The Big Ten Network just made millions of dollars with one blocked kick.

So the Michigan loss to Appalachian State is now old news.

After having to suffer through a deep chasm full of stupid these last six days with everyone attempting to one-up each other on their version of the biggest upset in the history of the world (I still say Thermoplyae), one thing is certain.

The Big Ten Network is laughing all the way to the bank.

It's no coincidence that Dish Network caved to BTN's demands less than a week after the 'historic' defeat. And in less than a week, Dish Network saw they were at a distinct competitive disadvantage w/r/t Directv. The channel will be offered on Dish Network's 'top 100' package starting immediately, then switched to 'top 100 plus' in early 2008.

And shockingly, Mediacom has begun new discussions with the BTN (see second half of story in previous link), something they said were dead just a day before the Michigan loss.

Comcast, always a friend of the people, resorted to this. If only they would have done it with a certain John Mackey flair.

Impossibly old landlords and radioactive swamp gas over Aurora (no sarcasm intended) aside, I never understood the trepidation over ditching cable in favor of the wonderful world of satellite. It's free to install, costs the same as cable, always is the first to get channels and keep them, has impeccable customer service and everything is streamlined, making me constantly say, "This is so cool!" Something I don't normally do. But I've beat that drum too long with little effect.

With BTN (without getting into exagerrated cost structures, dopey a la carte programming arguments, etc.), they played this superlatively smart from a business perspective. Ask for the top bundled rate (fuck, E! channel gets it) and if it doesn't pan out, just let the games go as sight unseen until, I don't know, Appalachian State beats Michigan, and cable subscribers can't see it. Sit back and let the phone ring off the hook at the Comcasts of the world. If BTN has to take a hit that first year, so be it. It's not like they don't have the money. And just wait until the basketball season.

They banked and will continue to bank on the superlatively stupid sports fan irate only after the fact. A bet I would take every time.

The NFL Network installed the same business model two years ago to mixed reviews and success. But just wait until they start to broadcast NFL regular season games later in the year and next season, when even more and bigger games are scheduled for broadcast earlier in the season. And again, it's not like they don't have the money.

To be profitable in the long term for both networks, they had to enter the game in a good place, not in a place where the first few years consist of constant haggling with cable companies in an attempt to get out of the sports channel tiers populated by stations catering to Buttfuck, Montana. Once you're there, good luck trying to get out.

Never one to make excuses for big corporations, in this case, it's their fucking property! Given the choice of potentially making oodles of money and potentially losing oodles of money, I personally choose the former. Almost every time. Just seems a smarter business choice. Maybe it's me.