NFL Spikes Request
For Vermonters’ Home-Market Access
To Pats-Giants Game

(FRIDAY, Dec. 21) -- NFL Commissioner Roger Goodell Friday night informed Sen. Patrick Leahy (D-Vt.) that the NFL will not grant Vermonters home market over-the-air access to the Dec. 29 New England Patriots-New York Giants game – the final regular season game for the currently undefeated Patriots.  If the Pats prevail, they will be the first NFL team to end the regular season without a loss since the 1972 Miami Dolphins.

Letters to Goodell asking for Vermonters’ access to the game were sent by the Vermont Congressional Delegation – Leahy, Sen. Bernie Sanders (I-Vt.) and Rep. Peter Welch (D-Vt.) – and by Leahy and Sen. Arlen Specter (R-Pa.), the Senate Judiciary Committee’s ranking Republican member.

In a letter to Leahy delivered Friday night, Goodell mostly recaps the League’s prickly negotiations with the nation’s cable systems over issues relating to carriage of NFL games.

“I’m deeply disappointed that the NFL doesn’t consider Vermont to be part of the New England Patriots’ home market,” said Leahy.  “The fans are being held hostage over business negotiations that have nothing to do with fans’ interest in this game.  The New England Patriots will have a lot of disappointed New England fans tonight.”

Leahy said he will consult with Specter about how the Judiciary Committee should proceed on antitrust and copyright issues brought to the fore in the dispute over the transmission of NFL games.

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