Tonight the Pack takes on Dallas on the NFL Network.  As many packer fans outside the Green Bay and Milwaukee areas will realize - they have to go to a smoky bar to watch their favorite team play in one of the most important regular season matches in NFL history.  40% of the US TV market won't be able to watch - even Wisconsin Governor Jim Doyle will be up the creek.

Why?  What the heck is going on?

Here's the dispute in a nutshell:

The NFL owns and operates the NFL Network.  They produce their own games, they sell their own ads.  Basically, they compete with ESPN while also competing with MLB, NBA, etc.   

In order to get the largest audience, the NFL wants your local cable company to make the NFL network part of the "basic" set of channels.  Meanwhile, the cable companies want to offer it as "premium" channel and thus charge their audience more to see it. 

(The NFL Network is already standard on both Directv and the Dish, fyi.)

The way we see it:  Blame the NFL

Sure, it would be great if everyone just automatically got the NFL network. Great for the fans, great for the NFL.  But what about the cable companies?  What do they get?  Nothing if they offer it as part of basic cable.  

So as much as we'd love to side with our favorite sport's commissioner... we can't blame the cable companies for telling the NFL to go to hell.  And the NFL is being a big crybaby by holding back and blaming the cable companies for this whole mess.

Come on, NFL.  Just give in and let the cable companies win this one.