The DirecTV/MLB Extra Innings deal is going to go through, and for people who aren't in the market of their favorite team and don't have DirecTV -- like me -- this means we're now going to be gouged for premium prices to watch baseball games on our computers, direct from MLB.
I could go on a while about this, believe me, but why? iNDemand's president summed it up as well as anyone could: "MLB's proposed deal with Direct TV for the Extra Innings package is stunning in its disregard for baseball fans."
Of course I'll get MLB.tv now. I'm a dedicated baseball fan. But it feels like I'm being bullied, which it always will when you get a better option taken away from you and are left with a "take it or leave it" scenario.
Chase Carey from DirecTV offers this assessment: "Consumers will receive a better product, with more content and more features."
Sure, dude.
Major League Baseball is getting very close to deserving a standing ovation for its absurd public relations moves. It's things like this that prevent me from ever defending MLB -- though baseball is my favorite sport -- from its detractors that question why we even bother to give these jokers our money. If it weren't for the game itself, I wouldn't do it.
So thank God for baseball, and tip your cap to the devil, too.