Boycott ESPN next weekend
If you want to know why it's bad for big business to play such a pivotal role in college football, just consider one fact.
Ohio State's game next Saturday against Indiana will be available only on ESPNU, a premium cable service not available on many cable carriers, including Time Warner.
It's the first time in nearly nine years an Ohio State game will not be widely available on local network or basic cable at a time when the Buckeyes are No. 1 and undefeated.
Not showing the game to a wide audience may give many Ohioans a complex next Saturday as they instead crowd into bars showing ESPNU or cozy up to their radios. After all, watching Ohio State every fall Saturday afternoon is a routine part of life, a tradition for those who can't secure or afford tickets.
The decision has sent some people with access to ESPNU to sign up for the service, which plays into the hands of the sports broadcasting conglomerate.
The network chose the game to drive paid viewership while forcing the hand of companies such as Time Warner to add the channel. It's all about making more money.
What's truly sad is Ohio State and the Big Ten gave television executives that right in the first place. It's even worse for university officials to defend the decision citing the lack of television for games in the past.
For our part, we say boycott ESPN next weekend. Don't watch any games on ABC or ESPN, which produces games for ABC. And if you can survive the withdrawal symptoms, don't watch "SportsCenter" or any other ESPN programs.
It's a fight worth fighting.
The Bucks will win anyway.
It's only Indiana.
