In so many ways, life has gotten worse: For 21 years, I’ve paid for cable tv, among other things, to watch mets games, but now baseball, inc. says that they will pull many games from me, unless I pay a SECOND time

By Nicholas Stix

(Written friday night.)

In so many ways, life has gotten worse: For 21 years, I’ve paid for cable tv, among other things, to watch mets games, but now baseball, inc. says that they will pull many games from me, unless I pay a SECOND time

When I was a kid, each baseball season I’d watch scores of Mets games (on WOR-TV, if memory serves) AND scores of Yankees games (on WOR-TV, if memory serves), all of them for free.

Then I went off to college, and skipped having a tv from 1977-1985 (including the five years I spent in West Germany). From 1986-2004, I had tvs, and was able to again watch the ballgames for free. In 2004, we moved to this place, but could not get any tv reception, without cable. So, we had to get cable. Some seasons, I would watch over 120 Mets games, but would pay for the privilege.

A couple of years ago, I noticed a creeping change. A few times per year, I’d turn on the set, but couldn’t get the game. I would determine that some new channel was carrying it. At first, you could watch it “free” the first time, but you had to sign up. (Things that are “free,” but require that you “sign up” for them, typically aren’t free, so I didn’t bother.)

Now, this scam is happening more frequently. Tonight, I turned on the set for game two of the season, but there was a stupid filler show on 26 (SNY), which belongs to mets ownership, and used to carry almost every game, with the rest being carried “free” (but not for me) on wpix or fox. So, I started hunting through the cable listings. No go.

I look it up on the Internet, and learn that the game is being carried by AppleTV+ and mlb.tv. Those are the “you pay twice scams.”

So, I skipped the game.

Enough of this nonsense, and I’ll just skip cable altogether.