST didn't sell out a game. :nono2:

First of all, they capped season ticket sales at 62,000. That left about 2000-3000 tickets left per game. Since Qualcomm is a one of those stadiums that still has obstructed view seats, most of which are in those 2000-3000 seats, those are a hard sell. But not a hard sell to the local Indian casinos or the CBS/Fox/NBC stations that carry the game. The Indian casinos get some sort of break when the purchase the remaining tickets. The local TV station showing the game that buys the remaining tickets will always make up the costs showing commercials. They'll lose money if the game is blacked out.

Second, if someone wanted to buy a ticket to the Pats or Colts Sunday night games, they had to purchase a ticket to one of the two pre-season games. So we had both pre-season games sold out, along with the Pats & Colts. The home-opener was never in real jeopardy of NOT selling out.

The Giants might have that much on the waiting list...now. But once those current fans see what the PSL's & ticket prices are going to be for the new stadium, I doubt there'll be 110k on the waiting list.

Same goes for your Cowboys and their new stadium, which is expected to cost their fans HUGE money if they want to see a game.


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## Steve Mehs (Mar 21, 2002)

usmcbob55 said:


> Where is this happening? I only know of a few teams that don't sell out most games. The Raiders are blocked out most of the time and if there's a market with more ability to do this and would have more benefit I'd like to know.


Happens here in Buffalo as well from time to time. It's not a given, but usually 75% of the time a game looks like it won't be sold out a local business or the team will buy the remaining tickets to get the blackout lifted. A local electrical company bought the remaining tickets to the one game that almost didn't sell out last year and gave all their employees free tickets to the game.

I love going to sporting events but ticket prices are getting up there, and then factor in parking and god forbid food or drink, you're looking at a small fortune. Last Bills game I went to I paid $15 parking and that was only because it was a preseason game, it's normally $25 in that section. $4 for a bottled water, insane. Last year, it cost me almost $500 for just me and a friend to go to the Sabres season opener when it was all said and done.


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## dcowboy7 (May 23, 2008)

carlsbad_bolt_fan said:


> Suck? Hardly. I love it when out of town fans chime in as to WHY we ALMOST didn't sell out a game. :nono2:
> 
> First of all, they capped season ticket sales at 62,000. That left about 2000-3000 tickets left per game. Since Qualcomm is a one of those stadiums that still has obstructed view seats, most of which are in those 2000-3000 seats, those are a hard sell. But not a hard sell to the local Indian casinos or the CBS/Fox/NBC stations that carry the game. The Indian casinos get some sort of break when the purchase the remaining tickets. The local TV station showing the game that buys the remaining tickets will always make up the costs showing commercials. They'll lose money if the game is blacked out.
> 
> ...


..


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## MN Sportsfan (May 2, 2008)

Well the Lions needed a corporate assist to sell out against the Packers. That's a little shocking because in most years, Packers fans would have bought so many tickets that a blackout wouldn't be talked about. The economy sucks and middle-class fans are priced out of tickets. Seems like only rich people can go to the games.


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