I’m not a big baseball fan. However, since the Orioles are in the playoffs and the games are underway, I’m enjoying the orange and black clothes people around Baltimore are sporting every chance they get. The level of fun, in any sport, increases exponentially when the home town is excited about the home team. Plus, since this is the “post season” the season is dramatically shortened and every game is meaningful.
Last night, about the time when the Orioles began playing the Detroit Tigers in the American League Division Series, I decided to go downstairs and watch the game on TV. My family watches very little TV and so we don’t pay for cable. I was disappointed to find that the game was being broadcast on TBS (a cable channel) effectively locking me out. I made a comment on Social Media about my disappointment and how money ruins everything (grumble, grumble). Several contacts, including my friend sportswriter Charlie Vascellaro, noted that baseball was better on radio anyway.
I didn’t read those comments until this morning though. When I did, I entertained a brief memory of my father, sitting on the porch of our house, listening to the Orioles on a tiny transistor radio. I spend a lot of time on my porch when the weather permits and I could see myself listening to the game out there.
Then, I realized that the only working radio in the house is our alarm clock. Today’s game began at a little after noon. Since I’m working downstairs on the computer (and I didn’t want to lie in bed listening to the game anyway), I thought I’d try live streaming the game on my desktop. I found the list of stations that broadcast Orioles games and which provide live streaming audio. Everyone I tried, even WBAL — the Baltimore voice of the Orioles — had alternate programming rather than the game.
Then I realized what the problem was.
Even though the game is being broadcast on the radio for free, live streaming audio of the games on the internet is a subscription based service. Moreover, as far as I could tell, you couldn’t just buy access to one game, you needed to buy access for the entire post season. I didn’t check to see how much said access would cost; I’m sure that the cost is reasonably negligible and that I would be able to afford it. On the other hand, it’s just annoying as hell to have someone with their hand out at every turn.
Some years ago, after I gave up watching most television programming, I used to watch a fair number of college football and basketball games. Gradually, the number of games available on broadcast TV dwindled to the point that I stopped looking to determine if a game of interest was available to me.
Now, if I watch any college sports, I spend a few hours in a bar. At least the money I spend there has a quid pro quo: a few good beers and an environment in which they can be enjoyed. And, that environment provides access to whatever game interests me.
That said, today’s game is half over. The Orioles are down 5 runs to 3. I’m feeling thirsty. I’m outta here.