The NFL has adopted a policy that has terrible implications for new mediaists, modern beat writers, and fans in general, limiting news outlets to a total of 45 seconds of web audio or video coverage per day. So that means we fans can see or hear nine 5-second clips, one 45-second clip, or 45 one-second clips about our teams. What a friendly cartel those NFL owners are. I suppose when you have problems with sex boats and dog-fighting the best solution is to just limit knowledge, control the bad information by controlling all the information.
It’s not clear whether or not MLB will be adopting a similar policy, but if they do it’s just another f*ck you to devoted fans, another way of choking those who love the minutiae, the rumors, the news of the game. The NFL has set a terrible precedent here.
John McClain (when he isn’t fighting terrorists in skyscrapers) is a writer for the Houston Chronicle. He did a funny video send-up of the policy.