University of Virginia Library

Illegal Procedure

A Crock of Cochran

With Bill Bardenwerper

Washington area Redskin fans got a scolding last week.
In fact, they were more than scolded; they were insulted,
socked in the mouth, kicked in the kisser, punched in the ribs,
and told to go to bed without watching any television.

Just when everyone was minding their own
business–keeping up with the pennant races, the Wimbledon
controversy and their own kids' little league games–in came
this big bully named Robert N. Cochran, just washed ashore
from a five day rowboat cruise of Long Island Sound.

At first no one knew exactly whether this guy was for
real or some sort of nut,(" 'N' as in nutty," said the man.).
However, he quickly quelled everyone's suspicions. In typical
bullyboy fashion he immediately began by insulting the ladies,
deriding the men and terrorizing the townsfolk. Since he was
the big guy no one dared fight back, and hence he went on his
merry way pleased that he had made everyone miserable.

Cochran is the NFL's broadcast coordinator, and it is he
alone who decides what NFL games are to be broadcast where.
It is also he who determines where and when blackouts are to
occur. Recently it was announced that Baltimore station
WMAR would no longer be permitted to televise Redskin
games since it was within the 75-mile radius of R.F.K. stadium
NFL policy requires a blackout of home games within this
radius, and the Redskins had not sought exclusion from that
policy.

The point is, however, season tickets are long since gone,
and there is a waiting list of thousands.
Regular-season-home-game telecasts have been cut from five
three years ago to none this year. Thus Redskin loyalists by the
hundreds must cram themselves into their cars and while
clogging the highways, polluting the air and risking their lives
drive over 75 miles to York, Pa. or Fredericksburg, Va., the
nearest cities which are unaffected by the Redskin blackout.

In the blackout areas, the NFL tries to place "the best
games in the best market places," as Cochran said. But when
asked by the Washington Post whether he considered last year's
NFC champion Redskins as a natural choice for this area,
Cochran replied "we're not going to have you telling us how to
make up our schedules." And he added: "nor are we going to
listen to fan mail saying 'I want this' and 'I want that'....In this
society people are always trying to get something they
shouldn't necessarily have to get...they're so spoiled."

What arrogance! What ingratitude! Not on the part of
the Redskin organization but rather on the part of that proud
yet pointless monopoly which we respectfully recognize as the
NFL. Because of over-flowing crowds, filled stadiums, faithful
fans and unflagging good publicity, once cosmetic and
solicitous NFL officials are now isolated, aloof and