Possibly can let's bring get a man who has started coalition. Called sports fans coalition and it's and Washington DC at Capitol Hill David good friend. Joints that 80% now how would David welcome to our show.
Age eight and they got it.
Well here your back in DC and you form this view up advocacy group through. Yeah we want to give sports fans a louder voice at Washington. Just tell us about the these sports fans coalition what it is and how people can get involved.
Served well sports and coalition to brand new nonprofit advocacy group. That's got one purpose and that's to give you the sports fan -- the table in Washington DC. Whenever there's public probably be needed impacts sports. And DeWitt started was -- being in this town close to twenty years and a friend of mine who works in congress called me up that he gave. Well put together a hearing congressional hearing about the sports industry. You recommend it witnessed. Who could speak on behalf of the sports -- And I thought -- there associations for everything from you know trucks to houseplants and Washington DC -- now for sports -- But it turned out there really wasn't anything not a comprehensive. Group. They could testified to hearing or speak to members of congress are speaking agencies. On behalf of sports fans. And so we started one I worked in the Clinton White House senate Buddy Ryan he's working at bush White House both on the board. Sportswriter write him deep siren and consumer advocate but in the Gigi Sohn. And former. CEO protect company of former accountant and -- sports fans and we don't really care about making sure that when laws are made. Fans actually get it a -- the table and get hurt.
You gonna have to explain to me what. More that means that he went out when -- and -- particularly at a table I don't I don't understand what that means.
Okay so can date if you open up a -- book. You receive laws written to support the current sports economic system. You can be. Billions of dollars to go to build stadiums. And billions of dollars NCAA. Federal funding a lot that goes to help sports programs. But a lot of times that's not done and waited really helps out the -- here's an example. They have felt that you don't sell out your stadium in 48 hours the local broadcaster of the blacked out that game can't he can't carry it on TV. Now that a lot of times those stadiums are built with your tax. When they're built with special breaks like recount environmental laws to break on tax laws. You're laws that get away. And then if you can't afford a ticket. Because the take this this ticket prices so -- You go on you wanna watch that game on TV and it's blacked out because -- the stadium didn't -- The law the federal law governing. That TV system. Required that blackout it was a -- need to support believes in the team owners there was no sport and president I promise you. When that regulation is being made to what I do for a living is -- present -- here in Washington I'm a lawyer to work in government. And I just said look I can go to those meetings I can go meet those members of contacting go to those agencies were used to work and say he gets what. I know that is what the NFL might like. But it doesn't really work for the fans -- by the way to the ones footing the bill through their tax dollars so we ought to have -- written little bit differently in our opinion. If you're stadium was built with your tax dollars there should be no black outs of the game ever. One doesn't work you wanna give the money back to tactic.
David good friend is our guest he has via the founder of sports fans coalition. Now if I write that you you work or used to work with DISH Network.
Yeah they were my employer as an executive there for long times -- first learned about a lot of these issues. So -- good question because this. I happened they would support sports has coalition and I'm still wait for answer I don't know followed Nittany support out of comprise what I did learn from them lies. Even a huge company like this network. -- can't get the rights to carry certain games because cable companies that own the team and on the network on the cable system -- They don't want their competitors again.
And I get violent I don't rally and I don't know what that without David. Because I wanted to ask you because here in Portland to keep it specific to my listeners our guys are are blazer fans. So now when blazer fans see games only on Comcast. And can't get those games on this network and DirecTV. From your perspective who's mostly to blame.
The cable company because -- and by the way and the owners of the teams could look.
It's one thing if the team and that the network nobody else didn't use any of your public dollars are your public lies.
Take to get that deal but the fact is they used a lot of backroom lobbying to get that sweetheart deal -- give you one really good example. There's a law. On the books today it says it's your cable company you own -- you've got to sell their program major competitor. But there's a loophole and outlawed it affects exactly the situation you just mentioned Portland. -- loopholes says if you're a local cable company injured you have a local programming service you don't have to sell your competitors presto.
Now they can keep that sports programming all to themselves.
If you're DirecTV subscriber. Reduced subscriber. Or fire those are Yan and here on the east coast you're not a lot just out of luck. In our opinion but the sports -- coalition we can look.
It's one thing if you're not using the nation's laws and the taxpayers money.
