I heard over the weekend - and was reminded by my colleague Joe Hargett yesterday that rumors have surfaced of talks between ESPN (the World-Wide Leader in sports) and the NFL Network to form a joint venture. This development sure makes it look like the NFL is blinking in its stare-down with cable operators. The NFL was trying to squeeze money out of cable companies by demanding heavy subscriber fees. This plan seems to have backfired a bit, as the cable companies and their customers weren't ready to dish out cash for 8 games a year. The only outlet for the NFL Network is (the fabulous) DirecTV which I subscribe to, and any discounts for the mention would be appreciated.

A lot of people are speculating where the NFL Network will end up the most circulated assumption is that it will combine with ESPN Classic. However, let's not get too far ahead of ourselves; the talks are in the infantile stages. These things can break down and that would be a positive for the NFL Network. Why? The other cable standoff between the Big Ten Network (BTN) and Comcast just settled with BTN settling for far less than it originally hoped. BTN gives much more live programming than the NFL Network. If BTN settled for 40 cents less than hoped, what would happen to the NFL Network?

So, why is a breakdown in talks good for the NFL Network? It is the additional programming that needs some work; the games are on and will be watched by fans of either team. However, how often can we watch replays of a show that recaps the day's big activity? ESPN tried that with SportsCenter and it got old. At least SportsCenter looks at more than one sport. The NFL Network's show focuses on football (imagine that). Memo to the NFL Network: Come up with some innovative programming. You have the NFL Films library to pull from and the most popular game in America to build upon. There have been great retrospectives on the importance of football in America, give us more. If anyone out there hasn't seen the retrospective on the New York Fireman vs. Policeman football game after 9/11, you are missing out. It is this programming that will draw more viewers, not hearing what Terrell Davis and Rod Woodson have to say about the last Super Bowl over and over and over and over. NFL Network, make people want your product, that is how you will win this stare-down.