The Sports Reporters BFTD - Flashback: The 1972 Packers Redskins Playoff Game was Blacked Out

[tshile]

Andy Pollin and Steve Czaban, former hosts of ESPN980's The Sports Reporters, have been running a weekly podcast (about 30 minutes each) for the last 17 weeks titled: The Sports Reporters - Back From The Dead. They've been mostly talking Redskins.

 

In Episode 17 they discuss the playoffs and I enjoyed the entire 30 minute segment, but it was the opening 5-6 minutes that I thought would be worth sharing. Especially for those of us that have grown up in the era of big money TV contracts and ad revenue that has catapulted the NFL into what it is today.

 

First - lots of talk in the media about this being only the second time two historic NFL franchise are facing off in the playoffs. It's actually the third time these two organizations have met in the playoffs. The first time they met set the stage for us having our beloved Washington Redskins

 

Second, and the actual story - Prior to the TV money explosion the NFL owners operated under the logic that if fans had the choice of attending the stadium or watching on TV they would all decide to watch on TV. To fight this games were blacked out locally in a 50 mile radius. This way people would have to go to the game to see the product. The result was a 1972 playoff game at RFK between the Redskins and Packers which was actually blacked out. Side note - so was the Conference Championship game against the Cowboys the following game.

 

Enter Robin Ficker (worth the quick read) - noted DC sports fan and heckler, and self appointed President of the Washington Redskins Fanclub. He went on a campaign to remove the blackout. He went to court and lost. So the morning of Christmas Eve he showed up at The Supreme Court of the United States' Chief Justice Warren Burger's breakfast table, delivering a brief requesting an emergency hearing on the matter.

 

Anyways, I left some items out and Pollin tells the story better than I can, but there's a quick tease for those that can't listen now.  For those that can, there's a language warning because it's a podcast and Czabe seems to be enjoying the lack of profanity filter, but here you go -

 

Enjoy

[GoSkins0721]

I remember this being blacked out in the DC area. BUT, DC area residents did have an option. This option was basically what made Jack Kent Cooke famous - closed circuit television. 

 

I can remember jumping on a DC Transit bus at Friendship Heights & riding over to the old Uline Arena to watch home Redskins games on CCTV. Giant screens, hot dogs, popcorn - all the comforts of RFK stadium. Good times & good memories. 

 

Here's a link to a pictorial history of the Uline Arena. I don't see any reference to Redskins games but that's where you watched it back in the day. It was also the site of the first concert by the Beatles in the US. 

 

http://www.1959bhsmustangs.com/PictorialHistoryOfUlineArenaandSiteOfFirstUSBeatlesConcert.htm

[SkinsFanPA]

Man, I love Czabe,  If I had to listen to Mike & Mike on my morning commute, I'd drive into a tree.

[hail2skins]

And, as Andy noted, the next season (1973) was when the rule started that games would be televised if they were sold out 72 hours in advance......which lasted until this current season. Now, I guess games are televised no matter what. 

 

It makes you wonder if, given the big TV dollars now, if owners care how many people show up to the games, and what impact that may have on determining the size of new stadiums, specifically the new one the Skins will hopefully be showing us the renderings for later this month.

[pjfootballer]

My Neice lived in Tampa the last three years and they just moved to New Jersey two months ago. She said the Bucs home games were blacked out this year.

[tshile]

It makes you wonder if, given the big TV dollars now, if owners care how many people show up to the games, and what impact that may have on determining the size of new stadiums, specifically the new one the Skins will hopefully be showing us the renderings for later this month.

 

Considering that the big sell for having a county/city foot (at least part of) the bill for a new stadium is the tax revenue generated (PG County gets 10% "amusement tax" on everything at fed ex field, including ticket sales, for example) that would be interesting if the NFL moves away from big stadium with lots of people.

[DC9]

And, as Andy noted, the next season (1973) was when the rule started that games would be televised if they were sold out 72 hours in advance......which lasted until this current season. Now, I guess games are televised no matter what. 

 

I can't wait to get home to listen to this podcast, thanks for posting!

 

Hail2skins, I believe that you have to have a certain percentage of your GA tickets sold for it to be considered a "sell out".  That number (just ball parking based off of what I remember) is somewhere between 70% and 80% or thereabouts.

 

EDIT: I suspect Kleese knows that answer.

[mike42]

Wow. Didn't know packer game or the 72' NFC Championship being blacked out. Crazy. Was Cooke having a difficult time selling each game that year? 

[hail2skins]

Mike, they didn't televise home games back then period. The season after was the first that they televised home games....if they were sold out.

[c slag]

That uline arena looked just like the old home of the Hershey Bears called Hershey park arena