view raw text
_ "■■LJ SPORTS CLOSE-UPS - By Ira Seebacher NEW YORK, May 5.— One of the things that has always bedeviled the purchaser of TV time is that his telecast would be _ blacked blacked out out in in the the New New blacked blacked out out in in the the New New York area. This was eventually solved by transporting many sports events to other venues, then throwing open the New York TV market. In a sense this was fine for those fans who stay at home and see .their sports for free, but for those who liked to go out and see see the the big big events events in in "■■LJ see see the the big big events events in in person, it was murder. It meant jumping ,all over the map for the big fights, the football games and the like. Now it appears the same thinking has taken over in telecasting baseball. True, the Yankees, the home club, are going to air most of their games, both home and away, but a year or two ago, who dreamed al! the other clubs would be in a mad scramble to have their games telecast in New York? AAA Part of this stems from the belief in TV circles that the New York audience is still keenly interested in the Dodgers and Giants. Another sector of the TV double-domes believes that if the Dodgers and Giants are gone. New Yorkers will take anything in the way of National League fare, even games played by the Phillies, Pirates and Redlegs. So we are about to sit down to a seven course TV dinner of baseball. The opportunity to see it on TV in New York will abound. Everyone wants in on the act and no one seems to chop down the output which obviously is going to hurt all concerned, even the Yankees themselves. Where is Commissioner Ford Frick with all this going on? Obviously he is helpless as the owners get ready to slash each others throats. It is not a very pretty picture this sordid grubbing for the extra, dough that TV brings. Yet recently we were shocked to hear a veteran newspaperman, say, "My job is to write about those musclemen out there and I couldnt care less who does what, where and why concerning TV. Ive never written a line about it and I dont intend to." Well, thats his opinion and if he can sit by and watch a sport ruin itself without ever lifting a voice in protest, we suppose ; that is his opinion. A lot of people who just follow sports, not write it, are quite sensitive jto the situation, tremendously informed, and eager to see some sort of reform. Even Congress Is aware that TV and sports do not necessarily make for a happy marriage. Legislation is now in "the works whereby the clubs can control the amount of TV they put on. Until now, theyve always stated— or pretended — they could not so control this phase of their business for fear of being, charged with anti-trust practices. It isnt exactly restraining trade when you tell a man you will sell him so much TV time and no more but this has been their alibi in going all hog. AAA r Of course, with the entire East flooded Continued on Page Forty-Six SPORTS CLOSE-UPS By IRA SEEBACIIEIt Continued, from Page Two with so many games, there is no longer much use in talking about saving the minors, not in the East anyway. Now it is about time to talk about saving the majors. Having eaten their young, theyve turned on each other and the horrid part of it is that not even the man theyve paW to regulate their manners has the strength or power to call a halt. When some sort or a halt is called — and it will have to be soon — it is to be hoped that the damage isnt irreparable. A prolonged period of such internecine strife would cause the financial demise of more than a few of the present 16 clubs. Perhaps the majors feel that this is of no great concern since there will always be new owners to be found, new money and men to spend, it.
