NFL.com = TASS

Remember the NFL's silly new rule prohibiting online news organizations from using more than 45 seconds of video a day? The one that is supposed to increase the value of nfl.com and the team websites? The Boston Globe's editorial page asks:

Professional football wouldn't be a multibillion-dollar enterprise if the league didn't assiduously promote its own interests. But the sport could suffer if the league seeks to become the main source of information about itself. Will the official website cover the league's own doings in a straightforward way, or will it be the NFL equivalent of the Soviet-era news agency TASS?

Ouch! Does the NFL need some ice for that burn?? In all seriousness, though, the Globe has a point. There's no way that nfl.com can or should become the main source for NFL news. It seems unlikely that you'd ever find, say, a hard-hitting report on human growth hormone use in the NFL there. If I'm wrong (yes,it happens), feel free to send me a link to an article published on nfl.com that was critical of the league, and I'll eat my Corey Dillon poster. It's out of date anyway.

Talk About Counterproductive (NFL Edition)

The Boston Globe reports (free registration required) :

In a high-stakes struggle for control of NFL news in cyberspace, the league has prohibited news organizations from airing more than a total of 45 seconds per day of online audio or video of team personnel from its stadiums. The action could foreshadow other major sports leagues imposing similar restrictions.

The NFL wants to prevent news organizations from diminishing the potential value of its online properties: NFL.com and all 32 team websites.

This is a very short-sighted decision. The NFL is making a mistake by treating independent media outlets like the Boston Globe as competitors. One of the reasons that football is so popular is the media coverage, which builds excitement for the games themselves. Shouldn't the NFL want video clips of its product distributed as widely as possible? When I see a video of Lawrence Maroney blowing by tacklers, it fires me up for the next Patriots game. Then there's this:

NFL spokesman Greg Aiello said the 45-second rule reflects the league's attempt to balance the needs of news outlets with the league's need to protect its media assets. The policy also requires news sites to remove NFL audio and video from their websites after 24 hours of usage.

In addition, news websites that use audio or video from NFL facilities must provide links to NFL.com and that team's Web page. News sites also are barred from running advertisements alongside the NFL content.

The bigwigs in the NFL apparently believe that the media should cover football for free. Somehow, I suspect that this will lead to less coverage. Good work, NFL! I won't be visiting NFL.com any time soon.