There was a song many many many years ago that included the lyrics "You always hurt the one you love, the one you shouldn't hurt at all."
Those words came to mind last Saturday when I wasn't watching the Longhorns-Rice game. UT chose to snub a lot of fans, a lot of people they should love, by narrow-casting that game on the Longhorn network. Which is carried by my cable company.
Lots of us fans didn't get to see the Horns whip up on Rice.
Not a big loss that the game was broadcast only on the Longhorns Network. Texas vs BYU will be a lot more interesting. And it was, wasn't it. All day to day loyal longhorn fans dressed in expensive burnt orange shirts, having paid a royalty to UT for the privilege of supporting the Longhorns. Greeting each other and wishing the team success.
Almost forgot about last Saturday. Until all those ads telling us how happy we should be that there is a Longhorn Network, that keeps us from seeing certain selected Longhorn games. Just like the NFL Network that prevents me from seeing at least one NFL game each week.
Why should we be happy that the UT powers that be decided to create a network and then to pressure our cable company to pay UT lots of extra money to carry that network? If Time Warner pays UT to broadcast the Rice game, that cost will be passed on to you and me - loyal fans. Loyal friends. We're the people UT should love, not hurt. It is our fanship that makes football a huge profit-maker. Why do they choose to hurt the ones they (should) love?
I'm personally glad Time Warner hasn't bowed to the Longhorn network. I'm paying enough for my cable service, which is packaged with high speed internet service, and with unlimited phone service. I'm not gonna change all of that just to watch UT versus Rice. And if the Longhorn network starts putting more games on the Longhorn network, I'll just become an Aggie! That'll show em.
But wow, what a game today. McCoy, Shipley, deja vu.
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