Write-up & Photo by Jacqueline Bennett newsandviewsjb.com

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Tom Brady and the New England Patriots beat the Washington Redskins 27-10 Sunday, November 8, at Gillette Stadium. This was a game that took place in New England and at last check Connecticut is indeed a New England state. Nutmeggers fought as Minutemen in the American Revolutionary War. In fact, the Connecticut state hero is Nathan Hale, hung by the British while on an intelligence gathering mission for the Continental Army during the revolution. His famous last words – “I only regret that I have but one life to lose for my country”.

 

Yet, FOX 61 chose to air a game scheduled to be played by a New York team on Sunday rather than one in Massachusetts, our New England neighbor.

 

In a statement posted on their website, FOX 61 explained their predicament,

 

“It’s one of Connecticut’s most dividing issues, Patriots or Giants?” the statement read.

 

Acknowledging that one way or the other they stood to tick off half the state, the station said it selected the Giants/Buccaneers game because the Giants are a NFC affiliate for the Connecticut television market – which is considered all of Connecticut except Fairfield county. Fairfield county is part of the New York television market. However, “special NFL cable packages” were available and online live stream. Or, they suggested patronizing area bars where the Pats/Redskins contest was being broadcast.

 

According to FOX 61, in that the local station must choose between games, they have asked FOX and the NFL to try and not schedule both Patriots and Giants on “single game weekends”. Well, Patriots fans certainly know how fruitless appeals made to the NFL can be.

 

It is a safe bet to say Pats fans agree it would have been nice to discuss details of the game as they unfolded yesterday in front of their own television, and to have experienced the accompanying emotions in real time. Gathering around a computer screen just doesn’t cut it. There is also the not so small matter of payment for broadcasting to the television cable carrier in order to watch desired programming.

 

Wicked disappointing – as New Englanders say.