Dear dimwit on the phone

I'm a college sports, especially football, junkie so all of these added channels and games are delicious gravy every game night. However, for a more casual fan who isn't up to date with the growing stable of channels it can be intimidating and frustrating. Add in all the conference/network affiliations and it's getting out of hand. QUICK: WHAT CHANNEL IS FOX SPORTS 2 ON YOUR DIAL???

 

We still haven't gotten Fox Sports 1 yet. Right now, on expanded basic cable we get ESPN, ESPN2, TBS, TNT, NBCSports Network (formerly Versus), Comcast Sports Net (regional) and Golf Channel.

On a premium tier, one can get NFL Network, NFL Red Zone, NBA TV, NHL Network, MLB TV, Tennis Channel, CBS Sports Network, Big Ten Network, SEC Network, Pac-12 Network, Speed TV, Fox Soccer Channel, and several Fox College Sports networks. I think they're working on Fox Sports 1 (and maybe 2 and 3), but in a pissing war over fees. They also offer out of market PPV packages for the NHL, NBA and MLB.

I understand all these channels are a real dilemma for cable companies. Sports still make up a relatively small percentage of overall viewership. But those who want to watch something are more likely to be willing to pay for it. So I suppose it makes sense to put most of these channels on a premium tier and charge an extra monthly fee for them.

 

Those two channels no longer exist. Speed became Fox Sports 1 and Fox Soccer became FXX.

 

Continuing the theme of the TV listings, some angry guy e-mailed us convinced our listings were wrong, that something we had under "today" should actually be "tomorrow," even though if he just turned on his TV, he would've seen that it was "today." I wonder if he tried to watch it the next day and was shocked that it wasn't on.

 

Perpaps picked up the wrong day's paper?

 

OK, then maybe Fox Sports 1 is in the slot where Speed used to be. I don't have that package and I get more stuff than I have time to watch with the channels I have.

 

Fox Sports 2 used to be Fuel, which is something I'd never seen nor heard of until the change was announced.

 

No, he was using the correct days of the week. He was just 100% wrong.

Kind of reminds me of the guy who called to complain that we didn't have a single Sunday NFL game mentioned in the Monday paper... even though the preseason had just ended, no games were played Sunday and week one didn't start until Thursday.

 

You're not missing much. Unless you're a UFC fan. NTTAWWT.

 

Between Fox Sports 1 and NBC Sports, there are a lot of college basketball games on basic cable these days that I would never consider watching.

 

A woman called on a Friday asking what the score of the local NFL team's game was. I told her they wouldn't play until Sunday and said who they'd face. But no she told me, they played Thursday the week before. I explained how Thursday Night Football worked. But she wasn't buying it. The call ended with her telling me, "I still think you're wrong, but thank you anyway." Left me most befuddled.

 

Finishing up late desk/online shift, I hear department phone ring. Feeling need for brief entertainment break, I answer it.
Caller: I hate to bother you so late, but I had a quick question. I dont have a computer, and I need to know the (local NFL team's) opponents for next season if you have it.
Me (after looking on team web site): Here are the teams. Now I have a quick question for you. Can you tell me why you need this information at 1 a.m. on a day six months or so before training camp even starts?
Caller: Well I sell (NFL team's) merchandise and just wanted to get a head start on the competition. I also have insomnia and just got to thinking about it and called as long as I was awake.