But if you are there should be no such local exclusives deflected to be no blackouts again.
Is accountable bull thing noted that stepped in and tell a company what they can't he can't do. With their broadcasting rights.
Yes it really is but if it weren't for the fact that they already had gotten the government involved that he can be -- something. In truth. Both companies have already gotten uncle Sam in the local state legislature in the local city government to help them they're taking government subsidies.
They're taking. Public law and using them for their business and it didn't quite frankly I'd say that means it's fair game personal right back -- they get what.
We know how to work with the government to we're gonna go -- government and state you don't get all this tax dollars. Don't get those special breaks a lot. I'll let you give the fans what we're looking for like how about some reasonable tickets but how about being able watch my local team whatever TV I'll look at it. Those are some pretty basic -- not asking for the moon just -- turn on the money they took from us.
throughout this arbitrary numbers here let's say that you know DirecTV and DISH Network. Want to get the blazer gave him Comcast -- you have to pay us five dollars a year. In order to get those games and DirecTV year -- networks is no -- he wanted to pay you to. You want your group to come and it basically tell them that they have to Celek those people at two dollars.
No guitar work today -- network today there at the ban on exclusive. But there's no the only regulation after that it would try to be reasonable so in your case in Portland.
It's the team and the stadium and the channel and the cable that thrown by the same guy.
The lark would agree would -- he can't keep that stuff a -- from your competitors now you that you gotta get paid for it. That's fair trade back and -- there but he can't have a total exclusive. But the the lot says today that the law that we think ought to apply in Portland to local games in applied to being like. Not the end and a big channels that are nationwide that have some cable ownership to -- these hand used to. You know that that applies today cable systems cross country it -- apply in Portland. And that's about the only gripe we've got to mean obviously it's a bigger message here the messages. If you got taxpayer dollars and you're laws going into support the sporting economy generally been at least -- ought to be able watching games in terms. Uga fan -- your problem is. All the laws were written without real fans. At the table saying well here's what I'd like to do I would be able to watch my local games no matter what TV service -- use right -- is that. Nobody was in the room to say that when those things are being written that's what the sports and coalition now it's gonna do.
All right so I David good friend he has formed sports fans coalition he's our guest on 1080 the fan so -- so. What's your vision it a couple of years down the road -- what does this thing look like if it's working.
Well the first thing is we got a lot of your listeners to sign up online. At sports fans coalition Dodd award. The only the only way to thing really works is if we get sports fans to sign up and just start to sign up and it's great. But I -- in three years from now the number and that nobody could ignore. -- that winner the hearing like my friends it is there and he can recommend to witness. We can get one of our board members -- or one of our members who is just sports fans like to testify in the room. And I'd love it there was. Actually. One of these laws that was brought up. For congress to consider we authorizing we could have a seat tables ignored this time -- get it right. Well we've got eating that the White House or Department of Justice but I got played them can assure you in my own personal sanity for sports -- coalition. I'm from Wisconsin. Where the Green Bay Packers are owned. By the people in Wisconsin. If your shareholder of the Packers. You gotta live Wisconsin and you could only have one chair that's out the smallest market in the NFL it's been there forever as stated forever. So my dream for sports and collision at the next time some team. Threatened to leave town that's orchestrated stand by out that -- That's that's a pretty big ambition I don't know if we'll ever get -- David that's one -- I I always would would love to see happen on a lawmakers. Well he had initially saying I think there was really -- this organization because within a week. About forming I was getting calls from. Congressional committee to ask him to talk to meet. And abroad in David -- in the sports writer told you gotten written extensively analyze these stadium issues. We we've had conversations with happens and it's -- and very senior level. I'm gonna meet with. Spokesman department commerce from the federal communications commission and from the Department of Justice. I think you know from needed to my job I live in Washington I'm a lawyer here at meet folks all the time they know what am. It's not hard for me to go in you know tomorrow and they hear much issues as sports fans really care about and the more we do dat. More delicate used to calling us just like it started -- say all right effort from the cable companies to sports lead the team owners the NCAA. Now you guys. When you tell us how -- sports fans in -- about it and that's. That's when we're successful.
Hey David thanks to John and I shall proceed and it. Baker brought I think you're right students David good friend and again that website decide for yourself sports fans coalition dot org.
