INDIANAPOLIS — Many were anxious for an update on the 108th running of the Indianapolis 500 by the time IMS President Doug Boles addressed the assembled media for the second time on race morning.
He assured all that despite the rain delays the event could be completed. Then he added a juicy tidbit. The television blackout would be lifted in central Indiana. Some nodded in agreement and some even offered light applause. It had been a contentious issue for years.
Sports blackouts are not unusual. As any NFL fan knows if the home team doesn’t sell out a game, a television blackout will be enforced. The 500 was a different animal. Due to the expansive infield, theoretically, there is no limit to the number of fans you can jam inside.
Nonetheless, blackouts are something many fans deal with, albeit grudgingly. I follow the Kansas City Royals and because I now live miles from the town of my birth, I purchased a Major League Baseball package to follow my team. I find it absurd that I am blocked from watching the Royals on a Tuesday night because they are playing the White Sox in Chicago. Give me a break. If you think I have a complaint, talk to a baseball family in Iowa who can’t watch a host of squads.
So, what in the world does this have to do with short-track racing?
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