Anyone living in OZ will know that the Government stuffed up BIG TIME by insisting that we have strict 'competition' rules imposed when cable tv came in. As a result, we ended up with two very average cable tv networks (Fox and Optus). This, of course, really screwed up basketball coverage in this country. Odviously, optus (with espn) have the better NBA coverage...but that means you can't see the local competition (NBL) as it's on Fox. The situation is ridiculous beyone belief. It has stagnated a lot of growth for the sport locally, as people subscribing to Optus to see the name thus don't see a minute of the NBL. It also means Fox's NBA coverage is extremely limited. You get one (very) poorly covered game per week...and their coverage ends BEFORE the playoffs finish! I spent half of last year living in Thailand,,,and also some time in Malaysia. I was AMAZED at how cool their cable tv set up's are (and these are 'third world' countries...and yet they leave us for dead!) In both countries I was able to see all the games ESPN had on + two games per week on the star sports network + at least one game per week on the local Thai channels etc. When the playoffs came around, I basically saw every game. As you'd all know from the frustrations we have in OZ, that was like being in b-ball heaven. I have spoken to people here involved in the cable tv industry and any hopes of our situation being "fixed" are precisely zero. In fact, with FOX now set to completely dominate the cable tv sports market (having secured Rugby League AND the AFL) it is going to leave Optus with hardly anything besides ESPN (and thus make theiroverall service less appealing than it already is...) I remember thinking about 10 years ago how cool it would be when cable tv finally became a reality in Australia. As it is, we eneded up with the worst set up imaginable. ------------------
Does the Foxsports coverage on the NBA not allow for playoffs and the finals! The setup here in Australia is bad, not only because of rules the government put in but also because of the pay TV war, they lock up channels so they have them and their opposition can not show them. But its the system we are stuck with. I had Optus for about 3-4 years but got Foxtel connected because I wanted to see the Rugby League World Cup. After having Foxtel for a while we are now getting Optus disconected. Optus has only got one major sport....the NRL (They paid $30 Million to show the games today) and thats all Foxtel coverage anyway. I will be saddened to loose ESPN which has been my gateway to all U.S. sports. I am happy to make do with Fox's NFL coverage (No more MNF :-( but Fox's NBA coverage is terrible. In a perfect world you would subscribe to a provider and basically choose which channels you want to have connected. You would choose your provide, not on what chanels they had, but on what deal they gave you. If Foxtel had ESPN it wouldnt even be a contest, Foxtel would win hands down with ever major sport from all over the world. Ah well....I guess we're just going to have to put up with it for now. ------------------ Your Starting Power Forward for the Clutch City Allstars My Expert Opinion Of Steve Francis:Mate he is a special player!
guys, I agree the coverage has been ****, personally until this year I got by on games getting sent over by mates in texas and around the states. i haven't try it myself as i currently looking buy a home, but once i do get onto Boomerangtv (add www and .com.au and you have the web site). Curerently they only have 5 channel but one of them is ESPN, which is the dame one that goes into asia and includes 2 nba games a week and 2 baseball, 2 hockey, 1 nfl and lots of college ball. Also they have a great deal that inlcudes internet access aswell. Smeg ------------------ CUT Tino These Heaves are just getting Ridiculous!
Chris Your ideal world is what the govt wouldn't allow...they didn't want it done like that, because the cable tv roll out was linked so much to the phone companies etc. Thus...the two distinct networks. Like you said, in an ideal world I ring up and book the ESPN and Fox sports channels and get them both through one setup. I wish we had that option Yes...Fox sports coverage CUTS OUT during the first round of the play offs. ESPN has exclusive rights to cover the games from that stage (and channel 10 will sometimes show the actual finals at 2am replay time etc...) BTW...I know you are a big footy fan. I am trying my best to get enthused about it, but it's just not the same anymore. I am a Balmain fan...and I reeally miss the inner city rivalries that existed with Souths, Norths, Saints etc...oh well...go the Tigers Smeg...I had been meaning to check out boomerang for a while, so I may do that. I have moved around a fair bit the past few years, so I have had cable on / off depending on where I am (optus isn't available in many places). The espn channel is great. Maybe I am asking too much, but I just expected a hell of a lot more from cable tv here. This is the year 2001 and the internet etc has made the world tiny. I can't see why we can't have the option to subscribe to the nba league pass for example... and I can't see why Thailand and Malaysia can have about half a dozen games per week etc and we don't. ------------------
I think Foxtel is starting to get into gear and get alot more channels added as you would see on an overseas provider. Still they need more sport for this sports fanatic. The funny thing is that the govenrment made alot of the pay tv rules so that there could not be a monopoly. But just as with the Airlines and to some degree the Banks it has made it worse for consumers and Oputs and Foxtel do their best to destroy the competition anyway (BTW Foxtel is starting to win this war). ScreamingRocketJet Im a MASSIVE Rugby League fan and I tell you this season should be fantasitc. I know seeing your team merge would have hurt, but my suggestion is to get out to Tigers games. I can tell you its more like Balmain crowds then anything else. The rivalrys are still there although they have chnaged. The Roosters are still that chashed up team from the Eastern Suburbs. Parra is still that team with terrific fans, the Eagles should return to being the team everyone hates this season and St George/Illawarra are still that great team that won 10 straight grand finals. I find it very easy to get excited about the League season, as do many other people. If you can get out to a game. You'll find it is very exciting. You'll get the hatred for the opposition going and the season will be great for you ------------------ Your Starting Power Forward for the Clutch City Allstars My Expert Opinion Of Steve Francis:Mate he is a special player!
Chris I do get out to games. A mate of mine at work has his own businness that sponsors the Tigers (minor deal) and he gets reserved seats, free food, drinks etc...so we go a bit. It's kind of cool because Sirro comes and sits with us in the dining room (which is really just a canteen!) and chats before games as Sirro is a PR guy for the club now. We always support the mighty Tigers...but the problem is the atmsosphere really is DEAD at over half the games. When it used to be Souths, Norths, Wests ete etc...the atmosphere was great as you had so mnay fans form BOTH teams at the ground. Now...if it's Nth Qld, Auckland (FUNERAL LEVELS), Melbourne etc...their is not much atmosphere at all. Even Brisbane is poor, as they have no supporters come down etc... The best game last year was Newcastle...they brought down about 20 bus loads and both sets of fans gave it to each other all afternoon...it was sensational. ------------------
Sorry guys but Rugby League BITES big time, get into Aussie Rules or Rugby. League will be dead soon. ------------------ CUT Tino These Heaves are just getting Ridiculous!
Only on the internet can you find Aussies discussing American sports on TV with a BBS set up to cover a Houston team by a guy who lives in Austin. Technology is wondeful! ------------------ Behad Sergeant at Arms of the Clutch BBS Asking the question: What is more dangerous, an AK-47 or a scooter?
Sure is Behad Actually, it has changed the whole way in which people can follow sports. Nowadays, I can find out just as much (often more) about the Rockets or the football team I support in England (Tottenham) than I can the footy team I support here in Sydney (which is a ten minute drive away) 'The times they are a changin'...and it's great! ------------------
Smeg afl is a sport for poofs and union is a sport for people not good enough, or tough enough to play Rugby League. Also I have around $400,000,000,000 reasons why Rugby League isnt dead. So I suggest you pull your head out of the sand my friend ------------------ Your Starting Power Forward for the Clutch City Allstars My Expert Opinion Of Steve Francis:Mate he is a special player!
