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Via communications with NFL spokesman Greg Aiello and another source who’ll remain nameless, we’ve learned that the no-live-blogging policy sent by the Cowboys to the media on Wednesday is not a new development, and that it applies to all NFL teams.
“It’s nothing new,” Aiello said via e-mail. “Those are the same rules we have had in place for several years for those that receive credentialed access to NFL facilities.”
Per information provided by the unnamed source, the e-mail circulated by the Cowboys regarding online content for 2008 is merely a cut-and-paste of a memo that was disseminated on June 11 by the league office, which announced the 100-percent expansion of the former 45-second rule, and which summarized the league’s online content policy.
So, for accredited media, there can be no live blogging from the press box. (We’ll keep that in mind if/when we ever get credentials to a game — and if we ever actually use them.) There’s no indication that this policy applies to live-blogging from the basement.
The real news here is that media sources will now be able to post on the Internet up to 90 seconds per day of interviews, press conferences, and practice video.
June 12th, 2008 at 8:43 am
So, the Cowboys broke and/or ignored a league policy. Sounds like the same thing the Patriots did, minus all the hype from ESPN.
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June 12th, 2008 at 8:48 am
“This telecast is copyrighted by the NFL for the private use of our audience. Any other use of this telecast or of any pictures, descriptions, or accounts of the game without the NFL’s consent, is prohibited.”
Am I allowed to talk to my family and friends about the games or do I need to keep my accounts and descriptions to myself??!??!
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 12th, 2008 at 9:15 am
Compare the NFL with MLB (based on most recent season):
Blogging allowed during games: MLB, yes; NFL, no.
Game highlights availability on Internet:
MLB- available at least at ESPN.com and MLB.com.
NFL - available only at NFL.com.
(What else am I missing?)
Guess which sport gets my vote for best Internet access?
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 12th, 2008 at 9:49 am
Wow, a team reiterated a league memo instead of ignored it. What a concept!
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Rating: 5 / 5 with 2 rating(s)
June 12th, 2008 at 10:15 am
It must be nice being on top in the sports entertainment world. The league can consistently ask people to NOT publicize their product and NOT show their product to groups.
I love the NFL, but they need to stay on top in a way that is friendly with new media.
Hungry (desperate?) leagues like the NHL have some teams making blogger-specific accomodations and access. But the NFL has no such worries…except in podunk towns like L.A. where a whole generation of kids don’t buy tickets and sport NBA jerseys and throwback jerseys.
I want to see some popular restaurant place a similar rights notice to restrict restaurant reviewers.
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June 12th, 2008 at 2:01 pm
I think the no live-blogging policy is patently ridiculous, and not something any member of the NFL media should dismiss so readily, regardless of whether they’re ever credentialed to watch a game from the pressbox.
For years, now, Mike Reiss of the Boston Globe has been posting regular updates from the press box on his Patriots blog during games. He does a great job of conveying some of the information the guys in the booth should be talking about instead of blathering on about how swell Player X is and why he’s what football is all about. Under the NFL’s no live blogging policy, this would have to go. I can’t see how the NFL in any way benefits from losing this kind of dedicated, thorough in-game reporting.
More importantly than that, though, is that this is a heavy-handed attempt to exert control over the media that covers it, and should not be tolerated by any media organization that takes its integrity and independence seriously. Serious news organizations must not accept this limitation on what and when their accredited reporters are allowed to report on.
This is a flagrant misuse of the monopoly allowed them by dint of exemption from federal law, and since the ever new-media-wary government is clearly not going to get involved, the media needs to push back against this by refusing to send reporters to games under these kind of editorial restrictions.
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