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I don't believe that the NFL network should be on basic cable because the NFL wants to charge each month for the privilege. I think it should be added as a special tier that viewers should pay for if they want it. Professional sports is ridiculously overpriced and being able to get money from each and every cable subscriber would fuel the salaries which are already outrageous.

Al-a-carte pricing would solve the problem. Cable and Satelite companies will give any amount of money to politicians to prevent this from happening.

The NFL has framed the issue in a very manipulative way and the N&O drank the KoolAid. Fans DO NOT care what channel number a game is on, they just want to see games. You could just as well be asking "Should the NFL put the games back on the networks, the way it's been through 2006". Or howbout "Should a court force cable companies to buy NFL Network games and give them away for free".

A cable system is owned by the cable company, not the networks. There is such a thing as private property rights. Though I would love to have the NFL Network, I find it absurd that the network is attempting to force itself upon the individual cable systems as they are. They are a latecomer to the cable TV business, want to charge for their programming, and want to extort money from cable companies. That will simply force a rate increase for customers.

I read the comment that a la carte pricing will solve all ills, and that is simply an inaccurate assessment. I like the concept of a la carte, personally, but it is not a cure all.

Down with the NFL. Its nothing but money to them. Very few can afford to go to games. Prety soon we wont be able to afford it on TV.

It's a bit difficult to decipher just exactly what NFL is trying to force cable companies to do, but I agree that they have no right to force cable companies - business enterprises (greedy tho they are) -- to purchase their product. That should be a business decision based on demand from cable viewers, which cable reps have indicated is not sufficient to justify the NFL offer. And, if the cable companies do purchase those rights, that cost should be borne only by those who wish to partake (i.e., premium channel), certainly not by every cable customer under a basic contract.
And yes, I am a football fan, once avid - raised and educated in the shadow of U of TN's Neyland Stadium, but no thanks to a steady diet of NFL's overpaid post-adolescent thugs that surround the truly greats.

I despise how Time Warner Cable operates. Both parties are to blame in ths standoff but Time Warner is the monopoly here. They do now have a good history of responding to customers.

The NFL and TWC are both greedy. TV used to be free and programming was totally paid for by the advertisers. Then cable (pay TV) came along and sold us on the promise that since you pay each month you won't have to see commercials. Ha. Now cable is loaded with commercials and they even have entire shows that are one big commercial ("paid programming"). TWC should put the NFL network on for free. I don't understand why the NFL wouldn't want to give the NFL network to TWC. Seems to me that they would want to have as many people as possible see their product so they could create more and more ad dollars. The NFL wouldn't be as successful as it is today without the "free" TV networks.

Why would they put the NFL Network on Basic cable when they won't even splurge for a channel like Bravo, that is on EVERY OTHER cable company's Basic lineup?

I would love to have the NFL Network, I dont like that the network is attempting to force itself upon the individual cable systems as they are.