The Monopoly Bowl

 No, the board game is not sponsoring a bowl game this year.  We are referring to the real thing: a monopoly.  Here is the definition of the word “monopoly”:

“…exclusive control of a commodity or service in a particular market, or a control that makes possible the manipulation of prices.”

Next we refer you to this website:  http://espn.go.com/college-football/story/_/id/11419086/2014-15-college-football-bowl-schedule

Here is what you have just learned:

·         Beginning December 20, 2014, at 11:00 am EST, in New Orleans and continuing through January 12, 2015 at a time to be determined in Arlington, Texas, there will be:

·         Thirty Nine (39) so-called bowl games all of which bear the name of some sponsor, usually a corporate name but not always.  To wit:

o   R + L Carriers New Orleans Bowl

o   Gildan New Mexico Bowl

o   Royal Purple Las Vegas Bowl

o   Quick Lane Bowl

o   Lockheed Martin Armed Forces Bowl, and our favorite

o   San Diego County Credit Union Poinsettia Bowl

·         We don’t know what  a “R + L Carriers” is – nor a Gildan or a Royal Purple, etc.

·         But they’ve got a bowl game

·         We assume the Lockheed Martin bowl will be promoting war materiel and its uses

·         And we also noted that, not to be outdone, there is a Military Bowl presented by Northrop Grumman

·         America’s two biggest defense contractors using “amateur” football to promote war equipment or whatever they are really up to.  Nothing to see here folks – move on 

But this is just a small part of why we present this essay.  There’s more.   Much more: 

·         The Hyundai Sun Bowl, in El Paso, TX, on December 27, at 2:00 PM (EST) will be televised on CBS.  CBS is owned by CBS Corporation – CBS (Class B) (NYSE)

 

·         The other thirty eight bowl games will be televised on a network owned by one company – The Walt Disney Company – DIS (NYSE)  which owns ABC and all the ESPN stations

·         Now, as you know, the CBS signal is carried over the air, as is the ABC signal.  Of the 38 bowl games televised by a Disney owned company, three are on ABC – thirty five are on ESPN.  You must pay to get ESPN, one way or another

·         So, if you are not paying someone to get ESPN, you can watch four bowl games or about the same number you could have watched back in1960.  The only difference?  Back then the four games you could watch were the Rose, Cotton, Sugar and Orange.  All on New Year’s Day.  All over the air - free.  The fifth bowl, the Peach Bowl, didn’t arrive until 1968 and the sixth bowl, the Fiesta bowl, came in 1971.  

·         This year, those six bowl games are on either New Year’s Eve or New Year’s Day but all require some form of pay TV to watch 

In our book, 38 out of 39 bowl games presented by one company is a monopoly and we don’t believe monopolies of any sort serve the American public.  Further, in our book, being forced to pay someone to watch 35 out of 39 bowl games showcasing college amateurs who are financed by local, state and federal tax payers is double charging.  As a matter of fact, by the time you pay extra at the store for the products/services advertising on the games, you are being triple charged.  Actually you have no idea what you are paying and you have no idea what the monopoly is making just as you have no clue what the NCAA or the schools are making - you don't see an audited report of revenues and costs do you?   You just pay.  When you are in the store, have you ever seen a sign that says - $ 0.81 of this price goes to the sports monopoly describe above?  Yet the government thinks you should see how many calories are in a soda?  Move on folks; there is nothing to see here.

Forget about CBS.  This is about Disney/ESPN/ABC and their monopoly.   Oh, here is the capper of this nonsense – of those 39 bowl games; do you know who owns them?  ESPN owns nine now and their list is growing. 

Closing comments: 

·         Yes, we know, most of these games are not worth watching but you should at least know what it costs you just for the opportunity to watch "amateur" sports

·         But we also know, someone is making money off them and we have three problems with who that someone is:

o   One, it’s not the taxpayers who create the foundation for the enterprise, and

o   Two, the very media that could disclose key data and information is part of the cabal we call the Hollywood media and they refuse to challenge the code of silence, and

o   Three – across America there is elite monopoly of government, media, sports and corporations that is getting rich (many, filthy rich) and way too powerful at the expense of the regular gal/guy.  That will kill any democracy.