# Wtf **URL:** \ **Category:** The BBQ Pit\ **Created:** [October 12, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034 "2003-10-12T20:11:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 11\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![bojon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bojon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bojon)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2003, 8:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/1 "2003-10-12T20:11:04Z")
I’m watching the Packers and Chiefs game. Its 2 minutes left, Chiefs are in the Red zone. Packers lead 34-31. TV announcer says Due to contractual obligations we will now be taking you to the Broncos and Steelers game. ARRRGGGG… ---
**Author:** ![Opus1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/858c86/32.png) [@Opus1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Opus1)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2003, 8:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/2 "2003-10-12T20:18:35Z")
Ooh, I hate it when networks do this. I remember watching a game a few years ago that was close with less than 30 seconds left. The same “contractual obligation” spiel, then–get this–2 minutes of commercials, plus 1 minute of pregame for the next game. WTF? Even with a contract, they shouldn’t cut away from the 1st game until the 2nd is 5 seconds away from kickoff. What bullshit. ---
**Author:** ![bojon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3da27b/32.png) [@bojon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bojon)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2003, 8:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/3 "2003-10-12T20:22:50Z")
Chiefs win in OT. No thanks to the network. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2003, 9:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/4 "2003-10-12T21:29:17Z")
They showed the whole game here. ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 12:59am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/5 "2003-10-13T00:59:28Z")
I watched the Chiefs / Texans game from Brownsville Texas. Houston is most obviously the closest NFL town to Brownsville. The Chiefs were pounding the Texans in the early fourth quarter when, after a commercial break, another NFL game suddenly appeared on screen (New England I think). No announcements, no explanation. I called the local station and some giggling girl on the other end of the line claimed that the network did it. Next morning’s paper had no mention of the missing fourth quarter of the game. I thought at first that maybe the newspaper just wasn’t following the team that carefully but then realized that the same paper had a write-up the day before with some considerable anticipation of the game. Seems them Texans just turn it off if it ain’t going their way. **bojon** , sorry you didn’t get to see the end of the game. It was a nail-biter all the way. Bubba ---
**Author:** ![Blackeyes](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/f6c823/32.png) [@Blackeyes](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Blackeyes)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 1:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/6 "2003-10-13T01:06:26Z")
Happens all the time to OU games, even at halftime. I guess the networks just figure that since OU’s stomping the other time so badly so early in the game no one’s going to watch it anymore, so to get more ratings they’d turn to a football game with a more even score. ---
**Author:** ![fushj00mang](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/d26b3c/32.png) [@fushj00mang](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fushj00mang)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 2:33am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/7 "2003-10-13T02:33:16Z")
Being a Steelers fan…I would have perferred to see the rest of the Chiefs/GB game. ---
**Author:** ![LordVor](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/90ced4/32.png) [@LordVor](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/LordVor)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 2:48am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/8 "2003-10-13T02:48:56Z")
And now’s the time to profess my love for NFL Sunday Ticket. -lv ---
**Author:** ![brianjedi](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/3be4f8/32.png) [@brianjedi](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/brianjedi)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 3:26am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/9 "2003-10-13T03:26:21Z")
CBS tried doing that in with a Kentucky game during the NCAA tournament in the early 90s. Apparently, the switchboard at CBS’s headquarters nearly went down minutes later. The network went back to Kentucky’s game, and they’ve never tried it again. University of Kentucky basketball: We’re **REAL** damn serious about it. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 5:36am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/10 "2003-10-13T05:36:35Z")
That’s weird. I’m in OKC, and I saw the entire overtime of the first game. Then, they switched us to the game I really wanted to see. Denver. But, it was okay. The Denver / Pitt game was decided in the last seconds, too. I would much rather the watch the last of a game, than the beginning. Why are the contractual obligations different for the same network airing in different areas? ---
**Author:** ![BubbaDog](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bubbadog/32/333_2.png) [@BubbaDog](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/BubbaDog)\ **Post date:** [October 13, 2003, 1:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/wtf/207034/11 "2003-10-13T13:05:40Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by NoClueBoy \* > \*\* > Why are the contractual obligations different for the same network airing in different areas? \*\* Never rule out stupidity. :dubious: